Hand Painting vs. Decals

In this day of the fancy computer generated car wraps, any paint scheme under the sun is possible, I guess, if you're willing to pay for it. I would guess around most of the weekly tracks back in the day was a highly respected sign painter. In the early 70s at Wilson County (NC) Speedway, you hardly ever saw any decal numbers or lettering. There was a Wilson-based sign painter for Coca-Cola whose job was to paint the sides of buildings and barns all over eastern North Carolina with Coke ads and logos. On the side he hand lettered most of the Wilson County Speedway cars. About that time was when some of those gold metallic car numbers and red/white/blue striped #1s began to show up. I don't guess there's much market around the tracks anymore for the talented sign painter who could freehand about anything you wanted on your car. Do you remember who hand lettered the cars around your tracks?


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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 01/10/17 03:27:31PM

That is a great story Dave! I watched many a painter put numbers and lettering on cars, including the ones I drove. I loved the talent it took to accomplish that and I believe it gave that extra special look to the cars. Thanks for stirring up that part of my memory banks.

Tim

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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.

That was Ross Huggins first job around most race tracks. Then again most of you remember him as the Goodyear race tire dealer that supplied all the tires to teams until his death a few years ago.His logo is on the front fenders of the 57 Mercury that we show.

The one i remember is the one person on RR here that ask about Lucky of Texas from the Charliston SC area that use to paint around the Carolinas never found out where he is today he use to sighn all his work by Lucky of Texas

A couple of guys I remember from Michigan was Herman Thierry and Dick Beebe. Both were very gifted in their own way. Dick was well known for his lettering and Herman was basically known for the elaborate cartoons he put on Joy Fair's cars. Many times only Herman knew what they meant. He did his best work "slightly lit", wasn't that good sober.

Back when I was in high school I started lettering a few cars at the local track. I also built models of the local cars and hand lettered those as well. Almost forty years have passed since then but I'm still building the models and hand lettering them. I used to say that whatever the sign guys put on the real cars with a brush, I could do the same with the models. Today we have one guy still using a brush and a BUNCH using computers. It's hard to duplicate the computer graphics on a model using a brush and a bottle of paint but as the picture shows, I'm hanging in there. Personally, I love the old way, it's a dying art in today's modern world though.

WE have a towel head guy here thats a wizard with a brush but you cant afford him anymore.

The old man that lettered my cars in the 60s was a certified Wino,shakey hand and all but when the brush touched its mark it was steady as a rock. His name was Jim Golden. He was a Korean war Vet. But man was he good. Seems like Dad kinda helped him out from time to time because I seem to recall he hung around the shop as far back as I can remember. Dont recall what happened to him but the last stuff he did that I can remember was my Chevelle. Now you got another old thought running around in my head-------------------------------------------------Memories

I'm a sign painter in pennsylvania. I hate stickers, I still hand letter about 70 race cars a year. Each year I letter less and less. The computer sticker deal is killing me. I'm not gonna quit painting. I now enjoy doing a car that is being restored. You can't put sticker numbers on an old coupe. Plus you won't have a quarter of the stories people tell about the local sign painter.

I used to paint cartoons on my dad's racecars when I was a kid. We used to win a lot of best appearing awards too. Did all the lettering and numbers on my friends racecars over the years. I hated doing lettering, lol, but I was the only one around that would do it. I much prefer to use the vinal grafix for my racecar lettering now, but I stillpaint the fancy cartoons by hand. But you are right, it is a forgotten art, and a damm shame too. I have the only racecar around with Dumbo on the hood, lol. I think I will have to download that picture.