Remembrances of things past....

This is an old picture (circa 2003) of a girl called Melissa, who is posing with our, at the time, recently completed hooligan hemi car. Nothing more to say. It is what it is. A half naked chick with a cool car. Fuck off.

Preach on Brother!!

Recently my brother, DIABLO - jotted down a few lines to a certain PIECE OF SHIT magazine, namely, REBEL RODS to let them know how he felt about them...enjoy the fine words of a man who knows his shit, and isnt affraid to tell you how he feels. I can only add to his prose: PREACH ON BROTHER!

I understand that your looking for constructive criticism. Well, I'm gonna tell it like it is. First some background on me, you should know who your accusers are, I am a professional pinstriper, kulture artist and kustomizer that goes by the name of Diablo, I have been involved in this scene from day one, back in the late 80's. I'm originally from Northern California, I have been an original member of the Lucky Devils, I am the co-founder and former VP of the Road Zombies and current HNIC of the Checs. I have owned roughly 45 kustom cars and have driven through nearly all the western states in them. I do not run air bags, radials, or small block chevys. My cars are meant to be driven and driven hard, but enough of that. Understand what I write is not meant to hate on you, thats not my intention but your magazine is probably one of, if not THE, worst on the market. Dont get me wrong, with the exception of Traditional Rod & Kulture Illustrated, all of these so called kulture magazines suck. Rebel Rodz takes the cake! Who is the content editor over there, is he, 'special'? Full size 50's to early 60's trucks without fenders ARE NOT HOT RODS!! They are abominations. They are desperate attempts at trying to build a hot rod. Maybe you should run an article on how to build a traditional car correctly, be it kustom or hot rod. There is a history here that should not be ignored. This 'rat rod' situation we have, has got to stop. This all started as us young guys trying to build old cars with little money and even less knowledge, so we looked toward the men before us but put our twist on it. We created the satin basecoat finished car, we brought back striping, panels, flake & lace. We were bare bones, not that we wanted that- but its what we could do, we still strived to learn more and make our cars better. Unlike these 'rat rod' jack offs, whose sole intention is to build the biggest pile of shit that can be built! Now, we have metal sculptors, who have no business even sitting near an old car, building these ridiculious vehicles. These guys don't care about tradition, they dont care about form and function, all they want is the accolades, the slap on the back. Your goddamn magazine does nothing but boost their ego when you showcase these piles of shit, then you give them and other idiots a reason to build another one! Rockabillys, greasers and car guys are not the same! We, car guys, don't use our cars as accessories to make us look cool; i.e. chain wallet, creepers and pomade. Our cars are who we are, they are an extension of our soul, our personality. I dont have a 'normal' car, my newest car is a '64 Ford truck. I drive my cars in the rain, snow, heat, whatever. My house is a 1937 vintage home, filled with deco and atomic ORIGINAL items. There is no repop shit at my house. I've never made a lot of money, trust me, a self employed artist in today's market, but all I hear from these newbies nowadays trying to justify the reason why they run blackwall radials, ralley rims, 4 door sedans and horribly applied rattle can primer is MONEY! I worked and I saved for my tires and I NEVER ran radials! Red ralley rims look like shit! Find the original rims! Dont get me started on 4 door sedans, I understand car prices have gone up, if thats all you can afford, shave the goddamn rear door handle and lower the damn thing! Anybody can apply rattle can paint nearly as clean as spraying through a gun, its all in application. People get a rattle can in their hands and all of sudden they thinks its a damn sharpie! Please stop teaching people how to stripe designs! Teach them how to load a brush, how to use the brush, how to actually pull a line! These are some of the things I see your magazine promoting, remember, you are the voice and the trendsetters of this kulture, good or bad. You have responsibility to what you have taken as yours. I have the responsibility to call you on your screw ups. I help to create what you now call your own. I will always be there, watching and trying to right all of the magazine's wrongs. Take this for whatever its worth but I hope you will take this into consideration and maybe gain a subscriber rather than alienate a real traditional car guy and kulture artist. Thank you for your time.DiabloDiablo Artwerks/ Diablos House of StyleBakersfield, CA661-565-6871
"Better to reign in hell, than serve in heaven"