George F. Hood

[Chris Haynes]

George was working on his new T One Ton Street Rod project.

[Tom Lovejoy]

Tom, I hear you. The day before, Wednesday I believe it was I had to call Craig I was really having a hard time with it. I hope maybe you can make the Fallbrook run in October. We've got a lot planned to celebrate George's life and his interaction with all of us. I hope to see you. There's not many of the old crew left.

Thanks Richard, I might try to make it - not sure, but maybe. Too much crazy **** going on this year ! I went to help George out in the most recent heat wave we had. I was shocked and saddened by what I saw, he was barley making it, so fragile, weak. I knew right then death was near, I hoped he would recover - but I thought he would not make the year - very sad, when I think of him and Hobo, two of my best friends - heavy blows and good men gone! On a brighter note about our friend George Hood, he was the most skilled person I have ever known. He could literally do it all and do it all very well too. I saw George machine brand new engine castings and make a running engine out of them. Saw him make a gas tank for Lane Plottners Iver Johnson by hand and when he was done. It looked perfect to the original the best I could tell. He helped me on many occasions, just two examples - my Scout gas tank was so bad, professional shops did not want to take it on and it was going to be very expensive. Finally I gave it to the best according to the magazines of the period, after almost two years. My tank was no where near done, I went and got it back and took it to George. George rebuilt it in a month and charged me less than half what the others were going too. That tank has been trouble free for almost 30 years now ! Another time, my Hendersons exhaust seats were shot really bad, again I took it to the best recommended machine shops. They wanted no part of it, would not even take the job on. Once again I took it to George, he machined them out and made new ones and installed them and again - my Henderson has been running 23 years with no issues - thanks to George and a few others like him. His skills left me in awe, but what I liked best about him was his willingness to share his knowledge and help others. Many many times I have called him with questions, George always made time to assist me. Advise me on how to do some thing, or what I might of done wrong and how to fix it. Many if not all of my projects might not of ever got done without his advise or hands on help and I well always be grateful to him for that and his friendship. I had hopped to learn much more from him, but it was not to be. I am sickened to see so much of our best knowledge and skills gone and lost to our hobby and our small part of this world. George helped a great deal with my model T one ton truck, he took much interest in it. As I found out his first T was a one Ton :-) I truely admired the man and his abbillitys and well miss him dearly, RIP George !

[RichO]

Tom, I hear you. The day before, Wednesday I believe it was I had to call Craig I was really having a hard time with it. I hope maybe you can make the Fallbrook run in October. We've got a lot planned to celebrate George's life and his interaction with all of us. I hope to see you. There's not many of the old crew left.

[Tom Lovejoy]

I am having trouble with this new format, trying to post. I just did a little story for our news letter about George and I well add just a bit here tonight, right now these shot's of George has got me choked up - but thanks for posting them.

[Chris Haynes]

I took the picture of George at his frame table in December last year. A few of us dropped by his place after the Long Beach Swap Meet. This picture was taken on the same day.

[Steve Swan]

Thank you for posting those photos of George Steve. I was just going down stairs to my cave to pen is obit for the National magazine, our Chapter newsletter and the magazine I write articles for in England. I sorted through a lot of photos last night for these pieces. I just talked to George a couple of days before his passing and it's catching uo with me and the world is now a lot smaller because of f him being gone. He worked at a Cad dealer for quite some time and in a machine shop. The earliest photo I have of George was him in short pants crawling all over his Dad's ice cream truck made out of an old 45 trike. When I think of him I think of the old La Mirada meets in the mid-seventies with Ernie Skelton, John Cameron, Bob Ross, Hobo John, Tom Lovejoy, Rotten Richard, Chuck Vogel, Bob McLeod, Johnny Eagles, and more. George was mostly a non-overhead valve man. 45's, V and J models, and a special passion for two-cammers and he could cure a Crocker of it's factory ill's. He could weld, fabricate, paint, and machine anything. He was best though at long, long, great conversations. He didn't favor fools lightly, he wasn't an Indian fan. he knew what he liked and knew what he didn't. Gotta go.

Thanks for posting again, Rich. it sounds like you knew George well and for the past few decades. in my case, i only got to know him briefly which speaks volumes of who George is considering the impression he left on me over the past couple years of a few phone conversations.

[RichO]

Thank you for posting those photos of George Steve. I was just going down stairs to my cave to pen is obit for the National magazine, our Chapter newsletter and the magazine I write articles for in England. I sorted through a lot of photos last night for these pieces. I just talked to George a couple of days before his passing and it's catching uo with me and the world is now a lot smaller because of f him being gone. He worked at a Cad dealer for quite some time and in a machine shop. The earliest photo I have of George was him in short pants crawling all over his Dad's ice cream truck made out of an old 45 trike. When I think of him I think of the old La Mirada meets in the mid-seventies with Ernie Skelton, John Cameron, Bob Ross, Hobo John, Tom Lovejoy, Rotten Richard, Chuck Vogel, Bob McLeod, Johnny Eagles, and more. George was mostly a non-overhead valve man. 45's, V and J models, and a special passion for two-cammers and he could cure a Crocker of it's factory ill's. He could weld, fabricate, paint, and machine anything. He was best though at long, long, great conversations. He didn't favor fools lightly, he wasn't an Indian fan. he knew what he liked and knew what he didn't. Gotta go.

[Steve Swan]

118286422_165483938484622_3793666383989439719_n.jpgGeo Hood Frame Table.jpgGeorge Hood.jpg

[Steve Swan]

Thanks for sharing that, Steve. I wish I had known George Hood. My deepest condolences to his family, and (obviously) many friends.

Eric, you bet. i had heard of George not long after i bought my first '27 in 2013, and did not start visiting with George until a couple years ago after i started my second '27 project. George was one of those folks who as soon as i started listening to him, i realized was not only very knowledgeable with vast experience and uniquely individual. i hope anyone who knew George well can share more about him, i know he built some very unique v-twin engines along the lines of either Crocker and/or Crocker-esque and i do believe i am correct when i say that in his earlier years he rebuilt some pretty exotic V-12 car engines. He had a passion for the pre-war BSA 3-wheel car, he had one, his Dad got exposed to them during his service time in WW II and had one shipped stateside when he returned home. https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/173...?category=list

[exeric]

Thanks for sharing that, Steve. I wish I had known George Hood. My deepest condolences to his family, and (obviously) many friends.

[Steve Swan]

When George shipped back the parts he worked on for me this past March, he sent along one of his business cards i thought i would share.

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[Eric MATHIEU]

George was such a great guy in so many ways. Always enjoyed talking to him and admired his work. Godspeed George.

[Steve Slocombe]

Yes George was an old school enthusiast with great practical skills. He also knew a lot about Harley VLs and had some interesting ideas for them. We yarned at Davenport and Dixon and spoke on the phone several times, and I and our Club will miss his personality, knowledge and abilities.

[Steve Swan]

George was one fine human being, a gentleman and highly talented machinist and mechanic. George was always ready to help, encouraged phone calls, loved to visit on the phone, share his wealth of knowledge and always had a good joke and a wonderful laugh. I am fortunate to have got to know him some over the past two years. George did some work for me this past March; i am so fortunate. Godspeed George!

[Tom Lovejoy]

George F. Hood machinist, motorcycle restorer, model T guru, J model Harley-Davidson mind trust, friend, and much more has slipped his mortal coil. He will be missed by many. His many talents are in short supply these days. They broke the mold when they made George. May he truly rest in peace. I will miss you old friend. Down the road, Rich

Well said Richard, very sorry