Wyoming Kentwood Chamber of Commerce

Mark: How many cars have you owned? Pete: I've probably only owned 30 in my time. Of that 30 [12] have become iconic because of timing; when they were built. I have friends with 40-60 cars but not enough room to store them. The great thing is I can call up a friend from miles away, they can ship a car out and we can go out 'playing' at a moment's notice. Mark: Does anything scare you? Pete: I was scared the last time I was out in the Canyon. I was in a three lane that shut down to a 2 lane quick and there were trucks on the side of me. I came in hot thought I was going to hit the K rail. I tried to slow down but could feel it sliding. These things aren't much more than kitchen chairs on a set of rails! Sofa's on a frame! Mark: What is your most fond memory of driving? Pete: I was startled by, I mean, wasn't expecting the rain as we came into he bad lands of North Dakota. There was lightning. Everything was right. We were headed to see Mt. Rushmore and there were these huge nodules of rock; it reminded me of Mad Max or something. Seeing all the rock, the lightning, and the rain through the chopped windshield was really something. I've been all over, but I hadn't seen anything like that! Mark: So what brings you out to the Metro Cruise? Pete: It's the people. I like the midwest the best. I was turned on to it in 1976 when we drove our cars to St. Paul Minnesota. The cars can be anything. If you put floor mats in it, you hot rodded it. Modify- ing the cars is the concept. You take the platform and you modify it. Wheels, tires, slam it and you're ready to rock. People are building cars from ANYTHING now. They are taking Nash Ramblers and building them. It's all about those people. Mark: What do you have to say to kids out there? Pete: Do what you love. Build what you can afford to. I love Ferraris but I build what I can afford, what I want. Do it with pas- sion. The genius is in seeing the car done before you start. It never stops, it just happens. You can be a musician or a painter, I chose Hot Rodding because as the end of the day, I get to drive away in my painting. Mark: It's been an honor talking to you Pete! Pete: We'll see you soon! 3 Made possible with our sponsors: J&H Family Stores / J&H Oil / Marge's Donut Den / PROTXS Vanguard Fire & Security / Dave Ahrens State Farm Insurance Armbrecht&Wierenga Orthodontics / Wyoming Family Vision Pere Marquette Diesel / C.R.A.P. Store / Top Stitch Trim & Upholstery An interview with famous Hot Rodder Pete Chapouris Pete will be at the 12th annual 28th Street Metro Cruise signing autographs both Friday and Saturday. [FREE] Presented by Steve's Antique Auto Repair Interview from August 3rd 2016 by Mark Looman - 28th Street Metro Cruise PR Director Mark: Ok, lets start this off easy, highways or back roads? Pete: ALWAYS back roads. We've driven hot rods from California to Texas on nothing more than two lane roads. We just did a trip up to British Columbia and back on some of the most beautiful 2 lane roads in the west Mark: Who were your inspirations when you were young? Pete: My dad was my inspiration. My dad was a customizer and my uncle was a hot rodder. My dad took me to all the shops. He never turned a screw but he knew what he wanted. He did well and had money to buy Buicks and have them customized. He would take a brand new car and customize the hell out of it before it ever had a mile on it. He used to take me to all the cool shops like George Bar- ris'. I got to know the craft from a very young age. I'd buy a model at the store just to get the Halibrand wheels from it, then build a model from the 'wheels up'. It's all about the wheels. The wheels and tires make the car. When I was young I was on the GM Engineering design team. I entered a contest with a car I built from carved balsa wood and took first place. Kids try to build cars these days and put wheels on later, they are doing it wrong! Listen to the car, it will tell you what it needs, where the wires go, what needs to happen. (chuckles) I know, it sounds kind of corny, but it's how I work. I run a school for kids. You can't just teach anyone though, they have to have the passion or they are wasting their time. If you have the passion you'll find a way to make it happen. When I was 14 I saw a car I loved but could never own. I saved up $75 to buy a car to build from. I went to the drags with a tape to measure the car. I built the best I could with what I had at the time. Passion. You might be able to play notes but it doesn't mean you can play music. Mark: How long does a custom car take to build? Pete: You can do it in a year and a half. At home, it'll take 3. It'll take 4 by the time you have the money. I've built $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 cars, I've done 10 in my career. Some people build just for the money, i.e. big buck cars for big buck boys. I build drivers. If you want everything special made it can cost much more. Say the word "special"; double it. If you say "while you're at it" or "just" every time you open your mouth and say "just" it costs you $20,000. Mark: What's your favorite build? Pete: Limefire (he answered quickly). Limefire was a compilation of everything that is Hot Rod. It's a 1932 Ford High Boy Roadster with a blown small block Chevy motor that will run in the 10's. It's been sold but thankfully my son in law's uncle still owns it. It's still in the 'family'. I still get to see it. It was inspired by Tom McMullen's roadster. Lime- fire was just mentioned in an article about the top ten cars ever built. Second to Limefire is the 1934 Ford three window coupe. It was on the cover of Custom Rod in 1973 and was used in the movie "The California Kid" Just a few of SoCal Speedshop's Awards Pebble Beach Concours de Elegance 4-First Place Awards 2-Second Place Awards Grand National Roadster Show 20-First Place Awards 2-Second Place Awards 2013 America's Most Beautiful Roadster SEMA Show 2001 Dodge Design Excellence Award 2002 Ford Design Excellence Award 2003 Chevrolet Design Excellence Award 2012 Ford Outstanding Achievement in Design

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