This is the car that ruined my life when I was 6 years old. I can remember looking at that album cover for hours at a time. Now look at me. Thanks alot awesome car.
Love it or hate it. It's awesome that the car is preserved for everyone to appreciate. You can tell how passionate Curt is about the car. Just a terrific story all around. One of my favorite songs too.
SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THE GRILL SHELL, but that was the style back then( Custom changes). I remember when I was 50 years younger, nobody was in to stock looking cars like today. Also The Ferrari strakes was not a styling thing. The Ferrari Testarossa had a mid engine with radiators in the rear on each side. The had wide openings, but it would not pass safety requirements because a pedestrian could get caught in them. So they put the strakes on to keep people from getting caught or snagged in the openings. Ago
MrFalcon62 - The topic of the swastika has been discussed on the HAMB many times before (including 7 pages worth in Royalshifter's Lil' Deuce Coupe thread) ... but in a nutshell, JeffreyJames & TERPU are correct ... it was a "Surf Nazi" thing.
When I was a kid driving that coupe, it was unchopped and I could fit in it. When we had the coupe at the Old Farts Car Club tent at the Turkey Rod run, I really had to fold up like a pretzel to get in the car. The chopped top really tightened it up. Me adding 50 pounds may have had something to do with it. I hated the blackwalls in that time period.
Nice rod. Good thing we all have different tastes otherwise we would all be driving the same vehicle. I always take away something from someone elses creation.
Hotrod40- you are the man! You drove the legendary Beach Boys Little Deuce Coupe in HIGH SCHOOL!!! That in itself is awesome!!! I drove a Datsun pickup. Haha Sent from my iPhone using TJJ
hotrod1940... Many, many thanks for the info ! Years ago when Mike & Larry Alexander were at Starbird's Museum/Hall of Fame for Induction Ceremonies, Larry who was, like Mike, a real gentleman, told me he was a little upset through the years because George ended up getting most of the credit for the coupe. He felt that the work he & Mike did in Detroit was diminished by what Barris had done to the car and that many had forgotten the role they had played in giving the coupe "the look" that they had. Both Larry & Mike were always the best...and two of the nicest that you'd ever meet. Jonnie www.legends.thewwbc.net
Talked to Mike Alexander at the Autorama this year. I really enjoyed seeing the clone to the 69er at the show. It was a great car and a friendly competitor to the Lil deuce coupe back in the day. Many people worked on that car over the years and I really think that the A bros did set the style before the car went to CA. Barris basically chopped the top and repainted the car. I think that Bill Hines did the actual chop while working for Barris (not sure). Bill Hines was from Detroit and Chili was at Hines shop when Hines painted the Jimmy Jones skirts on my 56 Chevy. In the background of the picture below is the 69er.
Must have been great being a part of hot rod history! Can you tell me what headlights were used in the car with the custom nose piece?
That's a Sandscrit swastika, which literally means "It is good". Hitler took the symbol and rotated it 45 degrees...and literally bastardized the true meaning of this Hindu and Buddhism symbol for all eternity.
The Jalopy Journal
