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Customs Rik Hoving's FIRST Custom Car book

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Rikster, Oct 30, 2012.

  1. J.B.
    Joined: Jan 7, 2005
    Posts: 1,246

    J.B.
    Member
    from Sweden

    FINALLY ordered mine today!
     
  2. rd4pin
    Joined: Feb 2, 2010
    Posts: 177

    rd4pin
    Member
    from louisiana

    Just ordered mine, can't wait for it to arrive.
    Fell in love with these cars in about 1948, it ain't changed since.
     
  3. devilscustom
    Joined: Feb 22, 2007
    Posts: 289

    devilscustom
    Member
    from Sweden

    Fantastic book really good work
     
  4. Bob K
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 5,772

    Bob K
    Member Emeritus
    from Antigo Wi.

    Got mine this morning, a quick glance tells me it is going to be fantastic read.

    Thanks for paying attention Rik, I damn near screwed that up.

    B[​IMG]B
     
  5. Well Santa came through and I got the book. I have already read it cover to cover I just couldn't put it down. Great work Rik!!!


    Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
     
  6. 35desoto
    Joined: Oct 6, 2009
    Posts: 775

    35desoto
    Member

    Mine arrived yesterday and i was rapt at its presentation and quality. I started to read it last night and was gob smacked at the detail that has gone into the research and background to not only the car but all those associated with it. As they say its about one car but is a full story over all those that have touched the car whether by working on it or owning it. Full credit to Rik for a fantastic effort.
     
  7. ABBoston
    Joined: Dec 13, 2005
    Posts: 275

    ABBoston
    Member
    from Boston

    Nice! Writing some car books is on my "Want to Do" list
     
  8. 51 mercules
    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Posts: 3,868

    51 mercules
    Member

    Can't wait to get mine at the GNRS.
     
  9. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    Last week we received a really great email from Bob Drake.
    Bob and his daughter will be flying in from Indiana to join the Jack Stewart Ford Project Team at the GNRS.
    We are very excited about this. Bob Drake has been the care taker of this car from 1955 till 2006, and it will be the first time he and Jack Stewart will be talking to each each other.
    I guess it will be very special to hear these guys talking about the car and looking over the bare metal body and talk about all the details and share all their memory's.

    We are still hoping that Jim Street will also join us at the GNRS, but health issues from Jim and his wife Sally might be standing in the way of traveling from Dayton Ohio to California.


    Here is a photo from the early 1980's when George Barris traveled to Indiana to meet with Bob Drake to take a close look at the restored Jack Stewart Ford. The photo was taken in Bob's home garage.

    [​IMG]
     
  10. Swedeshoebox
    Joined: Sep 30, 2007
    Posts: 149

    Swedeshoebox
    Member
    from Sweden

    Rik!

    After GNRS you will have som mutch more to write about.....maby a volume 2 ?:)

    Just love your book:D

    /Andreas.....
     
  11. Rik ...are there any pictures with some of the previous owners of the car standing next to either Gil or Al ? I wonder if any of the former caretakers ever went back and talked to them years later?
     
  12. 53chevy
    Joined: Mar 5, 2001
    Posts: 1,570

    53chevy
    Member

    Wow, that is pretty cool. One thing, I know this has been hashed out a little before, is the front fender treatment. Bill De Carr's '41 Mercury and Vic Grace's '41 Buick had very similar treatments. What was the idea, to mimic another higher end car or aesthetics reasons?

    Kenny
     
  13. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    If there were... or if I had found them they would have ended up in the book for sure. I have searched hard, but there are only very few photos of the car when Jack owned it when it was done, or even in white primer.

    Usually once a historical piece on a car is published with all, or most of the material available at the time all of the sudden many more info and photos show up. I guess just to frustrate the authors :). But in this case of the Jack Stewart Ford nothing extra has been surfacing since the book was published.

    I would loved to see Jack's Ford with some of its builders standing around the car.
     
  14. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member


    The wheel opening on the Bill DeCarr (Ortega) 1941 Mercury is actually the shape Jack was after.

    But to get back to your question. A lot of the cars before 1948 had rounded wheel openings and the younger cars most had the top of the opening level with the top of the fenders with a nice radius towards the side of the wheel opening. 1949 Ford and Mercury shaped wheel openings are the once that inspired Jack to reshape the openings on his car. Just to make his 1941 Ford look more modern.
     
  15. DKroadsters
    Joined: Jan 2, 2005
    Posts: 190

    DKroadsters
    Member

    UHHH Rik

    It will soon be the day you can sign the book together with Jack Stewart
    What a day it will be for jack stewart to finally see hes car again
     
  16. Rick, my copy arrived Xmas eve, just in time for santa to wrap it.........seriously tho', its a fantastic read, I took a couple of weeks to read thru it, savoring it and really enjoying all the info, comments and history.........its worth every cent, I only wish I could be there at the GNRS............best wishes and trust it all goes well for everyone concerned......many thanks, Andy Douglas
     
  17. finkd
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 1,500

    finkd
    Member Emeritus

    I was the very lucky person to get the first book signed by jack, and bob and ric and palle, very honored to have this wonderfull experiance,,, thanks RIK......
     
  18. espi1
    Joined: Dec 17, 2008
    Posts: 20

    espi1
    Member

    Got the book from you in person at the show. Once again thank you!
     
  19. DKroadsters
    Joined: Jan 2, 2005
    Posts: 190

    DKroadsters
    Member

    Buy Rik's Book and have some very nice hours of reading about the True Kustom History

    You will be surprised how many new photos and information this book have
     
  20. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    One of the photos that was used in the Jack Stewart Ford book showing Jack's 1941 Ford in
    its very early stage was found in by pure luck. Jack had not selected this photo to show us
    at all, since he did not think much of it. I came across it when the sun was starting to set
    and the room was getting dark and I wanted to have one more look at Jack's work room to
    see if I had not missed anything. I came across this photo frame with a collage of all kind
    of Stewart Family photos. And in one of the cut out paper frames I could see parts of an
    un-chopped 1941 Ford in white primer.
    I took the frame of the wall and walked outside were Jack and Palle Johansen were starting
    to say good bye already. And I asked Jack if this photo could possibly be Jack's Ford in its
    early stage of customizing without the chop, channeling or fade away fenders. "Oh that old
    photo, yeah its my car, but before it was looking good" was Jacks reply.
    I asked if I could take the photo out and unpacked the scanner and computer and made a
    nice large scan of this early photo. Both Palle Johansen and me thought that that one photo
    was the jackpot of the day.

    And this photo - which I took in 2013 when we visited Jack again - shows how this 1947
    photo was hidden in the collage... Below is is Jacks Ski-boat and next to it Jack and a
    friend working on the trailer.


    [​IMG]







    [​IMG]
     
  21. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    The Jack Stewart Ford books shows some plastic parts that were hand crated by none other than Bob Hirohata at the Barris shop in 1951. In the book you can see the taillights and laminated teardrop shaped shifter knob Bob made for the car. But these two smaller parts that he created are not in the book.

    It is truly amazing that all these original plastic parts are still on the car after all these years and all the owners the car has had. But we are very happy they are still there, and in relative good condition. As you can see the hand shaped clear dash knobs has its fair share of cracks, but it is till in one piece. Tha half moon shaped clear plastic knob on the top of the dash was also created by Bob. All hand shaped with files, sanded smooth and polished till it was glass clear again. All pieces were carefully cleaned by Palle Johansen and installed right before the 2013 GNRS.

    [​IMG]
     
  22. Jerry_Rolls&Pleats
    Joined: Apr 19, 2006
    Posts: 327

    Jerry_Rolls&Pleats
    Member
    from Europe

    Thanks for sending me a review copy of "The Jack Stewart Ford", it's a really fantastic book!

    [​IMG][​IMG]
     
  23. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    Thanks Jerry.
    Looking forward to get a copy of your great magazine. The content of this issue looks really great.
     
  24. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    The Jack Stewart Ford book and the Jack Stewart Ford project received quite a bit of press
    lately. Several magazine including Kustoms Illustrated, Swedish Gasoline magazine,
    Rod & Custom and various other magazines spend some good space to the Jack Stewart
    Ford in bare metal at the GNRS earlier this year. And the Jack Stewart Ford book gets
    mentioned in there several times. Other magazines did some very nice book reviews on
    the book which we at Kustom Kar Books very much appreciate.
    The image here shows just a few of the publications.

    People from all over the world, who have ordered the Jack Stewart Ford book, are even
    more enthusiast about the book than I had ever anticipated. Famous people like Ray Soff,
    Greg Sharp, Junior Conway, Darrell Mayabb, Chris Ito and Denis Metz all have nothing but
    good things to say about the book. They keep flipping thru it and find new things they had
    not seen before all the time. Other people send us emails to let us know that their wife's
    need to drag them away from the book to get some food or sleep, or that they started to
    read from the beginning again after they had just finished it. And what a lot of people
    mention is that they finally found the perfect custom car book written by a custom car guy
    for the custom car guy.

    Most people mention they are looking forward to the next project from Kustom Kar Books
    and we have already received numerous suggestions for new projects. Hopefully the future
    will bring you more fantastic custom car related projects. Until then if you have not ordered
    a Jack Stewart Ford book yet, take a look at the site to see whats inside the book, read
    what other people have to say about it and get your own copy of this unique book.

    [​IMG]





    [​IMG]
     
  25. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    The West Coast Kustoms Cruising Nationals in Santa Maria, The big Custom Car event is around the corner (May 24-26, 2013)

    Jack Stewart himself will be at this event to sign and sell copies of the JACK STEWART FORD book. Jack will be at the Santa Maria Cruising Nationals with his lovely wife Sally to talk about the car and he might even have a few more details and memories that did not make it into the book. Check out Jack at his table and take a look at the book.

    Originally it was planned to have the real car at this even done in white primer. The way Jack drove it for about a year in 1950. But after being separated with the car for so long to be able to have it at the 2013 GNRS, owner and restorer Palle Johansen decided looking at progress just on some small phone photos would not do it for him. So he decided to ship the car back home to be able to finish the car there with his own team of craftsman. And be able to watch progress up close and at any moment of the day. The plan is to have the car back in the US once its all done. Who knows perhaps Santa Maria next year.

    [​IMG]
     
  26. Woogeroo
    Joined: Dec 29, 2005
    Posts: 1,226

    Woogeroo
    Member
    from USA

    I got my copy this week folks, it's the bees knees.

    -W
     
  27. Woogeroo
    Joined: Dec 29, 2005
    Posts: 1,226

    Woogeroo
    Member
    from USA

    I finished reading every word and checking out each photo and detail last week.

    I only read it when I really had the time to sit quietly and absorb it all.

    I'm a Chevy guy, born and raised... and strangely enough I like the stock look of the '39-'41 fords, but Rikster's passion for kustoms is evident throughout the book. He writes about the car, the changes... the modifications, the stuff a kustom guy/gal would want to know about.

    I really enjoyed the book, the stories of the Stewart Ford as well as the many other cars mentioned. If you have pondered getting a copy, go ahead, you will enjoy it thoroughly.

    -W


    A few links, all here on the HAMB, about the book, the car and the research trip that lead to the book being made.


    another thread about the Book:

    The Jack Stewart Ford




    threads about the car :

    Ayala-Barris Jack Stewart 1941 Ford RESTORATION has started.


    The JACK STEWART 1941 Ford USA Research trip
    the thread about the research trip on the car, which lead to the book. I followed it ages ago, a fun read with lots of photos.


     

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