Folks Of Interest RIP ... Andy "The Rodfather" Brizio

Roy Andrew Brizio Sr.
September 16, 1932 - August 1, 2023
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Andy was a great guy, probably logged more miles topless than about anyone. R.I.P. Andy.

 

I really don't have the words right now . . . I've known Andy (and his family) since the late '60s . . . One of the most genuine & kind Hot Rodders I've ever known . . . He certainly lived life to the fullest! . . . Godspeed my friend!

 

How Sad. What a great MAN.Known him from the mid 1960's. God Speed my friend !!!!

 

Here's a "HAMB-friendly" thread I did on his HOT ROD in the late '50s:

Andy Brizio's Deuce 5wd Coupe
​

 

RIP , God Speed to Hot Rod Heaven with all the others

 

Here's the In His Own Words: Andy Brizio article that appeared in Magazine:

RODFATHER.
By Dave Wallace, Photography by Courtesy of the Brizio Family
HOT ROD Magazine - July 16, 2014



Long before becoming the Rodfather, an unknown Northern California rodder became a young father, five times over. Now 81, Andy Brizio describes struggling through the late ’50s and early ’60s to feed that family: “I was a milkman for years, I was a garbage man for years, I loaded trucks. I was the starter at two dragstrips. I worked three jobs at one time. I wasn’t even sleeping anymore. The kids still laugh about it. I used to pull up to a stoplight and say, ‘Tell me when it’s green.’ I’d close my eyes, y’know?” He pauses to replay the memory, then adds, “Now they’re doing it to me again: ‘Hey, Dad, it’s green!’”

Half a century later, Dad is the patriarch of hot rodding’s first family. Sue Brizio, who contributed Child Number Six after marrying Andy in 1963, is responsible for separating his brainstorms from the brain farts, then executing big ideas ranging from Andy’s Picnics and Andy’s Wheels & Tires to Andy’s Instant T factory and Andy’s Tees, the apparel company—now run by their daughters—that’s printed every Goodguys T-shirt in your closet, among thousands of designs for clients worldwide. You might’ve heard of Andy’s only son, who took over his south San Francisco street-rod shop at the tender age of 21. “We knew he’d be fine,” Sue recalls, “after people started talking about ‘Roy Brizio’s dad,’ instead of ‘Andy Brizio’s son.’”

Business successes do not a Rodfather make, however. Starting in 1957, drag racers came to know him as the regular starter at the Half Moon Bay and Cotati strips operated by his late friend, Jim McLennan. Andy and another lifelong pal, Cub Barnett, succeeded Jim as owners of the legendary Champion Speed Shop. Andy turned Dragmaster Co.’s slow-selling T-bucket kit into the red-hot Instant T, ultimately making “instant” street rodders out of hundreds of enthusiasts from 1966 to 1980. His personal roadster, the second car constructed from Dragmaster’s parts, evolved into America’s Most Beautiful Roadster in 1970. “Once you bought the $595 chassis, you could find the rest in our catalog,” he explains. “That was my gimmick: Get the chassis, then anything else you wanted, you’d have to buy from me, because I made the parts that bolted on—except the cowl lights that we used as turn signals in those days. When Sue would go back to Iowa to visit relatives every summer, she’d find old lanterns that we could resell.”

Mostly, the Rodfather will be remembered for the example set by simply driving hot rods—everywhere. For 44 successive years, he took individual round trips of thousands of miles, starting with 1969’s Volksrod run to Gatlinburg that passenger Bud Bryan covered in Rod & Custom. The next summer, Andy blew minds by driving to Peoria’s inaugural Street Rod Nationals in the current AMBR winner, disproving the “experts” who’d always insisted that Roots-blown engines wouldn’t survive long distances. “Everybody said we’d have to change the oil every few hundred miles,” he recalls, “so we did—the first day, one time. After that, I said, ‘Screw it!’ We had no problems, there or back. I just don’t understand people. They’re so afraid they’re gonna break down. I know of nice cars around here that never leave Amador County! If everything is right, all-new parts and stuff, you can go down the road and never have a problem in one.” Take it from a guy who’s rolled up 232,000 miles in his, and counting.

Entering his ninth decade, Andy Brizio isn’t slowing down, either figuratively or literally. As we observed firsthand throughout 2012’s Rodfather Road Tour, Andy is often the last guy standing in a hotel bar, leaning on his cane, yet among the first to fire up at daybreak. As we puttered along at 75 mph in the slow lane, our Model A was repeatedly passed by a flamed purple Deuce racing, rain or shine, to the next adventure of a life lived at wide-open throttle. ​

... and some of the HAMB-Friendly (& semi-HAMB-Friendly) photos from the article:

My first car, in 1949: a ’41 Plymouth, turquoise upholstery, ’50 Plymouth bumpers, stock motor. It was ugly, but it was a car! I was 17.



I saw the coupe in an old lady’s garage while I was working as a milkman in San Francisco. It was all stock, with primer on two fenders where she must’ve hit the garage door. I borrowed $1,200 from Jim McLennan to buy it. Steve Archer painted it. I replaced the motor with another flathead, not too hot. I was never into speed. I didn’t care.



I was the starter at Half Moon Bay and Cotati the whole time they were open. Jim McLennan owned both tracks. They rotated weekends. I made 15 bucks a day. I loved it!



The Organ Grinders wasn’t exactly a club; just a bunch of guys who hung around Champion Speed Shop and helped run Ted Gotelli’s fueler, the world’s fastest Chevy. That’s me behind the trophy girl, Tammy Thomas. My arms are around Jim McLennan, a great driver, and Bruno Gianoli, a great mechanic. To my left is Ted Gotelli, then Cub Barnett. Bruno and Cub still build race motors. See how all the shirts are embroidered with the same name? We got that from a donkey named Sam, our mascot. We’d feed Sam cigars to make him fart; nasty, smelly farts! This had to be before 1962, when Ted opened up his own place, taking Bruno with him, and started racing against Jim and Champion. It got ugly—real bad blood. I didn’t know who I could hang out with.



Sue Brizio: That’s our booth at the ’64 Oakland show. We’d drive down to L.A.; buy decals from Isky, Moon, all the big manufacturers; and repackage and sell them at shows and races. I’d set up a display board at Half Moon Bay or Cotati, wherever Andy was starting. I worked out of my ’56 Chevy’s trunk, at first. After the Instant T business and the wheel-and-tire store got going, we sold the souvenir inventory to Jack Williams. We didn’t get back into apparel until 1977 or ’78, when I opened a retail shop with Jack’s wife, Carolyn, doing iron-on shirts and hats. Andy and I started silk screening T-shirts in the early ’80s, after he turned over the street-rod shop and tire store. Our daughters still run Andy’s Tees.



That’s Roy in Chet Carter’s T, on the starting line when Jim McLennan had Fremont Raceway. Roy always came out to the drags with me. I filled in at Fremont the few times when Chet couldn’t make it . . . Roy wanted to be at the track every weekend. He’d hang around Champion’s dragsters, helping Bob McLennan, while I worked the line. He even had his own little Organ Grinders club shirt. He liked working in our shop after school. Everybody called him ‘Question Roy’ because he was always asking why something was done this or that way, learning. He took over the street rod shop at 21 and hit the ground running, building that business into what it’s become today.



Charlie Long and I are congratulating each other for getting our two groups of hot rods to Morton’s Hot Springs, near Calistoga, for the first Andy’s Picnic 1966. I think we had around 30 cars and 60 people.



Our Instant T carried six Brizios. Sue, Roy, Terri, and I are in front. Debbie and Sharon sat in the bed. You could still do that in the ’60s



I don’t think we built more than eight or 10 Volksrods, but the Rod & Custom story about this 1969 trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with Bud Bryan kind of put me on the map. We were already building Instant T’s with Chevy or Ford engines, but they weighed about 2,800 pounds. I added this little VW kit to get around California’s fender law i.e., 1,500-pound maximum for fenderless vehicles. Before, I couldn’t get across the Bay Bridge without being stopped for no fenders. The publicity helped, but I think it was just driving ’em that sold more cars than anything. Somebody had to prove that you can drive a hot rod cross country and not have problems. There were no national events, no picnics, no nothing to get cars on the road. Bud said the magazine would cover expenses, but I wound up paying my own way back.




It took three tries to win America’s Most Beautiful Roadster. You always think your car is the nicest, but we really didn’t deserve it in ’68, when it was purple, or in ’69, repainted red with Tommy the Greek’s black pinstriping. Art Himsl had already done a customer’s Instant T with ribbons and wild colors. I hated it, but everybody else seemed to like it, so I asked Art to redo mine ‘psychedelic,’ too, for the ’70 Oakland show. Painting each side differently was his idea . . . Art has never charged me a dime for work, in all these years. I do give him T-shirts, though. We always get stuck with some mediums at the end of a year. I bring him about 20, and I’m good for another year. Mike Mitchell’s flip-top gasser, voted American’s Most Beautiful Competition Car, is in the background. I drove the T to the first NSRA Nationals in Peoria that year to prove, again, that you could drive these cars.



My C-cab, tow truck, and roadster were all together this one time, only. It’s the Street Rod Nationals in Detroit, 1972. The Instant T was trailered in from New York. Almost nobody’s seen it since. I’d sold it for five grand in ’70 so I could build the C-cab. The guy who bought the car keeps it in a temperature-controlled building, never drives it. I visited him once, but he wouldn’t let me see the car.




You’ll recognize the Andy Southard roadster. Sue and I missed having a hot rod after selling the trucks, so we bought Andy’s Deuce around 1974 . . . She drove it everywhere, until this. Don’t ever rent your hot rod to a movie crew! I was in the hospital, having my appendix removed, when I got the call that Max Baer had driven into a truck.​

 

Sad news. He had a great ride!

Chris

 

Thanks for posting, but so sad to hear. So well known for such a long time. Condolences to his family, and extended family.

 

He was friendly to everyone. I got to meet him during R&C magazine's Americruise '97.
RIP.

 

I visited his shop when Roy was about 8-9 years old/ very friendly man and family. I believe he was in South Gate,Cali—-I was a 23 year old hot rodder from Texas visiting Cali for the first time. God speed Andy. Got some ideas from Andy;was building my model t pickup roadster/flathead power.

 

RIP Andy…always loved this pic and if I remember the story correctly it was a good friend of his Wife

 

Another legend is gone but he will not soon be forgotten! He made a huge impact in the hot rod world. HRP

 

My condolences to his family, friends and the so many people he inspired.

 

Well crap. Not the way I wanted to start the morning today.

 

There were some model cars by Revell that bore his name.

 

RIP Andy, thoughts and prayers for the family.

 

RIP Andy.

 

Sorry for your loss Todd and all y'all who had a personal relationship with him, especially Terri @Born a HotRodGal and the rest of his immediate family. What a legacy! I have always loved your Andy's Picnic threads. RIP Andy.

 

Nice man who treated people like he wanted to be treated. Hot Rod pioneer and wonderful family man who knew how to live life. He leaves quite a legacy. RIP road warrior.

 

Wow, what a write up. I could actually here him and his wife telling the accounts of what was going on.

 

RodFather, He was Everywhere! Thanks for sharing your Passion with us, Farewell.

 

Hello,

Nice tribute to a historic figure in hot rodding. From builds to innovations, the finished products spoke for themselves.

Our history of Northern California and the S.F. Bay area always pointed to the Oakland Roadster Shows. It was a reason to drive up the coast, tie in a 5-7 day vacation and enjoy what we normally do not see in So Cal. The roadster shows were pretty great.

But the other events offered in the Northern California area drew tons of area hot rod folks we normally did not see. There were some So Cal cars and folks we met and that was a surprise. The event was the annual Andy’s Picnic held in a dry dusty canyon inland from the S.F. Bay waters.

from @HEMI32

Andy’s Picnic(s) in Castro Valley, CA were the quintessential place to be during those early days of hot rod gatherings. Mostly Central Cal and Nor Cal hot rods, but a few die hard hot rodders from So Cal made the annual trip to this hot inland park for a great show. We always tried to add it to our many, Northern California and the Pacific Northwest driving trips.

Being higher up above the hot rods, parked or driving by, gave those an advantage in viewing. One bright yellow 39 Chevy sedan had bright green flames on it. It stood out from a long distance with the contrasting color design. Added red arrow…
Rod Powell's Chevy sedan

The whole Crow Canyon Park was a big walking extravaganza of hot rodding styles. Right in the middle of the park, was a concrete steps area that was one of the best “watching” spots in the whole park.
Crow Canyon Park central, when my wife and I were wandering around the famous Andy’s Picnics that were held in Crow Canyon Park, Castro Valley, CA.

Jnaki

It was one of those things that sticks out in your collective memories as something fun and different.

Thank you for putting on one of the “Best” car shows and display events on the Westcoast! We appreciated the whole hot rod scene…


Notes from an old post:

We used to like all car shows, in auditoriums, multi-level sports arenas, closed off main streets of small beach towns, inland picnics/car shows, etc. One of our favorites was the atmosphere of a show like the Andy’s Picnic up in Castro Valley, inland Bay Area. The excitement of driving up the coast, planning on several days in Big Sur, Carmel, Santa Cruz and then heading for the big city in the bay, S.F.

Finally, we ended up at the Cow Palace or the Oakland Arena for the shows. But the contrast from the big city of S.F. to the outback, hot valley, “woodsy” area of Castro Valley was a definite change. It was the excitement of seeing the top hot rods in the big Bay Area of Northern California. It was a country side setting in a dry, dusty park with a bunch of hot rods interspersed among the trees.

It was the times to be a hot rod person. It was hot with the dress being skimpy and light. The cars were dusty, but ever so cool looking. There were some guys that drove from So Cal, but the majority were from all aspects of the big Bay Area in Northern California. The name “Andy’s Picnic” drew the attention of most hot rodders, but it was the expectation of different builds from a different area that drew our attention.

This excitement was the focus of early car shows in odd ball places. A 5 day mini vacation to some strange place…That is one aspect we miss. Plus, we were 20 somethings and small things like being hot, dusty, and in the middle of a strange place did not bother us. The rewards were grand.

 

Sincere condolences.

 

Godspeed Andy. Condolences to the Brizio family. Snowman ⛄️

 

Rest In Peace.

Sad bit of news, condolences to family and friends.

 

Never had the pleasure of meeting him, always had the dream of going to one of his picnics, always interested in what direction he was taking and the influence he had on the world of Hotrodding, glad I was around at the same time, sorry to see him go.

 

Another legend and icon of the hobby gone. Rest in Peace, Sir.