I wrote this for last year's car show. I still think it's a good commentary. What's different this year is the opportunity. Thanks to the gracious flexibility of the Buzzards, the Pinstripers' Panel Jam and Auction will take place on Saturday afternoon instead of Sunday. The Buzzards' Gravity Drags will end a bit early and immediately following that the Pinstripers will do their thing. That means all of Sunday is open for the Stripers to do your car. This works both ways - they get much needed work and you can get a deal going. Give this some serious thought. Thanks, George

Is Your Rod Striped?

On Saturday of last year's car show (2011), Jim Moser, Mike Clines, Dale Weber (The Old Guard and probably the three best pinstripers in Northern California) and I were searching the participating vehicles to decide who would receive the Best Pinstriped Car Award, when Mike stopped us and commented, "Hey, better than half of these cars have no striping on them." It was true! Most of the rods and customs had no "lines" on them. Unbelievable!

I remember back in the late fifties and the sixties that if your vehicle had no "tear drops" on it, you were out of it. You had to have drops, even if you did it yourself (badly). Hey - I even remember that my old man's 39" Pontiac Club Coupe had striping on it. What's going on? Or, more to the point, what's not going on?

In the past three years I've seen Little Old Ladies have pink high-heeled shoes striped on their sedans, bees and lines put on Jeepsters, subtle accent lines on a highboy, and flames on a garbage can, but most of the rods I see have no striping on them. What?

I don't get it. Striping use to be the classiest thing you could do to a car. All the best cars of the twenties and thirties had lines. A dark blue Packard, or a black Caddy was nothing until it was striped. I've NEVER seen a rod or custom that, in my opinion, would not look better with some stripes or tasteful decoration on it.

Jim Moser has striped five of our cars, including the wife's Miata. The first thing I did for the Brazen Hussy, even before I started tearing it down, was have the new wheels striped right after I had them powder coated. The way I see it, it isn't done until it's striped. And none of the striping has cost me more than a couple hundred bucks. Striping isn't that expensive - and it sure won't tie down your car for six months to a year like most paint jobs up here do.

This area has some of the best stripers anywhere. You have the "Old Farts" like Moser, Weber, Clines, Marlon Moss, PeeWee and T-Bonez. These guys are legends in the striping community. Then there are the "Young Guys" like Dane Brown, Eric (Eggy) Foust, Lefty Mullican, Dillon Proctor and Trevor Holmes. These guys are so talented and creative they will blow your mind with their ideas and capabilities. And in between there is Kellie The Kandi-Striper, Dan Dermont, Jon Boy Christensen and T.J. Pagano of Pagano Rods and Customs. These stripers can do it all - old, new, lines, flames - you name it, they can do it.

For the past four years these guys, and gal, have donated their time and talent to our car show. On a Saturday and Sunday, when they could be at their shop, working and maybe earning a living, they come to our show and create art work that we auction off on Sunday morning to raise money that they donate to the Friendship Club organization. But what they would really like to do is have some cars to stripe to demonstrate their abilities for the spectators attending the show. Hell - they'll even stripe your cigarette lighter. (They've done that - as well as a kid's wagon.)

Think about it! Maybe this year it's time to put some lines, or flames, or even a rose on your car (toaster - hand drill - tool box (shut-up Terry) - weed wacker - lipstick case - what-ever). Talk to me. Talk to these stripers. They can and will make suggestions, give you ideas, suggest colors and help you make your rod into something special. I can tell you about these people and my thoughts of what they can do. I can give you phone numbers and if we're at the show, introduce you. But best of all, if you have something you'd like to have striped at the show, let me know and we'll work it out.

Oh, one last thing - nothing is free. Don't even think about it. Reasonable - yes; free - NO!

– George P., Pinstriping Chairperson, 2012 Roamin Angels Car Show

[TOP]

Progressive Dinner 2012 • Buzzards' Question • Mel's Diner Car Show • River Cats
Pinstrippers • Pre-Purchase Inspection • Obtain a Duplicate Title