Folks Of Interest Brad Masterson Kustoms

Amazing, not one over done car in the bunch. A lot of guys get carried away when it comes to customizing and end up making a car look worse, rather than improving it's appearance. . . I have to say, all of the cars here look great and aren't over done.

They all have perfect, subtle touches that greatly improve the car. Two thumbs up!

 

Brad is a artist in plain words. He works as much as he can with lead and old tools. He's alsocworked with George Barris and Bill Hines. His '51 is an amazing car too.

 

He's carrying the Hines torch and legacy. His stuff has always been clean and classy and done in the old way. I'd admire his eye and talent.

 

Brad has an eye and a gift that allows him to transfer his mind visions through his hands to make truly traditional Customs.
Ryan, thanks for featuring him and helping a Brother up.
He's had a rough time and we can only hope 2012 is his year to turn it back up!

 

Brads work covers quite a broad range of vehicles.....but its all good. I get burned out on cars once in a while. I'll take a day off like yesterday, went for a ride on my Harley. Ready to get back on the 37 PU project today.

 

I think it's natural for any artist to question the direction they are going. And that's what guys who dedicate their lives to hot rodding and/or customizing old cars are: artists. Not mechanics, not bodymen, not electricians, not welders, not project managers...although if you want to survive in the artform, you need to be a little (or a lot) of each of those.

As an artist, it can be hard to stand back away from the day-to-day labor and hard work of it all to see that what you are creating is actually worthwhile. It might not seem like such a tough job from the outside looking in, but hot rodding/ customizing can be extemely draining...emotionally, socially, physically...not to mention financially.

A little positive feedback can go a long way. Thanks for the post, Ryan. I hope Brad continues to turn out bitchin' custom cars.

 

Mr. Masterson's cars are always bitchin'.

 

Thanks for articulating that, Ryan. Following along on that other thread and reading what Brad had to say, every condolence I could offer or words of encouragement I could dream up rang hollow so I never said anything.
Brad, if you read this, please know that I empathize with your situation and while I have no idea what it feels like to have walked in your shoes, I can say that things do get better eventually even if the scars never fully heal.
And banging away on old cars, while you do it better than most of us, is just how Ryan described it: small beans in the grand scheme of things. And having not met you, I can't say for certain, but thinking of my own passions I know that I have a gift for certain things, and when life has thrown me its worst curve balls, those things don't matter for spit. But with time I find that those passions come back into my life and are stronger than before and actually help me heal along the way. Maybe it will be the same for you, maybe not.
And whether you choose to set down your hammers and your torch and walk away from it all is your decision and whatever decision you make is the right one.
But please know that you've made one hell of a dent in the world of custom cars... and you hammered it back into place and shrunk it and stretched it and used a minimum of lead filler to make it smooth and something else; something more beautiful.
We are all the richer for it.

 

Very nice Ryan..... Class !!!

 

Ryan,

Nicely said, and you are right in that Guys like Brad are the real backbone of Custom's with or without the "C". I don't know him, but I know some who do, and he is the Real Deal. Thanks for the post !

firstnomad
www.angelfire.com/jazz/flatlandstudio

 

I have had the pleasure of shaking his hand at Salina KKOA and telling him how cool his work is. His demeanor is nice and his respect for Mr. Bill HInes is awesome. He seems to have a clean, less is more, about his work. Tasty stuff with everything I have had the pleasure to see. Thanx for waving the flag for a true automotive artist. Praise the lowered. ~sololobo~

 

Brad, you don't know me from the door jamb, but I was there and can feel your self doubt and exhaustion. Mine was in an entirely unrelated distant field. Trying to be the best at whatever we do and run it as a business is especially today an almost impossible task. I used to hate to hear the telephone ring and worried when it didn't. Your work is a testament to your skill, the prior posts are testaments to both your character and the respect those who know have for you. This is really the most important, to have the respect of our skilled peers is the reward, the rest will come. Hang in there you will overcome those damn speed bumps we all encounter

 

Brad is cool. Had a blast at his shop. He introduced me to Bill Hines. Look forward to seeing him in action on my next visit west.
Slim

 

Brad is doing us all a big favor keeping the old barris shop open for the public. In addition to that he is also using the shop to turn out some really tasteful customs, and some weird sweatshirts, just like back in the good old days! It's the best museum ever. I really hope Brad gets enough work in the future to keep his business going for many years to come!!!

 

That ever present feeling that old cars could go away and no one but the hardcore enthusiasts would care... haunts me everyday. Thanks to the HAMB and guys like Brad Masterson, I survive it. MFS reignited my fire, and namely, the Masterson/Hines scene turned me back on to learning lead work.

 

Once again Ryan you've put that into words in a far better way than most.

just like Gigantor, I read Brads other thread and didnt comment....i just didnt know what to say.

it would be great to see more beautiful cars emerging from his workshop in 2012.

best wishes....Jick

 

Ryan, Well said!!!!

 

ive heard the name brad masterson alot lately due to my buddy and so many guys locally turning to him as inspiration for there customs. its alittle hard over here in eastern nc to see famous cars from the west so we have to look at pics or videos. but also not knowing brad masterson i can say he has got to be one hell of a artist to capture perfection in alot of cars he touches. all timeless and simple and as said by zombie not over done. brad keep creating cause your work means more than you know. specially to us furthest from you who just have to drool over pics.

 

Brad Keep up the great work and don't stop dude. Anna is proud of you !

 

You make me proud to be a part of this forum Ryan. Thank You.

Brad, keep looking forward. I love your work.

 

You've gotta be good at what you do to have total strangers and grown men take pictures of you doing your job. Here he is trying to cram his ass into a tiny window...

 

Well said Ryan. I do like your comment... "that in the grand scheme of things these old cars of ours don't mean shit to the world. They could go away and realistically the world wouldn't be all that different..."

To us on the HAMB they are important, but we are not mainstream. Even in the automotive world we are not. I have relatives and friends that do not get my interest in old cars. Doesn't bother me, just as they have hobbies and interests that I don't care about.
I do find it interesting when some think our hobby is more mainstream, and can't understand why they are not making TV shows and movies related to it, like a remake of the American Graffiti movie.
Like Ryan said.. "old cars of ours don't mean shit to the world" ... Should we care?

 

Brad Masterson is just one cool dude that i tip my hat for. Great talent....Keep doing what your doing

 

well said ryan and thanxs
brad is a stand up guy with amazing talent and the pics of his work speeks for it self stay strong brad! F B B F

amazingly said brian ,
i can relate to all of it and yes it aint easy most of the time . the bottom line is most of us are starving artist we do this for the love of it.

brad has a big passion for custom cars and a big heart . like us all he just wants to build bitchin custom cars and FINISH them and when you cant for what ever reason it dose get frustraiting .
i have alot of love for brad and am proud to call him a brother. and i have had the pleasesure to work a long side of him .
brad i just want to say keep doing what you do best and keep building kool ass shit. you have alot of talent and a great eye for period custom cars along with the passion you have for building them and the building your in. from your air brushing of the monster shirts to the beatnik wall you painted behind your shop im always amazed by you and art and tallent.
keep on keepin on my friend.
customs forever

 

good stuff

 

THANK YOU RYAN!! Brad is a good friend of mine and man he has had a couple of bad years but he keeps on keeping on .. Evarything that comes out of his shop is done with class and is meant to be driven , not shown around on trailers from show to show. He has the eye and knows the right look.
I to hope that things flip around for him this year which I'm sure they will.


Brads an awesome guy , I.ve seen him take total strangers under his wing for the day and leave what he's doing just to cruise them to all the old school spots in Lynnwood and LA Taking them to places like Hines' shop and Dean Jeffries. He loves this world of hotrods and customs more than anyone I know. And loves to share it with the people that share the same interests.


Brad asked me to post pictures from the fire party he just had at his shop It commemorates the Barris fire 50 some odd years ago . This is a must go to event for everyone . Meet all the guys that paved the road for us and have a great time and food.

http://kustomimaging.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/masterson-fire-party/

http://mastersonkustoms.com/

 

Boy, Ryan..... for someone who I feel I clash with more than not, this entry sounds like the conversation I've had with many clients and friends. Scary, how at the end of the day, we are on the same page...or at least in the same notebook.

 

I've felt the same way for years. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about old cars, mostly trucks though. I have never liked new cars and even when I was kid I didn't like new cars. The only new car I liked was the smokey and the bandit car. Other than that. I couldn't care less if your dad had a '84 Iroc. It didn't matter to me. I loved old cars. But in honesty it was our only way of life. We couldn't afford new cars and we had to just make do. We didn't own cool cars but it was what it was. I look back over the many years of cars that passed through my hands, my moms and uncles and I think about how cool it would of been to hold onto them. But you know if nobody knew nobody could have cared. Old cars have been my life for a long time. I don't own a shop, don't own a hot rod nor a custom. I've only been to a few shows. I don't know a single soul personally that owns a hot rod shop. I'm pretty much alone at this, for me that is. No father to teach me about hot rods, baseball or mowing the lawn. For me hot rods have always been a spectator sport for me.


I learned of Brads work a few years back. The guy is just awesome. The way it should be. The old gaurd, Bill, teaching the new gaurd. Brad has a natural eye for the look of a custom. Few people posses that. Artist see what is and could be. Artist are also harsh critics to their own work. I bet Brad doesn't see himself as an artist. Why would you? I like old cars and that's exactly what I know. Old cars make life just alittle better. When I'm poking around in the mud and crawling under a nasty old house I look foward to seeing a really well built custom. Something that comes out of the hands of the like, Brad.

 

Well said Ryan.....just nice and clean work