If only they would have done a better job with the movie music. The Cheesy 70's rock was really bad!!!
i love DA KID one of 2 famous movie cars id like to clone i dont think michelle phillps was in the movie she was in hollywood knights with the other car id like to clone
The California Kid was almost the end of me. So, there I was, enjoying Americruise one year [maybe the first year, 1993 can't remember] when we all stopped at Slover's Pete & Jakes shop in Mo. for sandwiches and drinks. I was wandering around the shop all starstruck with my brother...had a coke in one hand and a sammich in the other when I wandered out the back door..it opens on to an alley. I took a step out into the alley when I hear this roar and before I could look, my brother [Jangleguy here on the HAMB] grabs my shirt collar and JERKS my stupid ass back in the building! I just got a short view of Pete's eyes as big as saucers while he locked up the brakes on the California Kid trying to miss me. Thank God it's got good brakes! I almost went to the big rod shop in the sky that day. BTW, Jerrys is a great place to buy a new Pete and Jakes T-shirt to replacce one with a stretched collar. Oh yeah, nice car.
Both coupes and that T Roadster are perfect IMO, think the full hoods have sonething major to do with it. Are the windsheild posts on the T Roadtster a one off deal, they really look nice. Bob
Man,Rocky, you missed an opportunity there. How many people could have "Killed by the California Kid" put on their tombstone !! You would have been FAMOUS ! Don
I have seen many nice attempts at repoping the "Kid" but still there is only one.. Nothing wrong with Halibrands but I do like the steel wheel look best.. Sirod2 (Doris 2) is a very cool car with a lot of family history. Some time last year the T roadster was handed down to PC4. I suspect it will stay in the family as it well should.... Cool story on the little V6 from Pete is that it came out of a new car that tumbled off of a train car carrier.
Believe they are b...bb.....billet. And we all know that "traditional" hot rodders never machined anything, right? Right guys??
While FAB32 would most likely agree with you. I personally have always liked the "Kid" much better from the first time I seem it completed on the cover of the Nov. 1973 R&C,.... I actually like the look of full fenders on a model 40. And I love the look of leaned back "A" pillars on a chopped top. Again it comes to personal taste. ( I had a chopped deuce 3 window in the garage at the time with leaned back "A" pillars and full fenders at the time the magazine came out, so you can see why...... I just love that look.)
I have seen pics of Pete's and Jake coupes a thousand times (I prefer Jakes), but I have never seen that T. Never in my life have I considered building a glass T, but that one has the gears turning.
If "the Kid" had been left all-black with the Halis on it, I might find it harder to make up my mind. I always felt the flames were a mistake on that car. It is down to personal taste, thats a given. Honestly, as far as the overall look and proportions, I'll take Sirod2 over either of them, without even a second thought. The overall look of that car has haunted my dreams for close to 40 years.
We are talking about 3 out of the 4 iconic cars that arose out of the first traditional revival, with Bud Bryans highboy being the 4th. They are all pretty bitchin, any way you slice it. But Sirod2 is my personal favorite.
There was an authorized clone built. It used an Ai Fiberglass body and was created to be used on the ISCA show car circuit. Jack Chisenall @ Vintage Air managed the program and the transportation all around the country.
"California Kid II" .. taken at 'Andy's Last Picnic'. I don't know the story on this one but he was parked with Brizio & gang
About the windshield posts, I can answer that question. When Pete was building the car for his dad, Lil' John Buttera asked Pete if he could help out, and offered to make the windshield posts. Of course Pete said yes! so John band sawed them out of aluminum and then hand shaped them! Lil' John, Steve Davis, Jake, & myself all had a hand in building that car. Pete Eastwood
Glad you like the 40 year old flame job. I striped and flamed Pete's coupe per his request to do it '50's style. At the time, resto rods were the rage and nobody was chopping let alone flaming their rods. I did 3 sketches for Pete of the proposed flame design on tissue paper over a photo of a '34 coupe. The final design which has the flames starting further back from the front of the car was chosen because it had a '50's feel to it and was unique in design. I commented that flames would not becoming from the very front of the car if it was moving, but further back. Plus I put thin white pin striping on the flame edges like in the 50's. Years later, striping on flame edges got thicker. I did touch up some striping on the car around 1997 cause in a few places it got thin from years of polishing. Also, about 4 years ago I flamed 6 Fender Stratocasters for The Fender Custom Shop to match the Kid. Saw and talked to my old buddy Pete (known him since 1955) last week at the Grand National Roadster Show. great times.