Customs Half of the fun of owning and restoring the Car Craft Dream Rod

Neat!

 

Painting in the garage is traditional. I grew up in a couple houses that my dad painted in the garage and then I did as well. My mom apparently put up with a lot when I look back now. Between the two of us, I bet we painted 25 cars or more in a couple different garages attached to the houses.

 

Geez, I can't even paint a pedal car in the garage without the wife giving me a rash of shit

 

I truly miss the smell of the lacquer fumes seeping in under the the door into the house when Dad was painting a car in the garage... Fond memories... Man I miss that smell!!!

 

Old showcars cleanse my soul after a stressful day. Thank you for that.

 

I knew you from Top Notch in Austin. I drove a Deuce highboy roadster that did not fit in with the flathead boys at El Mirage any of the four times we attended. Of course, it was red. Hope you are doing good with your Model A coupe. I have to ask if Mitch is still around ? He was a cool pooch. Might see you someday at LSRU

 

I remember ya Gary I think Franco striped one of your cars when he lived next to me too? Maybe?

Unfortunately I lost Mitch about 7 years ago. He was 8. Luckily he got to have a couple years with my Daughter and they were besties! He and Mark Ford were besties too... typical pic of he and Mark grabbin beers out of Mark's coupe.

 

Bringing it back to the Dream Rod here.

Mark, with the mylar chrome tape. Do you lay it down and then clear the car? Or tape on top? I have yet to see it in person.. just curious

 

Right on. It looks awesome!

 

I've wondered if you could find a really short guy who could take it up and down the street just once.

 

A lot of those feature cars that the promoters had got a bit ragged around the edges after they had been on the show circuit for a while. I had a buddy I would see at car shows in the 80's who had worked for one of the promoters for several years before that and he told a few stories about some of those cars.

It never ceases to amaze me at the amount of work you have put into that one and others to get them back to exactly as they were usually when they were first shown.

 

I have the same notion...or did until a few years ago when Rod Powell wanted to ride along in the '50 Chevy. His exact words were, "I like this car because it's authentic. This is the way they really were...not perfect, overspray in the door jams, nicks, dings and wear." Man, that just really made me take a step back and assess my efforts and how I view them. I used to think I fall so short of what's good and perfect, but now I still critique myself and strive to improve my skills but accept a level of "this was done by a guy in his garage."

I'd agree with you....a whole lot of the fun is collecting all the stuff that goes with it. You are clearly the master of gathering the rare and obscure! So awesome!

 

He certainly didn't make it any easier for you!

 

Really cool thread.

 

So the guy that you bought it from that said it was impossible,Did you show him it was finished?

 

Thanks for posting this, very cool. I have one of those friction cars. I’m sure the car is much nicer than it was when originally shown.

 

This is a good thread, Mark. If we believe that the forums and the internet will last beyond our time line, we all get the chance to donate to history. As we all know, not everybody is interested in history but for the followers behind us, they surely will be thankful for the efforts of everybody that has contributed to auto history.