Beatnik Bandit Post Nov.23, 2014

Yah you noticed huh? I haven't posted on the blog for a long ass time. I had nose sinus surgery. My sinuses were clogged, as in jam packed with polyps, to the point where I could not really breath out my nose, it was horrible. I had a hard time bouncing back from the surgery, a real hard time, to the point where I had to quit my job 'cause I just can't be around the dust and paint fumes too much for a while. At least at home I can control my body shop style environment, and get away to breathe some fresh air when I need to, or have to. That's it in a nut shell. I don't wanna bring you down with my silly shit. I have been working on the "Beatnik Bandit" clone a bunch! My friend Ellis Kendrick has even been helping mix the Plaster as I goop a body out of buckets! I am still waiting for the radiator shop to do what they have to, then I take it, and work on it, and give it back. Time . . . its all just time, but I can't work on the nose of the car until I get the radically shortened radiator back and mounted. Its a childhood dream really. I hope to share it with all you crazies when its done. Get out in the garage and build something! Fritz

The beginnings of the "Beatnik Bandit" clone

I've been busy in the garage for the past few weeks working on the "Beatnik Bandit" clone. I have all my reference stuff spread out on the work bench, a Revell model kit, pics and notes I took when I was at a show with the real Bandit, and the hot rods by Ed Roth book! I want to get to a point, and then I will put it aside for a bit to work on the Knuckle chopper project. I want to get that on its two wheels and kickstand so I can roll it around. As you can see from the pics of me holding the model kit instructions up next to the rolling frame, its looks just like the plastic kit gang! I also will be doing some straight body work on my pal Poncho Bill's 57 Pontiac Starchief over the winter. Lots of good stuff guys, shoot me an e-mail, spritzbyfritz@aol.com, lets see what you guys have going on this winter. Get out in the garage and build something! FRITZ

Winter Projects/Getting Ready

I have had some stuff sit for far too long, things happen, life gets in the way, you know the deal. I have had this twin Carb Knuckle, chromed and polished, sitting in the corner of the garage, for the last 5 years, longer if you count the time it sat when I lived in Long Island New York. It is now covered in body shop dust and paint overspray. I am a very bad person. This never should have happened. it will be a dust collector no more. I pulled it out, and It will be one of my winter projects this coming season. Another project I have been collecting parts for, (and I am gonna spill the beans here gang), is "The "Beatnik Bandit" I bought the 1950 Oldsmobile frame from flat top Bob In Wellington Texas about eight or so years ago. Same thing with the olds V-8 engine. I drug the motor home to long Island from Door Michigan, and the frame from Texas, and then five years ago I moved it all to Kansas City. I never give up "NEVER". So, check back, it will be a slow couple of projects, I wanna enjoy them. I have gotten a few e-mail with pics of the stuff you guys are building. I'll have to do a blog post with them all. Quite a few of you guys have bought my "How to build a fiberglass body at home" DVD and put the info to good use. I think I can Honestly say that I single handily started a new show rod movement! One of you crazy guys is even building a custom one off nose for their Model A, very neat indeed. Get out there guys, turn off the TV it sucks any way and get out in the garage and build something !

"6th Street Specials"

"6th street specials", a freaking landmark in New York City's lower east side. If you ride an English bike you know this place. When I worked at "Iron Horse Magazine", we were there a lot, Indian Larry and Paul Cox both worked there in the mid 80's. Hugh, who runs the shop, was featured on the TV show "Cafe Racer". Since 1986 Hugh and Dimitri (RIP) ran the shop. Now Hugh and his trustee wrench "Fumi" keeps all the cool kids up and running on their Triumph's - BSA's and what not. This is not some designer motorcycle shop like a Harley dealer, this is a knuckles down, bare bones bike shop. You will not see leather chaps and fingerless gloves for sale here. They work on bikes "THAT'S IT". You can buy parts and maybe a shop T-shirt. If you are ever in NYC, you should stop by and see what a real bike shop looks like. bBy a T-shirt so Hugh can have some pocket money for tea and cookies, and don't wage to much of the man's time, he has a shop to run for Christ's sake! You can find "6th Specials" at 703 East 6th Street, New York, NY 10009 My wife Carrol being patient while I chat with my pals. Hugh hard at work during my visit. That's how he rolls, he worked through our whole conversation The Amazing Fumi spinning wrenches in the basement on a customers bike. A fixture at the shop, Greaser Mike, a lower east side legend in his own right!

A Day with Paul Cox

A lot of you might not know it but Paul Cox and I go back a long way. In the late 1980's, when he was over at 6th Street Specials with Indian Larry (Sportster Larry at the time I think), I would stop by with my riding pals and not say too much. Later on I was a staff writer and Assistant Editor for "Iron Horse Magazine". We all got to know each other better in those days, and as time went on we all sort of stayed in touch. I lived out on Long Island, so it was hard for me to get into New York City, especially as my painting business "Spritz BY Fritz" grew. A few weeks ago I stopped by Paul's new shop to say hello, catch up on life, and share stories about the old days in the Lower East Side, when we all worked together at Psycho Cycles. Paul is a real artist, bikes, leather, knives, paint on canvas etc. If I had to compare him with a historical counter culture figure it would be "Von Dutch", only without all the hate. Paul is still building beautiful bikes! I took a few pics to share with you cats of the work and awesome detail that was going on during my visit. Also, a few pics of the paint job he gave me to do for a new build. What are you guys up to? Lemme know. Get out in the garage and build something! FRITZ

On the road to NYC via Carlisle and Oley, PA.

I spent quite a few days on the road the last week or so with the great "Johnny Sparkle" as my co pilot. We met up with Greaser Mike and Poncho Bill from NYC, at spring Carlisle in PA, and had a blast. I didn't buy much, some old tech books, a busted Mac air ratchet that I will hand in for a new one, and a dozen pair of socks for 10 bucks! Around the corner from our hotel was a fantastic arcade place where we loaded up on tickets playing skee ball, and ignoring the "do not bump" stickers on the motor go karts! That was two days of good fun. We then moved on to to Oley, PA for the antique motorcycle meet, that was better. Even though I can't afford anything at these meets, I love walking around looking at all the history, guys riding around on old 8 valve factory Harley race bikes, pre unit Triumphs, 4 cylinder Indians & Henderson's, belt drive Popes, you get the idea. I took a bunch of pics and will filter them onto the blog a bit at a time for you guys to enjoy. In my honest opinion, the Oley meet was way better then Davenport, there was just so much more stuff around. Davenport does have the flat track races, so maybe its about even. Get out in the garage and build something!

"Best bar in America"

I have been seeing this little gem float around posts on Facebook for a while now. So, I figured I would pick up a copy, and give it a look see. A motorcycle movie, usually Hollywood turns out real pieces of shit when it comes to bike movies. Only independents turn out anything that's genuine. "The best bar in America", yeah you might need this in the collection. A guy on the road with his 'ol lady, is hitting all the gin mills in the west, and writing a book about it. Said "guy" loses 'ol lady, and the book deal, only to continue on life's journey, and meet a host of characters and booze bottles along the way. The bike is an old BMW with a hack that has been pieced together out of swap meet parts. My kinda guy. I don't wanna give away too much, not that I am a movie critic, but I'd say its sort of like Jack Kerouac meets Easy Rider. I liked it, and I liked it a lot. I would say yes, get yer own copy. It's about $25 bucks with shipping, and you can get yer copy at www.bestbarinamerica.com