9 years ago today Gang we lost 'Big Daddy' Roth. lets see some pics and Roth inspired posts today I robbed this pic from another thread 'cause its a pic I have never seen before. Fritz
before the previous shot, he was on Atlantic with Kelly and the Baron and here it is a few months ago
It must have been quite an emotional moment when Ganahl found that artwork on the back wall of Roth's old shop. He said in TRJ that the then-current shop occupant let him go in back and move some stuff and there it was after all these years.
Hell yes! That's how I learned about Ed Roth, from building model cars in about 1967. Revell had all the popular racer and car builder's faces on the side of their car kit boxes and there was Ed "Big Daddy" Roth with his goatee and comic expression. Just look at those boys getting his autograph.
OK, I have to bore you guys with the Roth story again... 1961, my 11th birthday...my dad takes me down to Roth's shop on a rainy saturday morning. I had my "catalog" with my selection for the airbrushed sweatshirt that I wanted for my birthday. We got down to Maywwod, and there's the MAN alone screwing around in his shop. He says, "how can I help you?"...and I proceed to tell him that it's my birthday and that I wanted "this one" as I pointed to the catalog. He sits me down on a upside-down 5 gallon can and he starts to airbrush my design on the sweatshirt. Them he turns to me and says, "you want your name on the front?". Does the Pope wear a hat? Hell, yeah...or rather, "heck yeah!" So, he puts my name on the front WITH SPIDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY MOLY!!!! So, today it's my avatar....and that sweatshirt has even been featured in the 6 hour Lions Drag Strip DVD's of the drag strip's history. My Dad took home movies of me in the pits at Lions checking out Garlit's dragster and the Jack Chrisman twin engined rail while I was sporting that sweatshirt. That footage is in the DVD. He was a real nice guy to this 11 year old. I always liked his style at everything. He was a builder, hot rodder and so much more. He willalways be my favorite hot rod personality...always will... Thanks for the neat sweatshirt, "Big Daddy" and thanks for all the great memories...
very cool. was he as cool as his pictures show? i never met him. but i do remember buying the model kits when i was a kid.
This is a surf compilation on Revell Records. I think Ed had something to do with it, but I don't have any info on it. I got it from a used record store long ago. If anyone knows if Ed was behind it please share. And here is my pumpkin from a while back. Thanks for starting the thread Fritz. Big Daddy, you are and will always be a legend!
Thanks for all the neat pictures. RDR took me to his shop in 1963. I remember walking through the small service bay to a small overgrown back lot with several of his glass bodies in various stages of build. RIP Ed
Cool pics and story,Mazooma! I had the great delight to meet him at a G##dg#y's show at Carlisle years ago. He was very gracious and fun to talk with.Sometimes it is a great thing to be able to meet your heroes?
Thanks for remembering Ed and posting some great images. I remember him being one of the nicest people in the hot rod and kustom scene I'd met when I was a kid in SoCal (and there were plenty of nice folk I knew back then!).
I remeber when i was young and the monster shirt were being mainstreamed i told my parents i wanted one and after constant bugging i finally got one! I wish i still had it today.
Saw Ed in the 80s on I-5 in oregon driving the "Globetrotter", heading for Alaska...asked me to vote whether it was a bike or a car as NSRA was not allowing it 'cause it was a three wheeler....hell yes it's a car and WHO would question "THE MAN" about ANYTHING he built?? But then again NSRA has made some dumb decisions,huh?.....RIP Ed, a good friend and brother in the Lord! had a shirt done by him in 1963 for my 56 Chevy but don't know how to post pic,but think I can get the URL thingy up if interested...http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=16128&pictureid=174208
I saw him at a big car show (GG I think) one time, it was about nine in the morning. He set up a little card table out in the middle of the lot and was signing anything you wanted. He was wearing shorts and a tank top with flip flops and his top hat. Oh yea, he had a open fifth of whisky sitting on the table, he threw the cap away. What a guy!!!!!!!!
Ed was a Mormon....he had been a Mormon since the 1970's...if by GG, you mean Goodguys...then you are mistaken about the booze bottle
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