Pekka Wizzzard Mannermaa

In 1984, Pekka painted his first real car. The car was his own 1949 Oldsmobile Fastback, and it was painted to look like a Pan-American race car. Photo by Pekka Wizzzard Mannermaa.

Pekka Wizzzard Mannermaa's 1972 Buick Riviera, a real dream come through for Pekka. Pekka's daily driver got a flat paintjob with painted reflections. The idea was to make a flat paint job which would have the "reflections" painted on. The car did also have aluminium side panels and fender lips painted on in addition to painted louvers on the hood. Photo by Pekka Wizzzard Mannermaa.

Pekka Wizzzard Mannermaa's 1949 Pontiac Streamliner featured a scallop paint job by Pekka. Photo by Pekka Wizzzard Mannermaa.

Another one of Pekka's daily drivers, a 1984 Buick stationwagon, was restyled featuring hand-woodgrained and designed sides. The car was also lowered and fit with Moon saturn hubcaps and wide whites. Photo by Pekka Wizzzard Mannermaa.

Pekka pinstripig Göran Lundemark's 1934 Ford Pickup

A chopped 1956 Mercury featuring purple scallops with white outlines by Pekka. 1-Shot paint laid with a roller was used on the Merc. Photo by Pekka Wizzzard Mannermaa.

Lasse Mäenpää's 1958 Chevrolet Impala was painted and pinstriped by Pekka in 2005. Photo by Pekka Wizzzard Mannermaa.

Pekka designed the scallops on Lasse Theander's 1958 Ford Thunderbird, The Mystery Bird, in 2007.

Pekka painted the logos on Terje Fjellhaug's 1929 Ford Model A Roadster. Photo by Sondre Kvipt - Kustomrama.

Ari Sinkkonen's 1962 Ford Galaxie XL was scalloped and pinstriped by Pekka. Photo by Pekka Wizzzard Mannermaa.

A 1971 Buick Riviera that Pekka gave an acid-style paintjob for Wheels Magazine. Photo by Pekka Wizzzard Mannermaa.

A 1971 Charger Pekka gave a patinated Nascar-style graphic paint job. Note the painted tire-marks on the sides. Photo by Pekka Wizzzard Mannermaa.

Pekka painted the name "Miss Lavendel" on Cecilia Gustafsson's 1955 Oldsmobile Super 88 custom of Habo, Sweden. Photo courtesy of Old Iron Kustoms.

Pekka "Wizzzard" Mannermaa is a pinstriping-artist and custom painter from Finland. The beginning of Pekka Wizzz Mannermaa’s striping-graze was typical for a teenager in the 1970s. Model kits inspired by cars from hot rod magazines were the first ones to have a set of stripes, done with water colour brushes. The first set of real stripes were documented at the 1974 Stockholm Hot Rod Show, probably painted by Ivve Hallberg or Ingemar Becker. This led to purchasing a a set of proper brushes from MAS-Company Stockholm and some serious learning from books and magazines. There was no living person to ask for hints, living in Finland and practically no ability speak Swedish. Striping was pretty common in those days on Vans and Lowriders, but old school kustoms and hot rods were really scarce. And of course, in Finland it was only in talks and dreams.^[1]

Being a keen enthusiast of cars led the young lad to a school of art and design in Helsinki, and eventually to a profession in the field of industrial design. The first real car painted by Pekka was a 1949 Oldsmobile Fastback which was painted to look like a Pan-American race car in 1984. After the Olds, came a 1972 Buick Boattail - Riviera, a real dream come trough for Pekka. It was a super rare car to find in Finland back in those days. The Riviera evolved to a kind of a factory custom with pretty unique fadeaway-painting, lowered stance and a mild customizing.^[1]

Pekka’s interest towards drawing led to use of airbrush in the early 1980s. This was a good combination together with the brush, helping to work with bikes and eventually with signs as well. Sign and signwriting is another craft of itself, very difficult to master. A great help was to join some of the international signwriters meetings in England in late 1990s, which gave a clue what the heck was it in general. These international meetings gave spark to the fuel, best possible way to learn the new things in a short time. Pekka considers himself as a life long learner, always interested to see and try new things. From England the path took him to Scotland, USA and eventually to Japan to check out the craft. These trips proved that there is always someone who can do things better, faster or more creative than you do!^[1]

Pekka is spreading his knowledge on the basics of striping in his own booklet. He has also made a video of pinstriping, but so far it is available in Finnish only. The booklet is also translated to Swedish. Pekka arranges courses for beginners every once in a while. Wizzz's style in pinstriping is somewhat mixed, he likes to work with old school stuff but scroll-work with lowriders does not hurt either. If you want to file his style under one folder, it must be under “rhythm and composition”. He tries to keep the basic lines clear, so that the backbone of the design is easily recognized. Every line must have a clear meaning, it is no use to splash the stripes all around, they must reinforce and rhythm each other. That’s why his stripes may sometimes look surprisingly simple. Pekka likes to add some 1950s styled text to his stripes and he has an eye to pin-up’s as well. Seems like the space age –graphics are close to his heart. At the same time he is also working with restoration stuff, nothing is more rewarding for Pekka than work with an old british bike, a 1930s roadster or a Harley. You may see his signwork in restaurants and amusement parks as well.^[1]

The Wizzz Family is travelling a lot in the summer season. He is a regular visitor on the A-Bombers Old Style Weekend and other hot rod and custom meetings, laying his lines regardeless of rain or wind.^[1]

The “Stripe-O-Rama” pinstriper meeting is one of his dreams come trough. Originally started as an idea with the famous custom builder Tommy Clason in Sweden, the first meeting was held in Västerås, Sweden in 1997. It was eventually moved to Tampere, Finland in 1999 and since then it has collected som 20 odd painters together to party with flammable fluids and slippery surfaces. One of the original participants in S-O-R is "Tin” Nieminen, a profiled pinstriper himself and well known in the Swedish meetings as well. His Tiki Weekend in the coldest time of the year is a regular high point of the season and a birth place for the Arctic Pinheads. The unnofficial bunch of stripers work together to arrange different meetings and they generate lots of energy to newcomers to participate. Wizzz. Is pretty proud of this group, so check them out in different meetings in Sweden!