For those who are old enough or connaisseur of James Dean...
There's a customer who wants his porsche 550 spyder painted like the one of James Dean.
First question: even thaught it is 1955 is it really hand painted?
Second question: The "Little Bastard" on the trunk makes me doubt it is painted by a signpainter 'cause the only pictures I can relate on is replicas of the car and it's written with "Brush Script" font. Signpainters of the fifties rarely depends on replicating types so it could have been done by an amateur.
My research had led me nowhere but pictures of replicas of the car, not the original.
So anyone knows the story behind the lettering of that car in 1955??
Many thanks!
[ February 02, 2008, 08:50 AM: Message edited by: Pierre Tardif ]
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
Searching for photos of this car bring up some really gruesome shots
I get the feeling somebody on here like Magoo or si will have your answer but if you fail to get it, try contacting George Barris, he was involved with the car at one point in time.
Posted by Kimberly Zanetti (Member # 2546) on :
Pierre, I actually live in Salinas where Dean was headed for a race when he got into the accident. He's a fairly big deal around here, along with Steinbeck.
You might want to check out this link and possibly send a note to the contact us portion.
i seen a show on the car..and what became of it after the accident on history or SPEED. but the car still exists in pieces.....from what they said and the engine wentito some thing else and its owner was either killed or almost killed..... the painted lettering on the car was done IN PAINT....i wouldnt say it is brush script but the freehand script of who did it, as most bush guys do a script that it comfortable and fast for them......and a lot dont match BRUSH SCRIPT.
Posted by Frank Magoo (Member # 3950) on :
Dean Jefferies....
Posted by Jerry Starpoli (Member # 1559) on :
Dean Jeffries was the man. Frank, is he still around? I was living in Rochester NY in the 50s and a guy innthe neighborhood came home from California to visit his folks. He had a customized OLDS that Jeffries striped. We were in awe. He was an equal to Von Dutch.
Posted by Frank Magoo (Member # 3950) on :
Jerry; yes, Dean is still w/us and living in So.Cal. somewhere, I see him on occasion when in area...only thing is, I always considered him the leader along w/the Baron, only two I really looked up to in those days, Dean's lines were so clean and sharp, nothing compared to Dutch's...when I met Ed Roth, things really came together for me, a kid from AZ. w/o local heros to follow, totally self taught, it was Roth that provided me my first legit brushes and the chance to be around in person, with the Baron and Tom Kelly, his grandson, who today is one of our leading experts on pinstriping...for me to acknowledge Dutch as the master, will never happen as his work was third rate next to Jefferies and Baron/Kelly...at same time, Andy Southard from back east was making a hell of a mark too, another top notch striper...all my life I just wanted to be like them...it worked it seems...
Posted by Jerry Starpoli (Member # 1559) on :
Frank I still remember the crisp clean lines as if it were yesterday. This was in the mid fifties as I graduated High School in 58. Jeffries was sure an inspiration for me as was the imagination of Dutch.
Posted by Frank Magoo (Member # 3950) on :
Yeah!! Dutch's genius lay in his mind...his craftsmanship around a lathe or machine shop was second to none...I hope I don't come across as a Dutch "hater", quite the opposite actually...I totally aknowledge him as the purported "father" of modern pinstriping for his efforts in keeping pinstriping in the public's eye...he brought alot of "ink" to the industry...that's his "true" contribution to pinstriping in my opinion...
Posted by Jim Moser (Member # 6526) on :
I would have to agree with Frank....Jeffries and the others were much better than the "Legendary VonDutch", having seen a lot of Dutch's work up close....however it seems those with the "outrageous" personalities are usually the ones who gain most of the notoriety....
Posted by Pierre Tardif (Member # 3229) on :
Many thanks folks! Now that I have a few sharp pictures of the original lettering (which I have'nt seen before, all I've seen was reproduction stuff) I can do an accurate job on the car.
There's also an interesting interview with Dean Jeffries on motortrend.com and he explains clearly that he painted it himself.
I have to agree w/ Frank too about Von Dutch. sometimes the most creative people are not the most talented.
By the way Frank can you get a hold of Dean Jeffries easily?
Posted by Frank Magoo (Member # 3950) on :
Pierre;
"By the way Frank can you get a hold of Dean Jeffries easily?"
It would only take a few phone calls...
Posted by Kent Smith (Member # 251) on :
Frank, I only talked to Dean once or twice, did he stripe for Barris Brothers? Also the other one with a head for promotion was Ed and he promoted his freinds sometimes too.
Posted by old paint (Member # 549) on :
one of "you old guys" that lived then ...NEED TO PUT A BOOK TOGETHER ...now that ya got nothin better ta do)))))))))))) von dutch, jefferies, barris, roth, so much history there....bob burns still kickin?? seems he was knowledgable about a lot of that time period.....
Posted by Larry Ware (Member # 7352) on :
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Cool]](cool.gif)