Chip Foose designed GT

[ungermm]

Chip Foose was at the Alameda County Fairgrounds for the GoodGuys car show. I got to meet him and have him sign a T shirt for me. I told him that I restored these cars and showed him a photocopy of a GT. He said "OH, an Opel, haven't seen one of those in a while." I told him I was getting stuck with my paint design and asked him what he would do. So he made a sketch on the T shirt faster than you can say OVERHAULIN'.

Chip Foose 001.jpg

Chip Foose 002.jpg

I like his design. It is an updated expression of the GT with its lines still apparent. The top has been moved a little forward and of course everything gets lowered. The design for the stripes is simple but accentuates the outline.
Jerry

[DennisGardiner]

Saw Chip signing t-shirts and taking photographs at the Good Guys Show yesterday.

Go figure!

Gil & I were there with the editor of the U.K. Manta club and the Dutch Opel GT club.

Small world.

[opelenvy]

Very cool! I really like the work Chip does and I like the heart and soul he puts into the cars he does.

[sharpei]

I live right out front of the gates and down the street from the Fairgrounds, and really wanted to ask him if he thought redoing my 69 Opel gt was realistic. Here we are sitting within 4oo feet of there, and all you Opel people were there too.......maybe I should have pushed my car dwon the driveway and waited for someone to come by and talk to me....LOL
nice post, and its the first time I have been on this since I joined last year, eerie issn't it...

[ungermm]

Originally Posted by sharpei really wanted to ask him if he thought redoing my 69 Opel gt was realistic.

I would guess he would say something like "Sure, why not". But, what he might really mean is...sure, go for it, put your mind and money to it and you can do it, but personally I wouldn't be interested.

If you ask me, which you aren't, I would say... For Sure, definitely, why not, I'd be interested. If you need help or advise, I'm just a few minutes away. If you don't want it, maybe I would (after I finish the two GT's currently in my back yard).

Dennis, I was with Chip at about 5pm on Saturday, although I was at the fairgrounds all day. I was tucked away in a little area called the Wine Garden where I was selling wine and beer. If I would have seen you, I would have recognized you and Gil since it's only been a month since we met at the Harold Mays museum. However, if you weren't a cool looking car or a good looking girl, it would be very unlikely that I'd looking in your direction.
Jerry

[DennisGardiner]

Originally Posted by ungermm Dennis, I was with Chip at about 5pm on Saturday, although I was at the fairgrounds all day. I was tucked away in a little area called the Wine Garden where I was selling wine and beer. If I would have seen you, I would have recognized you and Gil since it's only been a month since we met at the Harold Mays museum. However, if you weren't a cool looking car or a good looking girl, it would be very unlikely that I'd looking in your direction. Jerry

Well, no just plain me, there were no cute girls with me. Was next to the Foose section at around 3pm. At 5 to 5:30 pm I was at the bleachers watching them unveil the National Hot Rod winner announced.

There were some seriously hot cars at the show. The 427 Nova and the 58 Vette with the Art Morrison suspension were exceptionally hot.
Dennis

[Laurence Opel GT]

Originally Posted by ungermm I was with Chip at about 5pm on Saturday...

I wonder how hard it must be for Chip having just about every owner of an old car asking for advice, opinions, help while staying friendly and happy.

I know he loves cars (more than most of us) and that he loves to help (he's a legend here in Sweden), but even so, the guy will never be able to walk the streets without being pestered.

But if I met him I'd talk about...

MY OPEL GT!!!

[sharpei]

I only "thought" about asking him, about restoring my Opel, but would have never done it at such a forum. If I thought it was appropriate, I would have walked across the street. I had actually thought about it several years ago, thinking of submitting it as a project for Overhaulin. My beautiful daughter was about to turn 16 and nothing would have been sweeter than to let her drive the car I drove when I was 16. She had never know the grandparents that bought it new off the showroom floor in Stockton. I thought it would have made for great TV as she is quite a beautiful and special girl, who would have appreciated the car with every fiber of her soul. It was a dream. You need disposable finances to do such things if you have no talent......For some reason I have not parted with it, and occasionally I have dreams that I am driving it, and it is the same sporty car I drove on eight mile road in Stockton, well over 100 MPH......for a fleeting moment.....I've saved some money along with all my memories, and perhaps, the dream will become a reality. I miss the 32 mpg I used to get with it, and REALLY miss the $3.50 that it cost to fill it up!!!!!!! When I have some more time, I may inquire about this possibility of bringing her back to life. Thanks for the offer of communicating! Debbie

[Phoenix]

Seeing that sketch is a real treat for me. Chip Foose is an idol for me and I see him in the same light as George Barris. I love all of his designs. Automotive Design is my passion. I only wish that I had the metal skill to make physical what I can draw.

[ungermm]

[quote=sharpei;170046I drove on eight mile road in Stockton, well over 100 MPH[/QUOTE]

Ah, what memories. My wife and are are both graduates of UOP. I could tell you lots of stories of the good old wild days there. Both my daughters are graduates of Amador Valley High and are hoping that I will hurry up and fix up a GT for them. I wished I had completed one before they had graduated so they could have drove it to the annual high school show your ride day.
Jerry

[blancojp]

Chip had a chance to redo an Opel GT last year but he declined. Main reason was the unavailability of parts to replace the bad sections it might had. I would however love to see what he would do to a GT, specially the drive train.

The Opel GT is not an easy car to restore since you can't actually call Year One and get all the parts you need. So with that in mind, you can't really "Overhaul" an Opel GT in seven days and add a ton of upgrades which you have to develop on the fly. Think about the program and you will realize that after a small bit of body work, everything else is bolt on so no additional mechanical design is required. This places the focal attention on Foose and not the parts or assemblies used on the car.

[SaturnVUEguy]

Originally Posted by Phoenix Seeing that sketch is a real treat for me. Chip Foose is an idol for me and I see him in the same light as George Barris. I love all of his designs. Automotive Design is my passion. I only wish that I had the metal skill to make physical what I can draw.

Speaking of George Barris, I actually got to meet him and got his autograph maybe a couple months ago at Volo Auto Museum

[gtzero]

Originally Posted by sharpei I only "thought" about asking him, about restoring my Opel, but would have never done it at such a forum. If I thought it was appropriate, I would have walked across the street. I had actually thought about it several years ago, thinking of submitting it as a project for Overhaulin. My beautiful daughter was about to turn 16 and nothing would have been sweeter than to let her drive the car I drove when I was 16. She had never know the grandparents that bought it new off the showroom floor in Stockton. I thought it would have made for great TV as she is quite a beautiful and special girl, who would have appreciated the car with every fiber of her soul. It was a dream. You need disposable finances to do such things if you have no talent......For some reason I have not parted with it, and occasionally I have dreams that I am driving it, and it is the same sporty car I drove on eight mile road in Stockton, well over 100 MPH......for a fleeting moment.....I've saved some money along with all my memories, and perhaps, the dream will become a reality. I miss the 32 mpg I used to get with it, and REALLY miss the $3.50 that it cost to fill it up!!!!!!! When I have some more time, I may inquire about this possibility of bringing her back to life. Thanks for the offer of communicating! Debbie

DUDE!!! When were you on 8 mile rd?! I spent a few years in Stockton with my GT and know the windy roads well. Too Cool!!!

[gtzero]

Originally Posted by ungermm Ah, what memories. My wife and are are both graduates of UOP. I could tell you lots of stories of the good old wild days there. Both my daughters are graduates of Amador Valley High and are hoping that I will hurry up and fix up a GT for them. I wished I had completed one before they had graduated so they could have drove it to the annual high school show your ride day. Jerry

DAMN!!! Another Central Valley GT owner! And UOP brings back memories of a beautiful gymnast I dated who was attending UOP. Ah the memories.

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by SaturnVUEguy Speaking of George Barris, I actually got to meet him and got his autograph maybe a couple months ago at Volo Auto Museum

He was at the World of Wheels last year. That was a good show, George Barris, Chris Benoit, General Lee, and Michelle Smith. Had pictures of all of them until a storm fried our computer. Now, I posting all my pics to the internet. I've lost so many first-hand pics of concept cars and motorcycles- Cien, Tomahawk, GT40, Charger, Camaro, Mach 1, etc, etc.

[Phoenix]

Just saw that Chip Foose will be at the Braselton Bash on September 20th here in GA. Probubly won't go as, the 20th is the nexus of the entire universe. I'm already canceling a coaster trip and am trying to work in a 5K before a friend's Birthday. But this is the second time that I've seen that he was going to be at the Braselton Bash, so I'm sure I'll see him there in the future, if not at another show.

[newman27]

Originally Posted by Phoenix Just saw that Chip Foose will be at the Braselton Bash on September 20th here in GA. Probubly won't go as, the 20th is the nexus of the entire universe. I'm already canceling a coaster trip and am trying to work in a 5K before a friend's Birthday. But this is the second time that I've seen that he was going to be at the Braselton Bash, so I'm sure I'll see him there in the future, if not at another show.

My step-daughter is getting married in Braselton on the 13th - glad she didn't pick the 20th! Maybe I'll go back the next weekend for the bash - should be cool!