My (Royce's) first art
car was a 1955 Chevy pick-up which I bought for $75 way back in
1972. In 1974 I painted it up a bit and put a manikin hand on the
hood as an ornament. I called it "Manfred the Wonder Truck" Back then I didn't even know there was a
term for what I was doing. I don't think the term "art car" was
in use then. I drove the truck for almost ten
years.
In
1997 Juanita's 1981 Toyota Corolla was rusted through in some
spots. Instead of fixing it, we decided to
add fins to it. Thus began the creation of
Ricky the Fish.
In
2000 I bought a 1988 Nissan flatbed pickup for a work truck. I
had just begun welding and wanted to re-do the stake sides on
the truck. This was the beginning of the
Tribal Truck.
It is the official work truck for
Cosmic Steel.
In
January of 2005, our good friend, Ty Johnson, bought a
1987 Chevrolet
Caprice
specifically to be turned into an art car.
Joining the Cosmic Fleet
in February 2005 is a gigantic
1970 Cadillac Fleetwood.
Ty bought it and Royce is decorating it. It's called the CadWac.
The
Cadwac
went to Burning Man in 2005. We tried to take it again in 2006
but the engine blew near Tonopah, Nevade. We
had to leave it there for a couple of weeks. We towed it back to
Prescott.
In
late 2006, the
Tribal Truck was rear-ended and totaled. It still
ran, though, and with a little bit of bending and pounding it
was still drivable. I gave it to an artist in Tucson with the
condition that he modify it into an even more bizarre vehicle.
In
early 2007 Nita sold
Ricky the Fish to a couple who just wanted it to sit
in their yard and annoy the neighbors. It was on its last legs
anyway and it was time for it to go.
A
few months later Nita acquired the
Aquarolla, a 1983 Toyota that
she made into an art car the year before. It was created, under
her direction, by kids and friends and raffled off to benefit
the
Tsunami-on-the-Square
performing arts festival. The person who won it had knee
problems and couldn't drive a stick, so she gave it to Nita.
In
November of 2007 Ty moved to Texas. He left the
Caprice
at my shop for a few months and I hauled it out to him in Texas
in March of 2008. Now it is entertaining the citizens of San
Marcos and Austin, Texas.
A
new engine was put into the
CadWac in April of 2008. After
sitting for nearly two years, it runs again! The new engine is
even bigger than the old one.
The
latest project was the
Seussian Pedal Tractor. This
is a three-person pedal vehicle that looks like something
that Dr. Seuss would have drawn. It was completed in August
2008.
An
upcoming project will be created out of a 1990 Chevy long-bed
pickup truck. It was purchased in June of 2008.
You
can follow the progress and adventures of our art cars on these pages
and more wackiness on my blog,
"Adventures in the Zone"
Maybe we will see you on the road sometime
Royce, Nita, and Ty
