Steve Mcqueen

[jurassic]

just wanted to start a thread on steve mcqueen.he was one of us.

[Chris Haynes]

Back in the '60's and '70's Steve used to hang out at Bud Ekins private restoration shops in North Hollywood and Van Nuys. He was always working on one or another of his bikes there. I also had a bike there that Bud was helping me with. Steve was bearded and dressed like any other old guy working on his bike. When strangers came in Steve would simply move to the left side of his bike so his back was to them. Many people came and went and never realized that the greasy bearded guy working on the Indian was Steve, unless they happened to see his piercing blue eyes.
There was another crusty old guy hangin' out there too. His name was Kenny Howard. Kenny was an excellent fabricator, painter and pin striper. He always took the other side of whatever the conversation at the time was, just to be a pain in the ass. A good natured guy. Most people knew Kenny as Von Dutch.
I had some great times there with those guys. It is sad to think that they are all gone. :-(
PS, Notice the shirt the guy in the doorway behind Steve is wearing? It is from CAMA, The Classic and Antique Motorcycle Association. This was the club that started the meet now known as The ANNUAL HANFORD VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE SHOW & SWAP MEET

[c.o.]

Thanks for starting such a cool thread jurassic!

Chris thank-you very much for sharing that glimpse into your past. I mean really... Kenneth Howard and Steve McQueen stories! That is flippin' awesome! Feel free to share those kind of tales when you get a hankerin'. I know that I'm not the only one who would be all ears.

[jurassic]

cory ,i agree. thanks for the story chris.i love hearing about steve and bud.i was still eating dirt and riding tecumsen powered bikes when i met steve at davenport.he was just another old hippie hangin around the camp fire smokin and drinkin.there were only about a dozen vendors,and maybe 50 attendees back then.

[Chris Haynes]

When Bud had left his shop on Varna in North Hollywood for the night he left Dutch there working on a project. When he walked back in the door the next morning something caught his eye. There were little yellow bare footprints painted on the floor as if they had walked in the door. Bud followed them into his office, around his desk and back out into the hall. Through the hall and into his shop, which was in a quanset hut type of building. The footprints continued across the shop, up the leg of a workbench, across the top of the bench and up the wall. Remember the roof of a quanset hut is round. The footprints continued up the wall and across the ceiling and down the other side. Back on to the floor and heading out the back door, which was open. Bud walked outside to find Dutch on all fours. Paint brush in one hand and the doobie in the other, still painting. It must have taken him all night to do that.
There are a million Dutch stories.
I wonder if any of those footprints are still in that building.

[c.o.]

That story is priceless!

[c.o.]

cory ,i agree. thanks for the story chris.i love hearing about steve and bud.i was still eating dirt and riding tecumsen powered bikes when i met steve at davenport.he was just another old hippie hangin around the camp fire smokin and drinkin.there were only about a dozen vendors,and maybe 50 attendees back then.

Now that's quite the childhood memory! I hope this thread really takes off!

[Chris in Japan]

I picked some more from the internet for your commemoration.

[Chris in Japan]

[Barry Brown]

THE AUCTION

[Barry Brown]

I KNOW THIS ISN'T A BIKE BUT IT IS A COOL STORY ANYWAY. HERE IS ONE OF THE ULTIMATE CARS IN EXISTENCE, AN XKSS JAG, ONE OF ONLY ABOUT 20 BUILT BEFORE THAT PART OF THE JAG FACTORY HAD A DISASTROUS FIRE IN THE FIFTIES. STEVE TREASURED THIS CAR ABOVE ALL OTHERS AND WAS ONE HE WOULD NOT LET SON CHAD DRIVE, UNTIL HE HEARD BY PHONE FROM CHAD THAT A FIRE WAS APPROACHING THE LOCKED GARAGE WHERE IT WAS KEPT. STEVE THEN TOLD CHAD WHERE THE KEYS TO THE GARAGE WERE AND THE CAR WAS SAVED.
OF INTEREST ALSO MAY BE THE FACT THAT THIS WAS THE HIGHEST PRICED ITEM AT THE ESTATE SALE AT $175,000. YOU CAN BARELY BY A REPLICA FOR THAT TODAY AND ANY GENUINE XKSS IS IN THE 3-5 MILLION RANGE!

[pem]

Back in the early 1970's I bought a 1955 Ford Panel truck from a guy named Pat Hart. He said he brought it back to Wisconsin from California. It was in perfect condition with a lime green paint job and a y-block engine with a big four barrel on it. In the back of the truck
was an intake manifold with 6 stromberg carbs on it. The wood floor in the back was like new. I put the strombergs on and I was so proud it actually ran.

Anyway, Pat said that the panel truck was painted by Steve McQueen. Any of you guys ever
hear of him owning or painting a lime green panel truck? It is long gone but I always wondered if the story was true. Somewhere I have a photo of it. Thanks

Dick

[exeric]

Dick Winger has a great story about selling his 1917 Henderson to Steve McQueen. Dick took it up an elevator to Steve's hotel room and they started it up to listen to that beautiful 4 cylinder song.

[jurassic]

i think this is the henderson

[William McClean]

In the 2 photos of McQueen on the set of ' The Great Escape ' with the stalag fence in the back ground, one where he is flying the car and the other with no side car. Are they the same photo with the side car air brushed out ?