Rat Fink Tacos & Roth

Here's a photo I shot of Taco Bill's mini bike collection at the Mooneyes Rat Fink Reunion back in 1997. 

The Roth Trike Body in the background was an extra bonus. $250 what a deal! The For Sale lettering on the body looks like Big Daddy might have written it. After all, he was in attendence that day.

South Bay Originals- Angel Marc Setting the Record Straight

My name is Marc, AKA Angel Marc.  I was a founding member of the Huns MC So. Cal. in Hermosa Beach and one of the seven Huns who patched over to became the Hells Angels So. Bay.  I moved out of California over twenty years ago. Several years ago, living away from my friends and family, I joined Facebook in order to share photos with them.  A lot of my old Brothers had passed on, Dick Allen, Fats, Randy Smith & Outlaw Chuck among them.   I decided to share the memory of them by posting some of my old photos, first on my Facebook page and then after it was started on the South Bay Originals page.  I posted quite a few old photos for my old friends to enjoy. One old friend and Brother is Joe Hurst.  I got together with Joe when I rode down to the Kern River for the Fats Memorial Run and he told me of your site and that he had sent some of the pictures I had posted to you, among them Dick Allen doing the wheelie, Frank on  trike and the bike with the Huns colors on it.  I realize that when you post on the internet, you’re showing it to the whole world, so if more people enjoy the memories of my old South Bay Brothers, that’s Ok with me.  Which brings me to the reason I’m writing to you, I want to set the record straight as to the bike with the Huns colors on it. You wrote that Joe thought it was my bike, but that beautiful Pan belonged to my Brother Bob Kurek.  Bob was shot dead the year after this picture, so I feel it is important that he gets the credit that is his as the builder/owner of that bike. I enjoyed looking at your art work and pictures.  A nice bit of history.  You have some nice pictures of Randy Smith too, so I thought I would send one of him and me from the last time I saw him.  Also sending one of Bob with his bike.  Use any of the pictures you like, quote me if you want, but at least put Bob’s name with his bike.  Oh and most of the pictures I have were taking by a free lance photographer named Bill Miller.  He was like our unofficial club photographer.

 Angel Marc and his Pan circa 1967.

Hun's at the wall behind Taco Bell in Hermosa Beach. Left to Right: Marc, Lindsey, Dishpan Dave, Filthy Frank, Nez with Copper up front.

Bob Kurek with his Panhead.

One story was left out of Marc's email which will be included in a future post.

Joe Hurst always says the history of the South Bay Chopper really can't start without the tales of Marc and his brothers at that time. Therefore, my thanks goes out to Marc for sharing this history.

XAVW Von Dutch, Ed Roth & Randy Smith

Most of you have probably heard of Von Dutch's XAVW (the VW powered motorcycle once featured on American Pickers), but may not know this part of it's history. It seems that Von Dutch might have been disappointed with the results, so took it apart and sold or traded it to Ed Roth. Randy Smith, an admirer of Von Dutch, bought it as a basket case from Roth and put it back together. 

Volksworks.com said Randy moved to Tennessee taking the XAVW with him where it sat in a barn for 30 or so years. Thanks to MC art reader (Doc), he says it was actually Tom Burke who took it to Tennesse.

Many people credit Mike Wolf for saving this incredible piece of Von Dutch's work, but if it wasn't for Randy Smith, it might have never been saved in the first place.

The article below from Custom Chopper magazine dated May '71 does not mention Roth, but several sources state that his name is still on the registration/title.

Go Fast - Look Good

 My buddy Arte sent me this ad.

Love the motto. From the Randy Smith memorial page.