In the tradition of timeless custom car work that started all this......respect for style and letting the car make a dignified statement without a lot of added unnecessary stuff...kudos to you Ryan for turning on the spotlight!
Years ago, I was hanging with Brad at one of the NHRA Museum Twilight cruises in Pomona and while we were sitting in his Chevy, tons of people came up and told him what an awesome car he had. Later on we walked around looking at the cars at the show and Brad is right, he does think about cars all the time because in every kustom we looked at, he could instantly tell you what needed to be done to make the car a perfect kustom. His ideas are always right on the money.
I met an older man in my line of work, (drilling) deep in the conversation I rambled about this guy that I admired for his work in the car customizing world. I had no idea that older man was Brad Masterson father. The feeling of having a random guy talking so highly about his son must be a reward all of its self. keep ur head up.
Wow Ryan; what a great post from you. I am sure that your kind words will mean a lot to Brad, probably more than you know. A very generous and kind thing you have done by writing this. I had the pleasure of hanging out with Brad at his shop one day a few months ago and I could tell he was in a bit of a funk although I didn't know why at the time and really didn't know him well enough to ask. Reading his post recently and hearing what he has been dealing with explains a lot. Brad, Life has a way of washing away the pain and sorrow and filling us back up with goodness and joy; you just gotta keep trudging forward to get it.
Ryan, Great Thread about one of the "new breed" of Classic Kustom Builders. Brad is one of the nicest guys that you'll meet, and those that have seen him in action in Salina with Bill Hines, Gene Winfield, Keith Dean, et al, know his work is spot-on ! And that he's learned from the Masters: Barris & Hines. Thanks again ! Jonnie PS: I've got a great story from Brad that we did in an Interview in Salina that I'll try to Post this week.
Damn Brian, you're right...nice to hear it from someone like you who really gets it. Brad is a great guy and builds some great kustoms...I think 2011 kicked a few of our asses...if not everyone's...I know I felt it. Hope to see Brad crank out some cool shit this year...
There's something Holy about a man doing his own thing in the place he wants and in the way he knows it should be done. Spreading the Gospel is one thing, Brad lives it. I hope that he's able to find his way back.
I met Brad at the last paso.. We talked about his car, and other Kustoms that had "it" or didnt have "it", we had a lot of the same opinons and tastes. He is a really solid dude, Really nice and humble. He gave me a Kustoms of Los Angels shirt too... I was stoked! Forgive me, but Ive been touring through Europe for a bit and I think I must have missed something, Is Brad ok?
Not hard to have missed it. I think most just found out the other day through this thread: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=656013 If you read through it especially Brads posts it will answer your question.
wow! i didn't understand the gravity of events. i hope Brad will use this forum to vent his pain and know that we are all here to lean on as he feels a need. I know I speak for many other than just myself. if you want an ear or a hand Brad, feel free to email or PM me. I am here if you can use my help!
Brad, I am just a fat middle-aged quadriplegic and what I have become usually fills me with self loathing. But the monster shirt you did for me actually makes me feel cool when I wear it (which is pretty much all the time). You and your many talents have the power to enrich others lives. Not many people are blessed with that ability. Paul
I am fortunate to call Brad one of my close friends.. I have seen the transitions from a guy kicking ass, to hearing about his loss and not seeing him for months and wondering where is he? and then slowly I started seeing him coming around but I saw a different guy...you can tell he's been through allot.. lost his spark for sure. When I would see him I would keep telling him that he's gonna be a part of MFS 6 and that it would be good to get you back going and maybe get some business and we would hang out burn some trees and bullshit.. one of the things we talked about was doing some sorta TV show pilot and about him the shop and the people he knows etc.. so after driving to Texas and back by myself I came up with a show concept... and I came to the shop and pitched it to him and he was stoked on it!! Really Stoked!! and that day on I have seen the spark start to come back.. Sure there was some stuff that comes up like paying the rent and not loosing the shop but he survives every month some how.. and that’s the biggest struggle keeping this shop open.. Brad is a true craftsman as we know.. but he lives this Kustom life more than anyone I know. He is an old soul for sure.. He lives in the Barris / Jeffries shop in a trailer.. for real and wakes up skates to the liquor store..and leads cars like that master that thought him. He has relationships with some of the greatest original kustomizers and has an amazing collections of Barris / hines etc stuff.. He doesn’t build riddler cars.. he builds cars that are drivers.. It’s about making it cool and not being over the top.. Just like what came out of that shop in 1956.. I hope to have a Masterson kustom one of these days for sure.... Not only that.. he a master monster shirt painter!! just like Jeffries did in that shop... So Ryan.. Thanks for posting this. I know it means allot to Brad and giving him more exposer is rad.. Oh as for the TV show pilot... we have shot some of it already and gonna finish it off soon.. Heres his facebook page if you need to get a hold of him.. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1757989618 New shop paint Buick he did recently..
Brad and I put together a really cool piece for MFS 6 the plan was to talk about the shop and interview Jeffries and Bill about the shop.. so his whole story is on the new DVD.. But I felt that we needed to do some sorta tech piece... so we came up with this idea to have Bill come to the shop and do and areial on a merc at the shop while he does a french headlight and I gotta say its one of my favorite parts of the dvd.. its really cool to see Bill working let alone doing it at the shop.. Brad gives us a lesson on leading how they did it at the shop and boy dose he make it look easy.. So get a hold of him if you need some good old Kustom work...
Great thread. His work is fantastic, and the airbrushed tees are awesome. Though I do not know you, my condolences for what you have been through this past year. It's a very hard thing to get through... I think you never really get past it but learn to deal with it. Know when she passed her energies left her body and were left here with you to help keep you strong and guide you through life one day at a time. To help you. It will get better. I hope visit your shop and meet you someday, keep on keepin' on man.
I have not been in this custom car building very long. But I have looked at countless builds on Riks site and I always end up stuck at Brads section. After seeing his fleetline I was hooked had to have one. Now I have one. OH SHIT I had no idea what chopping one was going to take. Well I contacted Brad and he talked to me like I was an old friend and never once acted like I was bugging him or shushed me off. This guy is the real deal when it comes to customs. The other cool thing is the tools he works with are from the old days. Which we can all have in our garage at home. I might not be able to use them like he does. But like he said its only metal and it can be fixed. Keep on going brad its going to get better some days are better than others. Oh ya (don't be afraid of the old shit)
Have not met Brad yet..maybe someday. But I look up to you alot, love your style of cars and the fact that you are keeping the old techniques alive is just plain AWESOME. Keep going Brad.
I read the threads on here regarding Brad and couldn't imagine going through what he went through. I've also read the threads on here showing off his talents and visions, and have garnered a lot of respect for someone who until recently was unknown to me. I hope to meet Brad someday and shake his hand and buy him a beer. Keep on keepin on Brad!
I have a small story about Brad i would like to share. We went to Salina about 6 years ago to see Bill chop a top on a '52 Chevy, we had been reading all about in the differant mags and the Kemps website and decided to roll into Kansas and check it out. We got there Saturday morning and enjoyed the show and spent nearly all of our time watching Bill and a couple of young guys around our age cut this '52. We stayed until the very end of the day and began talking to Brad and Bill about the chop and the drive from Long Beach riding 3 deep in '59 El Camino Bill customized in the '60's. I was thinking to myself man what a hardcore, he was telling me about how he was working with Bill 7 days a week and pretty much living at Bills shop. He started telling me he was looking for fleetline chevy, and proceeded to tell me all about how he was going to chop and customize it the old school way. We talked and bullshitted for an hour or so and we asked him if he would like to go to the bar for some drinks and fun that night and wind down and relax. What he did was tell me he would love to, but he needed to stay with Bill and take care of him and make sure he got dinner and got in his room safely. Thats the kind of guy Brad is, he is very dedicated to what he does and i understand the burnout myself and have also been fighting it a little, so this post hits home with me in a way. Everytime we go to LA we always go to visit his shop and talk with him. I went back to Kansas this year with my wagon and talked with Brad again and asked him how he was doing and told him to keep his head up and keep doing what he does, saw him when we went to SEMA and it was the same thing, very awesome guy and one hell of a Kustomizer, maybe if i am lucky i talked with him about flying him down to our shop to chop and lead a new fleetline project i have embarked on since seeing his. I will post a few of my shots from Brads shop in another post , but if you see Brad at an event go talk to him he is a great person.
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