I was in the 8th grade when I saw Mike's 60 and Jimmy's 51 at the Houston Autorama. They were the most beautiful cars I had ever seen. I stood there and starred at them for hours. Soon after, I came across a tiny highlight photo of this Rodder's Journal centerfold in Street Rodder mag. I cut it out and carried it around in my wallet for the rest of junior high and high school. I don't think any other cars have ever had the impact on me as those two have.
Thank you for sharing the kool memory. the picture you shared is one of my all time favorite Kustom pics……. I wish I had the opportunity to visit with Mike but all I can remember is small talk. I'm sure like a million others I told him "your Chevy is too kool" I'm sure he heard that a lot and it never got old. Building an Iconic Kustom isn't easy. Exotica had the perfect timing and it was just right. Thankfully Mike was friends with Jimmy Vaughn and Gary Howard. The kool combination to build such a kool kustom. Would love to have been around when they were throwing out ideas. Besides all of the simplistic looking body changes it was the paint that really rocked it to a new level. Here are a couple of more pics that shows some of the wow factor. Sorry I do not know who took the pics. Thanks Ryan for creating the thread..
I remember seeing that thing in '95 ish at Oakland, I remember seeing Jimmie Vaughan and being a little star struck.
R.I.P. Mike Exotica was the one car who inspired me the most in the making of Cajun Queen out of a ´57 Chrysler New Yorker: https://www.instagram.com/edwinpower1964/
The Jalopy Journal
