Customs GNRS 2011 The Customs Then & Now Show... my story.

Thanks for the acknowledgment,it was a lot of brainstorming,late nights and hours on the phone glad it was a hit.Once again I just want to say that I was thankful to be one of the guys to put this building together and it is nice to read what people thought about the show.I want to thank John Buck again for letting us do it how we wanted.Im glad you guys were liking the music.In the weeks before the show I would just lay there at night think about how this building was goin to be and I just thought that there needed to be some classy music playing during this event and thats when I talked to Axle about it and he loved the idea and made the cd. Sorry Rik,I didnt mean to write a long post on your thread and what a thread you have here...... its like a book,actually it should be a book.You are doing a great job once again.

 

Great thread Rik
Looks like a lot of fun and hands shaking

Groeten Hennie

 

First...welcome to the HAMB Esther!
we all owe you big thanks for letting us 'have' Rik!!!
and Rik! there's only one thing i miss when i look at your pictures..and that's me!! ha ha
and after i spend a couple of hours, looking trough all your pics, the feeling was even worse! you guys did a fantastic job..thanks!

palle

btw..wheres the big banner my friend Jack is posing in front off!!? i need it in my garage!

 

Hey Rik,your coverage of the show is tremendous.the pictures and the behind the scenes accounts are great,especially small details you bring out of the customs.Keep up the great work,you are deserving of all the praise you recieve.

 

We really enjoyed it. Thank you.

 

Rik...awesome...wish I had gone..

 

Thanks Rik for the great tour of the Customs Then & Now display. I'm really bummed I didn't get to see it in person (I couldn't be two places at once ) but your post has helped eased the pain a little.

Thanks for everything you do for the custom world, keep up the good work!

 

Rik, thank you so much. I love every minute of it. I took my new adopted daughter, who is in a wheelchair, and my adopted son, through the hall. She had never been to a car show before! I was in heaven, so many I knew of, and so many rare ones, so many surprises! Just awesome. Next time I will say "Hi" in person, too.

 

PELLE, They actioned off the banners after the show, i know one went for $250.00, i bought one of the smaller ones, which they are supposed to mail out, we will see if we ever get them, not bad mouthing just curious, since so many hands in the pot.

 

You did a great job on this, Jeff! Along with the others, of course. Axle, Rik and the fabulous John Buck. Can't thank you enough. I really hoped to attend, but nope... didn't work.

THANK YOU ALL! And Rik, Wolf will give you some heat for riding the Hirohata Merc, ha ha...

 

Good job doing your part at the show. The music was a nice touch.

 

A few overview photos I took....

Axle did a really great job on the floor plan. The colors of the cars where really spectacular the way he put them together.













Luke was trying to sell these "old guys" some old magazines or something... I think they went for it

Thats Dave Crook on the left and Donn Lowe on the right, both are fantastic craftsman and designers. It was good to see them hang out together most of the weekend. Made me wonder if they where talking next projects!




Jeff... on the right enjoying his 15 minutes of fame!

 

Rick, thoroughly enjoyed the customs area, wanted to look you up but figured you were pretty busy.

Had some stuff for George Barris to identify but he seemed more interested in selling autographs.

Did manage to talk to alot of old friends so it was a great time.

Mick

 

One of the - many - highlights of the show was meeting Kurt McCormick, and of coarse the three fantastic cars he brought.

His Westergard 1941 Cadillac was even more stunning to see in person than I had ever hopped.





I was especially impressed with the full fade away fenders on this car, and how they fit, and opened. Yes I know its not perfect, some paint chips show it. But having spend a lot of time on the Jack Stewart 1941 Ford the opening doors on this one where the front fits the fender was amazing.






I tried to show how it opens with a series of photos.


Seen from the side




Seen from the top



Closing... note that a portion of the door fender piece fits inside/under the fender section on the front quarter.




Almost closed. (the hood to cowl fit on this side of the car was off for some reason. I forgot to ask Kurt about it.)




This is how the bottom of the fender looked when the door was open.

 

Thats Dave Crook on the left and Donn Lowe on the right, both are fantastic craftsman and designers. It was good to see them hang out together most of the weekend. Made me wonder if they where talking next projects!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave showed me photos of his new project ,chopping a Pontiac with a
wild headlight and grille design.
TwoChops

 

Yes... another Harry Bradley Masterpiece... but most likely a bit to new for this board.

 

Just like Oldsmobiles

 

The only complaint I had is that 3 days was just not enough time to take the whole room in.
I was overwhelmed by it. Which is amazing b/c I can walk through about any other display / show and be done in about half an hour. Been there done that.

I can't fathom how long it would have taken to really take in all the cars and their parts and construction, not to mention all the characters in that room.

Having all those cars in one place was almost like going to your first car show again.

Fantastic Job!

Wil

 

Thanks for the post and the amazing show. I realise now what I missed.
Just seeing one fo these cars would be something, but all together? Mind blowing.
And that Dave Crook/Harry Bradley car looks even more perfect than I had thought.

 

thanks Rik
We met for all of 1 minute at the meet and greet. Great talking to you.
I just got home from touring the coast of California. Amazing drive!!
I will get the inspiration photo to KOOLKEMP that you gave me as soon as I see him. Maybe tonight.
thanks again

 

Yes...thank you for all the hard work. Got there Sunday afternoon, and didn't spend as much time as I would've liked, but I'm not complaining!
The first thing that struck me as I entered building # 9 was the smell. Mmmm...vintage!

 

The world need's people like you, more than ever.

 

On Sunday shortly before the show ended I noticed this drawing sitting inside the Astra Coupe. Unfortunately I had not seen it before, otherwise I would have asked the car owner about it, and asked if I could take a better photo of it.




All I now could do was take this photo above, and use Photoshop to crop and rotate it... I think these are the the original design sketched that Jay Everett drew of the car before he started to built it. They are pretty neat.. but I wish I could have taken a better photo of it.





I really liked the car a lot.. and it was good to see it in person.






And here is a photo of the Mox Miller 1958 Chevy with closed hood and trunk. I think both where open most of the weekend. But this photo was taken on set up day Wednesday, and they had just arrived and everything was still closed. Very impressive car, especially when you know that is has never really driven... ever!




I could not believe the billet wheels on Mox his fathers Chevy Pick Up truck. Somebody should do his home work a little better!




The pick up bed was very nice though!




I took this photo of the Golden Bird on Thursday right after the curtains where put behind it. It made a nice backdrop, but at the same time it would also cover a lot of the car when viewed from different angles. Shortly after this photo was taken the curtains where taken away.




I was in the building early Thursday morning.. nobody but me and one security girl in the building, and the light where not even turned one... Had a very special feeling seeing these famous cars sitting in the half dark room.





Barry Mazza's Aztec, right before it was been driven from the NHRA museum - where it had been in storage for a couple of days - to building #9

 

Man this picture is great Rik!! Kind of an eerie feeling to it but very cool.

 

That has got to be the best/biggest group of Kustoms in the same place, ever?!

You guys rule

Thanks for the pics and story.

 

Thanks Rik for organizing this fantastic collection of legendary customs!! Bravo!!

 

Thanks....
It was a joint effort by John Buck, who hired Axle to do this building (and the suede palace). And Axle hired Jeff Neppl, Luke Karosi and me to make it all happen!









Craig Wise had this photo taken at the Bonneville salt flats way back when he was a young kid. He had it enlarged to be part of the very nice display for the Doug Rice 1939 Ford Coupe...




Taillights on the Doug Rice Ford





And a peek at its wonderful interior

 

I'm so glad I didnt miss this show!...it lived up to everything I imagined and more. Huge thanks to all that made it happen.

 

Rik - Thanks for letting me and the coupe hang out with you Friday morning (tall guy in the hemi A). At the time I didnt connect the dots. Nice meeting you!

 

It was very good meeting you and hanging out some time with you as well.. Loved the coupe!