Art & Inspiration The First Time Von Dutch Screwed Me

Nobody is perfect, but there is also nothing wrong with making judgements either. I'm too old, have seen enough to know that it isn't "all good". I'm also not looking for heroes, stopped doing that in my teens. Was Howard an interesting guy? Yes he was. Was he an asshole? Yes he was. As a matter of fact I've met some "legends" that were jerks, but I'm not here to trash people.
I just wrote what I wrote as an aside to Ryans story for those that might not know what "Von Dutch" was like...as a person.Enuff said.

 

Thanks, mysterious Ryan, for the stories.
Writing is a becoming a lost art and you do it well. I never figured you for a roundy-round guy,
but I guess even though it's OT, it's not bad!

HUMOROUS INTENT FOLKS, NOT TO BE TAKEN AS CRITICISM!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Can you start a whole new forum and, tell stories like this? I'd probably pee my Lee's reading the rest of this story!


Dustin

 

Good idea! Tall stories and all, it would be fun.

 

Now that's funny, right thar!

Must have been the "ass" in Passionate that got him in trouble...............

Ryan, I was lucky enough to meet and talk to your dad at the Salt Lick when you released the JJ soft back.........he was super pleasant and it was obvious how proud he was of you. I had no idea of his racing background, thanks for sharing your memories, man. Seriously jb

 

I saw in the news the other day that AJ was in the hospital - he had a triple bypass last week, but they said he's doing well.

 

An excellent piece of literature Ryan. Nice to see something a bit personal. Really great.

 

Thanks for the interesting story. It's cool to know a kids perspective of a legend like Dutch.

 

Very Cool Story.. Sorry to hear about your father... So many cool memories that have made you the man you are today.. So great that you alway Keep it Real.

 

Von Dutch was quoted once: 'You want to know where the truth is?' 'It's in the Bible'. The arm chair 'shrink' remarks really stoop low.

 

In life it not what you do or you don't do... But the story you tell about it. Ryan you have a great story.

 

everybody is somebody else's weirdo..... even Jim....

 

Great Stores Ryan. I also grew up in a racing family and my dad was one of my life long hero's. He worked for Tommy The Greek during his youth. He always took the new cars to him for a pin stripe job and the Greek never charged him. SCCA was his playground and he was just a working guy using what ever parts he could get cheap. His metallurgist friend ( who worked on the Manhattan Project ) did his cylinder head porting and he got a little help from the local BMC dealer. He also worked at the Coventry Motors in Walnut Creek Ca that ran the Jerry Grant Cobra. Being at the track with all my dad's friends and the big name drivers during the Can-Am days,It's memories that shaped my life and passion for anything mechanical
I'm proud to say, my dad was my biggest hero also


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Great tale about your dad & all. You will always have those great memories.

Von Dutch came into his own at the right time, the car culture in the US was skyrocketing. If he was just some ordinary guy doing pinstriping, he would have gone under the radar. Instead he was one of those one-off characters whose persona made him a larger-than-life icon. No doubt his drinking and other habits fueled that legend and quite possibly cut his life short.

 

^^This....

 

Wow, and I thought I was the only one who thought this way. I agree with you both.
I feel maybe the striping was OK for the time and some examples like the "Harvey Shaken By Cross-Breeding" rabbit were good, but other examples I have seen looked in my opinion pretty stiff and even lame (example: the station wagon he did for Barris with the flames and striping). Ed Roth in my opinion again was much much better for the time. Roth was also a far far better person who I had the pleasure of meeting several times in person.
I use to go to a few antique car shows a year and usually found several jerks sitting on lawn chairs acting along the Von Dutch lines with their arrogant bullshit. It got to me so much that I have completly given up on the Antique car shows and only go to the Rod and Custom pre 1960's shows now.
Ryan, your dad was one great dad and you were very lucky, thanks for the great story.

 

It would be a boring world if everyone was the same.

 

very cool story,i have all von dutchs books,thanks for sharing.............

 

Ryan, some day I will tell you how I inadvertently embarrassed Al Unser Jr in front of a couple hundred folks in the pits. I was about 12 at the time.

 

Thanks for the story, Ryan.

 

Oh c'mon, man! Don't be a tease. Spill the beans!

 

^^^^ what he said!^^^

 

Thanks for the story Ryan , great read

 

That is my coupe before I finished it. Still have one of those stickers.

 

My sister had a Von Dutch hat....

I asked her "do you even know who Von Dutch is?

Her reply "he's a clothing designer ..duh!"

Part of me thinks he'd have been tickled punk to know that these blonde sorority girls were paying good money for cheap hats with his name on them.

 

Wow….1 new thread about clothing thats not been out for years and now this… 2 Von Dutch threads in 1 day….is someone getting ready for a re launch?