Whatever happened to "Fat Jack" Robinson?

The "Fat Attack" was when Pete Chapouris built a '39(purple with flames). Jack Robinson built the '40 around the same time(1985)named Orange Crush,sold it to George Striegal, wrecked in a race at Baylands Park while driven by Dave Condit, et in the low nines.Was it all that long ago. Keep on roddin'

 

...Fat Jacks orange 46 coupe was one of my all-time favorites. When his driver lost control at the big end and it rolled itself into a ball, parts of it tripped the timing lights at 10.50 seconds!
...I got it in a video I bought racin and part of the crash sequence. It kept twisting driveshafts like licorice.Awesome car.

 

John "Fat Jack" Robinson is still alive and still building cars and manufacturing parts on occasion. He has a shop in a town on the south end of Riverside county called Wildomar in Southern California. His mailing address is "Fat Jack Real Hot Rods & Parts, Inc.", P.O. Box 541, Wildomar, CA 92595. He doesn't have an e-mail account or a land line for his shop. If you'd like to get in touch with him, you can send a message to me (I'm his middle son) or write a letter to the aforementioned address.

My father in law accesses this site quite a bit and informed me yesterday that a few people were wondering whatever happened to my dad (Fat Jack Robinson) which is why I'm responding to the threads posted on the H.A.M.B. (the last time I wrote in was in regards to a 1928 Model A Ford roadster he built in the late seventies for his friend Chuck Hoffmann). I just recently saw the "Fat Attack" orange painted 1946 Ford club coupe (orange toner over white base by Greg Morrell, currently working @ Boyd's shop & on T.V.) listed in an article published in "Hot Rod Magazine" showcasing their list of the 100 most influential cars to date. I assume that the recent interest about my father's whereabouts was generated by this article. Thanks for all of your compliments and cudos for his accomplishments and his reputation (I think..). Yes, his colorful reputation continues to preceed him, even though he's mellowed with age (but not too much).

Currently, he's working on a '55 Chevy nomad ('Vette C4 susp. & LS1 engine), finishing a '57 Chevy Bel Air h.t. w/revamped chassis (4-bar rear, RamJet 502 rat motor & 6-spd. trans.), just restored a '63 Buick Riviera for Chuck Hoffmann (owner of the '28 Ford roadster) and is finishing a '55 Chevy convertible for Danny Shaffer (who he built a yellow pro street '56 Ford F-100 "Big Window" truck that was featured on a 1089 cover of Hot Rod titled "Terror Trucks" with a centerfold spread of it). As for his own rides, he has cars lined up to build to fill two lifetimes, but currently is getting close to finishing a '51 Ford F-1 1/2-ton pickup with a 455 Buick V-8/TH-400 auto. trans., custom chassis, 4-bar rear w/indep. ft. susp. & is in primer close to getting paint on the cab & bed. The replacement for the "Fat Attack" coupe is still around, about 80% complete. It is an all tube chassis and an all steel '47 Ford sedan delivery, chopped and fitted with 2-dr. sedan/club coupe "long" doors and outfitted witht the same engine out of the coupe by George Streigle of Clay Smith Cams, Buena Park, CA. "Uncle Wik-Wik", or Richard Conklin (it was a real hoot to read someone mention that name; it was kind of a joke within our circle of friends and associatates who used to go to the glamis sand dunes) built the chassis and was a partner w/Steve Plueger from the late 60's until around 1979-80 building funny car chassis in Bellflower, CA. Sadly, Richard isn't with us anymore (he passed on about 2 years ago), but his 1948 "98" model Olds is at my dad's shop being worked on for it's new owner Bobby Bojorquez (the guy who own's the recently finished '39 Ford Deluxe 4-dr. convertible sedan featured in the Rodder's Journal a couple of years' ago).

That's about enough for now, I imagine. I hope that this information was helpful to those that were wondering about Fat Jack Robinson's whereabouts, and thanks again for the compliments and interest. I'll be seeing my old man tomorrow, and let him know. Post any other questions if you like, and I'll try to answer them as best as I can.

pre48v-8

 

John "Fat Jack" Robinson is still alive and still building cars and manufacturing parts on occasion. He has a shop in a town on the south end of Riverside county called Wildomar in Southern California. His mailing address is "Fat Jack Real Hot Rods & Parts, Inc.", P.O. Box 541, Wildomar, CA 92595. He doesn't have an e-mail account or a land line for his shop. If you'd like to get in touch with him, you can send a message to me (I'm his middle son) or write a letter to the aforementioned address.

My father in law accesses this site quite a bit and informed me yesterday that a few people were wondering whatever happened to my dad (Fat Jack Robinson) which is why I'm responding to the threads posted on the H.A.M.B. (the last time I wrote in was in regards to a 1928 Model A Ford roadster he built in the late seventies for his friend Chuck Hoffmann). I just recently saw the "Fat Attack" orange painted 1946 Ford club coupe (orange toner over white base by Greg Morrell, currently working @ Boyd's shop & on T.V.) listed in an article published in "Hot Rod Magazine" showcasing their list of the 100 most influential cars to date. I assume that the recent interest about my father's whereabouts was generated by this article. Thanks for all of your compliments and cudos for his accomplishments and his reputation (I think..). Yes, his colorful reputation continues to preceed him, even though he's mellowed with age (but not too much).

Currently, he's working on a '55 Chevy nomad ('Vette C4 susp. & LS1 engine), finishing a '57 Chevy Bel Air h.t. w/revamped chassis (4-bar rear, RamJet 502 rat motor & 6-spd. trans.), just restored a '63 Buick Riviera for Chuck Hoffmann (owner of the '28 Ford roadster) and is finishing a '55 Chevy convertible for Danny Shaffer (who he built a yellow pro street '56 Ford F-100 "Big Window" truck that was featured on a 1089 cover of Hot Rod titled "Terror Trucks" with a centerfold spread of it). As for his own rides, he has cars lined up to build to fill two lifetimes, but currently is getting close to finishing a '51 Ford F-1 1/2-ton pickup with a 455 Buick V-8/TH-400 auto. trans., custom chassis, 4-bar rear w/indep. ft. susp. & is in primer close to getting paint on the cab & bed. The replacement for the "Fat Attack" coupe is still around, about 80% complete. It is an all tube chassis and an all steel '47 Ford sedan delivery, chopped and fitted with 2-dr. sedan/club coupe "long" doors and outfitted witht the same engine out of the coupe by George Streigle of Clay Smith Cams, Buena Park, CA. "Uncle Wik-Wik", or Richard Conklin (it was a real hoot to read someone mention that name; it was kind of a joke within our circle of friends and associatates who used to go to the glamis sand dunes) built the chassis and was a partner w/Steve Plueger from the late 60's until around 1979-80 building funny car chassis in Bellflower, CA. Sadly, Richard isn't with us anymore (he passed on about 2 years ago), but his 1948 "98" model Olds is at my dad's shop being worked on for it's new owner Bobby Bojorquez (the guy who own's the recently finished '39 Ford Deluxe 4-dr. convertible sedan featured in the Rodder's Journal a couple of years' ago).

That's about enough for now, I imagine. I hope that this information was helpful to those that were wondering about Fat Jack Robinson's whereabouts, and thanks again for the compliments and interest. I'll be seeing my old man tomorrow, and let him know. Post any other questions if you like, and I'll try to answer them as best as I can.

pre48v-8

 

Pre-48, thanks for the update. Glad your father is still building.

 

Damn, that orange coupe is bad ass. Kinda fast,too if I remember correctly.

 

Yeah, kinda. HAahahaaa
I love the Fat Jack Robinson. I wanna be a Fat Jack when I grow up.

He always builds the baddest, nastiest stuff.
John's '37 pu is sweet too...

 

I would imagine the '48 98 Olds will be a nice piece when it gets done. Bobby has good taste and I really believe ol' Snips (Conklin) will be smiling from wherever it is we go when we go.

 

Thanks for the update pre48, your Dads stuff was and still is a true inspiration. Low fast and mean!

 

Thanks pre48V-8 for the update.....

Your pops has inspired my car building since I saw that 46 cpe. in a mag WAY BACK in the day (when I was young - still) so much so that recently I purchased a 46 cpe. myself. It's taken a while but.... finally.

His rides were unmistakable & it looks as if you brother might have caught some of what you dad has......a good eye for design & execution.

Thanks again for all the info & best to your dad.

Paco

 

Fat Jack's Coupe is still my all-time favorite "rod". It's influence certainly shows in my beater. Here is a pic of my ride from the HAMB drags a few years ago… I would love to see some pics of Jack's coupe if anyone has any. I had a copy of the Fat Attack issue w/ jack's '46 coupebut made the mistake of loaning it to KCTA Chris about 15 years ago and haven't seen it since.. Its good to know Jack's still around.

 

......

 

Brought this back from the dead, but had to let you guys hear about one of the, oh so many, humiliating experiences in my life....

Last weekend at the Roadster Show I finally introduce myself to Fat Jack Robinson, and I say, "It's so cool to finally meet you, John" JOHN?! SunnuvaBITCH!!

He's like, "nice to meet you too, but my name's Jack".

....oh well.

 

I was about to say that this was quite the "threadsurection".. but that story was well worth it Jeem.. lol

 

There's a shot of Fat Jack's coupe on this website. #39 of the top 100 Hot Rods. http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_0801_top_100_hot_rods/1969_chevy_camaro.html

 

Hi PRE48V-8

Is it you Johnny?

I just bought a car from England, a `57 Del Rio Station Wagon biult by Johnny Rotten. A fabilous drive! I just want to know some of the history of the car. Where is the car from? Are there any pics of the car before restoring? Perhaps you are interested, what`s going on with the Station?

Can anyone help? Can`t fin an email adress of Fat Jack Robinson or Johnny Rotten!
Thank you!

Peter -Germany-
[email protected]

 

rmc-goodguy. pre48v-8 here. I'm John Robinson's younger brother. If you looking for information regarding the history of the 1957 Ford two door Ranch wagon w/Del Rio trim built by and formerly owned by my older brother, I can give you a general overview. I located the car sometime around the late summer/early fall of 1997 as I recall at the Pomona swap meet in Pomona, California USA and told John about it. I forwarded the phone number & price information about the car to him, he called the owner adn met with him in South Central Los Angeles where it was located. They struck a deal (I beleive John paid about $2,000.00 dollars for it at the time, according to him), we picked it up and I followed him home. He'd had one of these station wagons, with no motor or transmission that our dad bought out of San Diego for him in the mid-1980's but later sold (not enough time/money for projects). The inspiration initially came from an old Thom Taylor "what if" or "dare to be different" type of illustration excersize published in a magazine or rod run flyer sometime in the early-mid 1980's (as I recall). John planned on making a "driver" out of the wagon, dumping it on the ground and changing the wheel/tire combo. to some tight-fitting American Racing 5-spoke mags of some sort. But alas, on its initial journey to our dad's home/shop about an hour long drive from John's home base, the radiator didn't work properly and the engine began overheating. Needless to say, the wagon ended up staying at our fathers place as my brother realized the wagon couldn't meet the reliability standards of a daily "driver" to go back and forth to work. So began an approximately 18 month long frame off modification, refurbishment and rebuild project leading to the vehicle that you now own. Body & sheet metal were stripped to bare metal, body work performed, paint applied, color sanded & rubbed out. New glass, plating and polishing off all trim and accessories. Frame sandblasted & powdercoated along with all front and rear suspension components. Rear leaf spring mounts, rear end housing and frame modified to lower rear stance as well as the front suspension, with A-arms narrowed and spindles changed with disc brakes attached. Re-built 312 Y-block Ford (heads, cam & machine work by Clay Smith Cams, assembled by John), custom built headers and exhaust system, along with engine accessory mounting brackets made to accept a/c compressor (also fabricated by John). All mechanical underpinnings (wheel bearings, brake system parts, suspension bushings, etc.) all refurbished or replaced. All new electrical wiring system and a/c-heating system installed by John as well along with all custom stainless steel tube plumbing for the fuel system, brake system and a/c-heater system lines. Interior was done by our associate Lars Rolund of High End Products custom motorcycle seats in Santa Ana, CA. Paint was applied by Butch Lynch, formerly of Fat Jacks Real Hot Rods & Parts in Wildomar, CA, who now paints on his own in Tememcula, CA. All other work (except re-building transmission & cutting/installing new glass), including fabrication, modification and assembly was completed by my brother, John Robinson (aka, "Johnny Rotten" of Johnny Rotten Cars, Long Beach, CA) in his garage and/or our fathers place. He and I went on the first long haul with his '57 Ford Ranch wagon to the Goodguys West Coast Nationals in Pleasanton, CA in 1999 (where consequently, I met my future wife and in-laws and took marriage vows two years later). The only hitch we experienced was a stock Y-block harmonic balancer whose rubber vibration dampner was beginning to deteriorate, quickly fixed with some duct tape to make it back home. From that point on, John refined the wagon (adding an a/c system, working out bugs with the fuel system, building a set of engine headers to replace constantly cracking stock cast iron exhaust manifolds, etc.), drove it to excess, had it photographed by The Rodder's Journal (later featured together with his current "driver", a 1937 Ford 1/2-ton pickup) and sold to a buyer from the U.K. in mid-2004 after concluding that if he didn't sell it to someone who'd treat it better, he'd run it into the ground the way he "stomped" on it (see "driving habits"). As you are probably aware, it sets very low w/o the aid of air bag suspension components (see, "monkey motion") and you've got to be paying attention when operating it out on the open road and surface streets (John caught the front edge of the passenger side exhaust muffler at one point, crushing the forward face of that muff which required replacing both muffs with the Magna Flows it probably still has today. I've got the other good muff from the previous pair on my Ford Ranger p/u daily beater...). I suspect you or one of the previous U.K. owners (we heard the guy who bought it and shipped it to the U.K. had sold it to another U.K. owner) might have raised the wagon a little bit to get out of the "f#$%-up zone" suspension-wise. Well, hopefully you are enjoying the wagon this summer and it has proved to be fun and reliable thus far. If you are looking for anymore information (specific questions) just send a message to me and I'll answer it myself or ask my brother John if need be. As for photographs of what it looked like before and during construction/assembly, John and I both have a few images laying around. Again, send me a message and I'd be happy to discuss the details of making arrangements to provide access to these images for you if interested. FYI, John and I don't go on the Jalopy Journal too often, though my father in law, Mike Sauer, does (Mike recently alerted my that someone in Germany now owned the '57 Ford 2-door Ranch wagon my brother John built and was looking for background information/history/details). Hope this post was helpfull, good luck, and enjoy your new wagon this summer!

 

Didn't Lil John pass away recently? I thought I had read that some where. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Good I hope so! Remember the Black T center door he had back in the 70's?

 

I think I read recently that John Buttera passed away? If so sorry to hear it.

 

rmc-goodguy, FYI, see my post 9-6-09 re: your post on "Whatever happened to Fat Jack Robinson?". Post is #49, & should answer most of your questions about your '57 Ford 2-dr. Ranch wagon that my brother John built and used to own. You can contact me and leave a "quick reply" message if you like. Just put most information about the wagon on the H.A.M.B. for posterity and accuracy. Regards, pre48v-8

 

There was a Fat Jack that sold a real nice 32 3W coupe to a guy here in the Houston area. When they went out west to pick it up he insisted on roaring around the parking lot and doing donuts to "show 'em what it could do" before loading it into the trailer for the trip home. Duly impressed (?) they loaded the car and headed for home. Somewhere down the road when they stopped to eat and went into the cafe a few minutes passed and somebody busted in and hollered that whoever owned that trailer outside should do something because it was smoking! Of course it was the 32 on fire, when they opened the trailer door ROAR! Got it put out pretty quickly. PROBLEM? Mister big-shot car-builder donut-maker had never mounted the battery and it had been upended in the trunk shorting against the inner brace of the body and heating up the iron considerably which ignited the cardboard which smoked the back glass , headliner, seats and made a generally nasty mess of a fresh built car.
Don't ask what it cost to repair/replace the damaged parts, I don't know.

 

pasadenahotrod, that '32 Ford 3-W coupe your speaking of was the one Lil' John Buttera built around 1979 and was featured on a special fold-out cover of Hot Rod Magazine around 1980. It was the independant suspended, Ed Pink prepped 318 c.i. Plymouth V-8 Indy racing motor powered (1 of only about 1/2-dozen built), maroon colored, hi-boy coupe that arguably ushered in the "billet aluminum" street rod movement (though Buttera had used billet aluminum machined parts he had fabricated himself on prior projects of his own and for other clients). "Fat Jack" Robinson and Gary Hall purchased this vehicle as partners around 1982 (it had been repainted black by then, had bugs worked out of the engine and had a stainless steel fabricated grille insert installed in the grille shell to replace the plastic light grate material used initially on the coupe). How do I know this? "Fat Jack" Robinson is my father, and I'm one of his three sons (the middle one, to be exact)
My dad and Gary Hall were partnered in a venture know as Ultra Cars and Components at the time (they made the wheels for the ZZ top '33 Ford 3-W coupe built by Don Thelan of Buffalo Motor Cars, still on the red Eliminator coupe as of yesterday when I saw it at the NHRA museum in Pomona, CA) had Lil' John Buttera involved in the venture. Buttera's tenure with Ultra Cars was only during the blink of an eye, and my dad & Hall proceeded forward together until around 1983, when my dad went on his own and started Fat Jack's, later changing to Fat Jack Enterprises and today known as Fat Jack Real Hot Rods & Parts, Inc.
Back to the coupe, my dad did all of the work and R&D for Ultra Cars, and Gary Hall (a former door to door vacuum cleaner salesman turned Pantera parts & service broker specialist) was the marketing/mouthpiece of the partnership (my dad had formerly built/repaired/modified/restored Pantera's for Hall Pantera, developing an aftermarket product line for them they still market today). They made some paint repairs to Lil' John Buttera's '32 3-W Ford hi-boy coupe, worked out some more bugs (had a heat transfer problem from the exhaust system being direct mounted to the frame which would cause the interior to cook, as my dad found on a trip to the NSRA streed rod nats in Memphis, TN around 1981). The replaced the square front headlights with King Bees, made some detail changes (changed the handmade billet alum. 3 pc. wheels centers to a brushed alum. finish with hex nuts to replace the 3-spoke knock-offs and previously gold painted wheel centers; see Hot Rod cover). They entered the coupe in the Oakland Grand National Roadster show in 1982, and lost the Al Slonaker award to a gaudy model T or model A Ford sedan with lots of chrome and gold plating, engraving, and other typical over the top ISCA show car tricks who probably got the award because they were commited to doing a few more shows on ISCA's western swing that winter. I can attest that the 318 Plymouth V-8 Indy motor (it originally was fuel injected for competition, using "Gurney-Weslake"-style aluminum heads that Buttera made manifold adapters for to accept 4-Weber carbs) could be "arced up" while my dad was driving it and exhibit and impressive display of horsepower rather quickly. In fact, I recall riding with my siblings in another car behind the coupe, driving home from an Early Times mid-winter rod run in San Diego, rolling through the downtown area watching my dad stand on the gas in the coupe and rolling triple 360's across 3 lanes of traffic on a sunday afternoon, recovering with the coupe pointing straight forward to make the left hand turn in lane number three through the intersection. So, to address you allegations regarding his driving habits pasadenahotrod, yeah, he tends to drive aggressively and I've learned not to drive like that. But, somehow he always ends up right side up despite his throttle stomping disposition. As for the coupe, after he and Hall disolved their partnership, they resolved to sell the Buttera built '32 Ford 3-W hiboy coupe to an associate of Buttera's and Boyd Coddington's named Roy Pickford. As for my dad spinning brodie's with the car to show the new owner's "what it could do", yeah, he might just have executed that vehicle driving maneuver, no doubt. And yes, it did catch on fire due to an electrical problem originating in the trunk area of the coupe, suffering some damage, possibly leading the new owner to repaint the car "Boyd Red". Did "Mister Big Shot Car Builder, Donut Maker" leave the battery just setting loose and unsecured in the trunk? No, because the other "Mister Big Shot Car Builder" who built the coupe, Lil' John Buttera, made a structure to house and mount the vehicile's 12-volt wet cell battery securely in the forward area of the trunk which was still intact when my dad (Fat Jack Robinson) and Gary Hall bought the coupe from Buttera, and was also still in place when Pickford bought the car. Really, pasadenahotrod, do you actually think that between two "Big Shot Car Builders" like Lil' John Buttera or Fat Jack Robinson they'd build and/or modify a such a high end car with a battery setting loose in the trunk merely attached to a set of battery cables connected to the positve and negative cables? Also, I don't recall Pickford calling my dad or Hall back for a partial refund for the car catching on fire en route to its new home in Texas due to negligence on my dad's behalf. After Pickford owned the resale red repainted coupe for a few years, I heard it got sold and was in New Jersey. The last time I saw the coupe (still red) was at an Early Times picnic held in So.Cal. sometime around the late 80's, possibly early 90's (1990-91) and it had New Jersey plates on it. Where it is now I haven't a clue....nor do I care. Nevertheless, the car may seem a bit passe in contrast to the direction of the hot rod/street rod/roots rod/traditional rod automotive hobby today, but in it's day, it was both trendsetting and ground breaking. And even by today's "high end" standards, it arguably has just about as much trick, fabricated mechanical work on it as most Riddler contender's of the current street rod era. So, to recap, my old man didn't make a nasty mess of a fresh built car. The accidental electrical fire made a nasty mess of a car built back in 1979 that was everntually repaired and recolored "Boyd Red". And, he nor anyone else just dropped a battery in the trunk without anything to mount or secure it, either. Hope that sets the record straight. I'll call my old man tomorrow and inform him to add "big shot car builder" to his list of accolades and accomplishments in the area of automotive enthusiasm he still pursues to this day. Maybe he'll have business cards updated with that flattering phrase you coined, pasadenhotrod. Thanks for the inspirational compliment; I'm sure he'll take it to heart, providing a burst of inspiration and confidence making him work harder in order to maintain this high level car builder status you've bestowed upon him. In the meantime pasadenahotrod, I'll also ask "Fat Jack Robinson big shot car builder" about the real cause of the electrical fire in the coupe, just in case I'm misinformed. After all, I was only in my teens when the event occurred and lived in the house in front of the garage the car was stored in and you, being from Texas and hearing about it from what I'm sure is a reputable source, may know more about it than I do....

 

Pigford, it's Pigford.

Thanks for the clarification and thorough history of the car too.
Legends need love too.

 

Lil' John passed March '08.

 

Pre48v8, You'll have to excuse MR. Pasadenahotrod. He's an expert on just about anything you can think of. Check some of his past posts to verify. He's not above using enuendo, rumor and just plain "made up" information to further his "legend in his own mind" persona. I've butted heads with him on occassion and the feeling you've been in "the presence of greatness" wears off almost instantly upon him posting his last responce to whatever your dealing with.
Your dad needs no enhancement when it comes to hot rodding. His place in the strucure is secure with the contributions he has made (and I'm happy to hear continuing to make) so the detractors like Mr.PHR can go pound sand and look for their next misinformed (or needless) contribution to this forum.

Frank

 

Awesome!

 

I was thinking that,but because its a ressurected thread I think he was fighting illness at the time,respects

 

Look's like he's good friends with Chip now!