STARLINER Update #17: That's WAY TOO NICE for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Thursday morning; that means today is the last day to finish May Cause Dangerous. Last night was hot and heavy.

The whole crew was busting *** yet again. It's almost over guys! Alex, Steve and I went to another shop to finish up the pipes and taillight lenses while Ash and Dave waded through re***embly of the dash and door hardware.

When we walked back into Alex's shop all of our jaws hit the floor seeing the car on all fours. DAMN!

It's going to be another VERY long day today because the car is going to the exhaust shop. That will eat up a lot of valuable re***embly time.

I have confidence in the Gambino Grime Family.

Even the local paper is hip to the scene...

http://www.contracostatimes.com/concordtranscript/ci_8704449?nclick_check=1&forced=true1

The link doesn't seem to work for everyone. Here's the article...


Hot rods as works of art

By Jonathan Morales
Correspondent
Article Launched: 03/26/2008 11:34:08 AM PDT

For some, art is about awe-inspiring landscape paintings. For others, it is a beautiful and memorable melody, or an imposing statue of a famous figure.
For Kirk Jones, art is about hot rods. Specifically, a custom 1960 Ford Starliner.
"Art evokes emotion, hot rods evoke emotion," said the 37-year-old Concord resident and lifelong hot rod enthusiast. "Art is created, hot rods are created. Therefore, hot rods are art."

Art that you get to drive.

Jones, creative director for Goodguys Rod and Custom ***ociation, will be unveiling the Starliner at the Goodguys All American Get-Together, taking place this weekend in Pleasanton.

The Starliner is the latest work of art for Jones, who has built more than 25 cars. He approached the Starliner with the idea of creating the most period-correct car possible, something he said many of his peers strive for.

The theme throughout the build, Jones said, was "early '60s show car." The goal was to use the same motor, technology and equipment — with some concessions for safety — that would have been used at the time.

As he and San Jose-based Gambino Customs worked around that theme, the project became more and more complicated as ideas were bounced back and forth, and new aspects were added.

Jones said that as they worked on the car, it turned "into a show car that I'm going to drive."

Growing up, Jones was always drawn to cars, an interest that was cemented after seeing the movie "American Graffiti." His nickname as a kid was "hot rod." He worked on his first car at 15 — a 1964 Ford Galaxy bought from his father — and has been doing it ever since.

"There's just always been an old car in the garage for me," Jones said.

Jones grew up mostly in Southern California, but he was born in Concord, about 100 yards from the house where he, his wife Christina and 3-year-old daughter Regan currently live, a fact he discovered after moving in.

For a while, building hot rods was just something Jones did for fun while he worked primarily as an art director in the garment industry.

Then in 1997 he started Billetproof, a car show based on "the mentality of building period-correct cars," he said, and one of the first events to have such an emphasis. The response to the first Billetproof was so good it became an annual event and the largest show of its kind.

Jones recently sold Billetproof to a friend, but he credits it with getting his foot in the door at Goodguys, where he is able to both utilize his background as an artistic and creative director and indulge his p***ion for hot rods, traveling around the country to shows and writing about them for Goodguys Magazine.
"I look at thousands of cars every weekend. For a car guy, its kind of heaven, and to get paid for it is just ridiculous," he said.

The event this weekend is where thousands of other hot rod enthusiasts will get to see Jones' most recent handiwork. He's chronicled the Starliner project on hot rod message boards, and said there have been likely tens of thousands of people watching the project online.

"There are people who are traveling to this Goodguys event just to see this car," he said.

The event usually brings in about 2,400 cars, Jones said, and features a swap meet and a large car corral where several hundred cars will be up for sale. Since any American-powered car from any era is welcome, he said a wide variety of cars are on display.

"If you can't find something that you like at the Get-Together, then you don't like cars," Jones said.


Cars, cars and more cars
What: 26th All American Get-Together
When: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Alameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton.
Cost: $15, general admission; $6, children, ages 6-12; free, children under 6.
Information: Visit www.good-guys.com.

Really a pretty good article.




Ash was on dash duty.




Hell yes! Inner trim rings from The Wheel Kid.


Alex and Steve love to sand and polish things!












Something other than Carls' Jr. for once. Premium chicken? Damn right! Only the best for the Gambino boys.




Oh yeah, polish that pipe! Faster! Faster!






The ignition switch was giving us all the finger.

 

Shaping the diffusers for the taillights. The team effort has been awesome!




Wait 'til you see them lit up.


WAY too nice for me. It really doesn't even feel like it's my car.

 

so how much is invested in fast food, red bull and coffee on this build??

lookin killer man cant wait to see it done!!

 

W O W - all I can say...............the pearl door panels, dash, and wheel are outta sight.......

 

*****IN' !!!

Those rear lenses with the diffusers will be perfect!

 

wow, been watching this for awhile but staying quiet.
WOW.
You guys are my new heroes.

 

Stunning, fantastic job!

 

That's so cool! It would be too nice for me too. Drive it away, the first rock chip is the worst.

 

Fantastic! Can't wait to see it this weekend.

 

I've thought about that, and I think that the first one will be a big relief. Then it's not perfect anymore.

 

Oops

 

Nice. Is the pearl stuff in the interior the same stuff as the pick guard on old electric guitars? (Something I was thinking should be done for several years now.)

Hope I get to see this car in-person someday.

 

Congrats Bro!!

 

Looks fantastic. Kirk, I hate you, even if you don't hate me.

Alex. If you ruin that pretty shirt, I will give you a new one!!!

 

Thats really awesome, give the boys a pat on the back for me...

 

Wow.......KIRK! that's one fine Ford. Is it going to be at Del Mar?

 

I hate you and that lame shirt!

 

Kirk has such a purty mouth.

are you trying to make up for not finishing that last ford product?

freaking perfect.

how did you get it to lay so flat?, most starliners always end up with a rake due to the way the rear wheel well/c piller come together.

 

OK, I fixed the link...


http://www.contracostatimes.com/concordtranscript/ci_8704449?nclick_check=1&forced=true

 

It looks like a cover car to me!

 

Kool!!!!!!!!!

 

That car could make me eat meat.


May cause flatula

 

What are the tire and wheel specs? Very NICE too! U must in awe of the Brilliance of the Gambino crew!!

Ken

 

are you having like 45 ends on the lake pipes?

 

Rockabilly of the year award fo sho. maybe even the Rockabilly lifetime achievement award? MAY CAUSE VOTE.

kinda gives me a tingling sensation in my groin.

 

sick!

 

Love it! Fantastic job Kirk, Alex, and crew.

 

Dammmmmmm.........

 

I showed the Fonz the new pics and he still thinks it's....

 

Well i agree with you Kirk it is to nice to you. I can have a truck there in a couple of hours to pick it up

Amazing work now get that damn steering wheel in there!