Folks Of Interest Chip Foose & The '32 Ford

A great little piece.

 

I remember about a hundred years ago when I was about 6, I was building a 32 coupe model that could either be built as a hot rod or stock. My dad convinced me to build it stock. I remember being disappointed at how cool it looked without the mags and leaving the fenders on. I think Chip is right about the honesty of the design. I have always felt the same way about the 55 Chevy.

 

Interesting video. People often rag on Foose for his more modern designs, but I think he has a real appreciation for traditional style as well. And by all accounts, he's a really nice guy.

 

Give that man a sharpie and he changes the world,,,
I would love to have the sketches to hang.
I have met him off and on at shows and he was always friendly and loved to talk cars.

 

Chip is obviously incredibly talented. He has taken the more commercial route and there really is no wrong answer here. He's made it so he can do whatever he wants. Others aren't interested in building something the masses like. That's OK also. Some here will do work for customers that they wouldn't do for themselves but you have to pay the bills.

Everything he says about the 32 is correct. Chip does get it. I'm not so sure all the "name" builders do get it. I get it. I fully understand the reason it's so popular and it's all legit. When speaking about pre-36 cars, personally I would still rather have a tall T.

My Foose story? Never met him.

 

An inspired clip, thanks Ryan.
Free-hand sketching as Chip does!

 

Thanks!
Foose is a very talented guy. Both as a designer and fabricator, without all the theatrical BS.

 

Chip is a true Hot Rodder at heart. There is no doubt about that.

 

I like Chip and the way he approaches cars. Remember seeing him as an 11 year old in a hot rod magazine working with his dad on some car. Was a pretty cool picture to see.

 

Foose is an amazing artist and Hot Rod builder.
Thanks for the video.

 

At first fast look ,I only saw the pic of 32car,my first thought was who the heck put those ugly butt wheels on a cool car, then passed/rolled on.
Next look knowing I had nothing going on anyway, looked more an enjoyed the Chip vid.,think he is skilled+,but also dose gold chain stuff I'd never do,but understand a lot of the world works off"How much can I sell this for" vs"this gives me a smile" There some fog between.
Likely why I'm broke and Chip, likely makes $$$$$$.
I've always been a good artist in my own click,but I hate Picasso ,hate the Beatles too.
We're all not the same,an that's good!
Point being we all have small parts ,of things we hate,that we love a piece of,so lines get a bit foggy at the meet up.
I don't know were I was going with that,but hay,ugly wheels do weird stuff too me.

 

Thanks

 

Foose has and continues to leave a indelible mark on hot rodding, I have never met him but the people I know that have say he is genuine and not caught up in his fame. HRP

 

Ryan,
Should I add a funny story!
I'll jump off anyway; Kind of about your story.
I'm at Daytona Speedway,I'm crew chief'n a team of buddy's,one of them from back as far as high school,Billy was our driver. He comes back to our pit after going to the restroom. He said "You'll never guess who was pissing right next to me,"Cale Yarborough"
Well buddy's being what we are, to Billy's desmay,for the next few years,every time he asked anything. We'd say "Ask your piss buddy Cale" LOL

So no one takes this wrong,it's just funny kind of way connected odd joke,of your piss buddy Chip. Hay what are friends for,if not to pick on you a little too,Ryan.
LOL

 

The video started off with what in my opinion is the one image I visualize when I think of a 32 roadster, the Bob McGee/Sctritchfield roadster.



We are all different and people that are hard core Deuce guys see the iconic car being built in many different styles, Chip Foose obviously has a unlimited imagination and doesn't adhere to the restrictions of one building styles.

We are just a small segment of hot rodders that love and appreciate the traditional look where thousands of others live a nod to the more modern tricks that are often rolled out of Chips shop, you got to give the devil his dues, the man has got talent. HRP

 

I've run into him a few times. Once at Home Depot. The coolest time i met him was at the GNRS. He was under an AMBR car he built, wiping it down. I said HI and he stopped, came out from under and talked to me. We talked about Roth, the hey day of Custom cars, Von Dutch, Big wheels on old cars(which i hate). He asks you questions. He's not about himself. He said, I get that, but trends change, market changes, but the Traditional Style with always be in style! He also has to follow what his client wants, even if he disagrees, but most of the time the customer takes his advice, haha. He was really a nice and friendly guy. He remembered meeting me in Home Depot, cause my wife said, alright, LET"S GO! He loves Traditional cars, and will tell you so. He's one of those open minded guys who likes everything about cars and design. Not like your typical, FUCK Fords, or FUCK Chevys guys....Hope to run into him again. He will be remembered with all the big names, in the future.

 

was there ever an episode of over haulage where they laid their hand on a 1932 ford

 

Imagine a scenario where via a time machine, it allowed the great designers/fabricators/drivers, to all sit down and have a conversation, people like Harley Earle, Virgil Exner, Edsel Ford, Ed Roth, Jean Bugatti, Colin Chapman, Ab Jenkins, Chip Foose, Carol Shelby, Harry Miller, Ransom E. Olds, E.L. Cord, Smokey Yunick, Henry Ford, Mickey Thompson, Burt Munro. I think Foose would fit right in with that group of people. IMHO.

 

No, but they did a Tub with a Y-block. It was pretty cool, but the guy sold it. Don't know where it ended up. You would know it cause it has a red and white, checkered firewall.

 

There was a pretty good thread on that car.

 

Chip is a genius. Even the P-51 inspired roadster has some great style!

 

Love him or hate him, he always does an excellent job of integrating the elements of his designs. You never see anything 'pasted on' because of a fad or trend unless demanded by the customer.

The only two things I'd personally fault him on is his penchant for too-large wheels on some cars and his use of graphics on others, but then again it's personal taste to a degree. But even when he does do those things, it nearly always looks better than what other builders do...

 

It's fascinating watching him sketch in his herky-jerky way. It looks like scribbling at first and then all of a sudden a 32 Ford appears.

 

That vid has been posted before...but love it each time.
Ty

 

I’ve always thought Chip was the real deal. He just seems to come across as a normal car loving guy who has fun doing what he does. I always liked the pranks they did on Overhauling where Chip would dress up and do something crazy, you know he was having fun!

Boyd had a pretty good eye, but I think Chip is better 2 to 1. I’m not a fan of the large wheel/ small sidewall tires, but he has had a few designs I wouldn’t be ashamed to run. I’m amazed every time I see him with a sharpie and a pad......you know something cool is fixing to jump off that pad! I just wish I had 1/10 th of his talent, my stuff wouldn’t look so junky!

 

Excellent Tale And Appreciated...Chip Was Born With Talent And Keeps His Eye Keen...

 

Way back years ago about a couple of years after that the photo Gordon C mentioned was in a magazine there was one of him at about 13 years old sitting on the ground at a rod run with a sketch pad in his lap drawing cars that were at the show. If memory serves right he made some spending money selling those drawings. Back when he was Sam's son Chip.

 

I first met Chip when he was just a quiet kid with his dad Sam.... Many years later on set up night at Autorama I seen a very stylized model 40 Coupe called (I think) the 33 Mercury. I was kicking people out because it was close to time to clear the floor. (I've been on the MHRA overnight security detail for several decades.)
.
I see a couple dirty tennis shoes poking out from under the coupe, And a guy with a towel polishing the transmission. I pull my golf cart up to a stop, And ask this guy "Hey you about ready to wrap it up?"...I can hear him ask "How late can I stay ?" I replied, "Well you still have a few minutes, But I'll come back after the floor is clear to give you the final boot".... The voice came back, "Thanks man, I appreciate it". (This coupe obviously looked like a Ridler contender, And I like to give those guys just a little more latitude ).

About 30 minutes later, I go back to see the same shoes sticking out from under the car, while the guy working vigorously on tiny details of cleaning... When I pulled up, I said, "Well that's it, You got to go ! you can come back at 8:00 am".... So he shinnies out from under the car. and it's Chip. I said "Chip !... I didn't know it was you !" Sorry about giving you the bums rush"...

He smiles, Than asks, Could I stick around a little longer to sort of finish up,... "I smiled back and said, Nope !,... Sorry. You gotta' go too." (He graciously understood, and left).

Chip is the real deal, A true talent and a great person. Over the years I have had a chance to see him interact with all kinds of people, and he's always engaging and pleasant. I've never seen him rude or short with anybody. If I had to find a fault, I would say he can sometimes be too good natured and sharing.

He was signing autographs one year at Detroit. He as only suppose to be up there for two hours, But the line went back several hundred feet when the time was up. When MHRA security was about to stop the line, He said "I'll stay here longer, I don't want to disappoint anybody especially seeing how long they stood in line. So We put a couple guys at the end of the line to let folks know, that was it.

Chip was on that stage for another two hours, Meeting people, signing autographs, and putting a lot of big smiles on peoples faces (especially kids) The world of Hot Rodding couldn't find a better or more humble ambassador to represent it, Than Chip Foose (IMHO)