Autoblog

Jim Morrison's 1968 Honda 305 Scrambler was found on Craigslist *UPDATE

Zach Bowman — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Motorcycle, Celebrities

Don Ince knows a famous bike when he sees one. The guy has committed a rash of celebrity VINs to memory, and spends plenty of time looking over local motorcycle listings for vintage Husqvarna machines with famous pasts. While he has a soft spot for bikes owned by Steve McQueen, he recently came across something a little different. A local Craigslist ad served up this 1968 Honda 305 Scrambler with an interesting pedigree. Registration papers showed the bike once found itself in the care of Kenneth R. Howard, better known as the master-pin-striper and designer Von Dutch.

That explains the wild paint and would typically be enough to give any machine a little notoriety, but Ince says he found something else in his research.

"The registration and lease and liability card that I have for it dated March of '68 lists a James Douglas Morrison living on Sunset Boulevard."

Now, Ince knows that while there are many James Morrisons in the world, only one went on to world-wide fame as Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors.

"I actually Googled and found a copy of his driver's license. That address matches his driver's license issued in 12/67. It was kind of a needle in a haystack."

The Scrambler is currently undergoing a quick service and should be running and rideable within a week. From there, the pin-striped 305 is headed for display at this year's Pebble Beach, though not for auction. The bike is for sale independently, and Ince says he has no idea what it could be worth. Outside estimates have put the value between $50,000 and $100,000. Not bad for an old Craigslist find.

Head over to HuskyRestoration.com for a closer look at the bike, or contact Dan Ince through his site, VintageViking.com.

*UPDATE: Morrison owned the bike from 1968 until his death in 1971. Kenneth Howard then bought the Honda in '71.

Jim Morrison's 1968 Honda 305 Scrambler was found on Craigslist *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Take a look at the fine art of old school pinstriping

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:31:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Design/Style

HBTV points its lens at pinstriper Andy Kawahara - Click above to watch video after the jump

The late Kenneth "Von Dutch" Howard is probably the pinstriper best known to non-hot-rodders - and not because he's considered the father of the modern pinstripe, but because of the clothing label named after him. Yet the art is still practiced by those who care for genuine article, not its vinyl equivalent.

Josh Clason's Depth of Speed series takes a look at one such artist, Andy Kawahara, who admits to pinstriping something every single night, whether it be a car or an old piston. The video after the jump tells the story, and does so beautifully.

Continue reading Take a look at the fine art of old school pinstriping

Take a look at the fine art of old school pinstriping originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Christian Audigier stikes again with special edition Ducati Monster

Noah Joseph — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:58:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Motorcycle

Ducati Monster 1100 by Christian Audigier - Click above for high-res image gallery

Christian Audigier won't leave us alone. The fashion designer responsible for decking out all the celebs in Ed Hardy and Von Dutch gear has made a killing off his overpriced wears, but apparently unsatisfied with infection of Hollywood, he's turned to motor vehicles as his unfortunate canvas.

As if the tattoo'ed Lamborghini Murcielago which Audigier created with Edo Competition - which in turn spawned the Ferrari F430 Calavera imitator - wasn't enough, he's set upon another exquisite piece of Italian exotica to tarnish: the Ducati Monster. Starting with the 1100cc superbike, Audigier and his partners at Rever Corsa have laid down some sort of dragon-tiger thing over a particularly gaudy red and gold paint scheme. This limited edition crotch rocket commands a $55,000 price tag, proving once again that money and taste don't always go hand in hand.

Gallery: Ducati Monster by Christian Audigier

[Source: Rever Corsa]

Christian Audigier stikes again with special edition Ducati Monster originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2007 Barrett-Jackson: Von Dutch GMC Bus-Home/Workshop

Frank Filipponio — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:31:00 EST

Filed under: Auctions

High-res image available by clicking above

Lot Number 1042.1: Von Dutch GMC Bus-Home/Workshop

Here's one of those "don't pass it just because it looks like it's been out in a field for 20 years" gems that we love so much. This bus was once the home and workshop of the legendary pinstriper/customizer Von Dutch. The bus started out as a Long Beach, California city transit bus. Von Dutch ended up with it in the early '60s as payment from a woman he had done some work for. According to the account by his friend and colleague, Bob Burns, Dutch "set up living quarters at the rear, the remainder of the vehicle was a machine shop, including a bluing tank and an old metal lathe covered with Dutch's pinstriping. The floor was covered with cigarette butts, beer cans, and metal shavings."

And that's basically how it still looks. It sat in a field in Santa Barbara for a number of years and has seen its fair share of vandalism (and target practice), but it still has a lot of Dutch's fingerprints all over it. All part of this year's Rock the Block theme at B-J, there are a number of other Von Dutch items displayed with the bus, including his customized hi-fi stereo system that will also be auctioned on Friday.

[Source: Barrett-Jackson]

2007 Barrett-Jackson: Von Dutch GMC Bus-Home/Workshop originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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