Chalk me up for a shirt or two.......and if you can sneak in some kids sizes that would be GREAT.......I'm tired of my son wearing "Paul Frank" shirts that are 'cool?'.
Thanks a bunch guys.. Came forward on the learning curve some today. I'm runnin' outta old shop shirts though. <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
Kevin Lee sent me this link and told me to read it. I did... Every page. Really inspirational. I love this story. I am now at your service. Anything you need at all, just send me a private message.
Justin, I am in for a shirt for sure!....I saw your dad the other day in the primered vette, at 47th and sterling, My cousin bought an old service station on the corner that we are turning into a classic and hot rod car lot. Your dad has drove by a few times and looked over at some of the hot rods and customs we have had sitting there. I told them the other day that if they wanted to see (What A real deal custom builder looks like) to check out the guy driving that grey primered vette...I am really glad that you are bringing back "wild childs" As I am a younger guy as well, And If we do not preserve the hot rod and custom history, that took place right here in Kansas city, Then who will?....Anyhow keep doing what you are doing, As I think you will make it happen for sure. I will come down and Meet you sometime, when I get a few projects caught up....
Man, thank you very much.. Really appreciate this time you took, and your reaching out with such warm words.. Kevin, thank you friend... What a nice surprise to find this afternoon... Anything you all need, you have a friend in Kansas City.
i'm in for shirts! XL . my brother steve was a hotrodder / biker around dodge city in the early 60's , had a 51 merc chopped by starbird in wichita. you guys heard of steve harper ?
Thanks a bunch ChevyShortFleet.. Things are real good. Pop's doin' good this week, and I got me a container back over to the shop. Should be able to totally empty the building out now; that puts a big smile on my face man. Picked it up on saturday from some pro-skaters' spot, down in the East Bottoms Cowtown, thanks man! Hey, I think Pop has been tellin' me about your alls place. Are you the guys with that super-clean fifty Ford convertible? If that's it, next time I'm rollin' by, I'll be sure and stop in. I'm glad you'll be here buildin' with me in Kansas City. These are gonna be a real good times man.. Lookin' forward to meeting you and your friends. Hey, thanks harp. You know, I can't say off the top of my head. You have any pictures?? <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
Hey friends. Today, I had this kool thing happen. Barry Muller, a long time Evel Knievel historian, got ahold of me. I thought you all might be interested in some of the highlights; here's some of what he had to say. Very nice guy.. I don't think he sees the HAMB, but if you're out there - thanks a bunch Barry! I think that solves the mystery of the uncashed check - Evel's new look. "...that gold check you posted a while back, Jim did some work on Evel Knievel's Harley XR750s tanks in 1971. I'm not sure if you know, but this is the information I've been looking for, for years! Most people don't know about this, or how important it is. Jim had a major impact on the image that Evel had from then on. Do you remember his tanks that he did? I don't know how old you were back then..." "These are the tanks that were before, and most early fans remember these. 1970 to late 1971. I'm still trying to find the painter who did these years. His last "white tank" jump that he made was in Kansas City, over 10 Mack trucks, on the 25th & 26th of Sept 1971. The check was dated in Oct I think. His next jump in Portland Oregon, on Oct 21, 1971 (10 days after the date on the check), had the new "Wild Child" paint from then on, till George Sedlak painted them later on. I'll post his too later. Jim had the longest year(s) run on Evels bikes!" "This is the top of the Wild Child paint shown when he jumped the 5o cars in L.A. Trying to get a color photo of this!" "Here is a color photo from the side!" "Gotta run till tomorrow, but hope this stuff stirs some interest in finding stuff and people! Thanks.." <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
EPISODE 12: The Rat Fink Story (Part I/?) It was nearly a hundred degrees in the shop the day I made the promise; for fifteen years I kept my word. Sadly, there's no need left to keep it any longer. Not until everyone was dead and gone, those were the terms. Very few have heard this story. I only passed it in private, to a select few close friends, following the last member's passing. As everyone I gave my word to is gone, here I stand - in the same spot I last heard this story. Help me remember 'em, friends. I've never had any patience; I still don't. I've always been quick to fight, and so was he. Today, the sweat burns my eyes from work, just as both of ours burned when we stood here last. It's funny what the Rat Fink became. Who would have ever thought?... (Part II - Continued Below) <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
Waiting . . . Maybe you will shed some light on the Ray Fahrner connection to Big Daddy's RF (if any) . . .
[Note: Today, as I'm finding the time to get started again, I'm going to set an expectation. This is an edgy story, and difficult to tell correctly. Out of respect, I'm going to take time on this one, so there's no room for any negative misinterpretations.. It'll be worth the wait.]
EPISODE 12: The Rat Fink Story (Part II/?) Looking at these cobwebbed bells, I can remember the calls coming in like I'm standing there again. These old bells were loud and primitive. A rotary phone still hangs on the wall; the ear-piece is black from the sweat of men long gone – men who made history. Calls would come in from all over the country – artists, dare-devils, designers, and builders - gamblers, outlaws, politicians, and stars – risk-takers - storytellers... But when the calls didn't come in and everything went dark, that's when worry spread - not on the receiving end, but among callers. I remember all the men as one. In solitude, they were alike, and like no one else. As a boy, with so much time to think, it was easy to see. Some tell me I had a unique perspective, with no filter of experience. They say, all the distractions of adulthood, the veil of confusion that accompanies the pace of this game played with our lives, none of it exists.. They talk like it's a superpower - childhood. They're wrong. The men saw it too. They never played the game because they never followed the rules. Their days were longer because of it, clearer, and that's why they accomplished so much with so little. You can call them outlaws, you can call them whatever you want; they were my family. They all loved each other, and weren't afraid to say it. With pride came passion. They fought like brothers, against the world – and sometimes against each other... (Part III - Continued Below) <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
EPISODE 12: The Rat Fink Story (Part III/?) I can remember seeing so many men unapologetically at work as the bells pounded. The sound of it echoed though the building. Like so many other things, I can remember the nervous gaze of outsiders as the bells would go until they would stop - as a man, standing inches from a receiver, could allow it to ring to silence. They wouldn't say a word. As a boy, their fear seemed to define them; the outsiders always looked like slaves, always living in fear of something, anxiously seeking to lose control, to fulfill demands, any demands, even if they were as insignificant as the demands of a bell. They didn't work against the bells in defense of their freedom. They didn't hear them because they were free; they didn't hear anything. There was only one thing certain to the outside world - someone was there. Who they were, no one could understand. Work was being done, and no one could really understand the depth of that either - sometimes for days, sometimes weeks on end. There was no caller I.D. - no answering machines. Ten men would be at work, at any one time; they were all the same.. As a boy it was obvious. To the men it was obvious. It would ring, and the whole world would wait. (Part IV - Continued Below) <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
EPISODE 12: The Rat Fink Story (Part IV/?) Sometimes, that meant a brother would wait... Sometimes, when that would happen, things looked a lot less obvious. In theory, to know a man is to know his code. However, to know the code is to know where it overlaps on itself; for the type of man that wants to do things, do them on their own terms, and do them now - the code on patience is contradictory in nature. The characteristic lack of patience for obstacles, that so faithfully defines their successful existence, comes into conflict when another individual, in their breadth, becomes the obstacle. The unfortunate truth rests in the fact that arriving in this overlap is inevitable – and rare; the scarcity of these events, though seemingly fortunate, let on why they're so unstable. No one has honed discipline when handling the unfamiliar on a time-limit; it takes more time than is available to resolve the traffic. It isn't until the necessary and adequate time is taken that things become clear. “Hindsight is 20/20” - heard that one before, right? There's another level though... What happens when there's two obstacles - two trains on the same track? War – but when real men go to war, no one ever knows about it. There's a word for that, chivalry. That's why you're hearing this story, for the first time. That's why Ray Farhner told it to me. There was a lesson in it, a lesson about right now, a lesson about patience, and, if those fail, as they often do - a lesson about chivalry... (Part V - Continued Below) <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
[Note: Couple fools just tried to break into the shop. Had to handle 'em. This one's goin' overnight again...]
Justin. You OK? Last we heard you were handling some shit heads breaking into your shop. Then the screen went blank.
Hey, thanks friends. No worries; few cats just showed up to try and fool around. Luckily, we reached an understanding fairly easily. Anyway, pardon the delay; I had to take some time out to find 'em. So, where was I? Oh, Ed Roth and Ray - tales of the Rat Fink.. This is a good one man... Lemme keep goin' on the shop for a couple hours though. If I'm not beat, I'll see if I can get any words out after I close things up.
EPISODE 12: The Rat Fink Story (Part V/?) [Note: Well, been a busy few weeks, friends. I've been gone, makin' money for the cause, on the road. It looks to be a busy roam for a few months ahead, so, while I have a few hours with a computer again, let's see if we can chip away some more on an old story..] Years later, I think back on stories like these from a larger scale; I've come to realize that life is one of these traffic events - “handling the unfamilar on a time limit.” While growth is to surpass one's best, in the press for time, many times all we can do is to just try and do our best - many times there's not even enough time for that. For me, this realization is the place where I come to visit patience – when there's time. Lately, I'm finding I have more and more time. This afternoon, I'm reading and making news over a late Lunch. With an object, the size of a magazine, I'm publishing my thoughts to one of the largest vehicle publications in the world - on a whim. How things have changed... In Ray's time, there were no smartphones, no social networks - no e-mail. Though we all know this, it's getting harder and harder everyday for us to relate without a strain. Ray went to work, off the grid, with a 3-day plan. His job was to produce and promote a culture, at all costs, under the pressure of time. For those out of the loop, Ray Farhner's claim to fame wasn't The Eclipse, The X-Ray, or The Boothill Express - those were just produced for the car shows. Ray was the shows; Ray owned many of the shows all across the county. To give an indication of the scope, I've been told that World of Wheels was a piece broke off and sold from his circuit. (Part VI - Continued Below) <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
That's true; The World of wheels shows still held in Kansas City, St. Louis, St Paul, Tulsa, Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Des Moines, Denver, Phoenix and other cities were all started by Ray in the 60's. He sold them to Promotions, Inc., which eventually became World of Wheels.
I happened across this thread at 4:00pm today, it's 8:30pm and I just finished the last post. Read every one, and will have to re read them again. This is one of those stories, told so well, that every time you read it over again, you will "see" something that you missed the first time. When I came to the last post I tired to forward the page, on the edge of the seat. Thank you for taking the time to share all of the wonderful and colorful chapters. I hope to be fortunate enough to have the opprotunity to read some more. Thank you.
EPISODE 12: The Rat Fink Story (Part VI/?) Try to imagine the scope of their influence. Try to walk in their shoes. Try breathing life into their stories – but don’t look down… Having one’s success in your grasp, to truly know it, is to know its routine maintenance, and the precarious reality of one’s limited labor power. What it all comes down to is time, and what men can do within its limitations. Take a knowing glance at the pressure of time on your dreams, and the dichotomy of being in control of your dreams, while absolutely knowing the reality of their partial dependence upon circumstances beyond your control. Being conscious of this last part, is recognizing the romance of failure’s path to success – and the bitter-sweet lows men instinctively defend themselves against. This is something we know too well; our calluses are our bond. This is our story. This is the story of how Ray Farhner became the Rat Fink for a day, and how an idea became immortalized – and no one ever knew. The details of what follow are small and insignificant in comparison to what they represented to the men involved – and what hindsight has made them mean to me. It’s nothing in comparison to the minds behind the men, but I stand on it, understanding the metaphor a little more each day. (Part VII - The Story - Continued Below) <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
A quick photo update, during the break, to tide everyone over. Painting Cushenbery's Silhouette + origins of chopper culture's two crosses (the Maltese and Ankh).<script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
Keep 'em coming bro. See a lot of these stone walls in the WC photos. Is this your current shop? Still want a T-shirt Justin.
Justin, for years, I made the mistake of putting my photos on the internet without including a copyright notice. You have a valuable and important collection of your dad's photos. Have you scanned and digitized all of them yet? I know, there's only so much time in a day,but I for one, would like to see more. In fact, I have some that may not have been seen. I took them the day I met you when Ray and I came over to your dad's shop in '03.
The Jalopy Journal
