What's the History of Tikis and Realtion to Rodding?

What's the history of the tikis and their relation to Hot Rodding?

I guess it wasn't an East Coast thing and I missed it.

I don't remember tikis being a big thing back in my heyday.

 

It may have had a bit of surfer connection somewhere along the line.

 

Tiki's were big in the late 50's early 60's as good luck charms, gear knobs and mirror hangers.

 

Gi's brought it back with them after ww2.

 

ive been wondering about this also, all i remember is shrunken heads

 

I'm not sure there really was a huge connection. Like others have said they were just kinda good luck charms. There were a couple shift knobs available (both repoped by Moon) but I can't think of many other auto related items. Seemed like tikis were high school shop class fodder that may have found their way in or on to cars. Theres certainly a blending of hot rodding and surfing culture in the early sixties and that might be a connection. The tiki culture came home after WWII with soldiers who were exposed to it. I don't really see hot rodders carefully crafting their thatch covered basement bars...they were too busy in the garage and cruising the main drag. Shrunken heads are kinda in the tiki realm in that they fit the whole "wild savage" theme but once again its a trinket to hang off the mirror to gross out the girls. Roth had carved a shrunken head or two but I'm not sure if they were mass produced.

An old almquist catalogue with a tiki shift knob in the bottom left

A shot of my Roth shrunken head dated 1964. Not really sure what it is, been told they were considered "prototypes and concept art" (sorry about the crappy pic)

 

Hey Clik, good question, I've been wondering the same thing recently.

The theme of the Chicago World of Wheels in early March is "Surf City, the Hot Rod Era" and the surf/tiki/woodie culture is being featured. Here's a link that sheds some light on the tiki subject:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiki_culture

An excerpt:

In addition to the returning WWII veterans, several other factors contributed to the mid-century American explosion in Polynesian Pop culture or Tiki Culture. Post-war America saw the rise of the middle class as an economic force. This coupled with ever increasing affordability of travel, particularly newly established air travel to Hawaii, helped to propel the nation's interest in all things tropical. Hawaiian statehood was a major factor which further drove the tropical lifestyle popularity, and Americans fell in love with their romanticized version of an exotic culture. Another related factor was the excitement surrounding the Kon-Tiki expedition.

A lot of info in the link about the craze/fad but it doesn't mention a direct connection to the hot rod or car culture. Perhaps another example of selective memories.

 

im liking this post

 

I liked the whole tiki thing back then...I remember having a cheap-ass tiki around my geeky neck. As an isolated east coaster, I was caught in that whole south seas dream world mainly fueled by reading Kon-Tiki & Aku-Aku & the T.V. series "Adventures in Paradise," starring Gardner McKay. I think that tiki head may have hung from my mirror on one of my earlier heaps.

 

Plenty of old Tiki bar signs out here in the West. I remember them all over the place as a kid.

 

Definitely has a west coast surfer connection with it. I love Tiki stuff myself and am looking for a totem pole for my back yard.

Bob

 

I bought a Tiki mask at a thrift store that looks like Elvis...hows that for cross culture!

 

The tiki culture was a huge part of suburban pop culture in the 50s and 60s. In addition hot rods were become a huge part of the culture in the 50s. It was inevitable the two cultures would mix, blend, and go hand in hand.

 

I like it in its context, (a wacky nuclear drink in a tiki setting) But I've never understood why it is often rammed down our throats as an obvious attachment to hot rodding. It's like the connection is made FOR us, "Here, you have a hot rod? You're going gonna want this too, trust me! You like this too, you'll see."

Like I said, in its context it's cool, but I'd like to make up my own mind, y'know? It's like any other style, what if French Rococo decor was suddenly related to hot rods? I know, I'm being silly, but just trying to make a point-

 

I guess it was sort of popular, but not massivly so in hot rods. It's more of a modern thing to me, like tatoos, Betty Page type girls, primered cars, etc. Kind of a 2011 interpretation of the past filtered through todays fads. Sorry, my two cents. I DO like Tikki crap though.

 

Dude, i agree

 

Well put. I think it's just a part of the connection to the 50s "kulture" that a lot of people think they're living.

 

I agree completly! Well said. Part of what I think is questionable 'traditional" dogma.

 

For all who were there, the truth was revealed last year -

 

I think there was also Hawaii becoming the 50th state in 1959. Everyone was fascinated with the Island culture stuff.

 

I don't see Tiki's being a part of Hot Rodding any more than Rockabilly, tattoos, pin ups or cuffing your pants. all these things could be erased from society and I probably wouldn't even notice.

not that there is anything wrong with being a tikibilly tattoo guy or gal, but I see no real connection.

 

There was a Tiki revival about the time Hawaii became a state.



Not really an answer to the question but Tiki related.

Viva Vegas '08


Here's one I carved to protect Mrs. Lowkat's greenhouse





A few more I carved, hanging around my house.








and a snow Tiki from a couple years ago


a little rattle can for effect

 

That being said, I still like the tiki stuff and probably always will.

 

Anybody remember " Surfside 6 " TV show ?? I think it was a take off of 77 Sunset Strip but recall some tiki connection...

 

Tiki what this Tiki thing you are all taking about???? Actually some of us like driving our old cars, living in our old houses, listening to our old music, and tiki was very popular during the heyday off all of those, plus it's just cool. I would rather have a drink and dinner in a tropical polynesian setting and escape cold grey michigan than sit at my "neighborhood" applebees. I dont know how all this ties into Hot Rods though, but Von Franco and Pizz have done a good job of doing it.

 

Nice work LowKat!

 

Damn nice work, gotta love the "snowtiki"!

 

Beautiful work there, LowKat. You're obviously deep into the Tiki thing, but I'm with Clik here. I'm 60 yrs old and have spent my whole life on the East Coast, been into hot rods since the exit from the womb, and I don't remember anything about Tikis being associated with cars, cruising, etc. If it happened here, it must have blown past me like a typhoon through the islands, so to speak......Don

 

I'm guessing the Tikis are a West Coast thing, personally I'd rather collect Viking wood carvings.

 

i agree, and add swopping the letter "k" for "c's, and shrunken heads