Update on the Von Dutch Bus Restoration

Restoration of the Von Dutch bus is nearly complete. This updated story includes commentary by restorer Steve Kafka..

By Jim Hingst @hingst_jim

Who Was Von Dutch? 

Call it herd mentality.  Most people just follow the pack. And why not? It’s so much easier to just go with the flow. A few of life’s oddballs, however, buck the conventions of the day and march to the beat of a different drummer.

Known as Von Dutch, Kenneth Howard is regarded as the father of modern pinstriping.

Kenneth Howard, best known as Von Dutch, was one of those oddballs. His inner voice led him down a different path. Instead of following trends, he set them. Today the Von Dutch name lives on as a trendy clothing brand for all of those, who follow trends. Ironically, most of these fashionistas have no clue who Von Dutch was.

To most of us in the sign industry, however, Von Dutch was the father of modern pinstriping, and the creator of a bizarre world of flying eyeballs, squirming sea creatures and flames. His iconoclastic vision was so unique and different, that he inspired generations of aspiring artists, pinstripers, car customizers and sign makers.

Nothing reveals more about the life and personality of Kenneth Howard, than the bus, which was his sanctuary from governmental regulations and the norms of society. Complete with a functional work area and Spartan living accommodations, the bus reflects Von Dutch’s utilitarian, pragmatic approach to life.

Von Dutch was the prototypical artist of the 1950’s Beat Generation, who cared little about money and the opinions of others. Like Henry David Thoreau from a century earlier, Von Dutch preferred the simpler, unencumbered life. A life of independence, solitude and self-reliance.   His bus was as much a part of who Von Dutch was, as the shack on WaldenPond was in the life of Thoreau.

History of the Von Dutch Bus. 

As the story goes, in the early 1960’s Von Dutch took ownership of a full-sized 1953 GMC Long Beach municipal bus as payment for a pinstriping job. As with many stories about Von Dutch, the “rest of the story” is much different. 

For 5 years, Steve Kafka has been restoring the Von Dutch bus.

“The Von Dutch bus never was a city bus in Long Beach,” says SteveKafka, current owner and pinstripe legend. For the last four and a half years Kafka has been restoring the bus at his  business in Phoenix, AZ.  “The previous owner had taken a DA sander to the sides of the bus.  When I took ownership of the bus, I immediately noticed the faint image of a McDonald Douglas logo.”

After doing a little more detective work, the evidence confirmed what Kafka had suspected. The 1953 GMC bus had been sold to Douglas Aircraft in El Segundo, CA. “They used the bus to transport workers from one end of their facility to another,” says Kafka.

Von Dutch converted the bus into his workshop and home on wheels.  Outfitted with a lathe, drill press, metal working tools and a workbench, Von Dutch could machine parts for car and motorcycle customizing. The “Von Dutch Bus” was also his gun shop, where he built customized guns and knives.

Inside the bus, the workshop was fully outfitted for metalwork.

The Flying Eyeball. 
The bathroom room was adorned with a flying eyeball etched in the glass of an outside window. The bathroom door also features a circular window with a sand carving of the flying eyeball, Von Dutch’s favorite and best-known artistic icon.  According to the popular legend, Von Dutch was fascinated with the symbol, and attributed its origin to Mideastern mythology.  For sure, the ancient Egyptians used this symbol in their art, but it looked nothing like the flying eyeball that Von Dutch drew. “I’ve heard that Von Dutch started drawing flying eyeballs when he was in high school,” Kafka says. “The significance of the eyeball to the ancient Egyptian was that it represented the all-knowing eye of god. What it meant to Von Dutch is anyone’s guess.”

Von Dutch’s Flying Eyeball is a popular icon in the pinstriper community.

Restoring the Bus. “In restoring the bus, we decided to preserve any of the machining marks”, says Steve Kafka. “The appearance of authenticity was only one consideration.  The machining marks are an essential ingredient in the story of Von Dutch and the history of modern pinstriping.”  According to Kafka, Von Dutch disguised or covered up grinder marks and surface blemishes with his striping.

After Von Dutch  passed away, the bus was left to the Bruckers, who owned Cars to the Stars,  in Santa Paula, California. Later the bus fell victim to vandals, who used the bus for target practice. At the time Steve Kafka bought the bus, it had several more bullet holes than when Von Dutch was alive.  “We repaired most of the holes. Several bullet holes in the top front area we left alone for their historical value,” Kafka says.  “Bob Spina, a longtime friend of Von Dutch and Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth and a fantastic pinstriper/painter from Vegas said they saw Von Dutch shoot these holes, when he was a little inebriated.” 

Bullet holes in the bus shot by Von Dutch himself preserve the authenticity of the project.

The Life of Von Dutch. As a teenager, Von Dutch worked in a motorcycle shop, where he learned his craft as a mechanic. If there isn’t a gene automotive painting and striping, Von Dutch was at the very least influenced by his father, who was a sign maker in Southern California. While working at the shop, his employer recognized his design and painting talents, and put him to work painting cars and motorcycles.

By the mid-1950s he was customizing hot rods and decorating them with the stripes and flames that made him a national celebrity. As a friend to several movie stars, such as SteveMcQueen, he also customized motorcycles and cars for movies, including “The Great Escape”, “Bullitt”, and “The Reivers”.  “Von Dutch and his bus were on set for most of McQueen’s movies filmed in the states,” says  bus owner, Steve Kafka.

As the Von Dutch style grew in popularity and hot rod enthusiasts sought to have him “Dutch” their cars or in today’s vernacular pimp their rides, Kenny Howard could have cashed in big time on his fifteen minutes of fame. Instead, he shunned the trappings of success.

A mythology and an aura of mystery have evolved around the legend of Von Dutch. Some stories are spun around a kernel of truth. Other stories are outright fabrications. Some of the myth Von Dutch fabricated himself. Some say that he amused himself spinning fantastic yarns that only the most gullible would believe.

“Von Dutch would tell people that in World War II, he had been a U-Boat captain,” says Kafka. “That’s just not possible. Von Dutch was born in 1929. At the outbreak of the war in Europe, he was only ten.”

In touring the Von Dutch bus, I fantasized that Ken Howard may have actually believed that he was a U-Boat captain.  The bus itself is as compact and self-contained as a submarine. His berthing quarters are reminiscent of a naval vessel. Just as a sub has a hatch, so does the bus. In the ceiling of the bus, Von Dutch had cut an opening, which allowed him to easily climb onto its roof.  

“As one who respects the contributions of Von Dutch to the world of pinstripers and automotive enthusiasts,” says Kafka, “I felt compelled to restore the bus to its original state and preserve it for future generations.”

Within the last year, Steve Kafka purchased the original bathroom door, which featured this sand carved glass window with the image of the Von Dutch’s flying eyeball.

In this restoration project, Steve Kafka has obtained as many original items as possible. “When we can’t find the original,” he says, “we will try to faithfully reproduce the original equipment.” 

 Von Dutch was a talented gunsmith and knife maker. Steve Kafka reproduced the three Von Dutch knives shown above for the bus collection. 

Many people have contributed to this project including his daughters, Lisa and Lorna, and his ex-wife, Sheila Harlen. About 20 pinstripe artists, including Alton Gillespie, have also donated countless hours to renovate the bus. The “Amazing Dave” Ulving helped with much of the welding. With the completion of this project, their efforts will help preserve an important part of pinstripe history.

Von Dutch’s daughters, Lisa and Lorna, donated one of their father’s work shirts for display on the bus.

Steve Kafka hopes that the restoration will accurately depict the life of a very talented artist and pay tribute to the memory of the man known as Von Dutch.  As Thoreau said,"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.” Von Dutch was such a man. 

As of February 2013, the Von Dutch project is within six months of completion. The link below is raw footage of an interview with restorer Steve Kafka:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MiRE6ry3X0

For a tour of the Von Dutch bus on YouTube open the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBZpTAzxM9s&feature=autoplay&list=UL5rHcDAJS_tI&lf=channel&playnext=1

RELATED ARTICLES

Artie Schilling's Ultimate Pinstripe Cart

New Steve Kafka Brush Series

Painting Flames
Miscellaneous Painting Tips
Blending Color

Pinstriping Tips from Tramp Warner

NEW INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS.  Five new videos have been added to RTape’s  YouTube channel. The following is a description of the new videos:

Squeegee Technique. Nothing is more basic in vinyl application than the squeegee. But some squeegees work better than others. And there are right ways and wrong ways to use this simple tool. This video clip reviews squeegee selection, squeegee care and squeegee technique. Click here to view the Squeegee Technique video.

Wet Applications. Dry applications are typically recommended for most vinyl applications. For those exceptions to the rule, this instructional video explains the right way to perform a wet application. Click here to view the Wet Applications video.

Introducing AT65. Installing multiple color overlays with a paper application tape is not much easier than driving in the dark without your headlights. For these challenging applications, RTape developed its AT65, the universal high tack film. This video clip explains the features and benefits of this remarkable new film application tape. Click here to view the Introducing AT65 video.

Application of Window Graphics. Installing vinyl graphics on glass can be challenging, because the adhesive aggressively grabs onto this high energy surface. Repositioning graphics on window is generally difficult, if not impossible. This instructional video explains how to dry apply window graphics right the first time. It also describes the necessary steps required for surface preparation. Click here to view the Application of Window Graphics video.

Transferring Frosted Window Graphics Films.  Because frosted window films are highly textured, transferring cut vinyl graphics can be problematic. This video provides direction in selection of the right application tape and how to apply these films quickly, easily and without problems. Click here to view the Transferring Frosted Window Graphics Films video.

About Jim Hingst: After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.

Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer.  Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.

Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for  publications, such as  Signs Canada, SignCraft,  Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and  Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 325 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.

Slides of Jim's Artwork

© 2015 Jim Hingst