Yes it seems a number of you fellas had the opportunity to meet Ed and get some time to share some Hotrod Finkness...thanks to you all for sharing those milestones that stick...again for better or worse. I guess he was connected to the Culture and the show circuit was part of his career...was he cruising around in that flamed pickup back then...I remember seeing a real odd looking panel truck as well that was quite animated...
I still have a "Superstock" magazine from 1967 where I filled out the order form on the full page crazy T shirts ads. I never did send away for one and never had a Roth t shirt until the early 80's. one thing for certain he was one of a kind and the HOT ROD world will never see another one like him.
ED'S MOST FAR REACHING CULTURE CONTRIBUTION: Imagine, if you will, a world without imprinted t-shirts; no Mickey Mouse, no professional sports team logos, no funny sayings, no iron-ons. From out of that mid-1950's void Ed created the first line of "statement"t-shirts. He was the Father of the whole Imprinted Sportswear industry!
The first time that I met Roth was at a get together at Kim Dedic's shop in Fullerton. Kim had an annual party that consisted of all the great and notable stripers. I was a very notable nobody and just stood there and watched Roth, Kenny Howard, Shakey Jake, and many others stripe the walls of the shop. When Kim left the shop and started working at his house, the landlord made him return it to chalk white. What a tremendous loss. The second time I met with Roth, I was starting a Harley trike for myself and called him to help me with a body. He was working at Knott's which was near my shop in La Mirada. He mentioned that maybe we could work together on the project. Roth came over, walked into the back door, saw the frame mocked up and said: "I don't do Harleys". That was that but we did chat for a while. I did see him at Cars of Stars/Planes of Fame also. Every time we met, he was cordial and kind to me. I never saw the wild side.
what a lot of people do not know about @Tom davison is that when Ray Farhner was touring Roth's Beatnik Bandit that Mr Davison got to repaint it in a color that not a lot of people have seen a picture of
So, my brother, Scotty and I were at the Omaha world of wheels one year and Roth had his booth set up. Scotty says, "Oh wow! I gotta go talk to Roth" so I followed along and listened to the conversation. "So, Ed. Whatcha workin on these days?" Ed says, "It's a top secret project, so top secret I got Dirty Doug guarding the door to the Quonset hut with a shot gun and orders to kill anybody who comes close!" Scotty just stood there with his mouth hangin open 'itll I grabbed his elbow and pulled him away. He was totally blown away.
Kim use to come by the shop every Thursday to add CF numbers and names to our boats. A character in his own right and I always liked his Chevy delivery. Guy was crazy about model railroading. Like you I'd see Roth at the Cars of the Stars as dad's car club would have meetings there, also would see him at Knotts in his little shop. I can't remember what the sign said hanging outside, maybe something as simple as 'Sign Shop?' Favorite memory of those meetings was seeing Von Dutch. Dad knew him enough to say hi as he grew up across the river in Hollydale from where his shop was in the 50s and he and his buddies would gather there just to watch him work and do weird shit. I knew the name VD from some of dad's stories but when I saw a guy sweeping the floors I was surprised it was him. I still have my first blue metalflake helmet from the 60's lettered by him. I don't remember where his shop was at that time, wasn't Lynwood, but I do remember it was a few bucks more to have him sign it. dad said nope, he'll just scratch the hell out of it. Long time ago.
When I first heard of Ed Roth it was in the magazines I read as a kid ( child that is) . At the time it didn’t make sense to me, however as I got older I realized what an interesting individual he was. In 1995 I was given a one of one t-shirt transfer autographed by Roth himself ( yes, I’m a little nuts) . 20 years later at NSRA Bakersfield I met his youngest son and purchased a pair of Rat Fink shirts from him , brother the stories he could tell you.
anyone that attended the 2006 Detroit autorama when Roth was the featured builder got to see more of his cars in one place than ever before. They used my outlaw and I owned Cap'n Pepis at the time and brought it. Also the Road agent and Futurian were there but they were Owned by Ralph Whitworth at the time. Before the show opens on the first day, they let kids from the local schools come through to see the cars. You should have seen the amazement on their faces when they saw the Ed Roth display!!
In 1988 Ed Roth came to Australia fir the 1988 Sydney hot rod show. One of the guys put on a seminar with Ed where he would speak and answer questions. He was really nervous before hand as he didnt know what to talk about and what questions we would have. I think he was surprised with the questions from a bunch of guys in Australia and he immediately relaxed. It was a fun time and he was very humble. I had him autograph some magazines that I still have. I met him a few times and he was always quiet and nice
All of us have layers, we chose how many we let peel back in any given situation. I often feel trapped by my own layers, and I’m not the least bit famous.
I recall it as “Ye Old Sign Shop”, but that was about fifty years ago and my memory might be in error.. I had no idea he worked there, and I was wandering around and my kids were taking rides with their mother. The lettering seemed to be in his style, I glanced inside the shop’s open door and saw someone I thought was Roth. I didn’t intrude, but now I regret it.
I have many that I hope have disappeared or be transparent . It was a very dark to cloudy part of my life . To this day I have Demonds that are present and not allowed out to play .
I've told this story before...but it still makes me smile. I first saw Ed "Big Daddy" Roth in 1962 at LA's Great Western Exhibit Center, 3rd Winternationals Car Show where he was doing T shirts. He had pre-made shirts (Robert Williams?) and was just air brushing on some florescent colors. I slid up next to him and asked "is that an air brush ?" he looked at me (I was 11) and replied "smart kid" 30 years later, in 1993, Bonnie and I had the pleasure of spending a few hours sitting and chatting with "Big Daddy" at Bob Moscoffian's New England Nationals. After we talked a while, I brought up the 1962 story and his "smart kid" comment. He leaned over to Bonnie and said "I don't think he's got any smarter"
Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful stories & pictures, Tom Davison's pictures of the gathering with so many notable artists were quite unexpected and unique, I enjoyed seeing the casualness in them . Being a Roth fan since I was a teenager in the early '60's he had a great influence on me. His influence on the car scene and on society can't be understated. Like all of us he had his ups & downs in life. I'm sure he was like a lot of performers that had to live up to his fans perceptions of him, so he would give them what he thought they wanted, like a singer with a hit song that had to be sung at every performance. As a father & husband he did what he had to do, whether designing & building cars or painting signs. I thought it fitting at the later stages of his life he was still recognized by his admirers. Again thanks for all the Roth stories and to Ryan for the original post that started us down this path.
Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful stories & pictures, Tom Davidson's pictures of the gathering with so many notable artists were quite unexpected and unique, I enjoyed seeing the casualness in them . Being a Roth fan since I was a teenager in the early '60's he had a great influence on me. His influence on the car scene and on society can't be understated. Like all of us he had his ups & downs in life. I'm sure he was like a lot of performers that had to live up to his fans perceptions of him, so he would give them what he thought they wanted, like a singer with a hit song that had to be sung at every performance. As a father & husband he did what he had to do, whether designing & building cars or painting signs. I thought it fitting at the later stages of his life that he was still recognized by his admirers.
I airbrushed In Ed's booth at the Anaheim Convention Center when he was married to Bev and he had five stepdaughters. I was their guest during the show weekend. It was a very neat Mormon home. Nice people. I waited at the house while they went to church before Ed and I drove over to the show Sunday morning. During the '65 Denver show, I was out with Ed and the Farhner show crew for dinner. Ed ordered six cokes, a hot fudge sundae and spaghetti. When the drinks came Ed drank all six Cokes one after another. I told the waitress, "If you are wondering who this guy is, his picture is in this week's Life Magazine". Was he weird or just pretending? You be the judge.
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