History Comments about tex smith for article

I have another article assignment for AUTO TRADER KUSTOM & RODS.

This one is a biography of LeRoi "Tex" Smith (who was my boss at OLD CARS WEEKLY for four or five years). Tex also wrote the first book I ever rear about hot rods called HOW TO FIX UP OLD CARS.

I am in touch with Tex to fill in biographical info I don't have so I don't need much along those lines.

What I am looking for are quotes about him that I can build into the story (you'll be credited) and even photos.

If you want to be quoted I'll need your real name and your location or your connection to hot rodding. In other words, "According to Joe Blow of Podunk, Idaho" or according to "Richey Cunningham of the Milwaukee Gear Twisters." You know the drill.

Oh yeh, photos must by at least 300 KB file sizes, so best to send through my regular email [email protected].

 

Nothing significant to add other than the man could explain the most difficult project as if it were nothing. The first custom book I bought was his "How To Build Custom Cars" and his articles are the only reason I still have issues of Rod Action and Hot Rod Mechanix. The man is a wonderful asset and isn't praised as much as he should be.

My .02!
Brian

 

Although I haven’t talked to him for some time now, Tex is a great guy and a friend. I have known him for years. He came down to Boise in the 80's to help promote legislation for fender less cars in Idaho. NSRA would not send any reps to help. The bill went through with his testimony and we are still thankful to him. Oh, by the way I'm from Podunk Idaho too but live in Boi Angeles.

 

Alot of guys I know can quote a boatload of famous editors, personalities what have you.
I remember the first time I ever read Hot Rod Mechanix all I could think was "Who IS this Tex Smith guy?? I was blown away. That was 20+ years ago and I still can't name many "Hot Rod" people, but I sure as heck remembered Tex Smith's name!!!

 

I just remember getting screwed out of about 20 bucks when HRMx went under. TS sent a letter saying he would make it right with credit on books or a refund, cause he'd never fuck over his customers, never did.

 

I remember from my Hot Rod Mechanix subscription that the man had an incredible knack for finding old car parts, so much so that it drove me a bit crazy.

-Dave

 

yep, subscription and fifty bucks that was money up front for a book that never happened.

I guess shit happens..

I still have almost every copy of HRMx and most of his how-to series
including an autographed How to Build Real Hotrods

very down home style, and easy to read, I learned a lot from him

 

Very few people have contributed more to the hobby than Tex Smith. The things he has accomplished far out weigh any business setbacks. You cannot attempt big things without failure. First met him in person in 1971 at Memphis and have followed his career. He is one of the true pioneers.

 

I don't know how long HRMX was around,but I was very disappointed when it was canceled. I still have all my issues and use them for reference often. Wish it would come back!

 

Ditto on HRM as an excellent resource. I read Tex's articles several times back in the early nineties. I used one of his articles to assembly and break in my first engine build. I miss that DIY spirit of the HRM, but now look for Tex Smith books at the swap meets. All subtance without any fluff.

 

Great Stuff. Working with Tex was always a blast. He lives in Aystrailia now.

 

Thanks. He is in Austrailia now. The Podunk thing was something that he always said. I included it so friends would laugh at how many times they heard him use that phrase.

 

He actually preferred being called LeRoi when I worked with him. The Tex was kind of a persona. He said he was Cherokee Indian, so the opposite of a cowboy, but he always used the persona well.

 

Interestingly, the town where I live actually was officially named Podunk for a brief time after it was settled.

-Dave

 

HRM was good but The magazine CUSTOM CARS WWAAASSSSS GGGGRRRREEEEEAAAAAATTTTTT.I have all 6 issues.Wish it could of lasted longer. People probly told him not to do it, but he did it anyway.Loved the articles in Rod Action. How To Chop Cars, How To Draw Cars and How To Build Shoebox Fords and Mercs are all classics. Wasn`t there a story about him Driving threw the mountians in a roadster with somthing broken in the middle of winter, or was it that other guy.

 

i know from reading his articles in hotrod and rod and custom that he had old cars and old car, stuff stashed in barns and sheds all over the united states. i always enjoyed his writings.

 

Good ol' Leroi,(XR6) Smith, he never did finish that "project" car, but he loved that ol' multi door slammer "Walter P" (Chrysler). Some of you remember when he lived in the hills (Frazier Park) Ca.----Thats when he got the bug to put on a small get together for old cars, which became the "Kernville Run"----AHHH, but thats another story in the distant past!!!!!!----------Don

 

Not many of the hundreds of guys that have written in the magazines and auto publications over the 60 years of my life have been noteworthy. Tom Senter, Don Francisco, Roger Huntington, Jim McFarland, Frank Oddo, Pat Ganahal, Spence Murey(sp), Tom Medley, Wally Parks, and yes Leroi (Tex) Smith are the exceptions.
Tex needs to be remembered in the words that Mr.Medly used to describe him many years ago, “ …if it don’t go .. put a chevy in it… if it does go , it must not have a flathead in it.”
These words are expressed from a guy who has seven flatheads and no chevys. Tex is a real Hotrodder, and his impact has been felt.

 

First Tex Smith stuff I ever read was the XR-6 build in Hot Rod back in the 1960's. I remember when Tex became editor of Old Cars Weekly, and the stone stock people got a bit out of shape. It was always fun to read the letters to the editor, and enter the auto trivia games Tex started. Finally got to meet him at Hershey, always enjoyed the magazine articals and books he wrote.

 

Even I have heard of Tex Smith - Matt Field A rookie hot rodder from Washington.

 

Tex was, perhaps, the most influential man in this long time rodders' life. I have few heros...Tex is one of them.

 

Maggie & I just got back from Australia where we had the good fortune to spend the better part of a day reminiscing with our ol buddy Tex, he is doing better after some health problems but is going to be his old self again soon. Sure do miss our telephone conversations, it cost a lot of money to call overseas so we don't talk as often as we used to.

Will probably be Speed Week before we get to see him again.

BB

 

I'm trying to remember if it was him that started that Vintage Tin column. That one used to drive me nuts when I was still on the Right Coast and seeing all the solid metal out in Nevada, Idaho ect. An article he did in '71 on the history of Track Roadsters was the spark to get my build going. There wasn't a lot of stuff like that being published in those days . He was way ahead of his time on the direction that the hobby needed to take. It needed to look to it's past.

 

I got to talk to Tex at the Wheels of Time Jamboree. We were talking about speed and the old bias tires I was running at the time. He steered me to radial tires so that my handling vastly improved at speed and probiably kept me from losing my life at some of the speeds I used to drive at.

 

One of my childhood heros, all the other kids looked up to sports stars and musicians, I looked up to drag racers and magazine writers (the guys that taught me how to read). I'll never forget meeting Tex at the NSRA run in Yakima Washington around '85, still have the 'How to Build Real Hot Rods' book he autographed for me.

 

Ya he got me for a few bucks, hell as much fun as I had workin for him in iola for a couple yrs, and those picnics hell who cares I wish him health and long life hes a walkin "TEX" book

 

Tex was a friend to me when he didn't need to be. First time I talked to him he was editor of Rod Action and I had called complaining about some proposed NSRA rules about street rod turn signals. He said I should write an article and submit it. I did, and sat on it for about a year, afraid to send it. It was like Norman Rockwell asking me to send some sketches for a book he was doing. I told him it was finished and he told me to send it, cause they needed it. I did, and it was printed in the august ''76 issue of Rod Action.

He told me once about a top chopping project on a Model A. The group was about 50/50 split between a 4 inch and a 5 inch chop. The group split right to left and the beer filled the center. The entire five inch group had gone to one side of the car and the four inch group on the other. The beer and the job ran out about three in the morning and when everyone gathered in front of the car the roof had a definite slant. By daylight they had it corrected.

Oh, when you talk to Tex again, tell bill powell from Houston says hi.

We were at the street rod nationals in St Paul, at the headquarters hotel, when we encountered Tom McMullen on the parking lot. He muttered something and Tex told him to speak up. He finally asked, out loud, if Tex had any jumper cables. Most expensive car at the nationals, and the only one with a dead battery.

 

A real generous guy, and always glad to bench race with you. He was one of the first to sign my Bomber.



He also had a good collection of autographs himself on the hood of his "Dollar a Pound" Hot Rod.

 

I first met Tex at a Goodguys show in Indy about 15 or so years ago, talked to him numbers of times on the phone getting some awesome advice. One Great Guy. I have most of his Tech books, including 'How to Fix Up Old Cars', that I still like to go through for tips, tricks and ideas. He's a great 'Do It Yourself' Hotrod builder. He's the King of "Hotrod Tech".

 

Maybe SKYPE online phone would serve?