Register now to get rid of these ads!

History Wild Child's Custom Shop

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by grim, Feb 26, 2011.

  1. That is a great flick of Roth. What part of town is that in grim?
     
  2. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

    Speaking of Roth, a HAMBr just contacted me about the old "Wild Child" T-shirt. Yeah man, that lettering was from our logo. Even better yet, can you guess what the R.F. stood for? Think about it.. Actually, you know that might make a good episode; I'll just tell the story behind the Rat Fink when a get a second to write it up. Have a good night everyone.

    P.S. Roth had another shirt made up with a 59 Impala fin that had the antenna going through it - that was taken from Pop's daily driver. Not sure how to look it up though; If anyone knows the shirt, would you mind posting it up for us? I did just get the Wild Child one in the message though. Here it is.

    [​IMG]

    Here's the fin that other shirt has on it.

    [​IMG]


     
  3. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

  4. DirtyEd
    Joined: May 16, 2009
    Posts: 362

    DirtyEd
    Member
    from Dallas Ga.

    This is to freakin good!I am glad the shop will live on.I have family in KC and will have to stop by next time we are in town.Good luck with the shop.
     
  5. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

    DirtyEd,
    Thanks man! That's real nice to say.. Definitely stop in, and good luck to you too friend. The warm words are much appreciated.

    I've never had a reason to really sit down and take this kind of time, to organize my thoughts, in regard to these stories; I think I'm just starting to get there. They keep coming back to me in daily life - things I've long forgotten. I'm glad what's been posted up is so well received.

    Maybe I should get more serious about writing these. I didn't expect so many readers.. I just looked, and between here, the Garage Journal, and Facebook there are tens of thousands of views. I guess since so many people are lurkers, it's seemed a lot smaller without the feedback. I'll try and step up my game guys. It would be cool to have a good detailed collection of these thoughts and experiences down on something tangible anyway. I never realized there was so many things to talk about until starting this kind of open ended discussion.

    There's a lot of stories that don't have pictures in association I never expected to tell. Would anyone like to just read written articles and stories? Any other ideas on what kind of stuff you'd like to see? Maybe some videos? Thanks for any feedback or advice guys. If you let me know what you want to see, I'll see what I can do.

    Don't be shy lurkers. :p
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2011
  6. What a great history lesson! Videos would be awesome. Did you ever recall the year the trike was built?
     
  7. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

    Richard,

    Check this out - post number 67.


    • Also, Pop was drafted into the military between 62 and 64 for the Cuban Missile Crisis / Vietnam wave. I thought of that after I typed post 67 above. That helps confirm Roth's age in the picture. The build photos would be from some time before that. Hope that helps some.

    [​IMG]

     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2011
  8. Aaron Kahan
    Joined: Apr 29, 2011
    Posts: 123

    Aaron Kahan
    Member

    Hey Grim,
    No problem it was fun and I'm glad you appreciated the effort! I love the way you are telling the story and painting the whole picture, but what's the short version of your involvement for the reader's who are just looking at the pics?
    -Aaron
     
  9. Grim-
    I saw the photo of the trike in blue paint from May of '67, amazing! I didn't have a computer when I found this thread, just an iphone. I have a computer now, and I'm having neck surgury tomorrow, so I'll be home off work for a couple weeks. Now I have time to research old customs and choppers. I rented a shiload of old biker movies off Netflix; most I already have, but a few I haven't seen. Maybe I'll catch a glimpse of the trike?
     
  10. There is an old Servicar in town here, it's hideous- billet front wheel, rusty 80 spoke lowrider type wheels in back- but the flathead runs good. Nice guy owns it, he just got married, maybe he'd sell... Clone????
     
  11. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

    Richard,

    Keep an eye out buddy; wouldn't be surprised if you did! The shop's built and leased stuff out all over. I know after Deep Throat came out, Linda Lovelace's boyfriend wanted to cross her career over into mainstream movies.

    He got this idea of doing a movie that would appeal to the college crowd in order to jump-start a new direction. They ended up gathering up one of The Monkees, and a handfull of other faces that would pull in that crowd, and filmed Linda Lovelace for President. They came by looking to get something loud for her to ride in, but they wanted something that would fit her and the tone of the movie.

    Pop had this buddy, Fish, who happened to be a pretty well known Pimp around the country at that time; they'd just built a new Cadillac for him. She saw it, and into the movie it went.. I think she rides in the car waving during some parade campaigning.

    I'm trying to think of some others off the top of my head..

    Oh, one easy one is Evel Knievel. Pop rolled into the shop one morning and he was sleeping in a Corvette in the driveway. Pop banged on the glass, and the rest is history. Pop did work for him, and they ended up traveling together. Matter of fact, I still have one of his checks sitting in my desk.

    [​IMG]
    (At one point, they must have gotten into a debate about taking some of his money; it appears Pop never cashed one of his checks.:p)
    Haha, bring it over and we'll build it.

    <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2011
  12. Cool stories. I actually have that movie.
     
  13. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

    Good to see you back D. Bet you're bored from surgery heal ups; I found these in my things while you were under. One more of the bike in blue, an old Chopper rag feature someone gave me, and I thought this was a good shot taken of Pop during the time-period we've been talkin' about.

    I'll see if I can't start posting some of the fifties stuff pretty soon. I found some slides of Cushenbery's Silhouette being painted too, but I'll have to get creative to get those digitized.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2011
  14. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

    Aaron,

    Apologies for the delay friend.

    I'm Wild Child's kid; I bought the place from Pop. I grew up in there. I went to school in there behind an old 1940s school desk. Slept nights on the sewing table. It's the house I grew up in. I guess I'm Wild Child now, and everything else is the same. We're cleaning out the building right now for the rebuild; these pictures are some of the things we're running across as we box up.

    Speaking of. I thought of you when I found another Roth picture in some old things. Here he is, horsing around with Pop, at some show from his booth.

    [​IMG]

    <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2011
  15. captainjunk#2
    Joined: Mar 13, 2008
    Posts: 4,420

    captainjunk#2
    Member

    awesome thread , digging the stories , history , and photos
     
  16. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

    Thanks Captain. Appreciate it man!
     
  17. retro rodder
    Joined: Apr 24, 2009
    Posts: 183

    retro rodder
    Member
    from cape cod

    this is absolutely amazing
     
  18. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

    Aaron,

    P.S. I almost forgot. In the same spot, I found a box of Ray's old cards too.[​IMG]

    <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2011
  19. sodbuster
    Joined: Oct 15, 2001
    Posts: 5,040

    sodbuster
    Member
    from Kansas

    I look forward to this post weekly..........RULER!

    Chris
     
  20. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

    Haha! Brother, at the rate we're going, considering the amount of stuff we're boxing up, you might be able to look forward to this post weekly for the rest of your life. :p

    (Definitely drop in some weekend if you see us there man; it'd be good to meet you.)

     
  21. Yeah, pretty much laid up in the recliner in front of the tube, not on the computer much. Took more X-rays today. That wheelie is bad ass!
     
  22. senior fried
    Joined: Jul 17, 2007
    Posts: 1,032

    senior fried
    Member

    Wow, These are the kind of threads that we all look forward to.
     
  23. Aaron Kahan
    Joined: Apr 29, 2011
    Posts: 123

    Aaron Kahan
    Member

    Hey Grim,
    Wow that Roth shot is super cool! All the Dave Mann prints displayed behind him and look at all those decals for sale. Rad! Cool stuff you have added this week as well. No problem about the delay, I'm just glad you keep adding to this thread. :)

    I couldn't resist and did a quick resto on the photo. Oh yeah Ray's card is great. Awesome you found those!

    -Aaron


     

    Attached Files:

  24. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

    Aaron,

    Seriously, just amazing man... That resto puts you back standing there; you've outdone yourself on this one brother. PM me an address and I'll trade you something cool for the time.

     
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2011
  25. RM-Special
    Joined: Oct 10, 2009
    Posts: 99

    RM-Special
    Member

    G'day Richard,Bob Belanger's preunit triumph was a raked custom bike and was featured in a 64 Cycle World magazine, so it would be interesting to know when this Trike was done.Cheers RM
     
  26. Last edited: Jul 21, 2011
  27. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

    Richard,

    Good to see you active D; hope the heal-ups are coming along buddy.

    Thanks for that link - really appreciate the effort of you posting on that other site.

    (P.S. I just read through it; I'm wondering if Apehanger is sure on that name? We never had anybody named Ralph Jones around the shop. Maybe he's thinking back about somebody else's place. I know a lot of trikes came along within a few years.)
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2011
  28. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

    Richard,

    Oh, and on the cowl part being from a Model T Ford. I think it just looks similar to a Ford in that oldest picture. As you can see in the pics, the body was all made out of old conduit and sheet-metal.

    -Take it easy buddy.

    (Here's a zoom-in, from part of another old shot, of that cowl being welded up.)
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2011
  29. grim
    Joined: Dec 15, 2006
    Posts: 384

    grim
    Member

    RM,

    Thanks for being here, and for the feedback, man; discussion helps me to figure out what to talk about. I know Pop was in the military between 62 and 64. Only thing that was worked on during that time was when he was on home-leave from the service for quick money (stuff like that Vette - that's why all of those build shots are in front of a house garage). After the service, in 1965, he got a different place to work than those pictures. The new place was at 7 E. 37th Street.

    Speaking of 37th and Vettes, here's an old shot from in front of the 37th street place - another, more mildly built, Vette.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    <script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like-box href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?ref=ts#%21/pages/Wild-Childs/130345530376900?sk=info" width="292" show_faces="false" stream="false" header="true"></fb:like-box>
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2011
  30. I did notice that, I figured the dude is pretty old by now, and it WAS the 60s, so memories are foggy...

    I figured some of the guys over there would like to check this out, the J.J. doesn't get as much traffic as the H.A.M.B.
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.