Hot Rods and Kustom Cars
To start my Pistons and Paint trip I took Friday afternoon off and headed south, it was a fairly uneventful trip. I decided that I wanted to get there as fast as possible so I’d just stay on the boring interstate, a route that is usually about a half hour quicker. Thanks to a traffic jam in Oklahoma City, it was a wash except for my elevated road rage. 🙂
For the 2nd year in a row I headed down to Texas for Pistons And Paint and had a great time! The show had a great turnout this year with weather that was chilly and windy at first but turned into a beautiful day.
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.
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.
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
IF you like this post, share it with your car friends using the social media sharing buttons below or just by sending them the link to this page. Every set of eyeballs on the site helps! Or just hit the Store page and buy something or make a donation!
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.
Finally Episode 3 is ready! Changing up the format a bit for this one, I stripped away the intro and just left the feature. Way back in 2012 I shot this video at RynoBuilt’s shop in SW Missouri. Since then the truck was finished, we shot it for a magazine and it was featured as the February 2014 cover on Classic Trucks Magazine (order a copy here).
If you can’t see the video below click here.
Thanks Ryno for letting me shoot the truck for the magazine and for this video! Everyone go follow Ryno on Facebook to keep up to date on what he’s working on.
See Episode 2 on Jeff Myers’ 63 Galaxie here.
See Episode 1 on Jack’s 29 Roadster on 32 frame here.
See you at a show,
Royboy
———————————————————————————————
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.
See you at a show,
Royboy
If you want to have this blog delivered to your email inbox daily go to the top right hand corner of the page at royboyproductions.com and enter your email address. At the end of each month 1 lucky subscriber will be picked for a prize from Royboy Productions.
For years I’d had to shamefully admit that no I hadn’t been to Pistons & Paint in Denton, TX every time I’d been asked. This year I change that. So for the 46th Royboy gallery in the 2013 folder I headed down to Texas for the PnP.
Friday Nov. 8th 5:30 am  Ugh, 5:30 in the AM… as in morning. Yuck. Already a half an hour behind my meaningless and self imposed schedule. But the bed was so comfy… just 10 more minutes of sleep… No. I have to get up, I have to get on the road. It’s time to kick this mule.
6:10 am  I’m in the daily driver and headed south. The GPS is on, not so much because I need it but the app I use does allow other folks to warn you of potential speed traps. I might as well use it if it helps. There is just the faintest of hints of the impending sunrise on the horizon to my left as I blast south on what can be deer infested two lane country blacktops.
7:15 am Okay so now I’m 15 minutes behind schedule, must have made up some time on those back roads. Now it’s time for breakfast with the Wichita guys. A group of car guys that I know gathers for breakfast at the same diner 6 days a week. It’s always a good time to join them, so I do just that. The guys liked the calendars that I showed them and they bought a bunch, even some strangers across the joint buy a couple.
8:30am Back on the road headed south to Nostalgia Sid’s in Guthrie, OK for a shop visit. Sid shows me around, I take some photos, learn more about that in an upcoming article right here.
11:40 am Nostalgia Sid’s Shop visit is over and now I’m off to Shoebox Central for a visit. More pics and a story again, coming soon!
1:00pm Heading south again this time headed for Atlas Speed & Custom in Denison, TX
4:00pm Hanging out with some old friends who have gathered at Atlas. More pics and a story from there soon as well.
We ended up gathering up a bunch of folks at a fried chicken place called Babe’s in the evening for dinner, it was pretty awesome.
More from the show tomorrow, see you at a show,
Royboy
Use the Subscribe box at the top right corner of the page to receive the latest posts via email each day
I’ve been blessed to meet a ton of great artists in my travels, many of them do not get the press/credit that they deserve often working full-time day jobs and doing art on the side. One of the guys that I’ve met along the way that’s become a good friend is Todd Jones. Enjoy some of his work, add him on Facebook and get you some art! – Royboy
Todd was my guest on my podcast “Chrome Pipes & Pinstripes” Episode 5, listen here!
1.) Do you remember an “ah-ha” moment that made you know that art was going to be an integral part of your life?
I realized it fairly early in life. I always had a keen interest in art. Junior High/ Middle School was when I began to take art seriously. My mind was like a sponge soaking up every bit of knowledge about the subject. I was like any typical teen that was into cars, sports, music and girls, but was always most comfortable with a pencil or paintbrush in my hand. I was a pretty quiet kid so art really became the great communicator for me. Drawing was a great way to start up conversations with people. To this day, art is largely responsible for the majority of my friendships.
2.) If you could pick 1 piece of your work that would represent the entire body of your work, which one would you choose?
That’s a difficult one! I’d have to say the front-engined dragster piece I title “The Gold Digger” I was really just screwing around when I started that piece. Never truly intended to finish it. I had no plan, no direction, no goal in mind. I just started sketching. I just kept drawing and continually refining the piece. Before long I was digging up old photo references settling on several photos of the Masters & Richter Special and a few photographs of Ed Pink’s digger. The piece continually evolved and I was very pleased with the end result.
3.) Who or what most inspires your work?
My earliest recollection of being inspired was seeing several side view drawings of old hot rods my dad drew back when he was in high school around 1959-1961. Later, my cousin introduced me to CARtoons magazine. I learned a lot from George Trosley, Dave Deal, Shawn Kerri, and Dennis Ellefson. Later influence came from Thom Taylor, Charlie Smith, Darrell Mayabb and Chip Foose. I am constantly looking for inspiration. I get a lot of motivation from friends in the business. Ed Tillrock, Brian Stupski, Jeff Norwell, Max Grundy, Chad Lampert and Scott Fisk to name a few. Another artist that I get inspired by is Josh Welton, welder and metal sculptor extraordinaire. He’s an amazing welder and seems to have a knack for bringing his work to life.
4.) Is there an artistic style or process that you haven’t tried yet that you want to try?
There are so many styles and processes I’d love to try. I want to explore with oil painting, both metal and clay sculpture, and I’d love to get back into watercolor painting.
5.) What’s 1 piece of advice you’d give an artist that’s just starting out today?
Don’t expect to get wealthy doing art. Do it for the passion and love of art. Never stop working to improve your skills and remember to try processes that are outside your comfort zone. Be persistent, make lots of contacts and maintain them. Never give up.
Contact info: Facebook: Todd C Jones
Email: tjonesdesign@gmail.com
On Thursday this week I announced that I’ll be giving an award away at the 2013 KKOA Leadsled Spectacular. Included in that announcement was the initial list of sponsors that are kind enough to add to the prize pack that will accompany the award.
Award Sponsors:
RJay’s Speed Shop : 15% discount on any RJay’s built items like these. RJay’s has also been kind enough to offer 10% off of most everything else that they carry. Let’s hear a big round of applause for RJay’s being the first sponsor. Thanks brother!
Devilles Barbershop: A traditional barbershop in Wichita, KS Devilles understands that you need to look as good as your ride so they’ve offered up 2 free hair cut and shaves. A $26 value. Thanks!
 
Thanks Jeff for helping out the cause!
See you at a show,
Travis
Flame Jobs From 2006-2009
These are some the flames I’ve captured at car shows, this first post is 2006-2009, starting with the very first show of the Royboy Galleries all the way to the end of 2009.
Pinstripe flames
Body colored flames faded into off-color tips
full yellow flames
Another variation on the pinstriped flames
The color of these kinda set them in the 90’s to me, what do you think?
Crazy airbrush flames
Red House painted surf board
Long long flames (always gave me the idea that the vehicle was in motion)
There is a great story behind these flames, but Don tells it best so if you see him at a show, ask him.
Fadeaway yellow to red with body color flames on top.
Basic flames on a shoebox, I like the style where the tips cros each other.
White fade into yellow flamed Cadillac
Flames as an accent
Multi-color seaweed flames
Airbrushed “real-fire” style flames
I’ve dug this flamejob since I first saw it.
Another white fadeaway flame job
After an accident on the streets this one time “rat” was redone to this finished state.
Got wood?
All over flames
Embossed flames on the bottom side of the bed cover match the painted flames on the body
More RedHouse Custom Paint work
Fade-in flames
Classic white into yellow into orange with 2nd layer of body color flames
“Real-Fire” style airbrushed flames coming out of the engine compartment
Long narrow licks on this surfboard
Iconic, long narrow flames with white-yellow-orange fade.
The Yellow to Orange fade flames with the white outlines look great on this Ford pickup
More of the airbrush “real-fire” style
Looks racey doesn’t it?
Historic flames.
Short seaweed style
Body color flames with highlights and outline
Long narrow flames with a seaweed style repetition.
Hot Rod Dan’s flamed Ford
Jetter Flames
Outline Flames
Comment below and tell me your favorite style.
That’s it for part 1, next time we’ll do 2010-2011!
See you at a show,
Royboy
Don’t forget the Royboy Merch!!!! I have keychains, coozies, stickers & hats for sale. Every piece you buy gets me further down the road to bring more show coverage and podcasts to you. See you at a show, Royboy
PS: All Royboy photos on this site are available as prints up to poster sizes. Buying them not only makes your walls cooler it puts gas in the tank to get me to another car show or feature shoot. Please consider buying a print, if you can’t do that, I understand. IF you like this post, share it with your car friends using the social media sharing buttons below or just by sending them the link to this page. Every set of eyeballs on the site helps! Or just hit the Store page and buy something or make a donation!
[jetpack_subscription_form]
The second stop on my trip to the Texas Thaw (part 1, part 2, part 3) was at Premier Body & Paint in Arkansas City, KS the shop of Jeff Myers. Jeff’s been a buddy of mine for a couple of years, and always has something kool in the works.
For the last couple of years Jeff has been working on a 41 Ford. The car originally came in for a chop and paint job, but under some inspection Jeff found that the frame was shot, and a bunch of work was needed on the car so it became a complete frame up job. Earlier visits (here and here) to Jeff’s shows photos of the car under various states of build.
Here’s what I saw this trip. Jeff has the car primed and was prepping to paint the jambs and some other areas before pinstriper Clint Rowe came by to pull some lines on some areas that are more easily accessible now. The car will soon be off to Fat Lucky’s to get an interior done before coming back to Premier for final paint and assembly.
Jason’s Merc is in house for some new kustom work, new bumpers and some other mods if I remember right.
The 60 Fairlane that McPhail did was in the back, waiting to have the damage of a bus sideswipe repaired. The new owner in NJ had the unfortunate incident and sent the car back to Jeff to get it fixed.
The majority of the metal work is roughed in now.
That’s it for this stop at Premier Body & Paint. If you need kustom work done, go to Jeff, he’s the one that did the paint on my Galaxie this winter.
See you at a show,
Travis
Often when I’m traveling I take some slight detours to stop at some shops that I know. On the way to the Texas Thaw I made a few of these stops. First at Chaotic Customs in Mulvane, KS.
Chaotic is busy at work with this beautiful 40 Ford pickup for Mike Young. The truck’s body is being massaged in every way imaginable for what will in the end be a subtle custom look to the untrained eye. The cab has been chopped, lengthened, sectioned, channelled, but when finished you’ll have to have a stock one sitting next to it to see the full extent of the differences.
 
Another project currently underway at Chaotic is a 1950 Oldsmobile Delivery. Well it started life as a Chevy Delivery, then it was chopped, an olds front clip was grafted on and the customizing began. The custom hood’s underside is being finished now.
Spy pic of Jack’s 51 Ford, more on this to come when the car is done.
This 1982 Chevy Malibu wagon may not be a car you normally see customized but it’s turning out pretty kool.
The 34 Ford awaits another polish job before heading off to the Detroit Autorama (they are loaded in the building now for the show there this weekend.)
That’s some of what Chaotic is working on, stop by their facebook and say hi.
See you at a show,
Travis
I’ve had my 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 since 2004. When she first entered my life she looked like a 70’s cruiser. Stock body, dark tinted windows (80’s probably), Cragar S/S wheels and some fairly large raised white letter tires.
I’ve been blessed to meet some great folks in my travels around the midwest attending car shows from Austin to Chicago. So about a year back I decided that I wanted to feature some of the great people and their vehicles in a way that photographs alone couldn’t do. So in August the first video was released of Yblock292’s 29 Roadster. A bit behind schedule here is the 2nd video, this time of Finkd (Jeff Myers) beautiful mild custom 63 Ford Galaxie.
Jeff has become a great friend and was nice enough to take me and the camera for a ride to explain all about the car. I hope you enjoy it!
Jeff’s Arkansas City, KS based shop Premier Body & Paint is a H.A.M.B. Alliance Vendor so if you need some work done, make sure to join and let him know you’re a member! Music in this one was provided by my buddies The Rumblejetts, make sure to support them as well.
See you at a show,
Travis