MAGAZINE

PERFECTIONISTS

You've said it before. "He's a perfectionist". Conjurs up positive visions of somebody you should admire. Somebody who does it as well as it can be done. Somebody above the lowly rest of us. Patience, skill, highest standards, learned eye, determination, care. All good things.

There are craftsmen, and artisans whose toil is sometimes called perfectionism, but just maybe............. they aren't the same. Maybe there's a little difference. The perfectionist may just be anal to the point of non-productivity and that would really be not a good thing. The guy with the flattering 'perfectionist' handle might also just be somebody with a slow learning curve and a good line o' gab. Think about it. It's about time and money.

Take any 'craft' you work in, and if you got an 'angel' (willing, over-paying customer) you can call yourself a perfectionist, and he may go along with it, measuring the glory of your perfectionism by the amount of time it takes you to do anything, and the glorious amount of money it takes to get you to do it! Aren't we want to describe the quality of some work by how much it cost? By how long it took to do it? If the angel loves to blab about how much it cost, how long it took his guy to do it, then it's just another form of bragging that he can afford it at both levels. Amounts to self-aggrandizement, and the perfectionist guy who is stroking because he's just learning how to do it, is cunningly wringing his hands, knowing that his slovenly act is enriching him and nobody is any the wiser because he's a dang ............perfectionist!!!

Don't be naive when confronted with the perfectionist, especially when it's the guy himself who 'modestly' throws out the name. "Well, I'm such a perfectionist, ya know?"

Yeah. We know.

WHERE WERE YOU?

If you can't recite the words to "LITTLE EGYPT", ver-fuckin'-batim, well then, you ain't been payin' attention, and you ain't.......................well, you know what you ain't.

DRIP PAN

LOOK AT THIS SUCKER!

CUSTOMS ON THE STREET...AS IS INTENDED

Eric Schill looked up from his work at Vintage Auto Parts and this Stovebolt was lurking outside. Not all towns provide frequent sightings of good rods and customs, but from what we've seen from this Pac NW area, they're happening lots up there.

LATEST FROM RICH GIBBS

BENDIK BEEN HOPS UP WHAT HE'S GOT, ACROSS THE POND!

NO QUESTIONS HERE

Chuck Grannis is a HOP UP CHOIR member and editorial consultant from the San Gabriel Valley...... whose credentials are in the photo above.

KANUCK KUSTOM ADDED TO STABLE

Time Bomb John St.Germain has this thang about customs up there: he wants all of 'em, HA! The '36 tail dragger is the newest, executed in the manner we've come to expect from him. But we think his tasty, mild, '56 Merc might be goin' away....how much, Time Bomb?

ANOTHER MILLER THROWS IN

Brad Miller came over for a Christmas shop night and we asked him to bring some pictures of his '29. His "State of the Iron" report, as he says, has these progress shots after a stint at So-Cal for chassis set up. It's running an SBC (read above) with certain 'especiales', to set it apart......heads, ignition, hedders, carburetion including manifold are all unobtainium parts.

"If I were to describe it, my vision is to recreate a car that may have originally been assembled under the aesthetic values of 1941 Pasadena hot rod culture, and then underwent incremental mechanical upgrades up into the early sixties, (as most rods did). This car, however, retained the cosmetic values of the original car. (It would have been considered sadly out of date by most rodders in 1963, but would have been my favorite!!)"

That's a theme to which we subscribe, also!

LAID-BACK 'SHIELD IS SUCH A COOL TOUCH. DO THAT.

SPEAKIN' OF LAID BACK WINDSHIELDS..........

YOU CAN LEAN ONE BACK ON CHEVIES, TOO

"HOT ROD - an American Original" and "THE AMERICAN CUSTOM CAR"

Two new books to buzz ya. They came out at the same time and we rather wish they had spaced it out a little bit. More sensory overload.

"HOT ROD" by Peter Vincent.

Start with Peter Vincent's "HOT ROD". PV is a Hop Up Guy whose work appears in the HOP UP annuals and sometimes on this web page. We may be biased because his photographic selections include some 'close to home' iron, but you know what, Ol' Boys? ALL his photographic subjects should be in a "Best of Hop Up" (There's an idea!) Book.

Don't expect just a bunch of captioned photos; besides the great photography, there's Peter's words, the same ones we hear in person or on the phone, where his passion for the genre is articulated in a "I wish I'd" said that, kind of way. When you go back over the years to review this book of photographs, well, don't be surprised if you find yourself re-reading the book as well as reviewing it.

Get this book, right now, call MBI, at 1-800-826-6600..........but wait! You may want to include:

"THE AMERICAN CUSTOM CAR" By Pat Ganahl.

Intended to be a companion to the 'American Hot Rod' by Dean Batchelor, Pat has covered the traditional custom in a complete way, showcasing his editorial acumen and historical familiarity with the breed. Get this one, too.1-800-826-6600.

For many rodders today, simpler is better. LimeWorks new steering columns are the answer for the builder who desires a rugged column, free of dated tilt mechanisms and billet gadgets. With a small tapered steel or stainless cone at the top, bearings at each end (no plastic bushings) and they're compatible with all popular 3 bolt steering wheels. No adapters needed! The standard 3/4 inch, 36 spline end of the shaft accepts any after market U joint, and can be supported at the dash end with any column drop for a 1 3/4 inch tube. The Lime Works columns are fully-assembled and available in either mild steer ($145) or polished stainless steel ($175) in standard lengths of 28", 30", or 32". Custom lengths are only $20 more. All columns are manufactured of '062 inch wall tubing for a lifetime of use. Whether you're "going retro" or just building a really clean car and don't want a bulky tilt mechanism. the LimeWorks column is better-built and won't eat half your interior budget. To order, contact: LimeWorks Speed Shop, 7717 Greenleaf Avenue, Whittier, Ca. 90602. Call them at (562) 698-1227 or check their www.limeworksspeedshop.com website.

Deuce steel: Tired of the "wrong' Firewall for your '32 Ford? The right one is now available. Deuce Steel introduces peproduction steel firewalls that are exact copies of the originals and fit all stock '32 roadster, closed car, pickup truck and steel aftermarket bodies. these "original style" firewalls have no holes drilled in them, which allows for custom alterations and eliminates the need for welding over unused openings. Deuce Steel parts are EPD (electronic deposition paint) coated to eliminatge corrosion. None better available anywhere. For more information contact: Hot Rods and Custom Stuff, 2324 Vineyard Ave., Escondido, Ca. 92029.

L.A. ROADSTER RETROSPECTIVE IS IN PRINT!

NEW BOOK CHRONICLES CLUB HISTORY, SHOWS ALMOST ALL MEMBERS, PAST AND PRESENT Send $30.00 to Jack Stewart, 11734 Rives Ave., Downey 90241

POSSON SCULPTURE "RUNNING AT THE LAKES" NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH HOP UP

Just after WWII, hot rodding got a start when young men took their cars out to the dry lake beds to see what they would do.

They began a whole new industry right there on the dry mud.

"Running at the Lakes", a new bronze sculpture by Steve Posson, captures the spirit of the early lakes meets.

The car has Kelsey-Hayes wheels, a dropped axle and a race car steering wheel, but everything else is pretty much stock.....and well used.

The '29 body has the cowl gas cap and the '32 grill still has its original trim and cap. The interior is tired, the door handles sag, but you know all the work is in the motor!

The racers are in blue denims with rolled up cuffs, t-shirts and boots.

"Running at the Lakes" is 26" long, carefully made by hand in lost-wax silicone bronze on a marble base. There will only be 15 made. $6,500.00

For more details contact Morty at (909) 788-2500.

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