The Junkyard Gigolo

About a year ago I bought a 1950 Merc sedan from a junkyard in rural Missouri. The old timer took my junkyard buddy Jack Walker and I into his private garage to show us his unrestored mint 1949 Lincoln sedan. It still had factory tires and all, a neat thing to see. While he and Jack are chatting it up, I'm looking around at all the old furniture that's stacked up and old bottles. Then I spy this old Harley 4 speed swing arm frame on the floor!!! As I'm looking, I see the engine, transmission, forks and so on. I have to ask the big question, "Would you be interested in selling the Harley basket case ya have sitting there?" The says "Make me an offer". So I say $750.00, thinking I'll start low and haggle with him. "SOLD" he says, and we load it up in the back of my truck. I always read about the fantastic score (like your doing right now), but it rarely happens to me. On that day, it did! So I have been messing with this 1977 superglide every so often in my garage. I had the frame sand blasted and I blasted the swing arm and small stuff myself. I got the frame painted last week, and have been putting pieces together here and there when I have a chance.

As I found it in the old man's garage.


I got overspray all over my glasses painting this thing,


After a few pasess with clear.


What I plan on doing is not dumping a ton of money into this thing, used parts are fine by me. There will be no trips to the chrome shop on this project, a brillo pad and the kitchen sink will take care of the old bright work. I just want an old school build that I can beat the hell out of, and have a good time to get back and forth to work on.
A trick I learned from an old tech article in a 1970's issue of Easyriders magazine, was to drill a small hole on the mounting surface side of the neck cup almost to the edge. This will allow you to take a small punch and drive the old neck cup race out! I spent $12.00 bucks at the NAPA auto parts store for new bearings and races. I tapped the new races into place, drove the neck cups back into the neck of the frame, and I am back in business!




So, what have you guys been up to?
Out in the garage building something I hope
Fritz

Detroit Autorama 60 Years And Counting!

To me Detroit is the show to do, the place to be, the big top! And like a dumb ass I didn't take any pics. I wandered around with my coke and salted pretzel looking at all the great stuff, saying hello to guys and shops i only get to see at shows and just got so caught up in chatting & looking that I plumb forgot to snap off some pics. once the show got going, and it was PACKED folks! I was busy at my booth with the "Roswell Rod" and that was that. I am sure that every car web site has a ton of pics for ya to scroll through anyway. and I promise to be on my toes for the next few shows that the Roswell is a feature at. My Wife Carrol did have it in her mind to be smart enough to get some pics of the art work & stripping i do in the both before people bought it and I never saw it again so at least I can share those pics. a few pieces did get paid for and left before we got pics but we did get some shots of the 5 gallon gas can with "drink refreshing BURP cola" painted on t and a Mountain dew can with a rat fink. I ran out of stuff to paint on so I was digging in the trash cans pulling out empty soda cans and painting little monsters on them for 5 bucks a piece. we sold everyone of 'em!





Get out in the garage and build something.
what have you guys been up to?
FRITZ

Kansas City World of Wheels

It's not often I get to do the ISCA world of wheels show in my own back yard, I am usually off at a differant show in another state, but this year The "Roswell Rod" was a feature car at the Kansas City show. My wife Carrol & I set up with the Roswell and my panhead the "Margarita Chiquita" to vend our DVD's and other trinkets. K.C. is a real car town! The midwest has it going on for customs & hot rods, more than SOCAL, one of the big reasons I moved out this way from NYC.
I snapped a few pics of stuff that I liked, and figured I'd post them for you guys to see also.

I have a soft spot for 28-29 Ford pick ups, even though there isn't a bunch of room in them, they just catch my interest.


I always stop off at the bike section, I usually see a bunch of stupid looking Evo's, but a few bikes stood out.
The green swing arm Harley caught my eye cause it sports a vintage "Crazy Frank" rear fender.
The black & white Pan, well, thats something I'd ride to work everyday
The '42 Knuckle is a real deal barn find from the area, I dont know about you, but every time I get to go inside a barn I find bird shit and empty beer cans!

Fiberglass Tools & Mr. Sparkle

I have been getting a bunch of e-mails from you guys asking where you can get a "fiberglass roller" like I use in my "how to build a fiberglass body at home" DVD. Well to make it easy on everyone, I found a supplier and will have the fiberglass rollers and resin brushes for sale in my web site store!
So in the next week or so check out the store for details!




I mentioned in my last blog entry about Johnny Sparkle coming out to Kansas City to get his model T sedan, well I found the photo I took of Mr Sparkle standing next to his now freshly painted blue Hot Rod and figured I'd post it.

Back From New Orleans

The New Orleans world of wheels show was a blast. Lots of good people and great cars. One thing I did while I was there is something I usually don't do, go out into the show and stripe cars. I met a couple of great guys that just couldn't get enough of my work, I painted a set of gear shift knobs and sold a monster on a bowling pin to Joe Credibi, and I did a Rat Fink on his buddy's son's Chevy truck. Johnny Sparkle came to Kansas City and picked up his model T sedan that I painted freeing up my garage. I have been cleaning and putting stuff away but need to get a paint job done for my dad's FXLR Harley, then I plan on bringing the Baja Bandeeto back in, and making some headway on the new show rod.

New Orleans 2012

My first time in the crescent city and I must say I do love it! I wasn't here 24 hours and I was in a bar Called "Dino's" named after Dean Martin, then we walked around with a Hurricane in hand as Carrol and I stumbled into Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville bar where I got a little shitfaced singing along with Captain Leo to Buffett Tunes! OH yah! I am here for the Auto-Rama World of Wheels show with the "Roswell Rod" and my chopped panhead! Being a bit of a geek, I may sneak out and slip into the Comic Con convention that just happens to be going on the same weekend in the exhibition hall next door. It looks like it is going to be a great show, lots of neat stuff bein set up. I have seen a lot of friends that I meet "on the road" at shows all over the country that are here! Bob Larivee and his crew put on the best shows in the world! Stop on by say "Hello" and see the show. We have a show special on our DVD's if you are interested, get a deal and save on shipping. You'll have enough left over for a Hurricane or two
Then get back out in the garage and build something!
I wanna see your stuff at the show next year!
Fritz

It's Here!

Thats right Finally after a long wait, including the time it took for my arm to heal, I have in my hot little grabbers the New DVD "Chop a Model A top at home". It's a 2 disc set, of a tad over 4 hours of cutting & grinding action! Dig that crazy disc art man! For you guy's that pre ordered this DVD it will be in the mail this week, so sit by the mail box with a club and wait for the mail man. If he aint got it, work him over 'cause he probably swiped your copy. If you are a lazy sod and didn't get yer's yet, go to my web site and scope things out.
Get out in that garage and build something.
(unless you are watching this DVD that is)
Fritz