I would like to share my story of the day I spent with Ed Roth he was a Big influence in my life since I was a teenager reading about him in the Custom Hot Rod mags. The first time I met Ed was at the L.A. roadster show he signed some stuff for me and took some pics,the second time I met Ed was right here in New York at the Long Island custom car show in 96, he had a big vending both at the back of the show, I wanted to stop by say Hi and pick up sum Rat Fink stuff. While I was talking with Big Daddy I told him of some resin casting that I was working on he was interested in seeing them and asked if I would bring some back to the show tomorrow for him to see "YA" KOOL I said I'll see ya tomorrow. The next day couldn't come soon enough all the while I was thinking wouldn't it be great if I could get the chance to work on a project with Big Daddy himself, some kind of Far out car that he was working on or something like that, but how could I? me in New York and Big Daddy in Utah. Well it was Kool enough just to have him look at my work, so that afternoon when the show opened I was there with my resin castings. Big Daddy liked them, he said what are you doing today? would you like to work on a project I have in mind?, well I must have stood there in silence for a while with a stupid look on my face my brain was saying HELLO did you here right, Ed Big Daddy Roth just asked you to work on a project with him, (like he had to ask), "YA" OK, KOOL. Ed said we need about 2 or 3 pounds of stiff clay, so I ran right out and got some, we spent the rest of the day molding the clay and talking, I felt bad because I had asked him every question I could think of in the past 30 years, I felt like I was interviewing him, Big Daddy just laughed. After awhile the clay took shape a big flying eyeball with ooze coming off of it, he would work on it then say here you work with it while I stretch and sign some autographs. we worked on the eyeball the rest of the day, all the while I was thinking how great it was to be there and working on this project with Ed Roth, it was getting late and the sculpture was almost done Big Daddy said now take it home with you finish it make a mold and send me one, a week later it was on it's way to Utah. Big Daddy called when he received the sculpture he was impressed with it, don't change a thing he said, now start on a shifter knob in the same shape, that's when he gave me my name "Eyeball John" (sort of like being knighted) and things have not been the same since, Thanks "BIG DADDY", you are Greatly missed.
Great srory..............I meet Big Daddy in California in 1970 and have a good story about the meeting and times I spent with him, but that is for another time. thanks for posting your's.
Cool story.It's fun to meet your heros. I got to talk with him at a Carlisle Goodguys years ago.He signed my glovebox door,joked around and was very kind and cordial with everyone there. A good day!
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