Oh yeah….almost forgot the sign …….
On my first visit to his home Richie answered the front door and invited me in through the living room…there it was, leaning up against the couch.......the original Kustom Kart neon sign that hung in the front widow of the shop back in the 60’s and 70’s. Even without the electron particles flowing, the dim gray tubes covered in dust brought back a rush of memories for me. It was exactly as I had remembered it…..even though I had not seen it in over 40 years. (We still had not uncovered the old photos at this point). A masterful example of glass tube bending and 60’s styling….it looked frighteningly fragile with its long glass rod supports wired behind the ovals with small pieces of cork and friction tape acting as cushions. I thanked him for hauling it down from the loft to show me …then begged him to put it away “before something happens to it”.
He said “you know…this
would make a hell of a Christmas present for your son….hanging in his room.”
Well needless to say I was floored. Imagine having the opportunity to own such a treasured part of your childhood….something you had only seen in your dreams since the 70’s. Before long we had come to an agreement ….one which included a solemn promise that my son and I would keep and protect it forever.
Here is the sign as it hangs proudly today in my son’s room. Above it, mounted to the original board, are the original transformers and a mechanical toggling device which alternates the current between the two scripts. It makes this neat clicking sound as it toggles back and forth….and the neon gives off a loud buzz ...you can even adjust the interval time by moving a little metal lever on the
Sign-atrol. This entire board with the three 12,000 volt transformers (one for each color) must weigh close to 50 lbs…... I had to lag it into the wall studs.
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Kind of cool to watch the neon glow wash across my kid’s face and think that it's the same neon glow that washed down across
my face as
my father watched... all those years ago.
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