Does anyone here know anything about California Metal Shaping? Another thread on here said it was Marcel DeLays shop, but I was wondering if it always has been from what I understand its been around since at least the 50s (provided its the same shop). Any background would be great. Thanks!
I remember seeing the name come up on the Metalshapers board. Don't remember any details. You could search the archives there,or post a question: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/metalshapers/
They have been around FOREVER, They stamped out LOTS of Indy car body parts when they were still aluminum, and did Champ Dirt Car parts into at least the early 80's. They would stamp tail sides that would then be welded together by Grant King, Jackie Howerton, Jerry Weeks, etc etc etc.
bill honda was the guy that owned california metal shaping. he was heavy into 32 fords until the early 80s remember about that time only the deusenbergs and high end cars would be able to afford metal shaped pieces. i think bill may have died around that time early 80s mike
The building is still there. They are close or shouldbe I have a friend that was promised a nose and got nothing for his hard work but nothing
Back in the 1970's when Bill Honda ran it I think it was about the only metalshaping place to go. They built the MonoRail for DisneyLand, and both of Craig Breedloves LSR cars. I thought it was real neat to have Bill make the hood for my Riley 4 Port. Bill was one of the nicest car guys I ever met, used to come out for the Hershey meet every fall. He built all the Bugatti GP bodies for Bunny Phillips.
Thanks a lot y'all--appreciate it. I'm most interested in finding out more about what they were up to during the 50s and who might have been doing the work during that time. Did Bill Honda date back that far? I'll hit up the yahoo board too. Thanks again
Hey, I was told that California Metal Shaping was started when WWII ended and G.Is returned to buildin cars for the salt runs and Muroc. I beleve that the Barris Bros. purchased some shaped panels for their early chops, these would be the sail panel areas of those early chops, shaped by California Metal Shaping. A gentelman by the name of "Red", my rememberer don't go in reverse all of the time, can't recall his name, but is big in the old car game, and has forgotten more about metalshaping, than most guys will learn in a lifetime. Scott knight, a heavy in the resto and big money sports car sheet metal fab business, worked with Red at California Metal. I beleve that most of the panel forming was done on a Yoder power- hammer. I have yet to run across anyone who was forming panels with an English wheel, in the early years, here in SoCal. Swankey Devils C.C.
Yep! It was a Yoder Stamping machine. I had a tour of the shop in the late '70's. They also had a very cherry '40 Ford Pickup for a shop truck.
California Metal Shaping granson here, Ken Hausman, looking for same. Raised in the shop from 1955 to 1966, the grandpa Chad Schultz retired and Bill Honda purchased. My dad of same name worked their from 1953, out of the army and building a family. Married Elinor Schultz, worked their until about 1966 and went to Shelby Amarican at the new LAX facility. I remember the name of Bill Ketcham, pattern builder, Big Red Tweit, and will get back to my mon , Elinor and get more info.
California Metal Shaping made the cowel on this T racer for my Dad in '85. In '86 Red Twiet formed the tail out of aluminum over a buck my Dad built. Red's work is awesome. The tail was made in 4 pieces, and is as smooth on the inside as it is on the outside.
I have one of the Yoders from that shop. It still has part of the beam it was welded to, I was told that it was in fact Red Twiet hammer. Dont know if thats true. but be cool to find out.
Not fair Dean! You can't just post two great photos without the details on the car. Was that a restoration of an existing car or a great period recreation? Left side exhaust so it has something uncommon for power. I like it!
my dad ran a sweeco or seco stamp, drop hammer type unit, several tons of lead and threw dense rubber into the corners to properly streach the aluminum sheet. I remember lead pigs stacked about 2' high for many 20' lengths, fence rows. I was told they couldn't stack it any higher because the floor wouldn't support it.
One of my all time Favorite Cars, still have the original issue of Hot Rod it was a cover car/feature build. I always wondered why the body was made from so many 12x12 or smaller pieces rather than large sections? May have been a cost factor, finished product sure looked fine.
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 9"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 9"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/USER/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/msoclip1/01/clip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <woNotOptimizeForBrowser/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> Hi, Hey just curious what hammer you have. I think both of Red's hammers went to South Carolina. I think that Red had another hammer which he sold years ago, maybe that's what you have. I work with five hammers that came out of California Metal Shaping; we have 2 others as well. I came across this post looking for history on CMS. I know some of the history but would like to learn as much as I can, as we have a lot of the equipment out of that shop. Any history would be appreciated. If anyone has pics, that would be great, because I only have a few from the old days. Here's a pic of what the building looks like today. If you want to see some of the equipment out of CMS, the Pettingell's are on the original post. Go to www.westpacrestorations.com LM
As far as I know the last three hammers that were in the shop came to Seattle. There was a Yoder LK90, a Pettingell 1 and a Pettingell 2. A friend of mine has the Yoder and Pettingell 1; I have the Pettingell 2. I would be interested in any photos out of that shop as well.
I'll have to check, but I think there were a few articles in the Neal East produced magazine Old Cars Illustrated, that featured CMS.
I have more info, Foreman was Stanley Taylor, 1950's thru 1770's I found a great article from a book called The best of OLD CARS, from best of old cars newspaper, 1971 to 1976. Page 102 has to complete legal size pages of CMS, picture of Bill Honda holding 32 ford rear fender, CMS bread and butter. Foreman Stanley Taylor at a hammer, I believe??? pics of boatail packard734 speedster. I will attempt to scan. Several Quote about Kingston and the Lancaster shop for the Duesenberg's
I have a handfull of pics my mom brought over today, I will scan and file and post soon. Auburns, Hupmobile,Pierce-Arrow. in the shop or in the parking lot. How to post pics next
My Dad built this car in '86-'87. He built it to run the Model T club 200 mile endurance runs. The engine is a 27 T with an A crank and rods, and pressurized with a '40 something Pontiac oil pump. It runs a RAJO BBR twin plug head, and an '87 Nissan pick up twin plug distributor. The rules say the car must run T running gear, so it has a T rear end with a cut down Ford V8 ring and pinion on a Rambler carrier with Rambler axles and rear brakes. The T transmission is gutted, only using the T clutch with a Pinto 4 speed behind it. Dad had the Miller grill shell cast from a Pattern he borrowed from Joe Gemsa. The wheels are 20" split ring Buffalos that Dad laced himself. The car is currently owned by Warren Record of Arcadia, Ca, and he regularly drives it, and runs it at the Antique Nationals.
Thanks Dean, sounds like a good runner. Of all the 4Banger overheads I've had over the years I regret selling the BB RAJO the most. Good news is that it is in a T on the West Coast and running around.
I would like to see some pics of that hammer too!! Here are a couple of CMS hammer shots. Also how five of those hammers look today, some of the stands and benches in the background are also out of CMS
Burninfuel is coming up with some great photos from his mom and he would know better than I, but I was always told that CMS started in 1935, Most of the machines are definetly prewar with the exception of the Yoder.
A quick story for all. I use to explore the rural property next door to grandpa place, under the big oak trees next to the creek bed I found 2 spheres, all aluminum with 1 hole about 4" dia. one was about 12" sphere and the other was about 18", perfect aluminum bubbles, I took them back to grandpa and grandma to show them what they were, ???? a lot of questions and no answers???? they disappeared soon. never told about them for years. another CMS project?? I was lit up with excitement on the find, I was around 7 years old and sizes might be wrong, but they were a handful to get them back to the house. no seams, no rivits, no flaws.??? Rember the 76 gas station sign before fiberglass. about 1958
The Jalopy Journal
