Joe Andersen's Custom Shop

A photo taken at Joe's first shop at 64th street in Los Angeles. Eric Rickman stopped by the shop in 1956 and took these photos. The photos remained unpublished until they were featured in Hot Rod DeLuxe in 2013. Photo by Eric Rickman, courtesy of Hot Rod DeLuxe.

Another photo from the Eric Rickman session in 1956 featuring a 1940 Ford coupe with a Joe Andersen scallop and pinstripe paint job. Photo by Eric Rickman, courtesy of Hot Rod DeLuxe.

Photo by Eric Rickman, courtesy of Hot Rod DeLuxe.

A brand new Chevrolet that Eric Rickman photographed outside Joe's shop in 1956. The car featured a scallop paint job by Joe. Photo by Eric Rickman, courtesy of Hot Rod DeLuxe.

A custom Thunderbird with a Andersen scallop and pinstripe paint job in 1956. Photo by Eric Rickman, courtesy of Hot Rod DeLuxe.

Photo by Eric Rickman, courtesy of Hot Rod DeLuxe.

Joe Andersen's 1949 Chevrolet

Bob Mendoza's 1953 Oldsmobile

Ed Biggs' 1959 Chevrolet El Camino of Davenport, Iowa. Ed was a member of the Idlers of Davenport car club and he ran Biggs Automotive Service with his father. In the Summer of 1959, Ed decided to turn a brand new El Camino into a shop truck and rolling advertisement. He wanted to give it a custom paint job, so he ordered the car and had it delivered to a Gardena, California dealer so Joe Andersen of Joe Andersen's Custom Shop could pick it up and give it a panel paint job. Ed joined the US Air Force in September of 1959. He was stationed at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, and decided to have his custom shipped with him to Europe.

An early version of Bruce Schwartz' 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air in front of Joe's second shop, at Florence Avenue.

A later version of Bruce Schwartz' 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air in front of redone version of Joe's Florence Avenue shop. Photo from Colors by Joe Andersen

Dennis McKee's 1958 Chevrolet Impala of Torrance, California. Dennis' Impala was restyled in 1962, and it received a pearl Tangerine paint job by Joe Andersen of Joe Andersen's Custom Shop in the Summer of 1962.

Richard Mikami's 1961 Chevrolet Impala of Gardena, California. Restyled in 1964, Richard's Impala featured hydraulic lifts by Bill Hines, a Pearl paint job by Joe Andersen and a custom upholstery by Russ and Bess. The car was known as "The Ant Killer"

A photo of Joe Andersen's 1963 Pontiac Grand Prix taken outside the Florence Ave. shop

A photo of Wilcox's 1959 Chevrolet taken outside Joe's Florence Ave. shop. The photo seems to be taken on the same day as they photographed of Joe's own Grand Prix.

Oscar and Ernie Ruelas' 1956 Chevrolet outside Joe's shop at 13805 S. Normandie Ave. in Gardena in the mid 1960s.

A business card from Joe's Gardena shop. Photo courtesy of Mike Davis.

An ad for Joe's Normandie Ave. shop.

An ad for Joe's shop from Popular Customs Winter 1964. By then Joe had expanded his business by adding retail sales of accessories which included Muntz car stereos, 8 track tapes and some chrome accessories. Scan provided by Rik Hoving Custom Car Photo Archive.

Photo from Colors by Joe Andersen

Photo from The Jalopy Journal.

Photo from Colors by Joe Andersen

Mick Tully's 1954 Chevrolet, of Torrance, California, also known as the Emperor's Galleon, received a sparkling violet fireflake paint job by Joe in the mid 1960s.

The show sign for the violet version of the Emperor's Galleon.

Oscar and Ernesto Ruelas' 1956 Chevrolet of East Los Angeles, California. Oscar and Ernesto were founding members of the Duke's car club, and their Chevrolet, known as Mr. Know it All, received a custom paint job by Joe in the mid 1960s.

A 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air with a "cobweb" paint job by Joe. Joe had his own name for this paint technique, and he called it "Angel Hair" paint. Photo courtesy of Mike Smith, provided by Howard Gribble.

Bruce Schwartz' 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air - The "Blue Car"

Mark Jorgenson's 1960 Chevrolet Impala was restyled in the mid 1960s featuring lifts up front by Dick & Ron's and a pearl blue fadeaway paint job by Joe Andersen's Custom Shop.

Howard Gribble's 1961 Ford Starliner of Torrance, California was restyled by Carl Darling and Howard Gribble. The build was completed early in 1966. Joe pinstriped the dash in Howard's Starliner.

Sandy Gordon's 1961 Pontiac Bonnveille Convertible received a fadeaway paint job by Joe in the summer of 1965.

Mike Smith's 1962 Chevrolet Impala was paneled by Joe in the mid 1960s.

A 1963 Buick Riviera painted by Joe Andersen. The car featured lifts by Red and chrome by Mr. M's. Photo by Howard Gribble.

A 1964 Chevrolet Impala painted by Joe Andersen. Photo by Howard Gribble.

Mike Smith's 1965 Buick Riviera was painted by Joe in the mid 1960s.

Kent Frederick's Emperess featured custom paint by Andersen. This photo of the truck was taken at the 1965 Tridents Rod Custom Autorama. Photo by Bud Lang, courtesy of the Petersen Archive.

Jim Arkin's 1965 Chevrolet Impala of San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California received a full custom paint job by Joe Andersen in the summer of 1966.

Nick Hoogoian's 1965 Chevrolet Malibu of Granada Hills, San Fernando Valley received a fadeaway paint job by Joe Andersen in the summer of 1966.

Jim Arkin's 1965 Chevrolet Impala as it appeared after Joe Andersen had repainted it black pearl with cobweb in 1967.

Pete Limpert's 1936 Ford tudor sedan of Gardena, California. Pete built the car in the early to mid 1960s. Larry Watson of Watson's House of Style gave the car a Candy Red paint job in the late 1960s. Joe pinstriped this version of the car for Pete.

A Joe Andersen business card dating back to ca 1968. Scan provided by Charley Hepperle.

A Joe Andersen price list from around 1968. Scan provided by Charley Hepperle.

Colors by Joe Andersen - Around 1967 Joe began selling custom pearlescent paint kit's, promoted as "Pearl for Pennies". Bob Reisner's The Invader, that won the World's Most Beatiful Roadster Award at the 1967 Oakland Roadster Show was painted with Joe's pearlescent paint kit, and was therefore used on the cover of Joe's brochure. Click here to see the entire brochure.

The Claim Jumper. Here is a Joe Andersen custom-painted buggy. Taken circa 1969, this photo pop up for sale on eBay.

A brochure for paint products the Joe sold.Click here to see the entire brochure.

"Custom Auto Painting by Joe Andersen" was a custom paint shop owned and operated by Joe Andersen of Gardena, California. Joe started his pinstriping business on 64th street in Los Angeles, just about 80 feet east of Normandie Avenue, near Ansen Automotive. Louis Senter, the founder of Ansen, encouraged Joe and was a mentor for him in the beginning, and Joe did a lot of engineering for Louie. Joe's first shop was a very clean and redone garage, and the sign on the wall read "Pinstriping by Andersen". While at this location, Joe started airbrushing, and he was one of the first to do airbrushed T-shirts. Bob Holley worked for Joe for a short time while he worked out of the 64th street shop, and Joe taught Bob how to mask and sand. He also gave him some tips on pinstriping.

Later on, at age 17, Joe found a commercial property for sale at 1519 W. Florence Ave., Los Angeles that he purchased. The new shop was listed in the phone book as "Andersen Pinstriping". Former employee Bob Holley used to stop by the new location from time to time to talk with Joe and one of his best stripers, Steve Feinberg.

Joe acquired a 1949 Chevrolet from his grandparents. The first thing he did was to replace the 6 cylinder engine with a Corvette V8. He then painted the car silver and purple in what he called, "The Fade Away." Joe may be the first person ever to do this type of painting. There were many street cars, show cars and race cars painted at this shop. One of the cars was the fuel dragster of Stellings and Hampshire which was also known as, "The Red Stamp Special." It was candy red and silver metalflake and it is said to be the most beautiful dragster ever painted.

In 1959 Bruce Schwartz began working for Joe. Bruce worked for Joe for several years at the Florence Ave. Shop. Later, Joe sold the property at W. Florence Ave, and moved to a rented shop at 13805 S. Normandie Ave., Gardena, California. He expanded his business by adding retail sales of accessories which included Muntz car stereos, 8 track tapes and some chrome accessories. Later, Bruce worked for Joe again at the Gardena shop.

Pearl for Pennies

Around 1967 Joe began promoting and selling custom pearlescent paint kit's. Promoted as "Pearl for Pennies", custom enthusiasts could now have a real custom pearlescent paint jobs for little work or cost. The kit included ten "out of sight" standard custom colors to choose from. According to Joe's brochure "Colors by Joe Andersen", Joe had formulated a pearlescent enamel paint that allowed show quality finish. Dan Woods' Milk Truck, and Bob Reisner's The Invader, that won the World's Most Beatiful Roadster Award at the 1967 Oakland Roadster Show was painted with Joe's pearlescent paint kit.

Employees

Bob Holley
Bruce Schwartz
Dennis Ercek
Steve Feinberg

Cars Restyled, Painted or Pinstriped by Joe Andersen's Custom Shop

Pete Limpert's 1936 Ford Tudor Sedan
Joe Andersen's 1949 Chevrolet
Bob Mendoza's 1953 Oldsmobile
Mick Tully's 1954 Chevrolet
Sal Orefice's 1954 Oldsmobile
Kent Frederick's Emperess
Oscar and Ernesto Ruelas' 1956 Chevrolet
Tony Bachiero's 1957 Ford
George Brancacio's 1957 Oldsmobile
Bruce Schwartz' 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air - The "Blue Car"
Dennis McKee's 1958 Chevrolet Impala
John Taylor's 1958 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible
Dennis Ercek's 1959 Chevrolet
Ed Biggs' 1959 Chevrolet El Camino
Mark Jorgenson's 1960 Chevrolet Impala
Richard Mikami's 1961 Chevrolet Impala - The Ant Killer
Howard Gribble's 1961 Ford Starliner
Sandy Gordon's 1961 Pontiac Bonnveille Convertible
Johnny Geyer's 1962 Chevrolet Impala
Mike Smith's 1962 Chevrolet Impala
Julio Ruelas' 1963 Chevrolet Impala SS
Mike Smith's 1965 Buick Riviera
Jim Arkin's 1965 Chevrolet Impala
Nick Hoogoian's 1965 Chevrolet Malibu