Hot Rods *** Saint Christopher *** ... from the horses mouth

I love it. I like to see the mold broken from time to time. It’s just plain freaking bitchin’!

 

I count myself fortunate to have seen the coupe in bare metal at the GNRS, and this past year. All I can say is that the execution is the best of the best, and the design captures my imagination. I am always stunned when I read the negative comments. To be honest, I don’t much care for lowriders and customs, but damn if the Gypsy Rose and Hirohata aren’t generational creations… your coupe is in that discussion.

 

This is from June 2016. This is my first photoshop rendering with the stripes. Definitely closer in verticality to the LA DART, but with far less contrast. 2 tone gold with one offsetting stripe up front to weigh the front down (visually). This version is based on the doors rear edge. This was V1 at Conder's shop. The engine is back even farther than the current version, as Bill and I decided to bring it forward 6" or so.

 

Bill made V1 safer, moved the motor mounts forward, removed the fenders, the Hemi and a few more things and we were figuring out the best way to sell it. The body was blasted and showed some crazy slices and dices hidden under the paint so it wasn't for the faint of heart. Pat Ganahl called Bill and said his neighbor was looking for a 33/34 that was half built so he could finish it with his kid. I had a blown BBC and we made a package deal. We put out some feelers looking for another 33/34, and a few months later we were turned onto a 33 that Mike Wolfe of American Pickers pulled out of the pacific northwest. We bought the car and some frame rails and started over from ground zero.

 

Hey @Church
I am sure that when Cody Walls, caught a glimpse of that kick ass coupe, he just smiled and said to himself,
"Fuck Yessssssssssssss" Now that is how its done !

As I stated in the other thread, " It's not for everybody "
But that is exactly why it won and that is exactly why I dig everything about this cool creation of yours!

Thanks for contributing to the H.A.M.B.

And thanks for the back story and great write up on this killer machine!
Thanks from Dennis.

 

Deff wild!! Had to break out the DARK sun glasses just to view the pictures.

Ben

 

I like it but it did take a little getting use to. Forty years ago when I first started driving my '34, I got some comments about ruining an antique. I always figured it was my car and my dime.

 

I love it!!! But why such a wimpy engine? Lippy

 

Dude this car came along right on time for me, my interest in cars has been at an all-time low due to seeing the same thing being done over and over again. I liked it in bare metal, its presence caught my attention enough to follow along with what Bill was doing with it. Then when it achieved the final form, I became absolutely smitten, I have a love affair with things that rub the cat the wrong way. St Chris does just that and I am here for it. It's a full-on assault against all of the senses and sensibility. I would change nothing, and the complimentary barf bags are a nice finishing touch.

 

Congratulations! I think you've put together an awesome car. It got the job done and it's beautiful!

 

I cant express in words how much i love this car, such amazing vision and forming all those cool ideas into a cohesive package is a tough job.

Certainly inspires me to try wilder ideas.

I also LOVE that this thing gets driven, its a car, get out there and use it, spread the joy to the world

 

I absolutely love this car.

 

Killer car. Knowing who built it I'm sure it's crazy. The paint isn't my cup of tea but I'm sure it's absolutely perfect. The overall look is just insane. Well done.

 

I really like this car a lot. If I had a 33-34 Ford, would I build it this way? No. No I wouldn't. But that's not a knock on the car at all. It's just a difference of taste. This car is totally bad ass, has an amazing look, is a nice departure from the normal, "homogenized" hot rod recipe, and stays true to the traditional style without being strictly traditional. I really feel that the attention and accolades this car gets are well deserved.

I also can empathize with the criticism of the car. Perhaps people who build traditional rods don't have to deal with this as much since the nature of the hot rod is scheme that people typically deviate from less. But for guys like myself that are more focused on customs, where inherently the idea is to change styling for a bold look, we're used to criticism and "you should have done..." or "why'd you...?".... and so on. It just goes with the territory.

But most of all I appreciate a well built car with tremendous styling, that is audacious enough to stand out in a sea of sameness. If you don't take risks, nobody will remember your name. Good for you.

 

Thanks @Church for a well-written and informative thread.
Saw the bare metal feature in TRJ and honestly, when I first saw photos of the finished car I thought, "Boy, this is gonna be one for the keyboard commandos to dissect!" And I hated that.
The big issue, I think, is that they do not have the deep background in hot rodding that helps them understand where you were going with your build. I remember just about all those drag cars you posted the photos of earlier, so the paint scheme to me was really not that shocking or wild. Just cool and well done.
I would not have the resources to build a hot rod like that.
But I sure as hell appreciate those who do.

 

There's not very much to say about this car that hasn't already been said. I personally loved it and everything it represents from the first second I saw it in paint. It's pretty difficult to do something in this hobby that hasn't already been done, and I think this car has accomplished that. I also think that it will likely inspire some pretty wild builds and make some guys think out of the box moving forward.

ironandsteele.com​

 

Although the stripes were the plan from early on during the build, I did consider a second path. It probably would have been controversial as well, but perhaps not quite to the same extent. It was based on my dad's old racing helmet. I tried and tried and tried to make this idea work and just couldn't solve the riddle. Steve Stanford took a crack at it, and so did Jimmy Smith. He came the closest. The last pic is the closest I got after trying several asymmetrical designs covering the whole car. Unfortunately I lost both parents during the build of this car and neither got to see its completion. Sadly, Donny and Bill lost their father's during the build as well.

 

I should also add that this build is proof positive that any build should be for the approval of the owner and not the approval of the masses, to stand strong in the face of criticism, and to believe in the concept. Sure, adherence to that mentality is going to yield some screwed-up looking cars. But it's also going to yield some real gems like the car, that may never have come to fruition had the owner or builder succumbed to criticism. This holds true whether the concept involves crazy vertical striped paint, continental kits, dummy spot lights, canted quad headlights.... whatever. If you have a vision, see it through.

 

These pics are the first thing that came to mind when I saw the car! I am just bummed I did not come up with the idea! You are brilliant.

 

Can we see the renderings Steve Stanford and Jimmy Smith made? The car turned out bitchin!

 

Hahahaha. I was initially going to put an injected sbc in the car, specifically so I could make magnesium Church valve covers and sell them. Would have been a HUGE mistake. When the hemi became available, it was a no brainer. Crisis averted.

 

I'll start out being a dick and ask why there's not a shift knob like the helmet.

Anyways, I see myself as just another old fuck that digs cars and has a varied background, so my opinions and $1.92 will get you a large coffee. However my opinion didn't develop in an instant. It was more like "Wait, what the..." and I was drawn in like looking through sheer curtains at a sexy profile. I'd seen it bare, knew Bill was doing it, but it sat in my mental shelf until it smacked me in the face on my IG feeds. The inspirational pics you shared were all in my vintage memory cabinet, the Ramchargers were 1st (Motown local here, go figure), L.A. Dart next, the rest blurred by cobwebs but still there. I got it immediately. It fits like a well tailored suit. I was craving interior shots and frankly didn't see them til a cpl days ago. Hell to the fuckin yeah. If a seance was a real thing I'd bet "The Loner" would have a grin so big he'd have to turn his head to finish it. Sometimes being a standout doesn't really work, we've all seen shit (literally) that tried but failed in spectacular fashion. Not here. I believe you've earned the statement Sean Connery made about winners. For the unhip, look it up.
Badass big balls awesome. And no I'm not kissing your ass, I mean it. Coffee's over there...

 

@Church that car is simply amazing. When I first saw it it grabbed my attention. The first thing I thought of was the magnum P.I. helicopter. Then I really looked at it. It is well executed, and the details are amazing! Fit and finish, stance etc are just top notch. that is a machine to be proud of.

 

A non car friend first mentioned the helicopter comparison. It never even crossed my mind, but I totally get it. I swear I've been sent at least 50 images of it. I usually reply that TC would much prefer magnesium and an injected hemi. Most images just don't capture the candy and make the car look brown, yellow orange and red like TC's flying machine. There's 72 feet of spun gold leaf that gets lost unless seen in person.

On a side note, Robert Williams says the orange stripe through the door up onto the roof is the "best stripe". I'm not exactly sure what the means, but if he says it ... it must be true.

 

Totally cool one !!

 

Inspiring build, thank you!

 

Thank you for your comment about the paint. I think it's damn near perfect. People who say it's shit are misspeaking. It's the design they don't like, not the paint. That falls on my shoulders. Compani Color crushed it!

 

I'm a straight line square corner kind of guy but....
your car is seductive....draws one in....the girl in the room most everyone wants to talk to and take home but is afraid to because she might say no. Then when you take her out....you find out she is more than a looker
Well, I've said enough...I'm making a straight line back to my corner...
You lucky bastard....that's what the haters are silently thinking

 

The quality of the build left me awe-struck.

The appearance left me smiling.