FREEDOM THROUGH IMAGINATION
an interview with Brian Bent
Today we live in a world of repetition. A world in which many people imitate and repeat solely for the sake of chasing a current trend. A world where originality is swapped for a fear of not fitting in the crowd. Nothing is more refreshing in this kind of world than a contrasting streak of true imagination. Brian Bent fits that description exactly. When we first met Brian, it was at a show in the back of the U50 (Brians custom clothing brand) headquarters. He and The Pioneers, his band, was playing a set-list that rang with a nostalgic clamor, and the small energetic crowd bustled and danced amidst clotheslines strung with hand screened shirts and a blockade of 40′s and 50′s hot rods. An unmistakable creative energy radiated from that spot and ever since, we were intrigued to learn more about this Bent character
Bent is truly a Jack of all trades. He excels with unique aptness at an array of amusements, from various types of visual art including painting and printmaking, to surfing, music in his band- The Pioneers, clothing design and special manufacturing all the way to being minister for The Hot Rod Church for sinners. What grabbed our attention most though, are the Rods and speed machines he builds. If you’ve ever seen one of his cars in person you understand that the term “hot-rod” simply doesn’t quite hit the nail on the head. They’re actually pretty hard to describe. But there’s definitely no mistaking one of Bent’s creations when you see it scurry by you on the coast highway.
When we asked Brian if he would be the first of the DePalma Interview series in which we’d interview creatives, builders, and doers of all things fun; he amiably accepted and had us meet him at his house. Bent lives in a rad little 60′s ranch flat nestled in a clean plot off the famed Ortega Highway. A nice vibey setting for our interview. He graciously invited us into his garage wherein lie comfortably tucked, a couple 20′s roadsters, welders of every sort, paintings and prints dangling from the rafters and wooden “kookbox” surfboards strewn about the walls. Upon arriving, we caught him busy pulling the head off of an old Studebaker straight six. And he was cheerfully willing to answer some of our questions while casually wrenching on his archaic little motor.
Can you tell us a little about your background?
“I’ve always liked old cars of course. When I first started ministering for the hot rod church, this guy who had been coming told me- ‘Hey we ought to build a mascot for the hot rod church’. I was on board and I think may have actually been thinking of doing it at the exact same time. So we actually built one- I had never built a hot rod and I didn’t actually understand a lot of the stuff because I had primarily just been doing interiors for Becker Surfboards. I had always been doing art, liked riding old 60′s boards even all the way since high school. So I had always been into, you know, the nostalgia stuff- So I bought a chassis and rear end and stuff so we ended up building it and that’s how it all started.”
So yeah, what about that Hot Rod Church For Sinners?
”The hot rod church started with me sharing with Chris how the Lord was helping me with a lot of my anxieties and fears, I just kinda started losing control and everything. I had a family, but I was dealing with a lot of stuff. I was trying, you know- some stuff, like I’d be out skating downhill, or I’d be drinking a little bit. You know, just to try and calm my nerves- and I remember one particular time the Lord was like ‘How am I going to help you if you’re trying to help yourself?’ So Chris was telling me- ‘Buddy we ought’ta start a Church here’ and so I used to ask him jokingly what are we going to call it Hot-Rod church? and then the ‘for sinners’ part came later. And thats how that whole thing started.”
Can you tell us a little more about these cars of yours?
“This one’s a model A- I saw an Indian motorcycle kinda kicked over in the old historical district in San Juan and I kinda got inspired you know with the old black paint and everything. I welded a boat tail for it. It’s a ’41 Ford hood. I used motorcycle pipes to weld the boat tail. And I liked boat tails anyway- so it was perfect.
“Then that one’s a Model A flipped upside down- that was my first real ground up hot rod. I got that whole rolling chassis for like 250 bucks. Yeah, I was working on it and the Lord was like “go down to the barn and find some seats.” and I was coming back through, and no kidding, there was a church pew love seat just sitting there, you could even see the thing in the back with the pencils and everything- and they were from the 30′s and that’s what I made the seats out of. And then one time, I pulled out, and my neighbor came out – and he flew b25′s in WWII and he goes, ”Barney Oldfield would be proud of that!” and at that time I was reading about the old racers. The guys that would race the pusher planes in the teens, and so that was like the ultimate compliment.
“And then this one- it’s a 1927 Oakland. I literally stripped the fenders off, cut the windshield down- put the flip downs. I turned it into a racer. and that ’49 Pontiac in there was in there, but it had nothing on it I had to find a distributor and all that stuff. From the cowl back it’s all Oakland. Before I got it, somebody was going to turn it into a truck or something, but I put the big tank on there and the spare tire, and that’s kinda what they used to do to them, just strip them you know, for lightness.”
How has your family influenced you and supported you in all this?
“My wife completely supports me you know- whatever we get into. And my kids have some stories to tell about these old cars and stuff. We had a ’51 Ford at the time and it was either he or Esther that I’d strap a carseat in there with no top and everything. So you know, they’ve grown up in it. And they’re always supportive. And Colin and I actually pulled out the motor in this Studebaker.”
After we finished up talking and hanging out in the garage, he hopped in the Hot-Rod Church mascot roadster and sped to meet us over at the local deli for lunch. It was a great day. Reflecting on some of the things he said, and just the vibes one can feel passing time with Bent; he inspired us to think outside the box and remember that nothing is impossible if you just dive in head first and to utilize that omnipresent creativity that lives in all of us. Whether dormant or active, our creativity is something that can never be torn from us, and now is always the best time to use it and have fun. That’s what Brian Bent stands for. That’s what Depalma stands for. How about you?
Be sure to stop by Brian’s shop if you get a chance.
U50
201 Calle De Los Molinos #B
San Clemente, CA 92672
Ok, some of you know my Merc have been sleeping for a while now. Today I went down to my friend Tomas at the body shop and we started to plan for the future.
Here’s what’s going to happend;
1. Re-do the back window and make the trunk lid a bit larger.
2. Convert the 4 door to a 2 door coupe.
3. New engine, tranny and rear axle.
4. Interior.
Stay tuned but be patient. We’ll take it slow and methodical…
Just got my new limited edition Eazy-E tail light from our friends at No School Choppers! Check out their other lenses like the unicorn or the praying hands. It’s epic.
New tires!
Biltwell Slimline Solo Seat.
Bracket.
Some primer.
Sissy.
Custom BBQ Headlight.
Testing out a paint idea.
Strive to focus on the present!
Having acquired this triumph motor and we’re deciding if we want to move forward with it as the next DePalma Garage Custom.
Keep your eyes peeled for progress in the ensuing months.
Just stumbled across this amazing custom. It’s a little more refined than our normal taste-level. But one may appreciate artistry on wheels. http://speedshopdesign.blogspot.com/
Just hyping up a rad event for a good cause! check it out and show some love!
Hey – check this out! As a less expensive alternative to the Godspeed 45/06 hardbound book series, Godspeed has produced the 6/9 Books. The books feature photographs by Cicero deGuzman Jr., documenting various vintage chopper riders, builders, their work, and their workspaces. Each of these two different 6×9” softcover compilation books are a whopping 440 pages and are packed with full bleed photographs printed in black and white on natural white stock.
Left the city this weekend to clear my head.
One man’s wilderness is another man’s theme park
I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.
DePalma T.I.T.T.S art show:
Joel Bull cruisin by the shop to say whats up.
