In the mid 60s I worked in Fitz Auto Rebuilds paint dept. (in Auburn). This was before going out on my own. It was the biggest shop in the area at that time. Ray would come in about once a week. He had his last shop in the same town. It was his first new shop (bldg). He was behind the Olds/Jeep dealer on Auburn way north. He did collision work as well as custom work at that time. Anyway, he would casually work his way back through the shop being sure to make contact with everyone. When he got to the paint dept. (in the back portion of the bldg) He would pause by the back door, turn around and yell "I'll give anyone here xx$ an hour," (about $2.00 more than scale) and duck out the door. Once a week. Crazy guy.
Anything you want to know about Madam Fe Fe and Resto-rodder on here can tell you. He brought a huge binder full of the history and newspaper clips, everything about the car to the TNGA. Russ Divers did alot of the custom work in the 50s on it. Resto -Rodder has most every bit of info on the car and gives it to the person that is re-creating the car. I was amazed at all the information he had!!!! Privately email him and he may help out with some info. He was a hell of a nice guy and has a killer 32(?) coupe.
This Dave Bell cartoon from the early 90's inspired John Buchan to call me and ask if I knew where the car was. He was very insistant and just knew that I knew which I didn't other than having been told it was scrapped at Norm's Auto Wrecking in Seattle. John told me that someone had seen it east bound on Mercer Island on a trailer and probably to this day doesn't believe me. Mike Hosted on Fotki
Like I said, Resto Rodder is the historian of Madam Fe Fe and is working very closely with the person that is restoring it. There were two phases of its creation. At one time it was built without the fins. They came later in life. Resto Rodder has every detail of it and it was a blast looking at the big 3 ring binder filled with pictures of its build up and all of its shows that it was at. What a blast from the past not only see'ing the car at all the shows but listening to Russ Divers (one of the people that worked on the car) tell us about the details done to the car and where he came up with the front blinkers etc . And to end the controversy if the original is around. "NO" it was definately crushed. And if anyone see's it, Elvis is driving it.
Burlingame married a gal name of Janice Beach. Janice's family lived in what was then Houghton, Wa. Houghton was annexed into Kirkland in '69. Anyway her younger brother Jon and I were fairly good friends. We went through Jr. & Senior Hi-School together. During that time, Don had Fi-Fi. I used to see it quite frequently rolling around town. He and Janice often made appearances at 'Cooley's Burger Mart' in it. I was only 16 at the time, and I thought that car was absolutely Stoopifyin' !! First time I seen it, was at a car show, I think it was in 1962, in Seattle. I went with my Dad & my uncle. One of them cars I'll never forget...........like Bob Crepo's '40 Ford.
I bumped into the cars current owner at small show i went to last fall. While we were talking he mentioned that the final color is going to be pearl white. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Howdy, I read somewhere, the other day, that the Madame FiFi project had been completed. Do you know any more about it? Doug Pratt
This thing is coooooooooooooooolllll any more info or pics of the old one or the new one would be awsome
From what the current owner told me, the car is basically a clone of the original ( seems the original disappeared into history). They started with a solid ‘55 two door hardtop and set to work chopping, channeling and sectioning. Using pictures of the original car they were able to get the modifications true to the original car (i.e the taillight treatment). What they built is the second version of the car. The original was still basically stock. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The Jalopy Journal
