There was an article way back when by Bob Hirohata showing how he made them in the first place. There was a similar article in Custom Rodder in the 90's. I'll look this weekend to see if I can find them....unless Sancho beats me to it before then. They may be posted over on Rikster's photo archive as well.
For the Gman0046: CalCustom was a major player in the aftermarket automotive accessory business and was located in LA. They were also a major advertiser in all of the car books during that time period, as was JC Whitney, Almquist, Honest Charlie and so on. Ads for these companies featured some very nice show cars and the magazines followed through with how to do it features, again, featuring some nice cars. It was a you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours as far as the magazines went. Joe Pirotta would have been right at home in Tiajuana in the late fifties!
https://portland.craigslist.org/wsc/pts/d/art-deco-goose-hood-ornament/6542162543.html #39 is on Portland Craigslist.
Anybody remember J.C.Whitney package shelf furry shelf mats. How bout bobble head dog’s and the cats with the eyes that blinked with your turn signals. Tube grille’s that we’re halve tubes an sold as custom fit for many different models. 12 years old made .55 cents an hour in a semi automatic Car Wash (working papers for minors with your parents signature) in PA. How bout WesternAuto stores,Always had some great accessories. Mom’s 53’Victoria hdtp. Was my canvas. Olds taillights, tube grille, aftermarket hubcaps wide whites. Metallic Green shot with a 3 gallon tank pull around compressor. I pulled it as my Bro. Shot the paint. Had to take a break so it could catch up and build air. Mom’s car was coolest on the block and that was ok til the older kids always wanted her to drag race with them. Accessories was my way to do what I could. Taught me appreciation for what the Pro’s were doing on the left coast. J.C. Penny’s-Sear’s Roebuck- etc.- etc. they all had accessories. 60’s was a great time...still looking for that blinking eye Cat and a ARC-2500 12 disc record player (all chrome of course) and where did I put my front to rear fader switch for my speakers once I get this reverb figured out. Yeah I was all into that “Accessorizing”. Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
Well said ^^. Before I could afford, or even understand camshafts and headers, or even my own car, the folks' car were fodder for whatever inexpensive accessorizing I could get. Pouring through Whitney and Charlie's catalogs, Western Auto, Sears.. Exhaust tips, hubcaps, pinstripe tape, spray paint, antenna balls, dice... I'm pretty much a hot rodder now but still a sucker for a simple doo-dad. Just bought one of those dashboard signal light viewers.
I lived through it. I hated it. Now, it's kind of humorous to see how tasteless people were back then. The "Good ole' days" are fun to look back on, I guess, but I'm glad they're gone.
In Chicago we had Warshawsky's on South State Street. They had all the things that have been mentioned and more. If you went in there on a Saturday or Sunday the place was packed with "tasteless" guys buying the things they wanted, along with the things they needed. I wonder if those of you putting down accessorizing were around in the '50s and '60s. When I was a kid in school I'd see the Warshawsky and Whitney ads and wished I had the money to buy some of that stuff. I don't know why I didn't ask my mom to drop $1.98 so I could have at least one of those "kool plaques that that hang from the bumper". Hell, take me back to 1964 and I'll buy one of everything that's in the ad!
Well mercman I just happened to have one of them switches sitting in front of me right now...if you don't find yours ....let me know and I will get this one heading your way ...man it's your lucky day ... I also have a white cat with the blinking eyes that goes on the rear package shelf that can be wired in to your turn signals , don't have a pic of that at the moment it's at my brother's, seriously ....no joke... let me know.... Terry (aka Rudestude ) Sent from my QTASUN1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The only things I remember buying from J.C. Whitney was a scattershield and safety hubs for my '36 coupe so I could go racing in 1961. You guys can have the curb feelers and chrome bullets.
Somebody's say " Curb Feelers " well tell you what I can do........these are even the "Rare" duel whip models....you just never know what kind stuff you got laying around until someone mentions it..... Sent from my QTASUN1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Dice ....someone say dice......man I got to much crap...... Sent from my QTASUN1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
In high school, I saved all summer for a set of triplet end ripple pipe chrome full length lake pipes $115.50 hanging in the window of Eddy’s Auto Parts. Took all Saturday to bolt them on, didn’t have time (or skill) to weld to the exhaust so I used the tried and true method of shoving radiator hose on the end so it looked like they were hooked up. Picket up my favorite girl to go to the drive inn, when she looked at the car she wants to know why I had put vacuume cleaner hose on my car Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Funny thing is the Hot Rodders that will make fun of "bolt on customizing", will be the same ones that get all excited over a winters front grille on a deuce... personally never seen the point of that on a Hot Rod myself. I think we all went through the bolt on era. I got my '60 at 15. I had dice door locks, lake pipes, dice valve stem caps, shrunken head (although I wasn't allow to ride around with it hanging) too much pinstriping, etc. Over the last 27 years, the only thing remaining is the dummy spots. Yes, I do have a drawer pull grille, but it is there until I find a '60 Olds grille.
That's a good one.....when I was a sophomore in Highschool I had a 62 Pontiac Bonneville 2 dr HT. with a 63 421 no tri-power it was white black top silver blue interior and lots of chrome......of course I lowered it , dropped the nose a little bit more ...then flamed the hole front end of the car using very narrow black pin striping tape ...turned out damn good looked really cool with the black top and the wheels were also black....then one day I was walking around in the local wrecking yard and found a set of Moon spun disks got them for $10.00 bucks went and drilled my rims and screwed them on next day go to school and every one is asking what the hell is up with the pizza pans on your wheels....this was in 77-78 ...then I go out to the parking lot at lunch time and three of my tires are flat and the fourth well on its way...so one by one I pulled them off went to the gas station put air in then that night I figured I f*'"** up when I drilled the holes in the rims ...so went back to the wrecking yard and bought 4 used inner tubes , $8.00 bucks all 4, got everything all mounted up take it to school then a few days later go to get in my car after school only to discover that someone had kicked in three of the four moons that was it I went home and took them off .... I guess my school wasn't ready for KOOL yet...... Sent from my QTASUN1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Quit it!@ rudestude, laughing so hard it hurts, got my googles all sloped up from the tears. Tried the spray glass tint blue/0n my powder blue 56 customline hdtp. Way cool from 20 ft., you could see the flaws up close. Had to keep trying, never got it right. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
A friend had a 57 olds with a device that was hooked up to light every time a plug fired. He couldn't remove it fast enough,along with the amber tint on the windows.We scraped tint off with razor blades for days. Sent from my SM-J327VPP using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
In the late 80s early 90s I always loved looking through the JC Whitney catalogue. Only bought a few things from there. Lost everything to a garage fire Only thing I still have from there is a OT pickup sun visor Still think it’s the best looking one for 73-87 Chevy. memories some good some bad.
If any of you guys are still looking for laminated dash knob info look up Custom Car Chronicle ...it has a section called Custom Car History... everything you need to know is there also Rod&Custom November 1953 has a four page article by Bob Hirohata on making laminated dash knobs.... Sent from my QTASUN1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The Jalopy Journal
