{"id":35763,"date":"2012-01-30T10:28:45","date_gmt":"2012-01-30T17:28:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/?p=35763"},"modified":"2012-01-31T12:15:58","modified_gmt":"2012-01-31T19:15:58","slug":"allee-willis%e2%80%99-kitsch-o%e2%80%99-the-day-%e2%80%93-the-minis-rockin-rocket-88","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/allee-willis%e2%80%99-kitsch-o%e2%80%99-the-day-%e2%80%93-the-minis-rockin-rocket-88\/","title":{"rendered":"Allee Willis\u2019 Kitsch O\u2019 The Day \u2013 The Mini&#8217;s Rockin&#8217; Rocket 88"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/studebaker_5916.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35782\" title=\"studebaker_5916\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/studebaker_5916.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"475\" height=\"633\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/studebaker_5916.jpg 475w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/studebaker_5916-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a>\n<p>In addition to my classic cars, a 1955 Studebaker Commander. nd a &#8217;55 DeSoto Fireflyte&#8230;<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Desoto.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35781\" title=\"Desoto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Desoto.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"475\" height=\"314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Desoto.jpg 475w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Desoto-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a>\n<p>I also have a more common Beetle and Mini. Both of my classic cars have been up on blocks and serving as planters for years until mommy saves enough pennies to restore them. So it&#8217;s my more normal cars that cart me around on a daily basis. But I&#8217;ve never really been a fan of something that looks exactly like something else, especially if it&#8217;s as ubiquitous as a car. So soonafter I got both of them in 2004 &#8211; I&#8217;ve been a Beetle owner since they came out in 1999, this being my 3rd and final one &#8211; I looked around for every aftermarket piece of chrome I could find as both come as nude as cars can come. As a consequence, both vehicles are now abnormally overloaded. The Beetle, for example, has features like a grill and eyelashes&#8230;<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle-carlashes_3113.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35784\" title=\"beetle carlashes_3113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle-carlashes_3113.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"475\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle-carlashes_3113.jpg 475w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle-carlashes_3113-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a>\n<p>&#8230;fancy shoes,&#8230;<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle_2817.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35783\" title=\"beetle_2817\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle_2817.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"475\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle_2817.jpg 475w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle_2817-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a>\n<p>&#8230; quite a fetching gas cap&#8230;<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle_7190.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35818\" title=\"beetle_7190\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle_7190.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"356\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle_7190.jpg 356w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle_7190-224x300.jpg 224w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 356px) 100vw, 356px\" \/><\/a>\n<p>&#8230; and color-coordinated interior parts.<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle_7191-r.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35819\" title=\"beetle_7191-r\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle_7191-r.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"475\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle_7191-r.jpg 475w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/beetle_7191-r-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a>\n<p>The Mini has custom seats,&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #0000ee;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_3388.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35824\" title=\"IMG_3388\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_3388.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"475\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_3388.jpg 475w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_3388-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; blinged initials,&#8230;<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_7186.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35825\" title=\"IMG_7186\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_7186.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"475\" height=\"286\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_7186.jpg 475w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_7186-300x180.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a>\n<p>&#8230;a custom steering wheel and gauges anywhere they would fit despite me not knowing what any of them do,&#8230;<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/mini_7188.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35817\" title=\"mini_7188\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/mini_7188.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"475\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/mini_7188.jpg 475w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/mini_7188-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a>\n<p>&#8230;and now, a 1950&#8217;s Oldsmobile Rocket 88 hood ornament to make it even prettier!<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/mini_6654.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35788\" title=\"mini_6654\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/mini_6654.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"356\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/mini_6654.jpg 356w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/mini_6654-224x300.jpg 224w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 356px) 100vw, 356px\" \/><\/a>\n<p>I&#8217;ve collected old car parts for decades. I used to make <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/art\/furniture\/index.htm\">furniture<\/a> out of them:<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/car-bar_2687.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35793\" title=\"car-bar_2687\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/car-bar_2687.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"475\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/car-bar_2687.jpg 475w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/car-bar_2687-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/century-drawers_4103.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35792\" title=\"century-drawers_4103\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/century-drawers_4103.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"475\" height=\"357\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/century-drawers_4103.jpg 475w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/century-drawers_4103-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/spaghetti-table.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/spaghetti-table.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35791\" title=\"spaghetti-table\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/spaghetti-table.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"475\" height=\"355\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/spaghetti-table.jpg 475w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/spaghetti-table-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a>\n<p>When I realized that it just took up too much space building these things, I stopped. That was in 1988. But the voluminous amount of boxes full of door handles, hood ornaments, badges, and anything else used to decorate cars still fill my storage garage. Somehow it felt only natural to bring this baby out of the box and into the open-air.<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/mini_7186.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35823\" title=\"mini_7186\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/mini_7186.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"356\" height=\"475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/mini_7186.jpg 356w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/mini_7186-224x300.jpg 224w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 356px) 100vw, 356px\" \/><\/a>\n<p>This feat was accomplished by\u00a0Mark Tomorsky, my art fabricator and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/2011\/10\/25\/allee-willis\u2019-kitsch-o\u2019-the-day-\u2013-finally-soup-to-nutty\/\">Soup To Nuts<\/a> stage partner.<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_6650-mark-t.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35913\" title=\"IMG_6650-mark-t\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_6650-mark-t.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"475\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_6650-mark-t.jpg 475w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_6650-mark-t-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a>\n<p>Thank you, Mark, for desecrating my hood so that the Mini (and my hair) now have wings to fly!<\/p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_6646.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-35826\" title=\"IMG_6646\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_6646.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"475\" height=\"356\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_6646.jpg 475w, https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_6646-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; In addition to my classic cars, a 1955 Studebaker Commander. nd a &#8217;55 DeSoto Fireflyte&#8230; I also have a more common Beetle and Mini. Both of my classic cars have been up on blocks and serving as planters for years until mommy saves enough pennies to restore them. So it&#8217;s my more normal cars &hellip; <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/allee-willis%e2%80%99-kitsch-o%e2%80%99-the-day-%e2%80%93-the-minis-rockin-rocket-88\/\">read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,181,87,193,249,281],"tags":[3042,3004,3056,3055,61,3046,3043,3232,3245,3045,3044],"class_list":["post-35763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art","category-furniture-and-housewares","category-kitsch","category-kitsch-o-the-day","category-people","category-transportation","tag-1955-desoto","tag-1955-studebaker","tag-2004-beetle","tag-2004-mini","tag-allee-willis","tag-car-parts-furniture","tag-desoto","tag-kitsch","tag-kitsch-o-the-day","tag-mark-tomorsky","tag-studebaker"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35763"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35763\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alleewillis.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}