Favorite fabricator of all time

Maybe I should have included a little more detail as to my reasoning. Guys like Faye Butler, Ron Fournier, or Ron Covell "Create" products out of flat sheet into intricate and even artful items, parts etc. To me George Barris was more of a body man that altered the looks of a car by chopping, channeling etc. And as you said Sam was probably responsible for most of the work in the early days and other craftsman in the later years. Sure in later years there was the Batmobile etc. but I don't think George Barris can take credit for the actual work, just the designs. I also don't think you can compare the work out of Barris' shop with the the others listed if you could see a lot of that work in bare metal. Maybe I shouldn't have used the word Sheetmetal in my description of Barris, just body guy.
Look I'm not knocking Barris by any means. I think he holds a very important place in the word of Custom Cars and the history of the hobby, he is probably the best known, especially outside of the hobby itself. I just don't think that what he did, or his shop did, is on the same level as true "fabricators".

 

Gene Winfield, Bil Hines, 'Lil John, Pat Foster, Cole Foster.

 

I see the distinction and agree to some extent but I do know that the quality of a lot of the work coming out of the Barris shop and others from that era as well was top notch. When Darryl Hollenbeck was redoing the body work on Sam Barris' merc he said that the metal work was great and had held up beautifully for 50 years.

 

Mike McIntosh, Steve Sellers, Pat Foster , Lil John .

 

Man...how can a Hot Rodder narrow it down to just one!?!?

Without even considering the current crop of NEW top notch Fabricators like Cole...Sellers...etc, I'll just say that several guys always made me look (for various reasons) a little harder at the stuff they included in their various projects...
Lil' John Buttera
Cotton Werksman
Randy Bianchi
Bruce Crower
Dave Puddicombe (Local fabricator...he showed me that there really is no limit to what a simple torch and welder can accomplish. See it/dream it/want it? then BUILD it!)

 

Thats the thing about Jesse. After all the fame and glory of TV land, he still remains true to his character. The same guy he was before the money.

 

C-mon.... somebody say it! hahahah

 

Steve Sellers, Dave Stoltz

 

Bill Hines

 

Bass and Sellers

 

Hey,

A toss up between Frank Kurtus, Lujie Lesovsky, Jack Haggman Sr. & Harry Westergard

Swankey Devils C.C.
" Spending A Nation Into Generational Debt Is Not An Act Of Compassion !''

 

bass,sellers,and little man

 

scott sullivan, he set design standards other fabricators still haven't achieved.

the goofy wrench thing on hot rod tv confused me though...

 

Mike Talbert formely from Shelbyville, IN Wherabouts now unknown.

 

I can't believe that made the final cut. We were having fun with Scott and the wrench at the time though. Funny dude!

 

His 27 sedan blew me away when it first appeared. He did more machine work than most fabricators to accomplish his goals, he did "billet' before it was called billet - Things like radiator hose clamps machined from solid and retained with a SS T-bolt and elastic stop nut. Much cooler than a bulky AN fitting and braided hose. The male/female aircraft electrical connectors in the door jamb that made contact when closed to supply power to the power windows and switches were almost unnoticed and were just to eliminate the wire that normally dangles there. His later cars were simpler, so much so that a lot of the neat work went unnoticed. Lil' Jon pioneered the current narrow Funny Car chassis that is still used today, and tried all sorts of things like independent front suspension. Even did monocoque funny cars for Mickey Thompson.

And still Jon claimed (at least to me) that he wasn't a machinist. He said "I'm just a sort of a metal carver, those guys that make clutches and blower drives and gears and stuff, now THEY are machinists." Most people who claim to BE machinists should be so lucky as to have his ability. RIP.

I'd love to have met Phil Remington when he was at Shelby. I imagine him to be one of the best automotive problem solvers around.

 

Hotroddon-When you take a piece of pipe and make nerf bars or a hunk of sheetmetal and form fenders,extensions or rolled pans thats fabricating in any sane mans view.

 

Guess I'm not sane

 

Three that I respected most: Phil Remington, Doane Spencer and John Buttera. All were hot rod guys -- but all loved fabricating real racecars.

 

FC Ute, Sellers, Littleman, Chopperman and a few others from here. Because they have inspired me more then anyone to have a crack and have taken the time to share. Im sure the other guys are brilliant but I have never been into the cult of celebrity

 

The list would go on for days when it comes to the old timers.

As far as today's builders....

Jimmy White, Brian Bass, Steve Sellers, Jimmy Shine, Cole Foster...all in no particular order, and just a few names bouncing around in my head right now.

 

LUJIE?!?!?!

HOLY CRAP....

yes indeed.

yes indeed.

Just talked to his grand daughter today.

Oh Yeah...
Lil' John,
Ken Cox,
Pat Foster,
Tom Hannah,
Bass,
Sellers,
Troy Ladd,
and the list goes on.....

 

the work i admire the most just has to be Ed "Big Daddy" Roths
a true fiberglass genius

 

Hotroddon I am sure your sane since you have a hotrod but possibly a litle confused?? LOL

 

Ed Roth, Plowboy, littleman, and I am really starting to enjoy some of my own work.Im no superstar, but i am finally getting to the point that I like what i can do.

 

Jesse James, Steve Sellers, Woody Gilmore, Brian Bass, Tom Hannah, Littleman, Rich Pauza.
Graham Berry, Terry Bowden, John Read. In no paticular order.

 

That would be Jackie Howerton. He recently moved from Indy to AZ. He is a true craftsman.

I also cant believe no one mentioned Dan Webb, (unless I overlooked it)

 

Bill Burke ,Art Chrisman, Chuck Finders, Roy Brizio, Bass

 

Bout time someone mentions Gary Howard.
http://www.garyhowardcustoms.com/

 

Lil' John and Pat Foster get my vote