When I was a kid back in the '70s, "Spook" did the custom airbrush work on all of the hottest racecars, rods and customs in the area. Does anyone know what happened to him? Does anyone here have or had a car with his artwork? He was the best.
Hi Don: Yup the spook. Kinda wonder if hes still around myself. Bob Rosetty of Funny Car Fabrication , has just brought out his Glenn Lazzar Funny Farmer Pinto. I thought I heard it is the car. It looks real nice but is not painted like how Glenn had it. Also Glenn ran BBC's. But any way when I saw the pics was thinking about Spook. I remember Glenns last car(Monza) and it had the Mural on back window that Spook did. Candy asking Glenn that Ted and Larry want him to come play. He says cant as he has to take care of the Pesky Buzzard ( coming down hanging on a parachute ,Rod) I owned Walt Cones Mustang (Serpentine)for a number of years after buying it off of Senior. It was a Spook paint job. Was real cool if you remember the car. I have pics. Wish I still had it but sold it to cover the costs of a Jr car for the Son unit. Will be down your way to see the Great Race cars. take care Luke
I'm pretty sure I remember your car- if it is the one I am thinking, it was really cool. I'll be at the Great Race tomorrow as well. I drive a silver late-model GTP with the license plate DEPT X. Hope to see you there!
There is a lot of good going on at POCI right now- we are looking at a membership surge in the next year, as a lot of old members are coming back- including the founder.
Bob Sparklin, aka "Spook" was one of the best damned artists around - and not just in the Rochester area. He did the flames on my '40 Ford DeLuxe sedan back around 1968 and they were a magnet for people to stop by and just start yakking about the cool paint job. I fucked up pretty bad when I sanded them off in preparation for a black paint job, which the car has been waiting over 35 years to get. It sits forlornly in my garage with tons of crap piled in it. Bob was one of the regulars that used to hang at Carl and Bob Austin's garage and did lots of custom paint work for many of the guys that also hung there. He was a great guy who could spin yarns for hours and hours and never repeat himself. Unfortunately, Bob died quite a number of years ago - I'm thinking at least ten. See you down the road, Bob...
I'm getting old and my eyes ain't what they used to be, but I'd have to say that I don't see him in the photo. I really didn't want to bring this up, but Bob always wore a tupee from the day I met him in the early sixties until, I'm sure, the day he died. It was the worst fitting and looking rug you could ever imagine. Just horrible. But, it was his signature and EVERYBODY knew it was Spook just by the dead animal on his noggin. I'' ask the geezers I have lunch with on Thursdays to see if anyone has any memories and/or photos of Spook.
Not sure of it is a good thing to revive an old thread, but I found this when I got to thinking about Bob recently while cleaning out my old radio geek junk. He did a friend of mines Trans Am hood with a custom eagle mural. The guy had passed the word that he'd like one done, Bob showed up at the diner, introduced himself, held his hand out. After a moment the owner realized that he wanted his keys. Bob walked out and drove off with the car. No phone number, no way to call, he just said he'd find him when it was done. A few days later Bob showed up with the car, and a beautiful paint job. It was kind of how he got the name Spook. Many years later, I installed a CB and stereo in his wife Leah's Bradley GT. Bob and Leah were big CB radio folks, we used to meet at the Lyell Avenue McDonald's every morning before work and drink coffee. They lived in Farmington, and had one of the most incredible salt water aquariums i have ever seen, Bob created most of the scenery in it like the 5' long shipwreck. He was a heck of a good guy, who is sadly no longer with us. And man, that rug!
I remember, as a kid, Winter's Collision, On Lyell Ave., had a mid 70s El Camino that was customized with Spook's artwork and I think it was called Man O War. Does anyone remember the car? Mostly black with metal flake and airbrush murals. The car may now be in Florida. Does anyone have photos of it?
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