Does anyone have pictures of the X-sonic Vette?

more pics & info please !
JT

 

Hey Ron, how about coming out and play at Bob's/Johnie's/Harvey's Broiler some time and let us know when you're coming!

 

Hey Ron! My Dad & Uncle, The Heckle & Jeckle-Fishbeck Twins, are still in the same spot. If you're ever in the area, stop by.. Mt Vernon & Mill in San Bernardino

Welcome to the Message Board! Little Jay

 

The X-Sonic is a real pioneer in the custom car world and I'd love to hear about it's creation and see any pictures of it that haven't already been posted.

 

Welcome to the HAMB.
Please post all the pics and information about the X-Sonic that you can!

 

Oh shit, I just realized how old this thread was! Glad Ron jumped in anyway.

 

Very kool & Welcome....So tell us...was it a 'aircraft' set up

 

For now, just watch this... there are multiple parts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0AnscCgKN0&feature=related

 

Hey Richard D, Thanks for the kind words. I'm really glad I found this Forum. I located it by accident, when I looked up my name in Google.

You asked "What's it like to be a Legend?". When I built the hydraulics for my corvette, it was an idea borne of necessity. I gave the idea away to anyone who wanted to know how to build a system. Years later it was apparent that the Lowrider Community had developed hydraulics into a way of life and hydraulics were all over the world. I was amazed.

You asked how does it feel - Well I'm really proud to be honored as the inventor and I guess you could consider that hydraulics were my 15 minutes of fame.

To me, it was my corvette, my designs and the custom body work I performed on the car that I am really proud of. There were many hours spent in my folk's barn building a fiberglass design that was all in my mind. I started this project with absolutely NO fiberglass experience. To finish this post - Lets say I don't feel like a Legend, I feel like a artist and that people all over have enjoyed my work. My real heros were my good friends of the past - Larry Watson, Big Daddy Ed Roth George Barris, Dean Jefferies and so many more of the old timers.

 

By the way Richard, I love your car, That is the best design Buick ever had.

 

Hey Ron, got any old construction photos?

P.S. Thanks for the compliment; I can't wait to change the wheels and get some fresh paint on her.

 

Ron Aguirre! One of my heroes. The X-Sonic is one of my all-time favorites. It seems it never looked the same in any two photos! Are you working on any cars or other projects today??

Earlier in the thread are some pictures of it "as-found" in an old R&C magazine. Does anyone have an update on the car? I sure would like to see it back in its former glory!

 

Juke Joint Johnny, As I read your post I remember meeting Carl and I was talking about my next project on my corvette - The building of a bubble top. Our discussion lead into the subject of mating the top to the body. I explained my ideas and Carl offered to perform the work on the ft. cowl. Prior to this no one had ever done any body work on my car but me. I was hesitant as my work had been 100% fiberglass. Carl wanted to do the ft. channel (where the bubble would sit into) with bondo. I decided on working with Carl and he did a fine job. I feel sorry that Carl never got the credit he deserved for helping me.
PS: That is the only bondo on the car and it has never cracked, Great job Carl.

 

Mark X, I just read your post. I am extremely sorry for the bad communication. I will be pleased to help you. Please call the office again and ask them to connect your call with me. I have had some health problems and was not not able to do a lot. Even now it is hard to sit for long periods. I will continue answering all questions on this Forum, but it many take a few days before everyone gets a response.

 

Welcome Ron, I'm glad that you tagged along on this thread! Now tell us all about your masterpiece! Do you have any construction photos from the build?

 

Oh great! The hamb just got a 1000 times kooler!
Welcome Ron!

 

Ron, welcome aboard! Another huge fan here - the X Sonic is truly a defining custom. I really like the earlier version with the stacked lamps and Opel grille - very clean.

Steve

 

Let's see if I can answer the questions for post 47 & post 51.

Rikster - You asked about the color & if it was a Larry Watson paint job. This is very odd, as I do not have a colored photo of this paint job and neither does Roger O'Dell who is handling Larry's photos since his passing. If anyone has a colored photo of this paint job please contact me. The cable you see along side the X-Sonic is to operate the special functions of the car. The opening was originally the gas filler door. The gas cap was rerouted into the trunk. Shortly after this picture was taken an airplane remote control unit was modified to operate the special functions (bubble top, steering, hydraulic lifts and engine). The gas filler door was redesigned to have a key and bubble top switch. I believe the car was pearl white and the scallops were green (I really do not remember).

Superfleye - I know the picture was taken in Louisville Ky., as the exact picture of which I have is a page cut from a magazine and the caption indicates the location and a page number of 30. There is no indication of which magazine or any date.
During my tours across country with Ed Roth, we had many shows and Larry Watson did many paint jobs that neither Larry nor could remember all the colors and designs.

I hope so other readers can help with colored pictures and additional info.

 

Hey Big Poppa (post 43), You have a lot of good pictures of the X-Sonic on your website. Have you looked at Kustomrama - there are also some very good pictures (Even some of George Barris photos that I do not have.) plus a good story. I will be working with Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama to bring all of you all my photos of the X-Sonic. Them them out at: http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=X-Sonic

 

Juke Joint Johnny (post 50),

Just a note to let you know that the great Bill HInes had nothing to do with my hydraulics and I really admire his custom workmanship.

 

I love this car! and I'm not a corvette fan.

 

My favorite Vette, EVER!

 

Thought I'd bring you folks up to date on the X-sonic. I spoke to the owner Emmanuelle Benoit a few weeks ago and he still hasn't started on restoring the X-sonic but it is in his near future. The economy has slowed down everyone's projects.

The good news is that Jalopy Journal has requested custom & hot rod writer Pat Ganahl to produce an in-depth article on the X-sonic for the print magazine. I have just spent two days (only a couple of hours each day) going over the history of the X-sonic. Pat knows a lot about the X-sonic as he has written about it in three of his books. I believe he knows more about it's history than I do. As we talked he refreshed a lot of my memories and we talked a lot about many things I had forgotten (or should I say misplaced). Be sure and keep an eye out for the article.

In the mean time Kustomrama will be getting some additional photos. If anyone out there has more photos of the X-sonic please share them with Kustomrama. I would love to see more photos of my old car.

 

Awesome car.

 

Ron you know I loved it. Roger

 

Just bringing this thread back from the dead seeing as there was another thread on it...

Just spent the time to read through it....awesome to have the folks we have here on this board!

 

Ron, Welcome to the Hamb.

That is my favorite Vette, I have liked the lines of it since I first saw a picture of it several years ago. Glad to hear it still survives & will be restored.

Do you know which version/paint job it will wear in its restored glory? That would be the hardest decision to make IMO, there were so many cool ones.

Glad to have you aboard & yes we would love any & all pictures you could post up for us to drool over.

 

Ron, I have admired your car in all incarnations since the early 60's and it's great to hear from you here and to learn that it still exists. As far as I'm concerned, it's the holy grail of old car finds.

You are legendary right along with all your own heroes you listed and here's why: Your heroes were pros; you were an average guy with the passion of a true artist and you built a car as good as what any of those pros were doing at that time. Just outrageous what you did, man. The car must have had over a dozen paint jobs, huh?

 

Hello Ron, glad to hear that you are doing better. I first contacted you in 2005 via email after I googled your name and was shocked get receive a reply to my many questions. I spent a lot of time and a few bucks trying to get all the publications with your car in it. I'm glad to see that people are paying more attention to it as a survivor as well as the beginning of "custom poseable suspensions" along with other more famous Kustoms.

 

not the first car to have hydrauics soon to be proven. the first is being restored now with proven documentation

regardless,... a SUPER BADASS car, far ahead of its time, many kudo's to Ron