Cole Foster and Salinas Boys Customs - Tapa dura

whether you agree with the cult of the hot rod celebrity or not, you can't deny that here are some people in the business who attractt more attention than others. Some even get entire books written about them. the son of famed dragster builder/driver Pat foster Cole had a head start in hot rodding from the beginning, but that shoulden't detract from the what he has achived though sheer hard work and having an incredible eye for, as the book says, style and substance. Co-authro Mike Lavella has got indside Fosters head and helped him put down, in his own words, the real essence of what makes him tick. With images form the Foster family archives, as well as numerous professional photographers, including Peter vincent and David Perry, this book is an illuminating and inspirational read. If you think big name hot rodders have it easy, read this, it was a long hard road for Foster, too, but he stuck with his passion, and, together with those varied individuals who have made up the Salinas Boyz Customs over the years, produced some of the most exquisite custom cars and motorcycles in the world. Most importantly, though, he's done it all with integrity and it shows. CC Verdict: Heavy on the personal stuff, but still a great book for custom car and motorcyce fans alike on a man who actually deserves to have a book written about him. In this case, do belive the hype. --Custom car magazine, December 2008; I knew of drag racing legend Pat Foster a long time before I heard about the growing reputation of his son Cole in customising circles. While researching a story on the rebirth of Frank Pedregon s Fiat-bodied slingshot in 2005, which Pat was reconstructing with obvious passion at his home in Kansas, we exchanged words about the car and he sent over some pictures to show how it was coming along. The photos were mind-blowing - the car looked amazing and Pat s craftsmanship and attention to detail were clear for all to see. With such an illustrious family heritage, it should perhaps come as no surprise to learn that Cole Foster, Pat s son (one of three), is carrying on the tradition of building knockout cars. In 2005, Cole was busy at his shop in Salinas, creating the car that would eventually put his custom automotive business on the map Kirk Hammett s 36 Ford. Eventually this radical and yet restrained custom would appear in The Rodder s Journal, and in doing so, announce Cole Foster and the Salinas Boyz to a worldwide audience.The story behind this car is a fascinating read in itself, and covered in some detail in Cole Foster and Salinas Boyz Customs, the recently announced hardback publication from Motorbooks by author Mike Lavella. There s much more to this publication, though, than simply charting Cole s outstanding customs and bikes. The story begins with his youth, how he toured the drag strips with his funny car-driving father and one day was given $10,000 by a long-time friend to get his shop started in Salinas.All of the significant and less significant cars Cole and his team have produced over the years are included. There s a section on Mike Ness s 54 Chevy lead sled and the countless bikes that have emerged from the shop. European bike styling seems to be a recurring theme of Cole s builds and there are some truly beautiful examples of minimalist styling. A classic case in point is the Moon Rocket, with its full aluminium fairing, which wouldn t have looked out of place on a British drag strip circa 1970. This is one high-quality publication that uses quality photography from a variety of sources and tells a revealing story about the California social scene and how it was to affect Cole s life. We thoroughly recommend it! --Drag Rod and Chassis review--An Illuminating and inspirational read ... a great book for custom car and motorcycle fans alike on a man who actually deserves to have a book written about him. -- -- --Bolton news, Feb 2009

This book is a sublime and pleasant journey through his childhood, youth, and development into one of our premier designers and builders of classic cars and bikes. As you read about his childhood you can almost smell the California mornings. You get inside stories on the events that shaped his direction, and his eye for clean, timeless design. Then there are the stories behind his individual projects, along with beautifully shot photos of his process, and finished creations. Many of the gorgeous photographs were taken by Rob Fortier, Classic Car and Truck journalist extraordinaire. Sipping your favorite beverage while reading Cole's stories and enjoying the photos is a delightful pastime indeed. It will conjure up memories and dreams alike. Do yourself a favor. Get this book. It's a keeper-Rodz and Rockerz, August 2008-- For nearly twenty years Cole Foster's Salinas Boys shop had been rolling out some of the tightest hot rods and customs to hit the road, along with an ever-increasing number of super-clean bobbers. To date, the pinnacle of their achievement has been the 36 Ford that Foster and Salinas Boys built for Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, a four-year build that an awestruck hot rod press documented and celebrated every step of the way. This book offers an inside look at the genius behind the vehicles. Mike LaVella goes behind the scenes with the often-outspoken Foster to find out what really makes him tick. Full of photographs chronicling Cole's life from his days as a California skateboarder to his emergence as a master craftsman, the book traces his aesthetic back to the early influence of his father, drag racing Hall of Famer Pat Foster. Here are the most-photographed and talked-about vehicles the Salinas Boys have turned out since opening shop in 1990, with the stories behind each. Foreword by Kirk Hammett. Hardcover, lots of color photos. --last gasp dot ocm, July 2008

It's been written that Cole Foster and the revolving cast of Salinas Boys Custom turn out cars, trucks, and bikes that are so clean they appear to have no lines. For the first time, one of today's most admired custom car and bike builders recalls in his own words the path that led him to acclaim, along with anecdotes and technical details behin d the celebrated customs that have rolled out of his NorCal shop--Petersen automotive Museum, July 2008--Recounting a youth spent slamming Schwinn Sting-rays, skateboarding, listening to punk rock, and punishing dirt bikes in the San Fernando Valley, Cole begins by tracing the experiences and events that shaped his aesthetic as a builder. Most notable among these are the influence of drag racing, absorbed via his father, legendary Funny Car driver and fabricator Pat Foster; his eye-opening entry into the world of customs and rods after locating to Northern California as a teenager; and meeting his wife, Susan. Throughout, Cole's story is as straightforward as his cars and bikes, all of which are featured, including Cole's own '54 Bel Air and Chevy shop truck, the celebrated 'Blue Bike,' and the award-winning Sal Tarantino F-100 and Kirk Hammett '36 Ford, the latter of which is possibly the best-documented custom car ever created.Illustrated with photos from Cole's own archive and from some of today's top custom car, hot rod, and motorcycle photographers, the book also features Mike Ness' '54 Chevy, Henry Gong's Chevy Nomad, the Special K and Beautiful Loser V-twins, and the stunning Moon Rocket drag bike, among others all testaments to the formfollows-function credo that has made Cole Foster one of today's top customizers. --Autobookworld dot com, July 2008For nearly twenty years Cole Foster's Salinas Boys shop had been rolling out some of the tightest hot rods and customs to hit the road, along with an ever-increasing number of super-clean bobbers. To date, the pinnacle of their achievement has been the 36 Ford that Foster and Salinas Boys built for Metallica lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, a four-year build that an awestruck hot rod press documented and celebrated every step of the way. This book offers an inside look at the genius behind the vehicles. Mike LaVella goes behind the scenes with the often-outspoken Foster to find out what really makes him tick. Full of photographs chronicling Cole's life from his days as a California skateboarder to his emergence as a master craftsman, the book traces his aesthetic back to the early influence of his father, drag racing Hall of Famer Pat Foster. Here are the most-photographed and talked-about vehicles the Salinas Boys have turned out since opening shop in 1990, with the stories behind each. The book also features fabulous color photographs of Hammett's 36 (in both its bare-metal and final black configurations), Mike Ness' 54 Chevy, Cole's cherry pearl 53 Chevy shop truck (recently sold to Jesse James of "Monster Garage" fame), Cole's 54 Belair hardtop, and more. Readers also get a close-up look at some of the bikes the Boys have produced, including the now-legendary "blue bobber" and Beautiful Loser, which appeared on Discovery Channels 'Biker Build Off.' With a foreword from Hammett and sidebar testimonials from Foster's admirers--including Willie Davidson, Chip Foose, Jesse James, and Jimmie Vaughan--this is the official word on one of the world's great custom builders. --Pit stop dot net, August, 2008