About five or six years ago, Rod Powell invited me to go to the Hall Of Fame banquet at the Grand National Roadster Show. It was one of those deals where you sit down to a table cloaked with a white tablecloth and topped with cold chicken and watered... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
A story and photos from my first visit to Dean in 2009: (posted in another thread here on the HAMB) Malcolm <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
Goodbye Dean, you'll be missed but not forgotten. Koolkemp, you still can get the book on amazon. The Author Tom Cotter lives a few minutes from my house and I always wanted to go talk to him about that book. The intro in TRJ hooked me in with that story pertaining to his wife in her last hours while Dean was outside working on the plumbing because he didn't know any better then to do stuff for himself.
Ryan, you alluded to Dean being a bit of a character... During a visit to his shop in 2011 I noticed a photo of George Barris on his office wall. Dean flipped up his photo and showed us his drawing of Barris. Haha! (I apologize for this photo being a bit inappropriate - delete if necessary)
7-1_NHRA_MUSEUM0011 by Joe Grippo, on Flickr JGCALTHUR_0040 by Joe Grippo, on Flickr JGCALTHUR_0038 by Joe Grippo, on Flickr 6-30_BUSTRIP0260 by Joe Grippo, on Flickr 6-30_BUSTRIP0257 by Joe Grippo, on Flickr 6-30_BUSTRIP0262 by Joe Grippo, on Flickr 6-30_BUSTRIP0259 by Joe Grippo, on Flickr
Dean customized and painted two of these '64 Dodge sedans when they were new cars. A third car was not customized but painted to match the first two. They were built to match race each other since there was not a Factory Experimental class in the NHRA that allowed supercharging. These cars were equipped with GMC 6.71 blowers and Hilborn fuel injection. Wally Parks created a special class (S/FX) just for these cars. Those 3 cars helped create the Funny Car phenomenon.
I quickly browse the H.A.M.B. fairly regularly, and when I saw this piece on my buddy Dean, I figured I'd stop to read it to see what he was up to now. When it said he had just passed away, I felt like I'd just been cold-cocked. A sucker punch. I was just there 2 or 3 weeks ago. I ran over in my '50 Ford to show it to him, since he hadn't seen it and I thought he'd like it. But more specifically I had just gotten a copy of the recent "Best of" Hot Rod DeLuxe with a 2-page spread of one of my favorite photos--Dean striping the panel paint job he'd just put on a shoebox Ford--and I wanted him to sign it for me...and to finally tell me what colors it was. Of course he couldn't remember the colors. But he did sign it. And he liked my shoebox. He was one of the coolest guys I've ever known. It turns out we both got inducted into the WKC Hall of Fame together in 2010. As we sat at a small patio table in Santa Maria eating hot tri-tip, I told him, "This doesn't compute. We're not even on the same planet, let alone the same league, when it comes to this." He just grinned. He's a legend. I just write about them. Oooh. This one hurts. Pat Ganahl
In the early 60s Jefferies and his father-in-law, Darwin Maxson, bought A.J. Foyts old Offy USAC sprint car and ran it with the CRA with Buzz Rose, Bob Hogle, Bill Krause, among others, at the wheel.
Wow, great man, a legend. How fortunate both of you are for having some time with him. God Speed, Dean Jeffries, R.I.P.
R.I.P. Dean,another nice tribute found here today:http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2013/05/07/customizing-legend-dean-jeffries-dies/?refer=news
I love when he was on that show with Chip Foose as the host,talking about one year at Indy he had lettered and striped over half the cars in the race. He sure was a great guy.... If I remember correctly,he was part of Shelby's team that put together the GT40's that won LeMans,right?
I like this shot. The truck jump that broke his back is right above Dean's head. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmzJnHfcwLg
Sorry to hear of Dean's passing. He will be missed, but his contributions will live on! Thanks for the stories and keep them coming, Carp
I did not realize Dean built the Landmasters for the Movie Damnation Alley. A cheesy film but one of my childhood favorites.
Wow! A Pinstriper without tats, beard, weird name and no big attitude. I've only seen pics of Dean at work and always thought he looked cool and "stylish" even without the label crap. How did he do it? I respect you Dean. I think I just saw a cloud that looked like the flames on your sedan.
I hope he knew how much we all idolized him.I've always heard that he was very approachable and he's been on my list of people to meet.I'll just have to settle for a few pics,my Black Beauty,and anything else I can find.
same here, I use to watch it when it would come on tv in the 80s. my pop was a truck driver and one day I was running through LA with him and he said when get up here a ways look whats sitting on the side of the road... he pulled the 18 wheeler over so I could :check it out!
Technically talented, a fine craftsman, creative artist, had evel knievel balls, and a nice guy... RIP.
One less hero among us. Its a rough day indeed when our legends pass on. God must want him to stripe a custom chariot.
since this is a photo thread..... here is one of his mantaray II kyote I hope it helps cheer us up! Dean you were one of my hero's. so sad.
Here's a few pics from my Andy southard jr books of his cars, he also painted the last three cars with Von Dutch pin striping R.I.P Dean
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