Bill Hines Passes Away
By noderel:
Custom car icon Bill Hines passed away early on May 20. Hines was 94 years old. He was best known for his lead bodywork skills. Hines was involved in the hot rod sport for over 70 years.
Hines was born in Erie, Pa. on March 23, 1922. He grew up in Jackson, Tenn. In 1932, he moved to Michigan, where he ran a gas station and began customizing cars. His first custom car was a 1941 Buick convertible. In the early 1950s, he opened a shop in Detroit and a car he did won the "Best Custom" award at the 1953 Detroit Autorama.
Lil Nugget, restyled in the late 1950s/early 1960s
Hines worked for a brief time in the well-known shop operated by the Alexander Brothers, a famous customizing team. Hines moved to California and worked at Barris Kustoms. He wound up returning to Detroit and worked for the Alexander Brothers. Later, he went back to Calif., worked for the Barris shop again, and then operated his own shop in Long Beach, Calif.
Hines was known for smoking a cigar while he was working. He had several nicknames including "Leadslinger" and "Godfather of Hydraulics" (the latter because he was one of the first customizers to embrace hydraulic suspensions). Hines stayed active in customizing right up until he died. Later in his life, he gained some of the recognition that he never got or sought when he was younger.
The Buddah Buggy
Some of his best known creations include the "Golden Nugget," "Lil Bat," the "Budda Buggy" and the Jesse James' '54 Chevrolet from the Monster Garage TV show.