Hell................ I get worked up when I find a Transmission Adapter that the guy selling it has no idea what it goes to................. Now, you on the other hand, you must have a smile on your face that couldn't be smacked off.
I don't see what the big deal is....Von Dutch isn't even stylish any more... But I've got these really hot Barris Jeans...you should see my ass in 'em....
Man, ya did good! I've been searching through my memory banks (or what's left of them), and I'm thinkin' that fairing is very reminiscent of one of "Pop" Dreyer's pieces. His stuff was made for '50s - '60s BMWs. If so, the fairing would be a very nice score in it's own right. The Von Dutch work really ices the cake!
I would have done the same thing, get the fairing in the car cover it and wander back for more bits and info. I flipped through my copy of Von Dutch The Art The Myth The Legend amd didn't see any photos of it. I'm sure others on the HAMB will do the same with other books.
Man, there is still some kool old stuff out there. Great score! Laid55, I noticed you said you wanted some Von Dutch finds in this post. A few years ago I posted a story about a Von Dutch piece that Kenneth Howard personally gave to my uncle in the 50s. I'll include a link to the original thread, and I'll post that story again below. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1096580#post1096580 I originally posted this on the HAMB back in February 2006.......................E I know you said you wanted to hear from people that knew Von Dutch, and not just stories, but I have one to add. About 10 years ago, I was fixing up a '50 Plymouth. It was parked at my uncle's place, and that's where all the work was being done. One day I was there working and I had a magazine on the seat of the car. It was the Rod and Custom that was the tribute issue to Von Dutch after he died. My uncle would always come out of his house and visit with me while I was there working. That day, he saw the magazine and he says "While I'll be go to hell, I knew that guy! I thought he died a long time ago." I came out from under the hood of the '50 and I asked him "What guy?" He said, "I knew Von Dutch." I asked him to tell me more. My uncle was in the Air Force in the late 40's and early 50's. After he finished his tour, he got a job at a place that built ships in Long Beach, California. (I wish I could remember the name of the place but I don't.) My uncle was quite a skilled machinist and that's the type of work he was doing there. His boss was an older guy that had a thing for old motorcycles. He had a few Ariels, Triumphs, Indians, etc. He was always asking my uncle to make this part or that, and he'd slip my uncle a few extra bucks for the help. Well, one day one of the motorcyles was finally finished, and the boss rode it into work that day. He came up to my uncle and said "What do you think?" My uncle told him it was beautiful. The boss said, "I think it turned out nice, too, but it still doesn't look finished to me. I'm going to have one of my friends come over today and put some pinstriping on it." The boss left the bike in my uncle's work area, (which my uncle told me was basically a two car garage with barn style doors so that fairly large things could be moved in and out.) until the striper got there. A short while later, Von Dutch came in with his box and started to lay down lines. My uncle tried to make small talk with him when he would stop to load his brushes or clean off a mistake or whatever, but he told me that the guy was "a real prick! Very unfriendly. He just didn't seem like he wanted to be bothered with conversation." Well, after watching Howard work for a while, my uncle went back to his lathe and got to work. My uncle said the next thing he knew, Von Dutch was there looking over his shoulder watching what he was doing! He started asking my uncle some questions, and they started having a good conversation. Von Dutch told my uncle he did machine work too, and there was the common thread that seemed to get Von Dutch to open up some. They really hit it off and started to get along. Well, my uncle's boss was really cranking out alot of motorcycles, and Von Dutch was there striping them all the time. The bikes were always parked in my uncle's shop, so when Dutch came to stripe them, they always had conversations. My uncle told me he thought that Von Dutch liked the fact that he was a machinist, and Von Dutch seemed to respect that. Well, after my uncle finished telling me this story, he said he'd be right back and he went into the house. I got back to work on the car, and a few minutes later, he returned holding a small box. He said, "Why don't you take a break and check this out". He handed me the box, and I opened it. There was THE KOOLEST knife I had ever seen! It was engraved with all kinds of kool designs, and an inscription: "To my friend, Lee, a machinist like me. K.H." I asked my uncle where he got it, and he said, "One day I was working in the shop. There was another of the boss's bikes there waiting to get striped. Von Dutch showed up, and did his work. We had a nice conversation, like we always had when he came to the shop. Like I said, my boss was really cranking out bikes, so Dutch was there quite a bit. Next thing I know, Kenny came up to me and handed me this box and said, here, I got something for 'ya." My uncle opened it up, and needless to say was impressed. He thanked Dutch for the gift, and he said Dutch muttered something about "Oh it ain't much" or something of that sort. A few weeks later, his boss needed another bike striped, but he couldn't get in touch with Howard. My uncle said "I guess he had loaded up his crazy RV bus thing he lived in and took off somewhere. I never saw the guy again." My uncle passed away in 2001, and I really miss his sharp, intellectual mind. He was quite a guy! He left the knife to my cousin Tom. It's in good hands, but I hope it doesn't get lost somewhere. It is a neat piece of personal history for me, and a little insight to Von Dutch. A man that is admired world wide, but little is really known about. E
Congratulations. As much as I believe in using vintage artifacts (cars,tools,furniture,clothes etc.), IMO this one should be preserved. It's a rare and historically/culturally significant piece that's seen enough highway time. It'd make a great display for sure!
Brilliant focus and follow through. Hearty congrats!!! I've seen this fairing before in the collection of Owen Marshall in Temperance, MI and almost certain John Landstrom's shop in GA as well. Even better? You managed to put a motorcycle part on the HAMB w/o 4 pagers of haters reiterating each other by saying 'keep it on Jockey Journal'.
I read about von dutch pinstriping the ash tray. He painted a music note above the ashtray, the guy opened the ashtry to see an entire Symphony orchrasta painted inside.
Exactly what I was thinking. I don't even know how to ride a motorcycle and I'd build one to put that on.
I have a couple of buddies who used to do a lot of mc racing back in the 60s. One had a sportster that was painted by Dutch. I'll try to post some photos.
THANK YOU for this story this is awesome man. Just awesome, I love hearing history spoken first hand and second hand.-Weeks
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