Think back to the earliest memories of your association with high-performance cars. Maybe it was your dad or older brother who introduced you and ruined you for the rest of your life. If you were like many red-blooded American kids who grew up immersed in the era of gassers, muscle cars, carburetors, and gasoline, then you started your automotive infatuation with a decal collection. One of my earliest car crafting memories is of Lindy's Speed Shop in my hometown of Boone, Iowa. During the late '60s, I would run errands around town on my Schwinn bicycle for owner Paul Lindahl in exchange for any decal I could dig out of a big box he kept behind the counter.
After I completed my first mission, he pointed to the box. When I'd made my choice he said, "That's exactly the one I thought you'd pick." The one I chose was a Genuine Chevrolet Parts water transfer decal that was also the largest one in the box. I immediately went home and placed it on a bulletin board in my room. That decal and a whole bunch more eventually ended up plastered all over my bedroom window. At this same time, I managed to con our local distributor out of a handful of STP decals. When I discovered how much my friends coveted my stash, I took them to school and sold them to all my buddies for 50 cents apiece.
Now, some 40-odd years later, these simple adhesive icons are again in demand as signposts back to a different time. Beyond vintage drag race cars, there is also a growing movement toward '60s vintage cruisers and street cars that hang on the early-to-mid-'60s vibe where these period-correct decals work to enhance the presentation. Or, perhaps you just think these decals are cool and would like to stick a couple of them on your toolbox or shop refrigerator. It's all part of our culture.
Water Slides And Sticky Vinyl
The early days of decals were populated with what are commonly called water slide or water transfer decals. These were decals printed on a thin vinyl sheet that required the installer to dip the decal in water for 30 seconds and then slide it onto its final destination. You had to be careful because if the decal was in the water for too long, it lost its adhesion characteristics. But the beauty of these decals is they could be placed on the inside of your car's side or rear glass where they had a better chance of survival. Later, dry transfer decals came along that were cheaper to print and easier to install but could only be placed on the outside of windows or on fenders. Exposed to the elements, these early dry transfer decals generally faded after a few years. As we've found, the earlier, old-school water transfer decals can sometimes withstand decades of abuse, and their cracked and weathered features add that touch of character that is nearly impossible to duplicate.
Mr. Horsepower
Icons are what make the world go 'round. The 21st century marketing machine has spent the last 50 years perfecting the trade, but back in the day, it was far less sophisticated. Even before virtually all of today's aftermarket companies were created, Clay Smith had already built a reputation within the industry as a race car engine builder, tuner, and cam designer. At this same time, a friend penned a quick sketch of the outspoken entrepreneur as a red-haired, cigar-smoking woodpecker that soon became the now-famous Mr. Horsepower image. Clay was killed in an unfortunate pit accident in the '50s, and the company is now owned by George Striegel. According to his wife, Patty, the company has documents that acknowledge an agreement between Clay Smith Cams and Walter Lantz, the originator of the Woody Woodpecker cartoon character, that they both could use their cartoons in their own separate environments. Patty says that while their company has no proof to back up this position, she feels the Mr. Horsepower character predates the arrival of Woody Woodpecker. Regardless of which came first, the Mr. Horsepower image is an enduring icon of the performance industry that started life as a penciled piece of shop wall art.
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