One of the "older" guys on Bainbridge Island in the 60's was noted for having the name of his latest girlfriend painted on his car and was just as well known for having the local pinstriper clean off one name and paint on another. When I was about 13 the older neighbor kid who was probably a Sr in high school then had a 48 Plymouth rag top that he had had painted at quickie paint shop in Seattle that a lot of guys took their cars to in those days and then the local striper painted Hung tu lo on it as the car basically had no suspension and was seriously low. Just about every old traditional custom I know of has a name that the car is better known by than the name of it's owner. The names often as not were never painted on the cars though. Thinking about it on the"back then" stand point most of the cars I remember with names painted on them were done in the late 50's early 60's and if you look around at shows most of the guys with a name painted on a car probably belonged to a graduating class between 1955 and 1963. I graduated in 65 and don't remember one car around that belonged to guys my age that had a name on it then.
58-60 in the central valley there were a lot of cars with names painted on them-some a bit obscene. Never did it on any of my cars.
the Camaro I purchased college had "Night Moves" in giant letters on the back, I assume that's quoting Bob Seger haha!
Back in the day (mid-late sixties), there was a black GTO running around town that was also a week-end warrior and was lettered "GO-GO-GOAT" down the sides. I remember seeing it a Byron Dragway... (then Rockford Dragway). I was too young to remember how fast it was,but it was a real ground pounder!
Time for stronger glasses Gman. I wrote Hopped up vette, had the duntov 30/30 cam, 2X4's, 4 speed, and posi. I knew this girl, had a few dates, met her Dad, I was always impressed as she could row the gears as good as anybody I knew. The car did have the convertible top and the bolt on hardtop, Red, Nice car, 59 car in 64 car was only 5 years old, Lucky girl.
Some are cool while others are overdone. Even a couple of dice look cool to me. The very best lettering on a car was pin striped around where the flap for the fuel filler neck; it read "Gasshole" which I still think is hilarious and just might copy!
This thread triggered a memory - Kid with a jacked up Mustang cruising around with yellow traction bars, L60's and a snorkel scoop. Emblazoned on it with prism tape letters was "Killer 'Stang''. Not fast, much ridicule went his way..
I had an axled 56 Chevy around 1980 that was primer brown with "still in its prime" on the trunk lid. it was on there when I bought it. I remember a fast 55 Chevy with "Frantic Rat" on the quarters and a 56 all gutted with "Instant Ticket" on the side.
My senior year in high school, 1959, was a good year for cars with names on the rear quarter. Some of the ones I remember were some girl with a stock '41 Ford with "the blob", '53 Olds 4 door with "the apartments", '56 Ford with "love charm", squarebird with "mint julep", '57 Chev with "miss carriage #69". Few years later local '55 Chev with "mr. boss". Scrounging thru a junkyard found a '46 Chev with "peggy sue". Looking back, they were all pretty corny.
There were allot of street cars, Hot Rods and Customs that were lettered around where I grew up in Iowa. Personally I enjoy seeing it done, doesn't matter what others think. I had my Coupe hand lettered, remember, it's just one shot paint, it will come off. You only get to live once, so enjoy everyday.
Some San Jose street hot rods in '59: '28 'A' Phaeton, black, raked, hot 4 banger: Cowl paint in white (The Ol' Timer") Cool. '27 'T Coupe, fire engine Red, raked, Chevy 6, stock hood, tunneled firewall. ("The Wild Cherry") '27 T Coupe, black, raked, identical to 'T' Coupe above, SBC, 265. ("Blacky Carbon") '27 'T' bucket, sectioned, welded on top of '34 frame, flathead. ("Blackie") Fresno car, but seen in San Jose twice... This last one was Blackie Gejeian's 'Shish Kebob', obviously.
New Zealand was bad and still is for cars having names on them, most are very lame and stand out like an ugly wart. This is a better one. Once a car has a name it seems to always be ''that car'' whatever happens to it. JW
Yeah...you're right, it can be a 'Brand'! My first ex wife was jealous of my popular, fast '56 Ford. She called it 'the White Rat'. So...I had my striper bud Shannon paint on the fins, White Rat #1. That was on there for a month or so, 'til I was put up against Gilbert's '56 Chevy. (Gilbert was undefeated, never lost a race) I beat him twice, he said 'Never mind the third'.) Shannon 'erased' the 'White Rat' and left #1. Other side erased all, moved #1 to the end. Classy. Earned it. Imagine being married to a ditz who never drove. Yet she heralded Chevrolets' 'superiority' to Fords. She'd get all tight when I'd wax one of those 'bowties'. LOL
I want to letter It-L-Do special on the cowl of my single seater. I've done 99% of the work on this car and most of it isn't up to a professionals standards but I'm fine with it and It Will Do!
A buddy of mine did this door art on his Sweptline shop truck. I thought it turned out pretty cool looking.
I wasn't going to respond to this thread...but against my better judgement....here goes... First of all I think sedan deliveries & panel trucks NEED lettering. "PRIME THIS!" was my wife's idea (but she won't admit it). It seems I was talking to a buddy who commented that after I'd been driving it for over 5 years, it was still in primer. He mistakenly asked "when are you going to paint it?" My response was to make a loose fist in front of my zipper, making a jerking off motion, I replied "prime this". Well my wife saw all this and said "that's disgusting" and burst out laughing. She said "I think you just named the car" The rest is history. Also when I traded the Sedan Deliv. to Hamtown Al, it still had the PRIME THIS! on it. In his infinate wisdom, it was the first thing he removed.
Back in the early 60's I had a '58 Bel Air with a 409 4 speed. I wrote on the side "Ford, Breakfast of Champions". There was only 1 406 Ford in town and he didn't race on the street so nobody would challenge me.
A few I remember this AM "Straybery Wine" "Shit Box" "Night Train" "Freight Train" "Passion Pit" "Fast Enuff" "You Lose" "Juicy" "Sho Nuff" "Cherry Buster" "Orange Crate" "Haulin Ass" "BonSai" "Poor Boy" One I never understood, "your girlfriends name" "Night Terror" "LoverBoy" "Hot Stuff" "
In about 1960 my cousin had a 55 Pontiac (Red/white) convertible with a continental kit. He had "Smooch Shop" on the rear quarters. The name fit. He dated many attractive young ladies. One day his dad was driving the car in downtown Atlantic IA and had stopped at a traffic signal and while waiting for the light to change an attractive young honey jumped in the car and the first thing she said was "you're not Russ!" Uncle Billy laughed every time he told me I also remember a 49 or 50 Chevy that had "Six Hot Holes" on the lower front fender. Funny the stuff you remember. Move ahead to the mid 70's and I was scrounging parts for my 38 Chevy and I answered an ad for a BW four speed. The guy that owned it also had a 38 Chevy Coupe, straight axle, really nice car. On the door he had "Mr Barabee" (If I remember correctly). He told me it was from a college class he took, I don't remember the details but it must have been challenging.
I totally agree, sedan delivery's and panel trucks should have some cool lettering on them, this is a local car from the Fremont district here in Seattle, one of my favorites.
And if you think "PRIME THIS!" is bad...my original idea was: DROPPIN" A DEUCE Delivery Dookyville N Y And a couple of "#2" s on the doors
I was looking for parts in local Wrench-a-part couple years ago. OT Dodge Ram with "Ram It" on tailgate. Pretty sure he did as front end was destroyed. 1 more car I promise, Rex Winter Dry n windy Lubbock TX
I used to write "words" at the strip since the window(s) was lettered with the class info, etc., anyway. But I never had the urge to paint something permanent for the street. I most often wrote "Fairly Rapid" with the white shoe polish, usually on the back so the other cars I spanked could see it as I left 'em in the dust.
If I ever have a semi-competition look car I'm going to paint on the hood......."Chief Mechanic: Craven Morehead"...........
Discounting race cars or cars that are meant to resemble race cars, 99% of the time it's lame, IMHO. Even the Kopper Kart could have done without
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