Ed "Big Daddy" Roth Tribute Thread!

[weldonmc]

I would like to THANK everyone that has written here with their very nice comments ...I've always had fun and enjoyed building these kits with a passion. 

To clarify my experince withe Mr. Dick Messer and the Petersen Automotive Museum (P.A.M.) a little better ...I want to write this:

Dick Messer was the Director of the P.A.M. when he contacted me to build all 12 models for the ED ROTH display located in the museum. Mr. Messer stepped down as director and had opened a Johnny Rocket's Burger inside the P.A.M. and I learned he had taken the models with him. I tried to contact him for several weeks to no availe. I finally did get in touch with him and asked him why he took them ...he told me they were his and I just needed to do whatever I could do about it for myself. The new Direcctor, Mr. Buddy Pepp, was not aware of what had taken place and agreed to get them back after I had written to him. I have attached photos of the letters I recieved from the P.A.M.


 

My last corrospondence from Mr. Pepp ...he agreed that the models belonged to the Museum. Mr messer was displaying them in hisw Johnny Rocket's but he was on top of it. I agreed to thiss as long as The Petersen Automotive Museum was driving the boat and NOT Dick Messer ...then I could live with that. I wanted to go see them in the museum but probably never will ...and I bet WELDON MCDOWELL will never get any recognition for building them either ...and that breaks my spirit and my heart to think I was dumb enough to let it happen.

[jimm]

What a bum deal. Don't let it break you though you did a great job on the kits and you should be proud

[weldonmc]

Weldonmc:

Have you ever applied your talents to building one of "Big Daddy" Roth's custom car kits, or even somebody else's such as Tom Daniels?

The only 2 custom ROTH cars I'ved built have been these two. I tried one back in '63 when I was 13 years old and couldn't do it and these really gave me fits at 59 too. I don't remember ever building a TD kit either ...I love looking at them bu tnever wanted to build one.

[weldonmc]

Weldon, these are some of THEE BEST BUILDS EVER!!!

Thank You John ...I certainly am a fan of your FINK work for sure! I was looking at one of my old ROTH catalogs a few days ago and ran across a drawing of a Henry J that was so bad you almost couldn't make the car out as to what it was. I had a drawing of a Henry J I think that you did (with spoked, narrow wheels) and recreated the drawing with it. I love these things!

[weldonmc]

" Hold the Pickles" was built for the Johnny Rockets Mr. Messer opened inside of the Petersen Automotive Museum. He wanted something to greet customers as they entered. He contacted me and we agrred on a price of $175 which paid for my time, a pre-built Superfink kit, and a Rat Fink kit to build it with.



So this rat Fink kit has a few modifications too. Both arms/hands were removed and replaced with repositioned Superfink arm/hands. The plastic was removed around the teeth and an inner mouth was made from Aves Apoxy Sculpt and put in place. the molded hair was removed , slots cut under the ears, and craft fur was stuffed in. Both feet were replaced with feet from Superfink too. The burger patty was cut from some computer packing foam then colored with markers. The burger buns were cut from styrofoam, covered with tissue paper that had been soaked in Elmer's glue, then poked into to styrofoam with a stiff brush giving it the right texture. A red styrofoam plate was used for the tomatoes, plastic strips were used foronions, and a plastic sheet gave it up for a slice of cheese. Aves Apoxy Sculpt was used to make the pickles. The tail was also curved a little tighter and the everpresent tail bandage applied.

[Hepcat]

I like that one better than the Rat Fink you built dressed in black. Rat Fink just doesn't look right if he's not in red.

[weldonmc]

DRAGNUT 2...

I had promised another guy that I would build a DRAGNUT for him. I had always wanted to do one in Blue with a Black Bantam so I thought I would build two together and let Mr. Meser choose which one he wanted for the Museum. Well ...he wanted them both. I charged him $35.00 for the unbuilt kit and $200.00 to build it.





All of the modifications that were made to this DRAGNUT are the same as the other one.

[weldonmc]

I still look for old drawings that I can color at night when I can't sleep. I have 620+ colored so far. Here is one HEPCAT posted a few months ago ...hope you like it:

[Hepcat]

I had promised another guy that I would build a DRAGNUT for him. I had always wanted to do one in Blue with a Black Bantam so I thought I would build two together and let Mr. Meser choose which one he wanted for the Museum. Well ...he wanted them both. I charged him $35.00 for the unbuilt kit and $200.00 to build it.

Here's the original box art for comparison's sake:

[weldonmc]

I've made one with those colors too Hepcat:

...except I changed RF's colors.

[Hepcat]

Sweet!

But you've posted three now. I take it two were unethically, and probably illegally, appropriated by the previous museum curator for his restaurant. Where is the third? And surely you keep some build-ups for yourself?

[weldonmc]

HEPCAT ...I have built quite a few of them ...I think this one went to New York and is in another artist's studio. I have a DRAGNUT that is just like the last one but without the roll bar and the wide whites ...and the little RF is grey with a red suit. As far as my FINK models go ...I only have ANGEL FINK, MOTHER'S WORRY, MR. GASSER, (2) RAT FINKS, SUPERFINK, and SURFINK.

I also have one of the 12" RAT FINKS that I built for someone and never got paid for it:



I have an idea for an ANGEL FINK done up in White that I hope to do sometime this year ...maybe.

[Hepcat]

Here's a scan of the one and only issue of Drag Cartoons featuring "Big Daddy" Roth on the cover:

[LFSPaul]

In my opinion I think this is one of the rarest Big Daddy pieces ever made. Made by Moon, Trains and Mooneyes, this big pre-painted statue was actually the paint prototype entered into the model contest this year at Wonderfest. I did a cash trade deal and it was expensive. No markings on the base and the bottom is just raw resin with paint marks, indicating it's a prototype. While I have the original box, these were hand packed to survive the trip from Japan. One of the actual production pieces was sold for $800 at the show. Only two were available and since I have been doing business with these guys for years I was able to talk the guys out of this very rare prototype.

This piece is 12" tall and probably the best pre-paint ever offered. While this is a hand painted prototype the paint detail will be ten times better than the production units. These are already SOLD OUT through Mooneyes.

Thought I would share pics here, and I'm putting him up for sale here on the board and then off to ebay.

Paul

[Gasport]

Sheer FINK perfection....CONGRATS!