Register now to get rid of these ads!

Folks Of Interest Andy Southard, Jr.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Ryan, May 18, 2009.

  1. Ryan
    Joined: Jan 2, 1995
    Posts: 21,633

    Ryan
    ADMINISTRATOR
    Staff Member

  2. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    Thank you.

    Andy's photos have always inspired me a LOT
     
    26hotrod likes this.
  3. bobbleed
    Joined: May 11, 2001
    Posts: 3,117

    bobbleed
    Member
    from Awesome

    Man those books of his are like Bibles.
     
    26hotrod likes this.
  4. jonzcustomshop
    Joined: Jun 25, 2007
    Posts: 1,927

    jonzcustomshop
    Member

    andy is the reason I got back into customs, and small world it was at the borders on so.290 by heb in austin that I got the bug back!
    thanks andy for all the wonderful books!
     
    chryslerfan55 and 26hotrod like this.

  5. Malcolm
    Joined: Feb 9, 2006
    Posts: 8,032

    Malcolm
    Member
    from Nebraska

    Andy's books are one's that I still look at the most... even after having them for quite a few years. Great photography of how things really were. Thanks for the interview!



    Malcolm
     
    chryslerfan55 and 26hotrod like this.
  6. Conder
    Joined: Jan 16, 2005
    Posts: 982

    Conder

    Andy Southard, Rod Powell, Cole Foster...Sounds like Salinas, California is the capitol of this great country of ours Ryan! Mr. Southard, your books (along with Salinas) have been a huge inspiration to me over the years. THANKS.
     
    chryslerfan55 and 26hotrod like this.
  7. G V Gordon
    Joined: Oct 29, 2002
    Posts: 5,713

    G V Gordon
    Member
    from Enid OK

    Very cool read. That name just jumped off the page when I saw it, memories from my youth. Good to see Andy doing well.
     
  8. plywude
    Joined: Nov 3, 2008
    Posts: 699

    plywude
    Member Emeritus
    from manteca ca

    Andy shot a picture of my roadster years ago at roadster round up and used it in his Cars of the 70's book, he sent me a copy of the picture and an autographed copy of the book, after reading this article makes me want to dig out the book and look through it again Andy is a great guy with more pictorial history of our sport that any one else...........:)
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2009
    chryslerfan55 and 26hotrod like this.
  9. Buildy
    Joined: Jan 29, 2008
    Posts: 1,521

    Buildy
    Member

    I was born in Oceanside NY and my uncle from Oceanside always told me about Andy Southard.
    I don`t know if Andy remembers my uncle Wayne,but Wayne sure was proud of Andy coming from Oceanside and being such a great car guy.
    My uncle bought all of Andy`s books.
     
    26hotrod likes this.
  10. PRIMERDAVE
    Joined: Jun 8, 2005
    Posts: 895

    PRIMERDAVE
    Member

    Andy is a very cool cat....and I can almost guarantee that he answered all these questions from memory....he's sharp as a tac.....man it's cool as hell to sit there and listen to him tell stories of how it was back in the day.....I'm blessed to have him as a friend
     
    chryslerfan55 and 26hotrod like this.
  11. mottsrods
    Joined: Jul 9, 2008
    Posts: 742

    mottsrods
    Member

    I've got several Southard prints hanging on my wall in the shop. He's an icon.
     
    26hotrod likes this.
  12. Von Franco
    Joined: Nov 26, 2001
    Posts: 1,285

    Von Franco
    Member

    Andy is the salt of the earth ,and he shows it in his photos. I've know Andy for years and
    him and his wife are the coolest. I don't know if he still sells his video's but they are a must..............................
     
    chryslerfan55 and 26hotrod like this.
  13. ryno
    Joined: Oct 6, 2005
    Posts: 3,470

    ryno
    Member

    great interview.
    thanks
     
  14. JeffreyJames
    Joined: Jun 13, 2007
    Posts: 16,628

    JeffreyJames
    Member
    from SUGAR CITY

    Thank you so much for that interview. I really value anytime I can hear about the roots of an individual that has revolved around hot rods and customs.
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  15. Jeff Norwell
    Joined: Aug 20, 2003
    Posts: 14,809

    Jeff Norwell
    MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Damn..... a true history lesson!
     
  16. D.SCOTT
    Joined: Jan 24, 2008
    Posts: 264

    D.SCOTT
    Member

    thanks for the article. hot rods of the 1950's taught me alot, and Mr. Southard is one of my heros.
     
  17. Great writing. Andy has been an inspiration for me since since I first saw a few of his photos in the late 1970's (by then I was 15 years old). They was part of what did guide me into the right direction when no one around me knew anything about traditional custom cars. With that as a guideline started to walk a path that I never will leave.
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2009
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  18. Andy's exactly 10 years older than me, and I grew up in North Jersey not too far from Long Island. It's very interesting to compair his memories of the area and mine, some 10 years later. By 1959, when I got my license, there were several drag strips, many speed shops, countless indoor Hot Rod shows to go to in the winter, etc.
     
  19. Ryan,
    Thanks so much for this! I've talked with Andy several times over the years when ordering books from him and he has always been terrific to a nobody like me. Unfortunately our calls were always short since I had the bad luck to call when he was in the middle of a project and had to go after a short while but he is truly a hero and I feel fortunate for the few minutes I've spent talking with him.
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  20. JimA
    Joined: Apr 1, 2001
    Posts: 4,796

    JimA
    BANNED

    A true legend. I got hooked on hot rods and customs from a batch of '68-'71 Rod & Custom Magazines. There was a ton of Andy Southard in there. I didn't learn the whole story until I was much older and started collecting the little books. What a man. Thank you Ryan. Jim
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  21. Brandi
    Joined: Sep 1, 2007
    Posts: 1,041

    Brandi
    Member

    The first car I built, my '51 Chev Fleetline was modeled after the Purple '51 fastback in Custom Cars of the '50s. My copy of that book has about 8" of overspray covering it, the pages are all dog-earred and the cover is cracking. It still sits on my coffee table with pride. One of the best books out there.
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  22. warpigg
    Joined: Mar 4, 2001
    Posts: 591

    warpigg
    Member
    from gypsy

    great piece. i sure hope they re-release some of those. i only have the "60's".
     
  23. That is why he is being honored and inducted
    into the West Coast Kustoms Hall of Fame in Santa Maria
    this weekend.
     
  24. Wow. From another fan, THANK YOU Andy.

    Your work is much loved down here in Australia too. Thanks for taking the time, not just to answer some questions, but to take all of those amazing photos.
     
  25. Deadender60
    Joined: Sep 3, 2004
    Posts: 980

    Deadender60
    Member


    That's what I keep saying!

    I really can't say Andy is a friend but the few times I have talked to him have been great!

    He sat and talked to my brother & I for an hour or so about photography. He is an inspiration to us... and his merc is beautiful, I remember seeing it for the first time when I was a kid at a local Salinas Valley Street Rodder's Cruise Night at Roy's Drive-In.

    Thanks for making this interview happen Ryan & Rod!

    -Juan
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  26. My father was also a professional photographer ... and although he admired the work of Eric Rickman, Gray Baskerville, Tom Medley, Tex Smith, etc. ... he always used to say that Andy Southard Jr. was "the Automotive Photographer's Automotive Photographer".

    Andy is the best at what he does ... the consummate photographer of all things Rod and Custom!

    Andy Southard Jr.jpg Hot Rods of the 1950s.jpg

    ... and a historian of the Northern California Rodding scene:

    Custom ars of the 1950s.jpg ... Cover: The Clif Inman (Joe Wilhelm built) '57 Chrysler - San Jose, CA

    Hot Rods & Customs of the 1960s.jpg ... Cover: Tony Martinez' Model A Roadster - San Leandro, CA

    Hot Rods & Customs of the 1970s.jpg ... Cover: Gary & Marilyn Meadors' Chopped '32 Tudor - Newark/Fremont/Alamo, CA

    The Oakland Roadster Show.jpg ... the OAKLAND Roadster Show (aka the GNRS)
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2018
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  27. i wish he'd put out more books of his work as well as those prints.

    i'd love to clone his t rpu
     
  28. Good article! I was fortunate enough to have a one on one sit down with Andy around '00 or '01. can't recall which year. My wife at the time's family lived in Salinas and I knew Andy still resided there also. I am a big fan of his books and always wanted to meet him, so on a weekend there with the inlaws, i simply picked up a local phonebook, found Andy and called him at his home. Andy answered, and i introduced myself and asked if I could have a talk with him about the old days. Andy was quick to invite me over to his house. I was very honored, and got there as quick as i could. I think i caught him in the middle of an afternoon lunch and Andy offered me a sandwich. Total hospitality! I spent the next hour and a half just listening to the stories of hotroddings glory days from a man who lived it. Then, to top that all off Andy took me out to his garage to see his custom and walls plastered with old pics. I wasn't even right- Andy's one hell of a guy and i'd encourage anyone of you to take the time to talk to Andy or any of these old guys 'cause once they're gone that's it. Of course before i left, i got Andy to sign the inside cover of my book, Hotrods of the 1950's ;)
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  29. Jarzenhotrods
    Joined: Feb 20, 2007
    Posts: 820

    Jarzenhotrods
    Member
    from .......

    Thanks Ryan! Customs of the 1950s is what did it for me. I have 2 copys now one for me and one for my 5 year old daughter who looks at it constintly now..
     
  30. BigWigRaceCars
    Joined: Aug 7, 2006
    Posts: 171

    BigWigRaceCars
    Member
    from Austin, TX

    Great interview! Thanks for taking the time to do it, Ryan, Rod, & of course Mr. Southard.

    I have each of the "50's", "60's", and "70's" books and look at them at least every other day. Well, the "50's" and "60's" ones anyway. The "70's" cars were kooky.

    Are there any more details of the video project that was mentioned? When/Where will that footage be available?
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.