So glad I got to talk with him at Autorama last year and have him sign my book. Be told a hilarious story and I left smiling. So sad we are losing so many great people from this hobby we all enjoy. Hopefully his works will live on for years to come. RIP Dean
Sad day, R.I.P. Dean To me Mantaray is the ultimate 60s Hot Rod and the pinnacle of the 60s asymmetrical show rods.
Yea....We can only imagine, what that Hot Rod shop in the sky is looking like lately, with all that talent...WOW
Wow. The Monkeemobile, his GT40 Roadster, his wild flamed sedan, not to mention stunt work he did like the truck jump in Honky Tonk Freeway in which he broke his back. A true renaissance man if there ever was. Godspeed, Mr. Jeffries.
. Dean & Rosalee were two of the nicest and most interesting people around. I hope now they will be together again. RIP .
A true legend and this world miss him dearly. I take comfort knowing he's been united with his dear wife and both are at peace. Met him at the 2012 Autorama. One of the nicest guys in the world and wasn't too big for a hug. Blurry but still a treasure of mine...
Back in the '50s Dean had a shop on Sunset Blvd just west of Van Ness in Hollywood. My friends and I would ride our bikes up from Echo Park and watch him work his magic. One of my buddies asked him if he would paint the hull of a junior high school wood shop boat project and he agreed. He painted it candy apple red and named it Lucky Lady. My old friend still has the boat and it's a prized possession. Dean was a great and talented craftsman and also took time to help kids develop an interest in the automotive hobby. RIP
I've still got that issue of Hot Rod with the Mantaray on the cover, thought it was one of the neatest builds at the time. Finally got to see it at the Petersen and drove buy his shop the next day, sure wish I'd stopped in. RIP Dean.
Wow, sad news indeed!!!! Adriene & I called Dean up a couple of months back to invite him to The Legends of Kustoms Kruise Nite that we put on monthly. He was in high spirits and was looking toward to it. One of the last things he said was "do something that no one else has done" . I said like rebuilding the headquarters of Kustoms in Downeyland. He giggled. Spent 45 mins with him on the line, just talking cars and the future. Very optimistic guy. I was lucky enough to have dinner with both he & Rose, his lovely bride nearly 13 yrs ago at the The Petersen when we did the Cars of the Stars show. Again a most memorable nite! My favorite memory is when my brother,sister & I had our dad stop at his shop so we could see the Monkeemobile up close. When we were looking it over, me being all of 4 yrs old and could not see over the doors felt these hands grab me and place behind the wheel. Low and behold it was dean himself who put me behind the wheel. 13 yrs later I'd find myself behind the wheel of that car although it was at the Sheraton Universals parking structure getting ready to be auctioned off by Barris.�� Godspeed Dean, now you're with Rosé again and you have so many new ideas to implement while we take a while to catch up again��.
Dean was a friend and a mentor. I'm glad my father and I had a chance to work with him. He had more business sence then anyone I knew. Got alot of untold stories of that man. God speed, Deaner
A true legend and friend... He will be missed.. <object width="500" height="281"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=43949057&force_embed=1&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=43949057&force_embed=1&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="500" height="281"></embed></object>
I met Dean at a commercial shoot a few years ago--they used our cars for a Bell Atlantic commercial. We got to talk for a couple of hours--so much history and knowledge.He still remembered me when I would see him at events---what a guy!!!
The Jalopy Journal
