A variation on a theme, another 1948 Harley Davidson FL Chopper

This is the 5th Year of the Chopper bike, a sleek Panhead chopper I call "Top Chef." This was originally going to be what "Jungle Jockey" became, but as I did the front forks and sat them to the frame I decided to go a different direction. It's got a laid back look with the bigger rake and swept back handlebars. I think the carriage bolts work well for the heads, and the slash cut exhaust looks killer!

Bid on "Top Chef" now!

One take on a '48 panhead

"Jungle Jockey" is a chopper based on a 1948 Harley Davidson FL, it's a panhead powered bike with ape hangers and a jockey shifter. I'm pretty stoked with how the exhaust turned out too!







More pictures here!

The same....but better

The 4th Year of the Chopper auction ends today, bid now and you could get a sweet deal AND help two very deserving non-profits!


Here are some more pics of the '41 Indian, taken by Izthistaken.

1933 Ford Hot Rod "Fear Factor"

My buddy Kenny and I went on the Hot Rod Power Tour this year, and one of the sponsors was Factory Five Racing. The car that really jumped out at me was their '33 Hot Rod, a ride with the classic look of an old school Ford, but with the chassis of a track star. I've been meaning to do this piece for a while, and when November's issue of HOT ROD showed up and the '33 was on the cover, it was the kick in the butt I needed!









Oh, yeah....it's got a removable hard top too!





The big block:





The Monster can for size perspective:



Click here to see this car listed in my online store.

YOTC #4, 1941 Indian Flathead Bobber

I decided to do an Indian for this bike, and while searching for inspiration I came across this at Indian-Bobbers.com .







So here is my version, dubbed "Smoke":










Bid on this bike now! Year of the Chopper #4 Auction

This One is All Locked Up

At the end of last week I was getting the itch to make a hot rod, so I scratched it.

I've had this old Masterlock laying around forever. I've tried to make it fit in various projects, and it just never quite felt right. It finally found it's home as the radiator for Lockdown.

These pics were taken by Matt, check out more of his work!

"Strength & Beauty", a metal bra for a cause!

A couple of months ago, our friend(and cancer survivor) Catie Hormel asked my wife if I could make an "art bra" for the Bras for a Cause benefit. Darla obviously thought this was a great idea, and she was certain I'd come up with something terrific...I wasn't quite as positive. Actually, I was pretty skeptical at the start of the project. But I couldn't be happier with the end result! The event was Saturday night, and through a silent auction "Strength & Beauty" raised $400 for Gilda's Club Metro Detroit.

Buckle Up!

Tattooed Metal. The torch is my gun, rod is my ink, steel is my skin. Tig welded designs on 304 stainless. Every part of the buckle is formed by me.

Shovelhead Sportster

This is the third week, the third build, and the third auction of the Year of the Chopper project! It's Harley Sportster with a shovelhead. Bid on it HERE!

Hot New Shots

My good friend and photographer Matt Trombley came over and got some dope pictures of my last few projects this weekend. You can click on the pics to go to where they are hosted on my Flickr gallery, and there you can enlarge them to their original high resolution.

The second Year of the Chopper bike:



The '73 Honda Cafe Racer:



And Alien Robot with Robot Dog:

The Dog Pound

I was out in the shop on Wednesday and didn't feel like getting involved in a long project, so I decided to build some metal mutts. Each one is different, and I try to give them each their own personality. Naming them is harder than welding them together!

1973 Honda CB450 Cafe Racer

This is bike #85, a commissioned piece based on a '73 Honda cafe racer. With bikes like this, or the Yamaha chopper, this Harley , and this Triumph chopper , it's always tricky to set up the exhaust so that both sides are even and symmetrical.