Working for Gold Chainers....

Man, I've been thinkin' about this for awhile now... Some of you work on Hot Rods for a living. And I'll bet most of the owners can't do their own stuff.... as much as we bash the Chainers...how do you work for them? I'll be honest. It's my job!!! I suck it up and bend their view to my taste...no TWEED...how do you deal with it??? Big wheels and air ride is okay for some...I'll even say fuel injection and late model headlights are acceptable..... I dig cars. Period. But is there a point where you say "hold on...what if we do this!?" In an attempt to keep your integrity?

 

Wow Shawn, I was thinking the exact same thing.
I used to try and sway there tastes but it really didn't do any good if they didn't under stand anyway. So now I just build the cars the way they want them and take the money an dbuild MY cars the way I want them and everyone is happy.

This is a Glass 39 I'm doing for a guy. He's happy I'm Doing it HIS way everyone is happy.

 

Lots of Blister pack stuff here

 

Working for/with them is one thing.
Getting paid for it is another.

 

I dont agree with everything I am asked to do for work.But I do have to work.

 

That's what I'm talkin' about Rudy... sometimes you gotta say "gold gauges are cool". But it really pisses me off...and dad threatens to tell em!!!!!

 

Oh, kinda like those snazzy red spark plug wires

 

The question you have to ask yourself BEFORE you sway their thinking is...
"Do I really want this guy associated with MY style of Hot Rodding?"
Unfortunately, the answer will be NO for some of them.
Guys with the right attitude would be ok.

I say you should just build it the way they want it.

Bill

 

I feel for ya Rudy. I think sometimes your job must be one part fabricator, one part educator, and eight part diplomat. What do you tell a guy who writes the check -- but thinks that flame-shaped billet mirror will look really cool on his '39?

 

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The question you have to ask yourself...

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Do you want to put your name on what the customer is asking ?
When people ask your customer who installed the the very distinctive Pacer front suspension on their Highboy Roadster,do you want your name mantioned ?

 

hey Bill...I'm not talkin' about buildin yer stuff...my stuff is what I think is cool....but, I'm talkin' bout gettin paid....by the $$$$ guys....

 

Everyone has, and is entitled to their own taste. As a professional you should not try to persuade them into something that they might not be happy with later on. Either do what they ask of you, or don't take the job. IF they do ask for your opinion, then by all means, state what you feel would look best.

Do what you must to pay your bills and put food on the table for your family. Times are tough right now and if the "chainers" are the ones wanting you to do their interiors, go for it and consider yourself lucky you have work.

BTW: I hear you do awesome work. It's no wonder the "chainers" seek you out.

 

One of my pals that build hot rods have their customers make up Wish Books of the features of other cars that they want or entire cars that they admire. That way the buider can build a car in the style of the desired car, but still put his flair on it.

Another rod builder friend of mine has enough work that he only does cars for like minded rodders. They're not completely traditional, but have a seriously traditional bent. You say "must be nice" but it wasn't always that way. The shop build "whatever the customer wanted" for about 20 years.

 

I agree with your point denise, The customer's always right, sort of; but in some instances (it happens A LOT in the tattoo/piercing biz) the customer's a fuckin idiot! People come in with ideas, that are mostly gay and dumb, but we, as artists, can take their idea and run with it. That way they're getting what they want, only with some professional input. And yes, working that closely with the public will make you an antisocial asshole in no time flat!

 

HRLC put it best

and if someone negatively judges you on what you built for a customer at the CUSTOMERS request, they are a jealous asshole

 

Yum! PACERS!!!
I'm just figuring that its too complicated to sway people who want to waste money on the "trick of the month" aftermarket stuff. I'm covering all aspects now...not just trim in particular. The Chainers want to be congratulated by other Chainers...their PEER GROUP. They don't care about people like us!
If they want you to install a kit IFS or some digital gauges...let them call the shots! Your never gonna change the minds of most of them anyway so why worry?
Take the money and spend it freely.

Hot Rodding/Streetrodding confusion is caused by the attitude of the owner more than by the bankroll of the owner anyway...
SOME Chainers are really nice people who would appreciate some guidance. Others...just a waste of time...and I'd just as soon that crowd stayed away.


Bill

 

The more work you have waiting to be done, the pickier you can be about WHAT you do. If the bills are piling up, you gotta do whatcha gotta do. For the most part, you can at least TRY to sway them in the "right" direction. Happens in the sign painting world, too. You can lead a whore to culture, but you can't make her think. (name that band... )

 

WHORE.Thank you thats the word I was lookn for. where all just whores.

 

I deal with it everyday. As a shop, we dont take projects we dont believe in. Some are cooler than others.We try to guide the owners into something memorable not trendy.

I do agree on the goldchainer/paying comment. I am on the second car for a billionaire, he is the worst client I have. A millionaire, is my second bad client!? I like to deal with the working guy, he knows what is in hi wallet, he knows when to say when. And for the most part, he likes the outcome more than than the rich guy.

 

TMAN, the dakotas have BILLIONAIRES???

 

Yes we do

 

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I deal with it everyday. As a shop, we dont take projects we dont believe in. Some are cooler than others.We try to guide the owners into something memorable not trendy.

I do agree on the goldchainer/paying comment. I am on the second car for a billionaire, he is the worst client I have. A millionaire, is my second bad client!? I like to deal with the working guy, he knows what is in hi wallet, he knows when to say when. And for the most part, he likes the outcome more than than the rich guy.

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Which one of those three is most likely to question the bill?

 

Hmmm, Doc, I dont know why you cant understand this. Must be from your liberal grant taking artistic lifestyle? The rich guy always complains even though he has the ca-ching. The working guy saves up and spends what needs to be spent and is happy.

 

i liken it to a gynocologist(you/shop) trying to pick up women(converts) while at work.give guidance and sound advice to the customer(patient).If he/she takes it fine, if not leave the "gina" alone.the gyno(you) sees "it" all day long.then goes home to HIS "gina".is yours better?maybe.in the end they're ALL "ginas".some are trendy some are trad some dont care and some just plain stink and thier owners have very strong opinions on how they should look,smell,taste etc...
so in conclusion,play stink finger with your gina at home.
and when the customer wants you to play with his/hers wear gloves

 

I build cars for all types, but mostly blue collar guys. My true love is 50's style Kustoms, but I do late models, and restore muscle cars, as well. My working on cars is the most important thing in my life.
My attitude is, build what they want. If you are a professional, you do what you are told to do. You can try to influence your customers, to a point, and you are obligated to keep the rides safe, and roadworthy. The rest is just window dressing!
Who are we to try and decide what is tasteful, or not? Event the greatest of artists have painted a lot of ugly paintings. It is part of exploring your talents. It is part of MAKING trends (or history, perhaps?) instead of following. True, it may be that you need to follow, or even imitate history, to make it, but I believe you should also experiment, and push your talents to new directions, and limits, to be an artist. Just building and rehashing shit that was done 50 years ago is not being an artist. BUT!!!!! on the other hand, it is fresh and exiting to see things built in a manner that may be old, but with new ideas. I have always been a big fan of Doug Thompson's work. He established his national reputation with a clone of the Hirohato Merc, but then went on to build a new "ground breaking" custom every year after, by using old parts in new ways, or in different combinations to present a "fresh looking" 50's Kustom. Or like Richard Ratty's Packard, which looked like it could have been a Packard styling exercise, ot Futurama car.
It may seem contrary to your building style to do different things for people, but look at it as an exercise of technique. Try new things, push your talents to their limit by doing new things. It is being paid to practice your craft, to hone your artistic senses, to learn new techniques. Everthing you do should be a learning experience, even if you don't like doing it.
Great musicians started out by doing repetitive practice on their instrument, and most probably hated it. Most probably hated the 'style' of the music they learned on. But later they used their talents to establish their own style of music, which suited their personality. Then they may or may not have pushed it to new limits, even changing styles along the way, like the Beatles, and Dylan (acoustic to electric).
Whether you should do it or not is your decision, but getting paid to practice your arts is a pretty good thing, if you ask me!

 

"UNKL AL" always says " If it ain't cool, I didn't do it".....OLDBEET

 

IMO, life is like a shit sandwich, the more bread ya got the less shit ya got to eat........

 

I know what some of you are saying about having your name associated with a certain type of car. I have a freind who does OUTSTANDING paint and body work, having even done a few show cars...but he WILL NOT do anything less for ANYONE!

I tried to talk him into laying a quickie color coat on one of my old projects and he wouldn't do it. He said he didn't want his name to come up when someone looked at it...and that he would only paint the car if I was willing to pay for a top-quality job. I respect his integrity, and admire his conviction...I've seen him turn alot of people away, and some of them get pissed...but he won't compromise his reputation by doing "Earl Sheib work" as he calls it!

He is small time, so he can afford to pick and choose his jobs...a larger operation may not have such a luxury when it comes to what will or will not be accepted.

It's a two-sided deal, though. I would be willing to do something oddball or strange if it presented me with a unique challenge. I'd do an engine swap or install parts that I wouldn't want for myself if someone paid me to...if for no other reason than to gain the experience of having done it.

As a youngster, when my neighbor asked if I could take all the mechanicals and electrical components out of a wrecked 71 Camaro and stuff them into a gutted 67 Tempest, I jumped at the chance to do it. I ended up using EVERYTHING from the bent Camaro and made it work. I was thrilled just to have done it...but getting PAID to do it made the job even sweeter!

I ain't picky...but I can respect those who are.

 

How's this for an analogy, skipstitch, what about the plastic surgeons that worked on Micheal Jackson? I'm sure they thought" is he fuckin' insane?" but they did it anyway because that's what the customer wanted.

 

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Hmmm, Doc, I dont know why you cant understand this. Must be from your liberal grant taking artistic lifestyle? The rich guy always complains even though he has the ca-ching. The working guy saves up and spends what needs to be spent and is happy.

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On the contrary, That is the answer I fully expect and as far as grants/welfare for the arts goes I think the NEA should be abolished. If artist's work isn't worth buying they should do it off their own $$$, not mine.

Why do people think I'm a fucking liberal?