History needed (PAINT)

I wanted to ask when the first "Flame" paint job was seen or made populer in California. I have a customer looking to make sure he stays historicly accurate on his project (mid-late 50's California built, model A roadster). He wanted to use a flame paint job on it but I was not totaly sure that would be right.
I was also told that it was made populer by the 1972 movie "California Kid" and not commonly seen before that time if at all. Any truth?

What would have been the most commonly seen or populer paint job of the mid - to - late 1950's.

THANKS!!

 

most famous would be Bob McCoy's `40 ford tudor

 

But was this populer to do in the late 1950's? If not what was more commonly done.

 

You've got to be kidding....1972??? Flames were well established before that.

The hot rod magazines that have done articles on this topic credit the famous pinstriper, Eric VonDutch. In the late '40s, after the war, circle track roadsters were popular in California. A local racer ran a race, not knowing he had an engine fire. Fans could not forget the experience, and raved to the owner. He asked VonDutch to paint flames down the side of his car.

 

i would think the most commonly done would be a plain paint job. maybe just a wild color, no special effects.

 

Flame painting originated in Southern California in the late 1920s all started years before to personalize yuour own vehicle, goes back to panama and mexico with persoanl carts,,and wagons, blah blah anyhow

von dutch painted his first flames for a racer that was on fire going around the track and everyone loved the look of flames


there are so many pictures and websites showing cars from the 50's. there is no way to make it period correct


is this car gonna run a period drivtrain?mechanicals? sounds like this guy will never enjoy whatever it is he is looking for



as time moves on, pick a date in time and recreate it



this ain't Pompei where everything just stopped

 

Mel's drive in

 

I am not saying it was not done before but it was something that made it populer on most city streets. What would have been the most populer way to paint your car to make it look trick but populer at that time.

 

I guess what I am asking is when did it show up in the school yard or at every drive in around town.

 

What year did they flame the McMullen roadster it was sure before '72

 

Again not talking PRO, I am talking average joe

 

I think it would be ok as long as it was "period" flames. Grabbed these real quick from other posts:

 

That's nice too. One of the best cars ever IMHO.

 

most common=20+ coats of laquer from what ive heard. but i wasnt there so its all heresay

 

Um...

 

...and then...

 

ANYTHING that was popular in the mags, even way back (before) Hot Rod first come out in 1948...or was popular at the races - drag or roundy-round...was sure to show up in the high school parking lot a short time later...don't forget: "Imitation is the greatest form of flattery."

R-

 

Larry Watson was doing the "seaweed style" flames in the mid fifties. Google for flame paint with his name, and you will see a book that shows some flame jobs he did. The photos are GIF format, or I would have posted some, but the pictures are dated 1957. You can see lots of examples of this style lately. They are the long stringy flames that cover most of the car.

I have been painting since 1965, and custom painting since 1971. The most common flame jobs in the '50s & '60s were homegrown, but nasty appearing. I think the McMullen Roadster that someone mentioned was done in '64-'66. I did a modified version of that pattern, about 10 years ago, which I can post, but that was more of a '60s style.

If you want it to be "beautiful" and correct, for a '50s look, use the seaweed style. If you want it to look more like a home-built car, use a style that does not have the teardrop shaped spaces inside the flames.

 

i love the look of the old syle flames on bo huffs 1929 roadster looks so good if any one has a pic should post it up ( :

 

some more...

 

first car i thought of was the "curley flamed 49 ford" from the barris kustoms of the 50's book.

 

YES, Can you post images of flames with the name of each style? WOULD LOVE TO SEE AND LEARN THE NAMES OF THEM!!

THANKS!! !

 

I flamed my 41 Ford Bus coupe in 57. I didn't go to school much but it
was in the parking lot in the afternoon
Mine were the style of HRP 5 window

 

I painted my first flame job in '65. My brother did his first flame job in the front yard of the house we grew up in around '56 or '57. I was only about 9 years old then, but completely stoked because I got to "help". which started me one a life long career of painting. I remember it was on a '54 or '55 F-100. I clearly remember seeing a lot of cars in the mid-late 50's with flames as well as scallops. Lots of 'em done by my brother, lots of 'em done by one of his hot rod pals, a guy named Joe Freeman. I remember Joe torched the front springs and did a wild scallop job and pinstriped his mothers brand new '56 Ford Crown Vic on a weekend while she was away!!! The shit hit the fan over that....

Sorry about the long story... Point is, graphics of all kinds were very prevalent in the 50's and all the way back. My brother was damn good at too. So was Joe and lots of other guys doing this kinda stuff in front yards everywhere. You would not believe me if I told you what the "usual"" paint material consisted of, but they came out pretty nice. Definitely low-buck-help-yer-buddy-out kinda stuff.