This photo shows Rick laying a 6' pinstripe on a tonneau cover transposed with the faint image of his mentor, the late "Shaky Jake."

It just goes to show that stripers never die . . . they just pass their brush on so the lines can continue.

Everyone has an event in their life that changed everything, even if they didn't know it at the time. Mine came in the spring of ' 69 when my dad wouldn't co-sign for a new Z-28 Camaro. I ended up with a new Volkswagen Beetle instead! I was 21, and wanted a Z-28 not a Beetle. So I took it home and Pinstriped it. I drove it back to the dealer to show the salesman what I had done, and the next thing I know I'm striping a Beetle for the dealership!  I didn't know it at the time, but my dad did me a big favor by not letting me have that Z-28.  Thanks dad! 

By 1973 I was confident enough to stripe Street Rods at the Street Rod Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  That's when I met Chuck Babbitt. "Shaky Jake" as he was known in Southern California was already a very accomplished striper. I owe a lot to Shaky, because he taught me a lot about striping, and how to make money in the striping business.

By 1980 I became a full time Pinstriper and made many trips to Costa Mesa to work with Shaky Jake. Shaky Jake passed away in October 1987, but a lot of stripers were inspired by his work, and also his willingness to show you how it was done.

I have been Pinstriping and painting Street Rods now for over 30 years, and still learn new tricks all the time. I hope you have enjoyed visiting this website, and if anyone has any questions concerning Custom Painting or Pinstriping, please send me an E-Mail, and I'll do my best to give you a straight answer.

— Rick Harris