Owens Salvage Visit

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Shop Visit : Ryno Built Drops A 56 Chevy

I mention my buddy Ryno a lot. There’s a few reasons:

1.) I like to talk about my talented friends who are doing good work

2.) he always seems to have some cool rides coming through the shop

3.) his spare room seems to be my base of operations for that region so I get to see what he’s working on quite a bit.

Awhile back he got a new project from a friend of ours from TX. Rudy had a 56 Chevy that had been in the family for decades and he wanted it rebuilt. It had been used out in the oil fields and had been stored for years. I’ll tell more of the story when the car is done, for now that’s enough back story.

This post brought to you by Motornation! Click the image above to go to the site and subscribe to see unlimited streaming hot rod, kustom car and motorcycle videos all for only $6.99 a month! I have my own channel there that you should check out and watch nonstop!
This post brought to you by Motornation! Click the image above to go to the site and subscribe to see unlimited streaming hot rod, kustom car and motorcycle videos all for only $6.99 a month! I have my own channel there that you should check out and watch nonstop!

Continue reading “Shop Visit : Ryno Built Drops A 56 Chevy”

Premier Body And Paint Builds A Kustom 1957 Ford

A couple of years ago while I was at Premier Body & Paint in Arkansas City, KS I spotted a 57 Ford out in the grass next to the shop. Jeff told me that it had belonged to his dad and had a 39o in it. I kind of forgot about the car sitting there until I stopped by one day to check on the progress of the 41 Ford that Jeff has been building for his customer Roy. As it turns out Roy also saw the 57 and a deal had been struck to start a second build. The best kind of customer that a shop can have his basic instructions to Jeff have been to “build it the way you would build it for yourself.” The cars are both coming together and I though I’d share a few pics of the 57 over the last few visits. Look for an update on the 41 in the future as well.

This post brought to you by Motornation! Click the image above to go to the site and subscribe to see unlimited streaming hot rod, kustom car and motorcycle videos all for only $6.99 a month! I have my own channel there that you should check out and watch nonstop!
This post brought to you by Motornation! Click the image above to go to the site and subscribe to see unlimited streaming hot rod, kustom car and motorcycle videos all for only $6.99 a month! I have my own channel there that you should check out and watch nonstop!

Continue reading “Premier Body And Paint Builds A Kustom 1957 Ford”

A Rain Delay at Shoebox Central

A 49 Merc dash that Chris is prepping to take to Austin for the Lonestar Roundup

When it was painfully obvious that the weather was not going to cooperate with my NSRA Southwestern Nationals plans last Saturday I was about 100 miles north of OKC. Being that far south I grabbed my phone and made some calls. Chris Whittington of Shoebox Central just so happened to be headed to his shop. Every time I’d been there before had been pretty busy so I figured it was a perfect time to hang out at the Shoebox mecca.

This post brought to you by Motornation! Click the image above to go to the site and subscribe to see unlimited streaming hot rod, kustom car and motorcycle videos all for only $6.99 a month! I have my own channel there that you should check out and watch nonstop!
This post brought to you by Motornation! Click the image above to go to the site and subscribe to see unlimited streaming hot rod, kustom car and motorcycle videos all for only $6.99 a month! I have my own channel there that you should check out and watch nonstop!

Continue reading “A Rain Delay at Shoebox Central”

Big Creek Restoration Shop Visit

Back in September I stopped in to Big Creek Restoration in Ellis, KS to see what Mike Keller and company were up to. I figured they’d have something killer in the works and I was right. An incredible 34 was under construction, at the time a rolling chassis with a beautifully detailed Hemi between the rails. Now the body is back on and it’s looking really good!

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Johnny Torres Upholstery 7-19-14 Shop Visit

I always say the best thing about getting neck deep in the rod/kustom family is the people that you meet. Lots of talented folks are out here in the Midwest building killer rides, one of them is Johnny Torres at his shop Johnny Torres Upholstery in Hutchison, KS. Johnny’s shop is located on the south end of Main Street in Hutchinson, in the former offices of the Ark Valley CO-OP. Go follow his facebook page here and keep up to date on what he’s up to.

 Johnny Torres Upholstery is located in the former offices of the Ark Valley CO-OP in the last block on the south end of Main St. in Hutchinson, KS
Johnny Torres Upholstery is located in the former offices of the Ark Valley CO-OP in the last block on the south end of Main St. in Hutchinson, KS

Click here to see what Johnny is up to!

Some Kool Kustoms Are On The Way

Its no secret that I take my cars to Jeff Myers at Premier Body & Paint in Arkansas City, KS. Jeff is once again nominated for the KKOA Hall of Fame this year, and since I had some spare time last weekend I figured it was time to pay a visit to Premier. Jeff has a number of kustoms in the shop that are under construction, but his collision work has been so overwhelming that it’s time to bring on some help so that he has more time to work on the kustoms.

 Jeff
Jeff’s Hell Camino
 Roy
Roy’s 41 is back from Fat Lucky’s shop in CA and will soon be on the road to being… well, on the road.
 Roy
Roy’s 41 is back from Fat Lucky’s shop in CA and will soon be on the road to being… well, on the road.

The new blood in the shop isn’t exactly new, Voodoo Jim (Jim Allen) will be around the shop to handle mechanical duties, wiring, etc.

 Jimmy
Jimmy’s Buick with it’s new Lincoln tail lights and Jeff holding a future fender addition.
 Jimmy
Jimmy’s Buick
 The 57 project
The 57 project’s 390
 A bobber pickup frame getting dressed up.
A bobber pickup frame getting dressed up.
 The 60 Fairlane door.
The 60 Fairlane door. After a city bus decided that it didn’t like the shape of the door.

 Aircraft strut makes cool openings.
Aircraft strut makes cool openings.

 The 57 project front fender
The 57 project front fender
 Sneak peak of the 57 project.
Sneak peak of the 57 project. The top has been chopped, the body will be getting some attention as well as you can see here.
 Lucas Myers bad ass bug. This was one of Jeff
Lucas Myers bad ass bug. This was one of Jeff’s cars in High School. Lucas has done the majority of the work himself so far.

With the new help, expect to see the 57 and 41 rolling out of the shop over the next year or so, plus Jimmy’s Buick, and some new paint on my Galaxie amongst others!

Get the 2014.5 KKOA Calendar now!

See you at a show,

Royboy

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Chrome Skulls, Bugs, Cowboy Hats & Yes Even Car Parts

I’m sure most of you have heard of spray on chrome. It’s been around for awhile now. Not many people are doing it right so you see guys routinely pop up, show off a few pieces and then disappear. That’s not the case at Alternative Chrome Creations at 8900 S. Broadway in Haysville, KS. They have been slowly perfecting the art of chroming anything that you can paint for a couple of years now. You won’t see any big advertising from them, or booths at shows across the country…yet. Owner Larry Perkins says “we wanted to be sure we could deliver a quality product before we started marketing all over the place. Even without it we are busy all of the time.” Their shop was full of parts in various stages of the process including some finished pieces that were really amazing.

 I
I’m sure I have some Texas friends that want this piece.

See the entire article here

Shop Visit: May 31st Trip To Ryno Built

On the way to the Queen City Riot last week I stopped by Ryno Built in SW Missouri. Ryno has become a great friend of mine and I take my car to his shop for work when I need something done that is over my head. Here’s what I saw…

 The Sharer Merc is at Ryno
The Sharer Merc is at Ryno’s getting a full kustom treatment. From shaving handles, trim to a chop, full air suspension, to a new drivetrain and interior.
 The Sharer Merc at ride height.
The Sharer Merc at ride height.
 And laid out.
And laid out.
 The car has been in the family for decades, but now sports a full air suspension including a Mustang II up front and 2 link in the rear.
The car has been in the family for decades, but now sports a full air suspension including a Mustang II up front and 2 link in the rear.
 The plan is use some Desoto teeth for the grill. Those teeth usually come with the bottom pan from the Desoto, these did not, so what you see on the right is a panel that Ryno has mocked up as a possible solution to fill the gap. The final panel will be rolled and not broke if this route is chosen.
The plan is use some Desoto teeth for the grill. Those teeth usually come with the bottom pan from the Desoto, these did not, so what you see on the right is a panel that Ryno has mocked up as a possible solution to fill the gap. The final panel will be rolled and not broke if this route is chosen.
 As of the day I took this photo the plans were still up in the air on how to handle the new headlight trim. More on this when it
As of the day I took this photo the plans were still up in the air on how to handle the new headlight trim. More on this when it’s ready to show off.

 The new Coker tires and chrome steel wheels look great on the Merc.
The new Coker tires and chrome steel wheels look great on the Merc.
 The intake and carbs are just on as a place holder for now on the new crate engine.
The intake and carbs are just on as a place holder for now on the new crate engine.
 Also at Ryno Built is another family project. This one belonging to our buddy Rudy J. The 56 Chevy is at Rynos for a refresh. It was driven by Rudy
Also at Ryno Built is another family project. This one belonging to our buddy Rudy J. The 56 Chevy is at Rynos for a refresh. It was driven by Rudy’s dad on the job and has been in the family for years.
 The custom built C Notch with some mocked up components.
The custom built C Notch with some mocked up components.

 The rear bag mounts and arms are mocked up and the C Notch is welded in.
The rear bag mounts and arms are mocked up and the C Notch is welded in.
 This shoebox just arrived for a refresh and an update so the owners can fly over to the states from England and travel Route 66 in it.
This shoebox just arrived for a refresh and an update so the owners can fly over to the states from England and travel Route 66 in it.

 Ryno replaced the Unibody truck that was featured on the Feb. 2014 Classic Trucks cover with this killer wagon as his parts hauler.
Ryno replaced the Unibody truck that was featured on the Feb. 2014 Classic Trucks cover with this killer wagon as his parts hauler.
 The wagon on the rack belongs to the Mrs. Ryno works on it when time and money allow.
The wagon on the rack belongs to the Mrs. Ryno works on it when time and money allow.

Shop Visit: Hot Rod Garage

There are a lot of talented builders out there, there are a ton of great shops I get to visit. Hot Rod Garage of Sand Springs, OK stands out as one of the best of that group. Last Friday on my way to Tulsa I stopped and hung out at the HRG for about an hour looking at some of the projects they have going on.

This is one of the most meticulous shops I’ve ever seen. Every car is built right and every car is an example of how to do whatever it is that you’re doing. I was floored at the craftsmanship when I got to see it up close. Father and Son owners the Smith’s were out in the shop getting dirty when I showed up. Their office chairs empty, their hands dirty, building cars. That says a lot to me.

Jim and his son Jason Smith started HRG 17 years ago and have grown to be one of the best around.

 Goodguys 2013 Truck of the Year, QuikSilver
Goodguys 2013 Truck of the Year, QuikSilver
 When I showed up, Owner Jim Smith was working on TIG
When I showed up, Owner Jim Smith was working on TIG’ing up some exhaust pieces for this ride. There’s a lot of stuff to fit in the frame, but it’s all tucked up and nice so that the car looks good even when you’re laying on the ground next to it.
 Another project is this flattie powered sedan. There are some great Vintage go-fast pieces on this one.
Another project is this flattie powered sedan. There are some great Vintage go-fast pieces on this one.
 Another project is this flattie powered sedan. There are some great Vintage go-fast pieces on this one.
Another project is this flattie powered sedan. There are some great Vintage go-fast pieces on this one.
 Jason Smith
Jason Smith’s personal project gets some love on the weekends and evenings. This Falcon is being prepped to road race. The 3 window body in the background goes on the frame show earlier.

 Ready for the customer to pick up! this historic racer has been at HRG getting restored to it
Ready for the customer to pick up! this historic racer has been at HRG getting restored to it’s former glory. It is BEAUTIFUL!
 In the owner
In the owner’s family since it was a year old this ol trifive is now sitting on an Art Morrison Chassis and has a 600 hp Caddy LS8 under the hood. Pictured next to is a new shop dog that just wandered into the shop earlier in the day.
 This Hemi powered Jeep Rubicon is being transformed to mimic a show vehicle from SEMA a couple of years ago. It is mean and going to get meaner.
This Hemi powered Jeep Rubicon is being transformed to mimic a show vehicle from SEMA a couple of years ago. It is mean and going to get meaner.
 The attention to detail on this 57 floored me. The engine is clean and not too flashy, showing that it means business. All hoses and lines are cleanly routed and look like GM designed the engine for this car.
The attention to detail on this 57 floored me. The engine is clean and not too flashy, showing that it means business. All hoses and lines are cleanly routed and look like GM designed the engine for this car.
 Another great looking power plant in the Hot Rod Garage bays.
Another great looking power plant in the Hot Rod Garage bays.
 Jim Smith
Jim Smith’s personal panel. I love this ride.
 Everywhere that you look the shop is clean and organized. and great art hangs on every wall.
Everywhere that you look the shop is clean and organized. and great art hangs on every wall.

 

See you at a show,

Royboy

 

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May Subscriber Giveaway!

If you want to this blog in your email inbox each time the blog goes live, go on up to the top right hand corner of the website and enter your email address. The last day of each month I randomly pick 1 subscriber to win a prize package.

May Prize Package includes:

A shirt from Gear Drive Speed & Custom

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A copy of the latest Gears And Gals Magazine

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And special grab bag item from Royboy Productions, could be an embroidered hat, a t shirt, a poster, anything on the site is up for grabs!


$1000 Up For Grabs! Click here for more info!


Thank you to the first 2 sponsors of my site, quite frankly the only 2 that I’ve asked to sponsor the site so far. If you’d like to help sponsor Royboy Productions and provide the koolest car show coverage to folks worldwide, click here to ask me about it.

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Los Punk Rods Shop Visit

For the last few years I’ve been telling my buddy Eric of the Los Punk Rods from KC that I was going to come by and check out their club shop. I always got to busy or forgot to get ahold of him, quite frankly I was just rude about it and I apologize. The Los Punk Rods folks have been awesome to me over the years, 1st of all putting on the Greaserama which I always enjoy, but more than that just being all around kool folks to hang out with. So with the Pete & Jake’s trip planned for last weekend I finally sent Eric a message that if the offer was still there, I’d like to finally come by and see the shop.

Every manner of project from a vintage front engine dragster to mini bikes to vans, kustoms, hot rods, choppers, the list was long of what was in the shop in various stages of build or disassembly. Some were future builds just hanging out waiting, some were nearly finished, some just works in progress, and while they are in progress they will have the everlovin bejesus driven out of them, that’s how these folks do it.

 

I will not wait years for my next visit.

See you at a show,

Royboy

 

Buy one of these shirts and help Chrome Pipes & Pinstripes advertise online and pay for hosting fees.

 

May Subscriber Giveaway!

If you want to this blog in your email inbox each time the blog goes live, go on up to the top right hand corner of the website and enter your email address. The last day of each month I randomly pick 1 subscriber to win a prize package.

May Prize Package includes:

A shirt from Gear Drive Speed & Custom

GearDrive

A copy of the latest Gears And Gals Magazine

gearsandgals

And special grab bag item from Royboy Productions, could be an embroidered hat, a t shirt, a poster, anything on the site is up for grabs!


$1000 Up For Grabs! Click here for more info!


Thank you to the first 2 sponsors of my site, quite frankly the only 2 that I’ve asked to sponsor the site so far. If you’d like to help sponsor Royboy Productions and provide the koolest car show coverage to folks worldwide, click here to ask me about it.

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Shop Visit: Auto Artistry 3-8-14

For a few months I’ve been wanting to get out to Russell, KS to visit Auto Artistry. I first found out about this shop from Doug Reed who’s Toad (49 Oldsmobile Kustom) had been reworked at Auto Artistry. Finally last Saturday I got the chance to make the trip out to Russell.

From the Auto Artistry website: “Our business was started in 1989.We did custom and restoration work and were primarily a collision repair shop known as Auto Body Specialists. In 2003 we decided to go primarily street rod and custom, so the name was changed to reflect that.We do all chassis, custom fabricating, bodywork, and paint all in house.”

Auto Artistry has a range of projects in progress and on display finished.

That’s one kool remote control valve cover.
With a new grandkid freshly arrived, Auto Artistry’s boss Mike Schoech brought on a new project to start working on.
This beautiful ride was in the shop to be swapped from air ride back to static suspension. Here’s the project gallery on the car.
The 57 Ford Pickup project and the 66 Chevelle project.
This custom aluminum radiator setup was ready for duty in the 57 Ford pickup project.
See the progress pics so far on this 66 Chevelle here
New K Member and 6.1 Hemi are on the list for this Cuda project.

Watching this Chevy come together will be fun. Keep tabs on it here.
The shop truck is getting the full on treatment, expect to see 1 bad Mopar 4×4 in a couple of months! See the progress so far here.
This beautiful 37 Ford was originally in for a factory restoration, after awhile of driving it that way the customer decided they wanted a bit of an update.

Visit Auto Artistry on their website here
Or on Facebook here

See you at a show,

Royboy

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March Subscriber Giveaway!

If you want to this blog in your email inbox each time the blog goes live, go on up to the top right hand corner of the website and enter your email address. The last day of each month I randomly pick 1 subscriber to win a prize package. This month’s prize is a kustom art piece from Chaotic Customs (shown below), a Royboy Knit Winter Hat & a shirt from Stray Kat Kustoms!

Here's the prize package from Chaotic Customs including a custom painted bowling pin, a Chaotic Customs T-Shirt and a Harvey's Seatbelt Wallet in your choice of trucker wallet on a chain or regular. (Motor Not Included)
Here’s the prize package from Chaotic Customs including a custom painted bowling pin, a Chaotic Customs T-Shirt and a Harvey’s Seatbelt Wallet in your choice of trucker wallet on a chain or regular. (Motor Not Included)

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$1000 Up For Grabs! Click the link for more info!

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Thank you to the first 2 sponsors of my site, quite frankly the only 2 that I’ve asked to sponsor the site so far. If you’d like to help sponsor Royboy Productions and provide the koolest car show coverage to folks worldwide, click here to ask me about it.

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Shop Visit: Fast AL’s Upholstery 1-26-14

Apparently, I can’t read a map very well. You see, Dewey, OK is not really on the way from Joplin, MO to Salina, KS by any logical means, yet I seem to keep finding myself there on that particular journey. Dewey is Stray Kat Kustoms central, and I enjoy spending some time with my Stray Kat brethren there. One of them is Aaron Lawrence, the AL in Fast AL’s Upholstery. Aaron has been really skyrocketing lately as an upholsterer, and it’s been fun to watch a buddy really find his stride and just kick butt. Every time that I get myself down to Dewey I find one or two new rides in Aaron’s shop getting full on kustom interiors. He just finished the beautiful 58 Edsel Wagon that I showed you last week as part of the 2014 Starbird-Devlin show coverage and he already has 2 more under construction.

So I pulled out the iPhone and shot some quick images as we sat around and talked. Aaron is in the middle of an expansion on his shop so that he can move some of the operation to a separate room. The new space will add and office and an indoor space to hang out as well moving some of the dirtier work out of the same space that the cars are in. This should save some cleaning time on the cars and less moving cars in and out as they are being worked on. I’m looking forward to seeing the future for Fast AL’s, every car I see just keeps getting better and better.

 Aaron has been fast at work forming the wood frame portions of the new seat.
Aaron has been fast at work forming the wood frame portions of the new seat.
 The trunk, top and door panels will all receive the Fast AL
The trunk, top and door panels will all receive the Fast AL’s Upholstery treatment as well.
 From what I was able to gather it will receive a full interior as well. It
From what I was able to gather it will receive a full interior as well. It’s easy to see why Aaron is expanding the size of the shop. The ability to have a room to do the dirtier work in and not get the cars covered in the debris of building an interior will help Aaron out tremendously.
 This Chevelle received a new top the day before I arrived.
This Chevelle received a new top the day before I arrived.
 Putting the car up on stands gets it at a reasonable height for working on the interior.
Putting the car up on stands gets it at a reasonable height for working on the interior.
 Aaron
Aaron’s Layla has now been pulled into the shop to to start upgrading the interior before Lonestar Roundup. I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

 

See you at a show,

Royboy

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Shop Visit: Ryno Built 1-25-14

So yesterday I posted about the new transmission cross-member that my buddy Ryno at Ryno Built did for me. While I was there I snapped some photos of some of the other rides that are at Ryno Built. His truck was the 62 Unibody Ford that I was lucky enough to shoot for the cover of the Feb. 2014 issue of Classic Trucks Magazine. Since selling the truck to it’s new east coast home he’s been busy working on a Mercury project for a client from Texas, and driving a cool Chevy wagon that he bought from that same client.

 Ryno has these two vehicles for future customer projects or for sale. If you
Ryno has these two vehicles for future customer projects or for sale. If you’re interested lookup Ryno Built on Facebook.
 Ryno
Ryno’s current major build is this Mercury. The original plan was just to get the car bagged and stance down, but it’s now taken on a life of it’s own as a frame off build. The wagon in the background has been a recent addition to Ryno’s garage after selling the Unibody that was featured on the Feb. 2014 Classic Trucks Magazine coverage.
 The 3 carb setup is just for looks for now, a new 350 crate now sits atop a bagged suspension with a Mustang II and custom rear suspension setup.
The 3 carb setup is just for looks for now, a new 350 crate now sits atop a bagged suspension with a Mustang II and custom rear suspension setup.
 With the ability to lay frame without being channeled this car sits as low as it can.
With the ability to lay frame without being channeled this car sits as low as it can. Ryno upgraded the bags for this ride from the bags that came with the kit that the owner had purchased to some that would require less air pressure to attain right height with a better ride quality. That’s the knowledge that you get when you go to someone who’s been doing it for years. Most would have used the bags that came with the kit and would have complained about the ride quality not knowing that there were other options.
 The Merc
The Merc’s owner also owns this 59 Ford Fairlane Galaxie. It has recently been upgraded with these new TruSpoke wheels and some thin white wall tires. Some upgrades to the air ride system will have this ride ready to go again.
 The view looking out of Ryno
The view looking out of Ryno’s garage door. A pretty mean looking group.
 While we worked on my Galaxie the daylight slipped away and the temps in the shop dropped. The Merc just looked cool sitting out there, just waiting to get back in and get more love.
While we worked on my Galaxie the daylight slipped away and the temps in the shop dropped. The Merc just looked cool sitting out there, just waiting to get back in and get more love.

Thanks for following along folks, tomorrow’s post will feature a shop visit from my drive home where I stopped at Fast AL’s Upholstery.

See you at a show,

Royboy

 

New Knit Winter Hats now in stock,

100% made in the USA and embroidered with the rb logo.

Photo Jan 16, 6 41 06 PM

Shop Visit: Chaotic Customs

Between Christmas and New Year’s I was on a road trip and had a little time to stop by and see my friends at Chaotic Customs in Mulvane, KS. They’ve done some work on one of my cars and a couple for my dad and I wanted to drop off some Christmas candy from my family to the Chaotic crew.
Here are some cell phone photos from that visit.

20140106-211052.jpg
The 2014 SEMA build is Karma’s Mustang. The top has been chopped and numerous other changes are underway.
20140106-211101.jpg
The 2014 SEMA build is Karma’s Mustang. The top has been chopped and numerous other changes are underway.
20140106-211117.jpg
Jack’s 39 Ford is in the shop for some new floors and rust repair. The chassis sports a ton of parts that Jack got from RJay’s Speed Shop.
20140106-211132.jpg
This hot rod is getting the full treatment with a whole bunch of custom treatments, stay tuned for more on it.
20140106-211109.jpg
Chaotic’s Chris Carlson showing the newly chopped removable hard top on this kustom Mercury
20140106-211139.jpg
Another project is this ’59 Chevy.
20140106-211124.jpg
The crew at Chaotic is really doing a kool job on this Stingray Vette. Adding a bit of muscle to the front fenders, sucking the bumpers into the body a bit for a more streamlined look, re-shaping the wheel wells again to show a bit of a bulge on the body. Almost like the way the designers may have envisioned the car before the bean counters took over. I can’t wait to see this one all finished up.

Thanks to my friends at Chaotic for opening up the doors to my dad and I and taking the time to show us all of the projects in the shop. I’m sure the big tray of candy had nothing to do with that :). I have upcoming shop visits planned for 3 new shops in the next few months, stay up to date by subscribing in the top right hand corner of the page.

See you at a show,

Royboy

Shop Visit: Premier Body and Paint

A couple of weeks ago when my weekend plans were changed due to a show being cancelled due to an impending ice storm I looked for alternate places to cover on the site. One of my favorites is my good buddy Jeff Myers’ Premier Body and Paint in Arkansas City, KS, so I decided to head down to AC and see what Jeff was up to. A couple of months ago Jeff bought out a former partner in the business and has been making some changes since then. Things are starting to look different around the shop and I see a new gleam in Jeff’s eye that’s telling me he’s got a renewed energy. I’m looking forward to seeing what Premier turns out in 2014. For those that don’t know Jeff took my car from stock to wild paint last winter, read more about that here, and it may be going back for a couple more kustom touches this winter if the timing works out:).

 1957 Ford under construction. The car was Jeff
1957 Ford under construction. The car was Jeff’s Dad’s back in the old days and now Jeff and his son are working on it for a customer.
This beauty is owned by a fellow Beatnik and is at Premier for a chop. Jeff says it\’s one of the nicest cars that he\’s had in for a chop yet.
Formerly this 1960 Ford Fairlane was owned by McPhail. Shortly after going to it\’s new home in NJ the car was sideswiped by a city bus. After being stored at Premier for awhile the body work has now been redone and the car is ready for the kustom fadeaway paint job.

 

Voodoo Jim\’s Corn Cobb Coupe is in for a freshened Nailhead. While the engine is out it\’s time to dress up the frame and firewall a bit.
This fastback Mustang is in the shop for a bit of frame straightening and is waiting it\’s turn on the rack.
The back shop at Premier is going to be transformed from storage to the Kustom Shop. The front shop will continue to be the collision shop and pay the bills allowing Jeff to do the kustom work back here. Pictured are a couple of cars that are in for some kustom touches.

 Jeff

Jeff’s own 63 Ford Kustom hanging out in the back shop. I’m partial to 63 Galaxie’s and this one is one of my favorites.

See you at a show,
Royboy

Chaotic Customs Shop Visit 11-21-13

On my way to the Hot Rod Revolution (which was being cancelled as I shot these photos) I stopped by my friends’ Chaotic Customs in Mulvane, KS to see what they were up to. The shop was full of projects and folks working on them. Drew Carlson was nice enough to take a few minutes off of working on a project to show me around the shop and explain what they’d been up to recently since finishing the SEMA build on Mike’s 40 Ford Pickup. The photos below should all be captioned and explain what you’re seeing. I will try to stop in a couple of more times over the next few months for more updates on these projects.

 Jack
Jack’s 39 Ford Body, Drew Carlson hand fabbed the rear section and replaced all the rusty sections towards the bottom of the body all around.
 The factory antenna holes were patched up as well as some other holes in the body and of course some rusty spots.
The factory antenna holes were patched up as well as some other holes in the body and of course some rusty spots.
 Rear shot of the 39, new floors installed. Drew was working on the car as I got there, later in the day I stopped by Jack
Rear shot of the 39, new floors installed. Drew was working on the car as I got there, later in the day I stopped by Jack’s home shop where he was working on getting the frame painted so it could be reassembled and reunited with the body.
 About an inch was taken out of the meat above the window area of the roof on this pickup. More on it in a few weeks, lots of mods going on here.
About an inch was taken out of the meat above the window area of the roof on this pickup. More on it in a few weeks, lots of mods going on here.
 1940 Chevy Convertible with new floor pans, new suspension and new 4 bar setup in the back.
1940 Chevy Convertible with new floor pans, new suspension and new 4 bar setup in the back.
 The new floor pans in the 1940 Chevy Convertible
The new floor pans in the 1940 Chevy Convertible
 The 1940 Chevy
The 1940 Chevy’s new front suspension.
 A new roll pan for the 40 Chevy Convertible
A new roll pan for the 40 Chevy Convertible
 The owner of this Vette wanted to update the car a bit. Chaotic is exaggerating some of the factory lines a bit more like what a factory dream car might have been like. Vette purists will hate it but, I dig it big time.
The owner of this Vette wanted to update the car a bit. Chaotic is exaggerating some of the factory lines a bit more like what a factory dream car might have been like. Vette purists will hate it but, I dig it big time.
 The rear bumpers were sucked in to the body and reshaped to fit.
The rear bumpers were sucked in to the body and reshaped to fit.
 Here you can see the peak of the passenger side fender has been raised about an inch. The more aggressive big block hood will be added as well.
Here you can see the peak of the passenger side fender has been raised about an inch. The more aggressive big block hood will be added as well.
 Here you can see the difference in the front fenders. The raised peak adds style and aggressiveness that should have been there from the factory.
Here you can see the difference in the front fenders. The raised peak adds style and aggressiveness that should have been there from the factory.
 A recently completed project at Chaotic, back in for a checkup.
A recently completed project at Chaotic, back in for a checkup.
 Chaotic just finished up Mike
Chaotic just finished up Mike’s 40 Ford pickup for SEMA and is now prepping it for the show circuit, starting next week!
 A Mustang fastback in the shop for some major upgrades. EFI 302, 6 speed Tremec, Mustang II style front suspension, removed shock towers, smoothed and flamed inner fenders, are just some of the mods on this car. More photos in a couple of weeks.
A Mustang fastback in the shop for some major upgrades. EFI 302, 6 speed Tremec, Mustang II style front suspension, removed shock towers, smoothed and flamed inner fenders, are just some of the mods on this car. More photos in a couple of weeks.

 

See you at a show,

Royboy

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Shop Visit: Shoebox Central

The second stop on my trip down to Pistons and Paint (see show coverage here and 1st shop visit here) was at Oklahoma City’s Shoebox Central. Owner Chris has owned shoeboxes as far back as high school, so he knows them inside and out. He has a ton of parts cars out back and shelves and shelves of various parts inside, pulled from parts cars, some N.O.S., some reproductions, all kinds of parts for just about anything else you could need.

 Shoebox Central is my number 1 stop for anything shoebox or Merc related. Chris has a great selection of parts on hand and is very cool to work with.
Shoebox Central is my number 1 stop for anything shoebox or Merc related. Chris has a great selection of parts on hand and is very cool to work with.

 

 

 Dashes and inner door frames from various shoeboxes and mercs.
Dashes and inner door frames from various shoeboxes and mercs.
 Tons of parts on hand to replace missing parts on your ride or ones that are damaged.
Tons of parts on hand to replace missing parts on your ride or ones that are damaged.
 These corner lights and housings got banged up a lot being right where most accidents happen, this stack will ensure you can always find one.
These corner lights and housings got banged up a lot being right where most accidents happen, this stack will ensure you can always find one.
 1 clean 1950 Ford 4 Door.
1 clean 1950 Ford 4 Door.
 1 clean 1950 Ford 4 Door.
1 clean 1950 Ford 4 Door.
 Projects in the work room for the long winter months when folks aren
Projects in the work room for the long winter months when folks aren’t buying as many parts. These projects keep Shoebox Central busy and help keep the doors open when folks are spending their money on Christmas instead of on their rides.
 Bumper guards galore
Bumper guards galore
 Bumpers too!
Bumpers too!
 Dash pieces for Mercs hanging out waiting to dress up another car.
Dash pieces for Mercs hanging out waiting to dress up another car.
 2 1951 Ford Dashes
2 1951 Ford Dashes
 1949 Parts car in the boneyard.
1949 Parts car in the boneyard.

 

See you at a show,

Royboy

Shop Visit: Nostalgia Sid’s Dropped Axles

On the way to Pistons and Paint (see coverage here), I stopped in at my buddy Nostalgia Sid’s shop in Guthrie, OK. Nostalgia Sid’s is your source for drop axles for whole bunch of vehicles. If you go to their site here you can get a rundown of what all they do. I happened to show up just in time to watch them heat up and drop an axle.

Nostalgia Sid’s Shop Truck with car front end. Dang kool look if you ask me.

 

The axle is set up in the jig, water is run through the kingpin area to keep it cool through the process.

 

Some of the stock of axles waiting for their time in the jig, making your ride lower, cooler and handle better.

 

The heating process is a simple one. Hit the axle with some BTU’s to get it red hot and let the jig keep it all straight as the axle is stretched to it’s new dimensions.

Heat is re-added through the process to keep the steel pliable.
After allowing the axle to cool slightly it’s fitted with a couple of attachments to check it for straightness and ensure it’s exactly the way it’s supposed to be.
After the car was side swiped by a hit and run semi on the side of the interstate, this kustom was brought back home and fixed up, and now is awaiting it’s next road adventure.
Sid has been collecting for a long time, and his collection includes some very interesting rides.

Unique business card holder.

The collection includes some great items like this advertisement for HaDees Car Heater.

Non-Skid tires.

So if you need a drop axle, you need to head over and check out Nostalgia Sid’s site, tell Sid that Royboy sent ya. Spend a little time on their site with the tech articles and lots of photos here. Enjoy!

See you at a show,

Royboy


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Shop Visit: Ryno Built and the Sharer 50 Merc “Sweet Memories”

Shop Visit: Ryno Built and the Sharer 50 Merc “Sweet Memories”

After the Stray Kat Feed my dad and I loaded up in the F250 and headed 2 hours east to Ryno Built to take a peek at a frame that he’s been working on for my buddy Jeff from Texas. The plan is to get the frame finished up, painted and then move on to body work including a chop. The frame came in with a Street Rod Engineering Mustang II subframe already installed but Ryno finished it out and smoothed out some of the welds, etc.

Here’s some photos of the Chassis with the new Coker wide whites and chrome wheels, notice the exhaust and fuel line/brake line tunnels made in the x-frame so that the frame lays flat.

Follow along with the entire build thread here.

 

See you at a show.

Royboy

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Shop Visit: Fast AL’s Upholstery 10-13-13

On the way home from Lamar, MO last weekend I took a detour to go visit my buddy Aaron at Fast AL’s Upholstery in Dewey, OK. Aaron recently had his Open House which marked his 1st year anniversary going full time from his shop. Aaron has had a constant stream of kool rides through the shop in that time and he has them lined up for the foreseeable future due to his reasonable prices and excellent work.

Here are some photos of an incredible 32 that Fast AL’s has in shop right now.

 

 

 

 

Aaron explaining the seat to Mickey

Sneak peek of the car. I hope to shoot more of it soon so not too much for now.

 

 

The start of the trunk panels

Next to the 32 is a 30 A on 32 rails that Aaron is working on for himself.

Headliner is in, lots of other work going on here too.

 

See you at a show,

Royboy

 

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Event Coverage: 2013 Johnny Torres Upholstery Open House

I’ve known Johnny Torres for a few years  now, so when he invited me down to the Open House at his Johnny Torres Upholstery at 915 S. Main in Hutchinson, KS of course I was going to make the trip. I’ve watched his car go from primered and just on the road to finished kustom, it’s been a fun ride. He has been doing kustom upholstery work for a while now both here and occasionally out in CA when he goes out to visit his Beatnik brethren. I’ve captioned the photos so they should tell the story.

 The scene outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
The scene outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
 The scene outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
The scene outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
 1964 Galaxie outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
1964 Galaxie outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
 The scene outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
The scene outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
 Roy Fields
Roy Fields’ 49 Ford outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
 Johnny
Johnny’s Plymouth outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
 Johnny
Johnny’s 41 Chevy outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
 Inside Johnny
Inside Johnny’s shop
 A clean 32 Sedan sitting outside
A clean 32 Sedan sitting outside
 The scene outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
The scene outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
 The scene outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
The scene outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
 Beatniks 20 Year Plaque
Beatniks 20 Year Plaque

While hanging out I ran into one of Johnny’s friends Roy Field who along with his brother Justin and dad have a shop space across the street about a block up from Johnny’s place. Roy has a beautiful 49 Ford that you see above, and has a Bonneville car and they’re working on a dragster and his dad was KKOA member #6. Roy invited me over to see the shop and bit of his dad’s automobilia collection.

 I went across the street to a friends
KKOA #6, he’s been in this from way back in the day.
 I went across the street to a friends
I’ve seen the car around for years it was great to finally meet the owner.
 I went across the street to a friends
A serious collection.
 I went across the street to a friends
Roy’s been backwards and out of control faster than I’ve been forwards.
 I went across the street to a friends
A project Roy says he started on when he was 14, I hope to see it done someday.
 I went across the street to a friends
Roy’s brother Justin is building a new body on Roy’s dragster that he bought from Rick McGregor.
 I went across the street to a friends
Pretty stylish.
 I went across the street to a friends
Another project and tons of signage.
 I went across the street to a friends
He called himself a hoarder, not that it makes you a bad person.
 I went across the street to a friends
The Bonneville car, new engine on the way hoping to improve on the previous 220mph effort.
 I went across the street to a friends
Kinda giving me the jones to head out to the salt next year.
 The scene outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
It’s a good looking machine, the new body is making it even better looking.
 The scene outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
Bird’s eye view
 The scene outside of Johnny Torres Upholstery for the Open House
You don’t see these too often, out of a fire truck its a v12 GMC

 

Here’s where I apologize, I tried a new lens hand held in this low light and the results were less than stellar. I shot maybe 30 more photos and none of them came out, I will not be using that lens in this situation again.

Today I’m off to shoot 2 small town Kansas shows, tomorrow the coverage from those shows will start, early next week expect to see the first drafts of the 2014 Calendar for Charity!

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See you at a show,

Royboy

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Event Coverage: 2013 Fast A.L.’s Upholstery Open House

Saturday Sept. 21, 2013 was Fast A.L.’s Upholstery Open House. 1 year before Aaron Lawrence (A.L.) had left his previous position with a high end hot rod shop to run his own upholstery venture full time. This open house is a big milestone for Lawrence, as a year’s worth of kool cars have rolled through his doors and the projects keep booking him out in the future. Do good work at a reasonable price and people will tell their friends, it’s one of the best free advertising principles out there and it works.

 Aaron sitting in his new roadster.
Aaron sitting in his new roadster.
 Aaron sitting in his new roadster.
Aaron sitting in his new roadster.

 

Congrats on 1 year Aaron, and all my best for another great year!

See you at a show,

Royboy

Event Coverage: 2013 Clutch Rod And Custom Open House

So one day not too long ago I get invited on Facebook to an Open House at a shop I didn’t know in Wichita, KS. The open house was the same day as another event that I was attending a few blocks away so it’s a no brainer that I’m going to stop in if at all possible.  Clutch Rod And Custom at 406 S. Market in Wichita, KS was the shop. I’m glad I stopped in.  As I’m told, the shop is an old Mercury dealership, I’d love to see the spacious facility filled with bathtub Mercs! The front display room had a couple of cars in it and every available surface was covered in art by different kulture artists. The cars on display in the shop were top notch, I didn’t get much chance to talk to the folks at the shop as they were busy running the Open House, but I did get to spend some time with my good buddy Ben Dragdaddy (facebook) and his lovely wife and my fellow photographer and buddy Grant Cox. I expect you to go to their pages on FB and follow their feeds, you won’t be disappointed.

Here are some photos from the evening.


Thanks to Clutch Rod And Custom for the food, the music and some good times of hot rod/kustom fellowship with some old friends.

See you at a show,

Royboy

 

Shop Visit: Dave Stuckey, Kustom Legend

A couple of weeks ago I was in Wichita on a Saturday afternoon and I decided to finally head over to kustom/hot rod/general car guy legend Dave Stuckey’s. Some may know Stuckey’s name, he was the man originally responsible for the amazingly kool kustom “Lil Coffin” (read more about that here). Dave has been working for awhile on a couple of really cool projects, one of them being a somewhat drag version of Lil Coffin, not that it set out that way but there are some similarities in the overall design of the body. His attention to detail on this project is phenomenal. Lots of kustom touches on items that will never be seen by most people let alone noticed, some subtle, some not so subtle. I won’t show you too much of the car, it needs to be a surprise. Here are some shots of it.

Another project in the works is this coupe, he has a beautiful flathead built for it and is just waiting to finish the big project to get back on it.

Here’s a shot of my favorite version of the Lil Coffin on an old Starliner poster. (More info on the upcoming Starliner show) I’m hoping to be able to stop in more often and sit with Stuckey and a video camera so that he can tell you some of his stories in his voice. It’s part of project that I hope to spend more time on in the future, more on that later.

See you at a show,

Royboy