RBIShoptalk

Big Change At Rod Builders Inc - Resale Only Please

2011-05-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

The time has come to change how we do business at Rod Builders Inc. Starting May 17, 2011 our services are available only to resellers in the vehicle restoration, fabrication and design trade.

This will be The skirt's last blog entry. Thanks for reading!

He's Dead! Now Go Get the Rest!

2011-05-04T10:07:00.001-07:00

Thank you and congratulations to the US Military!!!!!!!!!!!

Wash Day the Old Fashioned Way

2011-04-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

Here is our latest vintage find, a 1920 Dexter Speedex washing machine. Bob made it work again and now this seafoam green beauty has found a new life as the hot rod shop washing machine. No better way to wash grungy shop rags than with a vintage wringer washer.

Bob actually has some prior experience loading a wringer as he used to help his grandmother do laundry on their dude ranch in Glacier National Park. She did eights sets of bed sheets every Sunday in a 1940's wringer washer. Here is an ad The skirt found for a Dexter washer in the same spring green color. It is a newer model, but has the same graceful curves. We found the Speedex at Triple R Auctions. Check them out.

Half-baked Ebay Find Now One Sweet Roll

2011-04-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

Larry Turnbow found his dream car, a '48 Plymouth on EBay. If you knew Larry, a sensible, hard working guy, you would totally understand his preference for this style of vintage car. The former owner had a great idea to install a Hemi out of a Dodge truck into the car but then he ran out of steam or money. Larry brought it to Rod Builders to finish. We installed a Street & Performance wiring harness, a new fuel tank and tied together all the parts you have to when you transplant a new engine into an old car. Now Larry has this well-behaved looking car that goes like a raped aped! (The guys told The skirt to use that term)

Barn Find - '57 Ford Fairlane Hardtop

2011-04-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Larry Olson brought in this nice white and yellow '57 Ford. It was safely stored in a neighbor's barn since 1975 which was the last time the former owner had given it a bit of a makeover. Rod Builders Inc will install a new master cylinder, go over the brakes, and fuel lines and other stuff to make sure the car is safe to drive and then out she goes on the road to summer fun!

Paul Ryan's Path to Prosperity

2011-04-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

Watch this! Do it!

05/14/11 Update: Charles Krauthammer on Obama's response to the Ryan plan

05/14/11 Another response to the president's speech

Paul Ryan's tweet 5/14/11: "It's no coincidence Obama launched his reelection campaign the same week we launched our effort to get the deficit under control; his deficit speech was a political broadside from our Campaigner in Chief"

Vintage Clothes

2011-03-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, with the anticipation of spring in the air, Kayla and I went in search of something vintage to wear with these. We stopped at several great Spokane vintage clothing stores, but it was at Carousel Vintage, 110 S Cedar, where Kayla scored big, finding several nice pieces to wear spring quarter. We were feeling lighthearted and silly. Was it the strong coffee and sugary breakfast we had at the Rocket Bakery? Was it the spring air? She decided to try on a beautiful formal dress, that looked like it would fit her small frame perfectly. It was all just in fun, you know. The skirt would love to show you how Kayla looked in this dress, but tradition dictates the groom shouldn't see his bride in her dress until the ceremony. He may stumble onto this blog. At least Kayla has a groom and a wedding date. Jenny, at Carousel Vintage, said she's sold wedding dresses to gals who haven't even met Mr. Right yet! Here's the groom. He is the one holding the piece of metal.

Kayla on first day of spring quarter 2011.

Rod Builders - The Fender Un-benders

2011-03-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

How does something like thisor this, or even like THIS,

end up looking like this? You bring it to Rod Builders.

Glen Terry's 1935 Ford Pickup

We do fender repair. Bring your mangled metal to us.

Be Subversive - Drive a Car

2011-03-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

Feel rebellious?

Hit the open road and and burn some gas.

Leave when you want and go where you want. (If you can afford it.)

Taking Chance - You'll Never Forget It

2011-02-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

Taking Chance

Check out Brothers at War, a documentary by Jake Rademacher.

Boogy-Woogie Valentine

2011-02-14T10:05:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day.

More vintage valentine cards.

All You Need Is an Open Road

2011-02-11T09:33:00.000-08:00

Rod Builders restored this badass '70 chopper last year. The skirt had hoped to take a picture of the owner tooling around the parking lot, but that 's probably not going to happen anytime soon, so I decided to post the picture we have. I hope to spot him riding it this summer. Like some guy said, "The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome."

Custom Stainless Steel Curtain Rods - Order One For Yourself

2011-02-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

This is The skirt's favorite kind of gift, something homemade out of stainless steel. Bob made me this stylish, custom curtain rod to hide the messy stuff in my laundry area. Notice its graceful curves and handsome fittings. He can bend one for you. Call us or stop by with your requirements. Custom made curtain rods, Custom made shower curtain rods, Spokane WA

Body Mods & Floors

2011-01-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

Rod Builders does nice work. Check out these body mods to the hood and fenders of a '46 Chevy pickup. Before blending anything Eric put a lot of work into repairing the cracked and mangled metal..

RBI put in a whole new floor structure in this Camaro. This is the finished job. What you don't see is the hours of work cutting out and removing existing car parts to get to this point. As you can see it turned out great.

Call us. we can do this for you.

Paul's '29 Ford Roadster Pickup in April 2011 Issue of Rod & Custom

2011-01-24T11:11:00.000-08:00

There is a very nice article about Paul Bos' roadster pickup in the April issue of Rod & Custom. Have you seen it yet? Click on the '29 roadster pickup label for full story on this build. Thank you Chris Shelton and Rod & Custom.

We the People of The United States Do Ordain and Establish This Constitution

2011-01-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

The House opened its session this morning by reading the Constitution.

It is NOT just for show. Have you read it? You'll be glad you did.

Wow - A Rare McCoy Sombrero Serve-All

2011-01-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

We started the new year off by attending Triple-R Auctions' Annual Antique and Collectible Event. Friend and auctioneer Rich Butterfield and his wife Jonna put on a really fun show. That's Rich in the tux, he's three parts auctioneer, one part circus barker. There were some very nice items and a lively and friendly crowd of bidders, which was great since this was The skirt's first auction.I was a bit nervous to bid until I spied the nearly complete McCoy El Rancho Barbecue Service, at that instant, all inhibitions were gone. The set included the rare and way cute Sombrero Serve-all (see above) The skirt had second choice from the set. The winning bidder selected the Chuck Wagon Casserole, which was nice too, but I really wanted the sombrero! I also scored the serving bowl/tureen. Third place winner chose the ice tea dispenser. Everyone was happy. The picture above is from a book on McCoy pottery. Bob did a little bidding himself. See his winnings below. The top is identical to one from his childhood. The Volkswagen he gave to fabricator Greg. You see why. The Nylint 70's pickup truck is in very poor condition, so Bob went ahead and sandblasted off the black paint and stickers some kid had put on. Now, it's pretty cool, uh? Can't wait until next year's auction. Can't wait for an occasion to use the sombrero!

Happy New Year from RBI

2010-12-31T14:45:00.000-08:00

To keep costs down this holiday season we had a small pizza party at the shop, just employees and spouses. Mrs. Petersen-to-be (seated) made these swell party hats. Everyone was such a good sport about wearing them The skirt had to share a photo. By the way, I'm the one in the black checked sleeveless. Happy New Year everyone. We are all just thrilled to still be in business. Love you all!!

PS The pizza delivery guy took the photo, if you're wondering.

Started the '46 Chevy Pickup Today

2010-12-29T14:40:00.000-08:00

Everyone is VERY pleased with the results on the first start of Steve McConnell's Chevy 350. That hardly happens.

No one is pleased with this. Please, please stop. We don't want another Sno-maggedon.

Cold Cheeks by Gil Elvgren

2010-12-24T09:03:00.000-08:00

Burr. And that's a good way to get chapped lips.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Rod Builders.

Posted by Bob

C'mon Enjoy Yourself this Holdiay Season

2010-12-20T09:51:00.000-08:00

We're feeling the Christmas spirit around here. How about you?

Ho-hum? Read this.

Love This Truck

2010-12-13T13:26:00.000-08:00

We always like to share with you the Swenson's holiday card.

Great truck Chris and Jamie! Makes our hearts go flip-flop.

Larry Olson's Mach I

2010-12-08T13:55:00.000-08:00

Long time customer, Larry Olson has been thinking about restoring his beloved '69 Mach I for as long as Rod Builders Inc has been in operation. That's six and half years! He finally decided to go for it. Fabricator Greg Fautch (he's back!!) has been busy doing rust repair, putting in new panels and doing an excellent job installing a new front suspension kit on the car. Here are a few pictures.

We'll keep you posted. The guys installed a TCI Mustang IFS kit purchased through our good buddy and dealer Tim Stromberger at Tim's Hot Rods in Davenport, WA. Still to do

Happy Thanksgiving From RBI

2010-11-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much for your business this year. Thanks for reading this web site and blog. God bless America.

Hey, We're Busy For a Change

2010-11-23T08:26:00.000-08:00

Lots going on in the shop and it feels real good .

Civics 101

2010-11-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

Bristol Palin and her dance coach/partner Mark Ballas

If you care about the outcome of an election you first have to cast your vote. Just ask fans of ABC's Dancing With the Stars. Click here for a fair and balanced report on the brouhaha.

Now if we can just do something about this. Have a nice day everyone.

Top Gear - Our New TV Obsession

2010-11-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we realized we could Tivo the phenomenal British car show Top Gear. We can't get enough of it, this is good, we have a lot of catching up to do. Sometimes we watch two, hour-long episodes a night. The show is immensely entertaining, but you probably all knew this. And in parts very funny. The skirt hasn't laughed this hard at a television show since the first time she saw MXC (Most Extreme Elimination Challenge.) We are sure Bob's folks are the only other two people in the world who have never watched Top Gear, so we are saving some of the best shows to watch after Thanksgiving dinner. What are your favorite Top Gear moments?

Veterans' Day USA

2010-11-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you for defending freedom.

Photo from the Library of Congress

Happy Halloween From Rod Builders

2010-10-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

I think we've gone through four pounds of candy this week. Check out our Knuckle Head pumpkins. Grew them ourselves.

The Super Freak pumpkins

Protect Your Money

2010-10-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

Know where your money is, buy a vintage car!

Spokane car builder, Spokane vehicle design and fabrication, invest in collector cars, inflation protection, collector cars retain their value

Whoa, Black Betty

2010-10-11T11:07:00.001-07:00

She's so close now, close to being finished, that is. Dave Black's '64 Skylark, affectionately called Black Betty should be roadworthy by the end of this week. Bob's been trying to, as he likes to say, drive a stake through the heart of those difficulties that appear during the final stage of a car build. It would be really cool if Dave Black and family could drive her around before they have to put the car in storage for the winter. That's the goal, and so far the weather in Spokane is cooperating. Click here for some detail on the car's LS motor. More pictures to come.

Spokane car builders, LS motor transfer, '64 Buick Skylark

Class Dismissed - Every Young Boy's Dream

2010-09-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

The skirt just had to share this bawdy 1969 Gil Elvgren illustration from our office calendar. Everyone who sees it is having a good laugh.

Very naughty!

Vintage Eaton Rear End

2010-09-13T13:15:00.001-07:00

It took a couple of years, but Bob finally scored a highly desirable mid-'40's Eaton rear end for the '47 Ford dump truck. Thanks for that goes out to our friend and fellow '40's Ford dump truck enthusiast Chris Swenson.

By the way, Chris and company should be putting the final touches on the Washington State Eastside vs. Westside Reliability Run this coming weekend. Is it still on? There doesn't seem to be current information on the H.A.M.B. Are you going? The Skirt is disappointed, the driver of the car she was going to ride in has to go to California.

NEVER FORGET

2010-09-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

The Skirt has searched out and linked to web sites that write plainly about how things are this September 11, 2010.

Fox News and Shepard Smith started a special series this week highlighting the progress on rebuilding the World Trade Center. Here is a link to a story about it. The first episode was very good.

Read the blog of a honest and right-minded New York city construction field supervisor who knows the inside scoop of the whole world trade center and Cordoba mosque controversy?

9/11 is a good day to read the speech Geert Wilders gave to an audience at the New York Four Seasons in 2008. Not familiar with Geert Wilders? Freedom loving people all over the world should read his work. Here's Wilder's web site and here is his message to Muslims. Please give his web site a few minutes of your time this 9/11 weekend.

Update 9/12/10: Geert Wilders speaks at 9/11 Rally of Remembrance in NYC. Did you even know about this huge rally? This is how a president of the United States should speak about his country.

Just A Fool For Small Town Parades

2010-09-06T14:07:00.001-07:00

To indulge The skirt's fondness for small town parades, we scheduled a pick up of the '47 Ford dump truck from its home in Ritzville on the day of the Ritzville Community Parade, which was part of the Wheat Land Communities Fair. It was just our kind of small town event. The wheat truck was actually part of the parade and won a first place ribbon in its category. We were as proud as a country cock. Rod Builders did an excellent job restoring that truck. Click here for how it all started and click on the label for the full story. Here are a few things that caught my eye: Bob, and our dog Trevor, visiting with folks before they line up for the parade. Bob, looking over this fabulous horseless carriage, and 1950 split window International pickup. The skirt liked the rotating pink spangled pigs and Molly, Ritzville's oldest resident. Here RBI customer, Martin Deeg, shares his beautiful '55 Merc with the crowd. Click here to read the story on this car.Everyone, including the dogs, had mixed feelings about the musket fire from the civil war reenactors.

It's voting season. God bless America!

Dave's El Camino SS 396 Makes Us Happy

2010-09-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

Long time customer Dave Troyke came by yesterday to let us hear the new exhaust on his mighty fine El Camino SS 396. Everyone in the shop agreed, there's nothing like the sound of a revved up SS 396 to put a smile on your face. Better than ice cream on a sunny day!

Maybe you've seen Dave driving around Spokane and Coeur d'Alene? Rod Builders Inc, Spokane collector car shop, vehicle fabrication, Spokane hot rod shop

Out With The Rot

2010-09-02T15:18:00.000-07:00

You know how it is with early 30's Chevys, the wood used to construct the inner door structure is usually decayed. Pictured here is a pair of Chevy doors where Rod Builders replaced all the factory wood with sheet metal.

Some Chevy purists prefer using new wood, because they like an exact restoration and there is concern that you may lose the shape of an old door. Careful preparation and precise measurements were needed to make sure everything fit together properly. As you can see the desired results were achieved. It is a labor intensive process, however. Call us if you would like to discuss your wood rot problem or should I write your rotten wood problem.

Our Version of the Upside Down Tomato Planter

2010-08-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

We decided this year to try growing our tomato plants upside down. Gardeners have been doing this long before the invention of the Topsy Turvy with mixed results, but we like the idea of the fruit hanging down, less damage that way. Bob split a couple of diesel oil barrels and built a sturdy wooden stand. Our plants require daily watering, "experts" tell us this is because our plant's roots are underdeveloped. We have cherry tomatoes and cucumber plants on top. They hold in some moisture, though that was not our intention in planting them there. The expert says roots like to grown down, plants like to grown toward the sun. The plants free to grow up do seem hardier, don't you think? We'll see how it goes. It's too soon to say our version of an upside down tomato planter was a success. The whole garden has been a bit of a letdown compared to last year's. A lot of gardeners we talked to here in Eastern Washington State were disappointed in their gardens this year.

Average People Bailing On Stock Market - It Was Always a Scam

2010-08-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

Here is the poop on Wall Street, and it stinks.

Final Assembly

2010-08-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

This week Eric and Bob are both doing final assembly, Eric on Steve McConnell's '46 Chevy pickup and Bob on Dave Black's '64 Buick Sklylark.

Final assembly basically means wiring, plumbing and installing all the remaining components that make a completed, operating vehicle. Watching guys do final assembly is not as fasinating as watching metal work, but it's impressive knowing how much brain power it takes to get it right on a custom car. Rod Builders takes pride in doing a tidy job of wiring. Bob and the guys hide as much of the wiring as they can and any exposed wires are neatly bundled.

Spokane - Great Northwest Nationals

2010-08-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

Spokane Goodguys show this weekend, August 13 - 15th at the

Spokane County Fairgrounds. Time flys when you're having fun. Hard to believe it's been a year already since this.

Honda XR 75 - Hot Little Collectible

2010-08-06T14:38:00.001-07:00

We just finished refurbishing this 1970 Honda XR 75 for a customer. We've since learned that these little bikes are very desirable. We completely dismantled the bike. We had it media blasted, polished, plated etc... Scott Motorsports painted the tank for us. We put in new bearings, seals, etc... and reassembled it. We are new to the motorcycle restoration business and Brian over at Ed's Motorcycle has been a great help to us. He did a superb job rebuilding the forks. Thanks, Brian! Brian is also helping us restore a 70's chopper. A company called RE-MX Inc. sold us what we needed for reproduction parts, grips, levers, seat cover, emblems, and shock set. Check them out. Do you have one of these little Honda bikes you would like us to restore? We are ready to do it again. Give us a call. Spokane restore Honda XR 75.

Simple Pleasures In Your Own Backyard

2010-08-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

This year (again) instead of going out of town on vacation we're savoring the pleasures of summertime available in our own backyard. We playfully squirt each other with the hose, take naps in our hammock, spread an old blanket on the grass and eat a simple meal of cheese, crackers and cheap white wine. Are people still using the ridiculous term "staycation" or more accurately in our case the "naycation"? The naycation is definitely less stressful than dealing with all that stuff travelers have to endure, the packing, the airport, the crowds. What are you doing this summer? Staying close to home, or maybe you can afford to do something abroad?

Louvers

2010-07-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

We do variable length louvers on straight or curved metal.

Call 509-922-7922 to discuss your project. Click on the label to see more of our work.

Louver maker in Spokane, louvers made in Spokane

Bad Ass Chop

2010-07-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

Dennis Reed wanted his model A to be chopped as much as was practical. We weren't sure what practical had to do with it, but we settled on a 6-inch removal. Model 'A's are about the best vehicle to do your first chop on because the chopped surfaces are so flat.

We gave Dennis some guidance like, make sure the tape is exactly 6" apart everywhere, that you cut inside the line, and that you carefully grind right to the line, so the welding goes easy.

Aside from wearing the wrong fashion accessories for the job, Dennis did an admirable job for his first chop. Cutting sheet metal in these conditions is always a challenge.

This is the point of the chop that you realize that there is no turning back. Commitment like that brings the best out in people.

We're pretty sure this is where the term "hack" came from. There is nothing pretty or glamorous about destroying 90-year-old steel. Its a bit like watching sausage being made; it's gut wrenching but delicious when its done. Posted by Bob

The Overland Headlight and Other Cool Stuff

2010-07-24T10:34:00.002-07:00

Have you been over to ADD Garage blog? Click here.

Don Wilbur's '32 Ford, Featured Car

2010-07-22T09:43:00.000-07:00

Friend Don Wilbur was in the valley yesterday and came by the shop to say hi. It's aways good to visit with Don. We had not seen him since the story by Chris Shelton came out on his '32. It's in the September 2010 issue of Street Rodder, if you would like to read it. Don's '32 was definitely a collaboration and we were honored to do our small part in building this outstanding street rod.

Keep Smiling?

2010-07-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

Everyday we get out of bed and head out into the mix of things going on in our part of the world and we do the best we can with whatever presents itself that day. Most people we know are doing the same thing. You have too. But the future is looking pretty bleak for those who dare to look; the monstrous global debt, the bureaucratization and czarification of the great United States of American, instability in every aspect of our lives. These current conditions are gnawing away at nearly everyone's ability to make a living. So what do you do? Really, what do you do? I'm asking. We drove out to the little farm town of Wilbur, Wa and ate a big, yummy, juicy hamburger with a towering side of greasy french fries. That felt pretty good at the time. There may come a day when the fat czar will have you arrested for eating a meal like that, but for now you still can.

Washington State US Senate Race

2010-07-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

Clint Didier and Dino Rossi

Washington State US Senate candidates

Clint Didier called a great influential member of the media today and it occurred to The Skirt that she should start thinking about our state's US Senate race. Citizens of this great state of Washington, we have homework. Check them out. Did I forget anyone?

Don Benton and Paul Akers or Patty Murray

Spokane V-8 Club Swap Meet This Weekend

2010-07-06T09:43:00.000-07:00

The Inland Empire Early Ford V-8 Club's BIG Swap Meet is this weekend, July 9 - 11th, 2010. They also host a Show & Shine. The event is held at the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center on Havana & Broadway. As usual, hot weather hits the Inland Empire on the weekend of the V-8 club's swap meet. Out-of-towners, be prepared, the heat coming off the concrete at the fair grounds is intense. Call (509) 994-4924 if you need information. (The skirt can't seem to bring up their web site. Can you?) See ya there!

It's Called The Best Potato Salad - And It Is

2010-07-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Bob will be making his version of The Best Potato Salad today to take to friends Dick & Mary's annual July 4th barbecue, (Dick does authentic barbecue, you know, meat cooked slowly over a wood fire. OMGosh, it has awesome flavor!) The skirt found the original potato salad recipe in Country Living magazine last year. Bob tweaked it just a bit, as he does all recipes, and everyone who tastes it agrees it is the best potato salad.

Try it.

The original recipe

In large pot, cover 3 pounds unpeeled red potatoes with salted cold water and bring to boil over high heat. Cook until they're easily pierced with a skewer, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 3/4 cup each, chopped white onion, red pepper, and celery, 1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickles, and 3 chopped, hard-boiled large eggs in a large bowl. Drain potatoes and cut into half-inch pieces while still warm. Transfer to the bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice and 1 tablespoon cider vinegar. Toss salad with 3/4 cup mayo. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Chill before serving.

P.S. I am not at liberty to pass along Bob's alterations.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY USA - A POWERFUL FORCE FOR GOOD

2010-07-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Citizens of the United States of American, this Independence Day weekend, sometime between eating the macaroni salad and lighting the sparklers, you should read the Declaration of Independence. Our Founding Fathers and the people they represented wanted to get the world back on proper course and create a government that protects, by law, people's rights to be free, to pursue happiness and prosper. This is what humans are here for. This country was to be a shining example to all others. The document our Founders sent to King George, defining man's God-given rights, was and still is one of the greatest ever written. Another one is our Constitution. (That came later) Read the Declaration of Independence and you will know the word of God reasoned by a group of the smartest men on the planet at the time, maybe of all time so far. The governmental structure they put in place and approved by the citizens, set free a powerful force for good. People around the world, who understand and promote these inalienable rights, celebrate with us today. This powerful, loving force has done more to improve the lives of humans and all living things on this planet than any other method. We must stand proud.

Special Purpose Vehicle Modifications

2010-06-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

Hey people of Spokane and Northern Idaho, do you need to convert or modify your vehicle for a special purpose? Rod Builders can re-design interiors, build roll cages, reinforce frames, do body mods in metal or fiberglass or do anything else you can dream up to convert your vehicle for special purposes. A professional mechanical engineer is on duty and eager to discuss your project. Call today.

RBI modified the interior of this ambulance to accommodate wheel chairs for a mobile x-ray company.
Check out our web site and this blog to see the quality of work we do. We love special projects!

Spokane car builder, vehicle modifications, modify show vehicles, modify rescue vehicles, modify film and TV camera vehicles, modify tour vehicles, theme park vehicles, Special purpose vehicle modifications

Shop Tours

2010-06-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

We love showing people what we do here at Rod Builders Inc (with an appointment of course.) Give us a call to set up your group tour, includes coffee and really good donuts.

Pictured J.V. Humphries High School from Kaslo, B.C.

Why So Little Coverage Of Blagojevich Trial On TV?

2010-06-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

We had to really dig around to find out what's going on at the Blagojevich trial. What's up with that? Here's the latest from Chicago. I think the American people are missing out on some amusing stuff.

By the way, The Skirt still thinks this guys looks more like a Fisher-Price Little Person than a Cabbage Patch Doll.

Reader Favorites From 2010 Car d'Lane

2010-06-22T15:40:00.000-07:00

Mr. Chuckles sent in these photos for us to share with you of some of his favorite cars at the 2010 Car d'Lane. Chuck said he has always admired Ron Prior's '32. Ron's had the car since he was a kid! What a treasure.Chuckles was star struck by this beautiful all-steel-body '32 roadster. Word around town was this car was once owned by one of the Beach Boys. It looks like a big shot's car. Gorgeous!!

Corvair pickup. Love it!! Makes you smile. Suddenly The Skirt is craving a hard lemonade.

Impeccable '50 Woodie with surf board on top. Now I am craving a hard lemonade and white sandy beaches.

'34 or is it '35 Ford. Very cool.

Thanks Chuck for the pictures. Anymore out there? Here's the blog entry from the guys at Classic Nation.

Good Time in Coeur d'Alene This Weekend

2010-06-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

Car d' lane cruise tonight!
Are you going? The Swartley's just stopped by the shop on their way. Here's a picture they sent us of last year's show. Hope everyone has a great time. Send us your pictures. We would love to post them on Monday. We have to finish our home improvement project before company arrives on Monday.

Steve McConnell's '46 Chevy Pickup

2010-06-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

In the summer of 2008 Steve McConnell came to us with his '46 Chevy pickup. He had seen the Chevy we did back in 2005 - 2006 and wanted some similar modifications done to his truck bed among a list of other things. Steve was visiting our neighbor today and he dropped off pictures of the truck in paint. Looking good, Steve. What we did for Steve: Eric fused the hood into one piece and made a hinge on the driver's side. The skirt does not mean to make that sound like it's something just any old hack can do right. It took some engineering and math skills and so did the modification of the back fenders and truck bed.

They used the English wheel to make the tailgate concave and designed these taillights.

Wow! We had forgotten how cool the mods turned out on this truck. For more pictures click on the label for this post.

Last year Steve brought the truck back to the shop for a custom air intake system. Click here to read about how Bob solved his problem.

Spokane custom car builder, Spokane custom fabricator, vehicle design and fabrication

Justified - FANTASTIC!!

2010-06-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

Have you been watching Justified? The show debuted in March and was (the finale aired last night) certainly the best thing on tv this spring. We watched the entire series. Better git yurself caught up before season 2. I read somewhere you can order the DVD's on Amazon.

P.S. We loved the show's theme music too. Check out the "bang and twang" of artist Rench and rapper T.O.N.E-z in a collaboration they call Gangstagrass.

This guy calls it a musical cross-pollination. It's way cool.

'64 Skylark - She's Rock Steady

2010-06-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

It's been some time since we showed you the progress on Dave Black's '64 Skylark. Dustin installed a Hotchkis Sport Suspension, front and rear and installed disc brakes all the way around. This past week he finished the MagnaFlow exhaust. He and Bob cut down the oil pan to make everything fit. Then came the soft brake lines, the sway bar etc. Up top he installed the radiator, built hardlines for it, installed a dual pot master cylinder with a 8" booster. He cut out the dash insert, put in the gauges, and did dozens of other assembly-type stuff The skirt has a hard time understanding well enough to write about on this blog, but you get the idea. Most unmistakable to this writer though is the sexy satin black paint Dustin laid down. Some of us around here have decided to call the car Black Betty.

Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-Lam)

She really gets me high

You know that's no lie

She's so rock steady

And she's always ready After much careful consideration the owner decided on wheels and as soon as they mount them we'll post a picture, bam ba lam. We know the owner, Dave, reads this blog, maybe he would be so kind as to add some comments. In case you missed the blog entry on installing the car's LS motor click here.

Update 6/14/10: Dave sent in this photo of his new vanity license plate. Right on!

Spokane Car Builder, Spokane car fabricator, professional vehicle design and fabrication

Observe Memorial Day USA

2010-05-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today our hearts and minds reflect upon the American soldiers and their loved ones who paid the ultimate sacrifice defending our way of life. God Bless you.

Living In The U.S.A.

2010-05-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend is a three day holiday for Americans. If the weather cooperates most of us plan a short trip or picnic. In Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho Memorial Day is usually wet, so a lot of us use the time to finish home improvement projects before summer. Home Depot and Lowes probably turned in good numbers last night. The stores were filled with couples, the wife leading the charge with a list and paint samples, the husband pushing a cart loaded up with supplies. No one was really smiling. As we came through the door the first such couple we saw, we knew. We all had a good laugh. Us gals were sort of apologizing for having to put our foot down, the husbands commiserating over their fate.

Hey, in The Skirt's ideal world, this weekend would be for doing something more like what you see these gals doing. What about you?

Custom Console For '61 Impala

2010-05-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

A long time customer asked us to design and fabricate a more modern-style console for his '61 Impala. You can see the results here. We came up with the idea to carpet the sides and top of the jockey box since those areas show wear and tear so quickly. The owner loved it. And we love building things like this. Here is another example of the kind of console we can build for you.

Vintage Mt. St Helens

2010-05-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

Mount St. Helens blew 30 years ago today. The Spokesman Review put together an excellent five minute slideshow on the influence of mountains of ash on Eastern Washington.
http://www.spokesman.com/video/2010/may/14/looking-back-mount-st-helens-comes-town/

Notice how thin everyone was in 1980.

US Needs to Increase Oil Drilling

2010-05-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

It's horrible what happened in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20th, but we can not let the BP oil rig explosion and oil spill be an excuse to stop future drilling off our own shores. Are the waters and shorelines around the United States anymore precious than waters around other countries' shorelines? If this happened in another part of the world would the people there consider closing off their waters to future drilling. Of course not! The US government, our radical green groups and their pandering politician friends are the only ones who would entertain such selfish thoughts. (This reminds The Skirt of our government's narrow-minded law to use people food and the world's precious farmland to grow fuel to power American cars, but I digress.) The United States still needs oil and gas and we need it to flow in from sources other than those in the Middle East. We must continue to place our land and our citizens at risk to obtain it. An opinion writer with USA Today is simpatico.

Update 5/27/10 : Read Uphttp://www.americanthinker.com/2010/05/environmentalists_with_oil_on.html

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/05/27/obama-federal-government-charge-oil-spill-response/

Update 6/14/10: Here's the truth http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/06/obama_and_oil_greasing_america.html

Order Your Custom Air Cleaner

2010-05-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

This custom air cleaner we built for Bill Rising's '37 Ford Coupe really turned some heads at the Portland car show. Bill wanted something attractive and practical. This unit fits a standard 14" air cleaner cartridge and draws fresh air from the hood side vents.

We designed this unit using sections of a 4" exhaust tubing u-bend . We developed flat patterns for the top and bottom sections on the computer. The rest was up to the skilled hands of Eric Petersen to hammer weld and grind this masterpiece in prep for paint.

Getting everything to connect along the dotted line is challenging when your working with something as stiff as steel, and it loves to shrink when you weld it. Luckily, we're old hands at getting sheet metal to do what we want.

Custom built air cleaners, custom built air intake, custom built air plenum, Spokane Custom car builder

'73 Honda Chopper Ready To Re-assemble

2010-05-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

It's been several months since we first wrote about this '73 Chopper. It's taken this long to gather everything together. The shiny parts came back last week from the chrome shop. We worked with Allied Plating in Spokane and they sent everything up to Canada. Allied Plating stayed in contact with us, which was comforting since it took over three months. There was a lot to chrome, that's for sure. Service was excellent though, and the chrome looks great.

The frame and gas tank were re-painted the original color several weeks ago by Scott Motorsports. The bike owner has a thing about chess and wanted us to re-produce the chess pieces on the side of the tank. We scanned the old decals and using Photoshop repaired the missing pixels. The Knight and Rook also go on matching helmets.

Eric painted the '73 Honda CB -750 yesterday. We'll meet with the owner in the next few days and then start to put it back together. Check back.

Take Your Fast Car And Drive Somewhere - While We Still Can - Oh Freedom

2010-04-30T15:40:00.000-07:00

Diane Medved writes about how our cars help us realize our dreams and come closer to the divine. Remember the song Fast Car by Tracy Chapman? You just can't get the same feeling riding the bus.

A True Professional Hot Rod Journalist Came To Town

2010-04-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

Last Friday hot rod journalist Chris Shelton came over from the Seattle area to shoot Paul Bo's '29 roadster pickup and other Spokane-Northern Idaho area cars. Dustin said, "for a big time professional dude, he's a hell of a nice guy, who really knows his stuff. It was a pleasure hanging around him." We all agree, Chris was great to work with. We look forward to seeing the story in an upcoming issue of Street Rodder. Chris decided to use the same location that we used last fall.

Hey GM, Robbing Peter to Pay Peter Doesn't Count

2010-04-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

This morning when The Skirt saw the CEO of GM bragging about having repaid the tax payer loan she knew something about that sounded fishy. Now it looks like they could be in trouble for false advertising. GM shouldn't have resorted to Blagojevich-style tactics.

Sorry, fellas this will only make your situation worse.

Update 5/25/10: A friend e-mailed me this YouTube video yesterday. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gq7J71VsDM&feature=player_embedded

Truline RV & RV Buddies Restore Cool Old GMC Motorhome

2010-04-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors here at Empire Industrial Park, Truline RV of Spokane has teamed up with the California-based Internet RV show, RV Buddies to restore a 1977 GMC motorhome. Some say these GMC motorhomes were the coolest RV's ever built, A.K.A., The Shit (we'll take their word for it) and so an inspired choice for restoration. Rod Builders has been hired to modify the aluminum structure and though it is just a tiny part of the long progress we are excited to be part of it. We look forward to watching Chad and his team at Truline make this old gal the "ultimate traveling machine" again. The "26-footer" as she is called is owned by RV Buddies and at some point they will be showcasing the restoration on their on-line adventure show.

Check out RV Buddies. Dustin welding on the roof of the RV.

The Transformation Begins - Old Car to a Hot Rod

2010-04-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is Dennis Reed's complete '29 model "A" two-door sedan that he picked up in a field in Wyoming. He didn't drive it back, but he almost could have. This car is going to see a bit of a metamorphosis over the coming weeks. Dennis has a six inch chop planned and a Ford 390 FE motor to stuff in it.

That pretty little car is now a tidy pile of parts getting ready to go to sandblast. When it returns, we'll start boxing the frame, transplanting suspension and doing body mods.

Stock Market Is A Scam

2010-04-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

The Pomerinke's '55 Crown Victoria

You could lose it all in the stock market. Use the money to finish that collector car or truck you have rusting away in the garage.

Rod Builders Inc can help you get it out on the road. Call us today!

Alternator relocate for LS motor in A-body cars

2010-04-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

We're putting an LS motor from a GTO into a 1964 Buick Skylark. You can do this with a truck motor without having to move the alternator, but it sticks up really high. We opted to design a cool little system that used the factory tensioner to move the alternator to the passenger side. It works really slick so we put some kits together for $129 + shipping, that include all the hardware and instructions.

If you are putting an LS into any 64-72 A-body GM car (Chevelle, Skylark,Cutlass,Tempest,GTO,442,GS), you need this kit. Call us at 509-922-7922 to order.
Spokane Car Builder

Paul's Roadster Wins Award At Spokane Auto Show

2010-03-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

Dustin was as happy as we have ever seen him Sunday night when he got the news Paul Bos' '29 roadster pickup won the ISCA cash award for Outstanding Altered Rod at the Spokane Auto Boat Speed Show.

Spokane Car Builder

Mobile Soda Blasting

2010-03-04T13:39:00.000-08:00

Tri-State Soda-Blasting removed the paint on the Skylark yesterday. Everyone was very pleased with the results. They use a specially designed baking soda. It's all 100% water soluble, so we parked the car in back of the building, on the gravel and let it fly. It only took a couple of hours and the car is now clean and ready to paint.

The car is in good shape. The owner is considering having the car painted a flame red. Visualize a deep red-orange with charcoal-colored interior. The skirt thinks that combo sounds bitching.

We were impressed with how the trim turned out. This is delicate chromed pot metal and there is no pitting or warping. The car prior to soda blasting.

As you can see the Skylark is coming together.

Ladies In Red For Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Pin Ups by Gil Elvgren

Chinese New Year Sunday - Get the Chop Sticks

2010-02-11T10:20:00.000-08:00

(Pictured: Menu from former Mandarin Cafe in Spokane)

Only a few things will get Bob to venture down a dark alley (he shuns anything city-like) one thing, hopefully, would be to rescue The skirt if she finds herself abducted by sex traffickers, another is the hunt for authentic Asian food. Sunday is the Chinese New Year, and to capture any incoming good luck (doesn't hurt to try, right?) we'll probably go eat at one of the small restaurants in the Spokane Asian community that cook for Bob the way they like it, you know, not the way the round-eye likes it. Be sure to check out the prices on the old menu below, maybe from the mid-40's.

We wish a happy and prosperous new year to all our Asian friends!

Bos and '29 Ford At Bob Hardee Photo Shoot 1961

2010-02-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

The skirt may have mentioned, at some point on this blog, that this spring friend and customer Paul Bos and his wife Sallie are packing up their stuff to get the hell out of Idaho for warmer climes. In doing the packing, Paul came across these professional photographs of himself and his roadster taken in 1961 by Bob Hardee, a popular California freelance hot rod photographer. Paul told us he was tooling around in his roadster, "making the scene" in southern California when this bus driver pulled up alongside of him and said, "Hey kid, you want your car in a hot rod magazine?" This guy told Paul to do the shoot he had to, "get a hair cut and buy some white slacks." "I really wanted to be in the magazines, so I did what I was told even though I wasn't sure who he was and I only wore jeans and a dirty tee shirts. The barber cut my pompadour and I went to Sears for my first pair of dress pants," said Paul. He soon learned this white-pants-loving bus driver was hot rod photographer Bob Hardee. Paul's story made Hot Rod magazine. Cover of Hot Rod magazine, August 1961. Paul and the red roadster are near the bottom of the picture.

The car also made the first volume of Hot Rod Yearbook which show cased the finest hot rods on the planet in 1961.
(I know it's not a very good scan of the Yearbook page, but I didn't want to risk breaking the binding.)

Here's what it reads - At 21 years, Paul Bos is an old timer. This is his sixth road rod. Chassis refinement list: '32 front suspension, '40 brakes, '56 pickup steering box and '40 rear end with 4.44:1 gears, all FoMoCo branded. Born in Hawaii, Bos drew from nine years experience in hot rodding, wisely selecting '29 Ford-Chevy V8 combo as not only a good running team but shrewd investment as well. Stock body was wisely retained, enhanced by Jeep lights, Ford wheels; 15x5.90's, 8.20's.

This was just the first of many magazine articles written about Paul and his hot rods.

Jay's '66 F-100

2010-02-04T14:12:00.001-08:00

Jay Dalman brought in pieces of his '66 Ford F-100 a few weeks ago. The guys are doing the usual rust repair, pulling dents, filling unwanted holes and a little custom body work. Jay is going to put in a wood bed, so the old one's gotta go. Jay admitted to reading this blog, so The skirt hopes he writes about the origins of his beloved truck and gives us more detail on how he plans to restore it.

Chickens & The Merc

2010-02-02T13:38:00.001-08:00

For a few days last summer our '62 Colony Park station wagon was parked in front of our 100- year-old rock barn. While playing with the color swap mode on the Canon Power Shot The skirt pressed the shutter on this whole mess of, station wagon, tractor and chickens. I know sharing this photo with you puts us at risk of comparisons to The Egg & I. That's the reason's I took the shot, it looked like the homestead of the "eccentric country bumpkins." It was a temporary, but authentic moment and now I own it.

By the way, we have very happy chickens and they lay a dozen big, beautiful eggs every day. Want some?

TOTUS - The President's Wubby

2010-01-28T15:32:00.000-08:00

The electronic security blanket

Frame-off Restoration of '64 Buick Skylark

2010-01-28T12:18:00.000-08:00

New in the shop this month is Dave Black's '64 Skylark. As you can see the "frame is off" and the car has been disassembled. What you can't see is Dustin has started rust repair on the underside of the car and the floor pan. To keep costs down, (that's how it's done these days) he power washed then scraped off the big chunks of rust on the frame then coated it with POR-15 rust inhibitor. Yesterday morning he started installing new brakes. When the time comes Rod Builders will be installing an LS motor. Stayed tuned.

Spokane Car Builder

'73 Honda Chopper

2010-01-22T13:17:00.000-08:00

Rod Builders is restoring this chopper with a Honda CB-750 to its 1974 splendor. The owner of this bike put over 40,000 miles on it and he is still alive to tell the tales, which is an amazing feat. Gnarly man. We look forward to hearing more of his stories as we progress through the restoration. Most of the bike is still in boxes right now. Hope you'll check back as we put this piece of Americana back together to head on down the highway again. The owner during his Easy Rider period.

CAN YOU HEAR US NOW?

2010-01-20T08:52:00.000-08:00

Thank you Massachusetts!!!! People of Washington State

we need to find our Scott Brown. We have a senate seat that needs filling and Patty Murray needs to go. Join the wave.

7/15/10 Scott Brown voted for the Wall Street/Financial reform bill. Maybe we don't need someone exactly like Scott Brown.

Cabin Cruiser

2010-01-13T12:15:00.000-08:00

Martin Deeg dragged this '63 Jeep CJ5 from the east coast. He had a handyman put a 3.0l Toyota diesel engine from Australia in it, but with the factory gear train, it had limited usefulness. We joined the diesel to a Ford New Process 4 speed tranny and installed a nifty overdrive unit onto the Spicer trans-axle. A few cosmetic upgrades like a new top and some comfort additions like a new heater, and this old workhorse is ready to go!

Low gear, low range is litterally a crawl with a diesel like this! You can have a nice picnic while your Jeep is climbing a cliff and you wont even have to walk fast to catch it again.

Top speed is around 80mph now, and it gets many miles to the gallon.

This project was a bit out of our normal, but we had a blast figuring out how to make everything work together. All in all, we're really proud of what a neat little backwoods rig this is now.

Whew, We Made It Through the Aughts

2009-12-31T11:23:00.000-08:00

Keep your chin up everyone,

it's probably going to be another difficult year.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2009-12-24T15:17:00.000-08:00

We're off for a few days to spend time reconnecting with family and friends, to take stock of where we are and think about what we hope to see and do in 2010. We hope those of you who celebrate Christmas have lots of warm fuzzies this weekend! O tidings of comfort and joy to you all!

(Minor) Plastic Surgery On Bos' Classic California Hot Rod

2009-12-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

Some of you may recognize Paul Bos' '34 Ford coupe. Paul built this classic-style hot rod over 20 years ago and he recently decided to have Rod Builders give it a little "lifestyle lift" before he hits his retirement full stride and takes up cruising the blue highways again. He picked out this really cool vintage-style radio from the the Early Ford Store in California and a vintage racing-style steering column and drop. Dustin and Eric worked together on the dash. First Eric cut, expanded and re-filled the fiberglass dash to accommodate the new radio and gauge bezel. Dustin took over from there sanding, painting and blending it all to perfection. Paul had always wanted to have chrome windshield trim. We ordered a reproduction frame and Dustin chopped it the 3 1/2 inches. We'll have it chromed here soon and I'll post a picture. While it was here Paul had everything given the once over along with some other repairs and updates.

(Paul's actual to-do list.) The guys were able to do everything Paul wanted and they did a superb job. This "real" hot rod is better than ever.Thanks for letting us work on your baby, Paul.Paul and Sallie's '34 coupe in the Dec. Goodguy's Gazette.

Hey, there's that beautiful 23-window VW van The Skirt feel in love with last year pictured in the upper right corner.

Spokane car builder, dashboard rebuild

The Apprentice

2009-12-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

He's not half bad, either. He did these door frames. Dennis approached us a few months ago about apprenticing here at Rod Builders. Bob brags he can teach anyone to weld. He is a good teacher, that's true, but it helps to have some natural ability. (That's a compliment, Dennis) We have big plans for Dennis, if he decides to stick with it.

Mr. President, You're Really Pushing It To Talk Over A Charlie Brown Christmas

2009-12-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

President Obama's speech tonight almost cancelled A Charlie Brown Christmas. It's been probably 30 years since The Skirt has taken the time to watch an entire show, but I teared up (more like a little misty-eyed) when I heard that tonight's showing of this American holiday classic was pre-empted by yet another Obama speech. (Watching A Charlie Brown Christmas was the highlight of my birthday/slumber parties in the 1960's.) Dear Mr. President, enough already of the recurrent, showy, campaign-style speeches, better yet, to quote Charlie Brown, "UGH!!!!!!!"

UPDATE: How did President Obama do on his speech? Here is an outsider's opinion.

Cancel Light Bulb Socialism

2009-11-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Can we please cancel the absurd phase-out programs

of the incandescent light bulb?

Happy Thanksgiving Day In USA

2009-11-26T03:00:00.000-08:00

We are thankful customers still walk through our door and pay us to build stuff for them. I write "to build stuff for them" because to survive in a down economy sometimes you have to diversify. Custom car builders have a unique skill set. What are you thankful for?

Stock Market Is A Scam

2009-11-24T14:38:00.000-08:00

You could lose it all in the stock market. Why not finish that collector car or truck you have sitting in the garage. Rod Builders can help you get it out on the road. Read this for more information. Rosenberger's '47 Chevy Pickup

Costco Makes a Poor Connection

2009-11-18T09:00:00.001-08:00

All of us here at Rod Builders are huge Costco fans. The skirt reads every issue of The Costco Connection from front to back, but I had to force myself to pull it out of the mailbox this month. Yuk, Al Gore. Bob had a more sophisticated response and he sent the following letter to Costco. What do you guys think? Are you buying what Al Gore is selling?

Dear Costco Connection:

About 50% of your customers think that man-caused global warming is the biggest scam pulled on the American public in our generation. I'm a highly educated and discriminating person, thus my love for Costco. Given that, I am repulsed by the credibility your feature in "Connection" gives this fraud. You have been pretty good at being politically neutral up to this point, but Al Gore stirs a negative emotion in some that is visceral and founded. I know that the publishing office for The Connection tends to the progressive direction, but please remember that half of your customers are conservative and intelligent. Avoid polarizing individuals like this in the future.

Bob Bissonette

Revised 11/24/09:

What do you have to say about this Mr. Gore?

MF's Cluster (AKA '26-'27 T Car)

2009-11-11T12:05:00.000-08:00

Cory (MF) Gilbert brought in his project car a few months back to have Rod Builders complete some tricky metal fabrication for him.

This is an entirely custom car, so the door frames had to be built from scratch. Turned out great, don't you think? Like everything we do, we try and make it look like it came from the factory that way. Pretty cool, uh?

MF plans on using this later model heavy-duty flathead in the car. Yesterday, he asked us to fire it up for him. Runs great! The skirt loves the sound of the flathead doing its thing, so she made a video.

God Bless The American Soldier

2009-11-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

Americans Speak With Their Wallets

2009-11-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

I knew it!!!!

This pleases The Skirt.

Gone Trick and Treating

2009-10-31T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hope you're having fun this Halloween instead of looking at this blog.

Not really, we love it when people read our blog,

no matter what day it is.

Graduation Portrait - '29 Ford Roadster Pickup

2009-10-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we trailered Paul Bos' '29 roadster pickup to a friend's old barn for a photo shoot. We were on location from two in the afternoon until past sunset. Professional photographers are right, twilight is the "magic hour" to shoot. The Skirt took the artsy shots below, the others we set aside to see if anyone wants to use them in a magazine.