GMB's Invade the IONIA Hot Rod Shop............& eat cookies

WOW! What a great day today. HotRodDrummer and his lurker Dad Denny invited us out to their shop for the day. What an awesome treat. It started out with Roadstar, DirtyT and Beatnik meeting at my place. We then headed about 100 miles east of Detroit to a small town called Ionia where we hooked up with about a dozen more HAMB folks at a truck stop then cruzed into town inmass to have a yummy breakie at a buddy named Charlie's place. Then headed over to the Ionia Hot Rod Shop for a look see. Longtime readers of Rodder's Digest might remember a feature in the mag of this shop. They do truely amazing work.





They currently have a number of projects going on in the shop but the one that caught everyone's eye as soon as we walked in the door, is the drivetrain and box of what's going to be a very cool looking RPU. The framed artwork was on the office wall with the interior sketches lying not too far away.




Here are a few shots I took of the in progress RPU and I will number them. HotRodDrumemr said he would describe each photo, or at least the ones that need explaining/describing.

#1


#2


#3


#4


#4.5



#5


#5.5


#6


#7


#8


Some other items just hanging around the shop
#9


#10


#11


#12


And drawers and drawers filled with goodies.

#13


#14


#15


#16


#17 Can you make out the ribs on the top of the RPU bed's lid?


#18 Another project going on in the shop


#19


#20 They make the most awesomely detailed frames


#21


Me and Charlie Chops drooling over the frame


Speaking of Charlie Chops, he invited over to his shop so after a couple of hours hanging at the Ionia Hot Rod Shop we all piled back in our vechiles and headed northwest for another hour to the lovely town of Muskegon where we were treated to the sights of another RPU that being built. WOW, TWO RPU's from Michigan, both debuting next summer....very exciting.

 

Cool pics Denise! Very nice truck!
Max

 

alright denise....what a lovely lady!!!


I'll post some sober resonse's tomarrow....



Ohh..My Dad had a great time!

Thank you all for stopping by.

talk to you tomarrow..

did Gus make his date???

 

Very impressive! Hey, are the license plate surrounds for sale to the general public?
I see Charlie Chops and Enjen Joe or a look-alike in the back row..

 

shit's for sale... everything but those tail lights(for now)

slip me a pm.....

 

[ QUOTE ]
alright denise....what a lovely lady!!!

<font color="red">Thank you, your a sweetheart </font>


I'll post some sober resonse's tomarrow....

<font color="red">Sober posts on the HAMB are a good thing </font>



Ohh..My Dad had a great time!

<font color="red">Your Dad is an awesome host. Please thank him for having us there. </font>

Thank you all for stopping by.

talk to you tomarrow..

did Gus make his date???

<font color="red">He was going to make it, just alittle late </font>



[/ QUOTE ]

 

#001
the sign....

My dad's best friend had that made as a gift(holiday)!
"established 1932 builder" play on words.... funny

#002

left to right, botton to top....

Denise, roadstar, Chris(hamb name?) and his kid, me, my Dad(mentor/teacher), enjenjo, donzie, The dirtyT, Mongo, "college boy" big cheese, Charlie Chops, Fab32, beatnik, and fartcat!!!

 

#003

The rendering... Gary Constable kicks ass...drawn first month '03....yeah... looks like everything else ahhh???


you're right...


#004/005 interior may end up completely differant(sp)

 

this picture makes me thing of a naked guy on a bike in the back of our truck!!!

come on Hatch...you still got it??

 

wow..what a neato lookin place...

just wanted to throw you a hello Denise and in fact i have something for you...but it will cost you many a cookie..i drive a hard bargain.haha..

see ya soon
heather

 

Your getting me excited girl....I ALWAYS have plenty-o-cookies to share. You here in town permanently yet? I sure hope you can make the next GMB get-together.

 

It was great seeing everyone again.

Big Thanks to HotRodDrummer and his Dad Denny for showing us the shop and the RPU, tons of details on the chassis, and It gave me all kinds of ideas for the chassis on my next project.

Big Thanks too Charlie Chops for showing us his shop and projects, The RPU has some really nice work, and it's gona look right at home on the SALT.

[ QUOTE ]
did Gus make his date???

[/ QUOTE ]
She was at the house waiting, but I'm not in the dog house unless she wakes up and finds me on the HAMB.

 

The Ionia Hot Rod Shop alone would have made my trip to MI worthwhile.

 

Bad ass 32 chassis and RPU's everywhere, my head is still spinning.

Thanks again to Matt for setting up the breakfast and the great shop tour.

Denny's RPU has to be seen to be appreciated. So many details...so well done. It WILL be a very special when it's done.

The other projects in the shop were impressive as well. Certainly no cookie cutter stuff. There 32 chassis are one of kind and have a look like they could have came that way from ford. I'm always finding some new little detail they did as they incorporate traditional styling and strength.

Charlie Chops place was a bonus to the day. His RPU is gonna be WAY cool. Lots more of the same kind of planning and detail went into the build of this T and it really shows. A meticulous home builder would describe Charlie best. With the end result producing a winner of a car. I saw a lot of form AND function. Soon to rack up many miles.

Hanging out with the friends I met here on the HAMB and the RRT was a very big part of the great time I had also.

 

Damn, I am so glad that I did not make it, looks like too many bad influences showed up to this one, and some shady looking characters!

I am sorry I missed it, would have loved to be there. Cool stuff Matt, I had heard alot about your shop, now these pics will help the visualization, until I can see it in person. -Joe

 

You're every wish is my command!!!!

 

Good stuff!! Thanks for sharing them, Denise.

Anybody know what the seat bottoms are in CharlieChops'RPU?

 

They were late model Camaro rear set cushions

 

Neat pics - thanx Denise. I love that drilled, dropped tube and the steering arm!

 

I was wondering what happened to that RPU. I loved the drawing but haven't heard anything about it since then. Very Cool!!

The T RPU looks like it's gonna be a cool ride too
Clark

 

Great pics. fun to see Charlies RPU as well, I asked BobK about it this summer and have been hoping to see it.

 

the front axle and spreader bar were planned to be the trans. cooler. however there isn't enough room in the spreader bar for fluid to pass through, so now it's just the frt. axle and maybe the radiator. all the trans. cooler lines are run inside the rails.

The frt. shocks are MG-B rear shocks that have been polished and converted to standard american threads with polished brass faseners

 

steering arm to mate the cowl steering and a better look at the shocks.....the steering arm at this point is just polished steel, it will later be nickel plated

 

The original design for the exhaust wouldn't work..Suspension's in the way and a couple other things..

But plan B is much better in my opinion. all six pipes exit the mufflers! can't wait to hear it!

 

The pontiac...may end up injected...modified buick spark plug covers..The paint burns off the heads in this area so these are to cover that up and they look cool

Engine should have around 460 horse

 

here is my Buick roadster project,,,1920 narrowed and shortened, right now it is on deuce rails however I have something else in store there. If anyone has a lead on any doors for a 1916-1922 buick roadster let me know, please.

next one is my engine for said buick project


this grill was built in 1952 by Doc Gage, he had it on his heavy chopped and channeled three window...I love it and will treasure driving this piece of history around the country....someday

Oh! it's the red on in the middle

 

Sorry I missed that party, Gang...was helping a buddy out with his car, hauling some goodies home from da shop for his sorry ass!

I've taken the Nickel Tour of the Ionia Hot Rod Shop myself, along with DirtyT and 4t64rd this past Summer, and the photos barely scratch the surface of what these guys are capable of...total first rate operation!

Next time, Buddy!

 

most of these were won by Oliver Hines back in the day, he built a heavy...and I mean heavily customed 1934 ford.

 

here is a picture of my buick mocked up

 

Thanks for filling in all the details Matt. Even though both you and your dad were very thorough in explaining everything while we were there, it was alot of info to comprehend and try to remember. Please keep us updated thru the winter months. I'm especially looking forward to seeing the body painted. Maybe we can get some sneek photos from one of the Midland GMB's.

Once again, thank you for opening your shop to us.