This is a check that George Barris wrote to Richard Tiago in 1959. It's on "Kustom Shows" Stationary which is the stuff that Barris used when he was a show promoter.. It's not a big deal really, but the Richard Tiago Ranchero in its first incarnation is an important car in my Kustom History... Thanks.. It took me like a half hour to figure out this new technology. -germ
Hi germ. Glad to hear you're among the living. Cool keepsake! That needs a frame and is definitely a wall hanger. Thanks for sharing. You take care buddy.
Return with us now to those days of yesteryear .... when tow/mileage money was paid to bring your rig to the show, instead of paying to enter.
*Gerble snorp ethyil treesap. Good to see you on this side of the grass man, you have been sorely missed. Cool old piece of paper too. Thanks friend. *loosely translated "may your ancestors walk amongst the gawds" but Germ already knew that.
In the "good old days" (60s) around here it was common for a new checking account to start at #100 or 101, if that was the case there, it looks like at #102 this was a pretty new account.
Bitchin, did I hear somewhere that Brad Masterson was doing a clone of the first version Tiago ranchero? that was a wonderful car
...............Just spend a little time, it will all come to you. It's actually more user friendly than it used to be, just takes a little time to get acclimated to it.
At least its letting you use a normal poll. My first few threads would only let me use *Alexander Graham Polanski. *he was the first telephone pole
Here's the event the check must have been from: http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Pasadena_Motor_Pageant
Weren't you helping build a clone of that car? Thought I remember a pic of you – or someone you posted a pic of – gas welding a chopped B pillar?
1957 Ford Ranchero restyled by Ward's Body Shop for Hayward Rod Benders member Richard Lee Tiago aka Dick Tiago of Hayward, California. In 1957, Dick bought a brand new 1957 Ford Ranchero from his local Ford dealer in Hayward, California. He used the car until early 1958, when he was involved in a traffic accident, severely damaging the top, door pillars and windshield. While it was being fixed, Richard decided to have it customized. Tom Selman, an employee at Ward's Body Shop in nearby Alameda chopped the top three inches, installed a 1957 DeSoto grill, bumper bar and quad headlights from a 1958 Ford. The rear bumper was replaced with a rolled pan fit with twin 1957 Chevrolet bumper guards. The hood was shaved and rounded, the door handles were removed and an external exhaust system consisting of four pipes was made. Two of the pipes ran along the rocker panels and two followed the rocker panels and continued above the rear wheel openings. Once the bodywork was done, Joe Bailon of Bailon's Custom Shop mixed up some Candy Apple green lacquer which was applied along with lime gold scallops.[3] The body was lowered four inches by cutting the coils and de-arching the springs. Dual Appleton spotlights and smooth Moon hubcaps finished up the style. Gonsalves Top Shop in Hayward reupholstered the interior in all-white pleated Naugahyde; even the rug behind the seat was pleated. The build took only two months to complete.[4] The Ranchero never had functional door glass. It would have been almost impossible with the forward slanting windshield posts and no "wind wings."[3] It was wrecked twice since and currently it is awaiting restoration.
Yes we were building a clone of that car. The owner of the project fell into some financial difficulties during the build. The car is in a garage now and was very close to finished.. Who knows what happened to it. Yes, gas welding the chop.. I would like to buy the car from the owner and finish it but I don't think he would sell it. -germ .
The Jalopy Journal
