Johnny Sweet
New Member
Hello everyone, my name is Johnny Sweet and I'm what you would call an old Hot Rodder. I built my first Hot Rod in 1959. A 32 Ford pick up with a 59 AB Flathead engine, 39 box, and a 3' bed. In reality it was a piece of crap, but to me it was great. Over the last fifty years I became a modeler of car bodies in clay. I have a Mechanical Engineering Degree, and I'm a Composites Engineer. But the thing is I got my start working in my Dad's shop manufacturing tow truck. I started welding when I was 8 years old, and by 10 could run a lathe, and milling machine. My family raced motorcycles for Indian up till 1953. They also raced cars like the old jalopy's. Then my dad and uncles got into airplanes, and later ran a skydiving school. With a childhood like this I was exposed to all kind of venues. To me the American dream was alive and well. All a guy had to do was go for it, with hard work and determination. Not everything we do in life will work out, but if you don't try how will you ever know what's posable.
Over the last forty plus years I started three different company's from nothing but an idea, and very little else. One was started from an idea drawn on a napkin over lunch. As I grew each company, and built them to over a million in sales I sold them off. This gave me the money and time to plan out my next adventure. I've produced products for thousands of satisfied customers over the years. I retired five years ago after a lifetime in the manufacturing.
I thought my retirement would be quite, but in 2008 I was asked to sculpture a new motorcycle trike for Lehman Trikes out of Spearfish South Dakota. It was the new Victory Crossbow Trike design. I spent the 2008 season designing and sculpturing the prototype, and the first two test versions. When the new Victory Crossbow trike was released to the public in 2010 it was well received, and as time has past it's becoming a modern day Classic.
As I write this I'm working on my Kookie type T Bucket. Mine is a little different than most in that I made my own molds and have built almost everything on the car from scratch. The frame and all the suspension components have been hand made. In time Ill even stitch my own upholstery. I'm having a great time building my new T.
If you check out my avatar it's my Little T, a half scale T Bucket that's powered with an electric wheelchair motor. It runs around 3 MPH, and I use it at different shows to get around with. It doesn't use a steering wheel, but a joy stick from a submarine.
When I figure out how to load pictures Ill post some of my new T Bucket project.
Thanks for reading.
Johnny Sweet
Over the last forty plus years I started three different company's from nothing but an idea, and very little else. One was started from an idea drawn on a napkin over lunch. As I grew each company, and built them to over a million in sales I sold them off. This gave me the money and time to plan out my next adventure. I've produced products for thousands of satisfied customers over the years. I retired five years ago after a lifetime in the manufacturing.
I thought my retirement would be quite, but in 2008 I was asked to sculpture a new motorcycle trike for Lehman Trikes out of Spearfish South Dakota. It was the new Victory Crossbow Trike design. I spent the 2008 season designing and sculpturing the prototype, and the first two test versions. When the new Victory Crossbow trike was released to the public in 2010 it was well received, and as time has past it's becoming a modern day Classic.
As I write this I'm working on my Kookie type T Bucket. Mine is a little different than most in that I made my own molds and have built almost everything on the car from scratch. The frame and all the suspension components have been hand made. In time Ill even stitch my own upholstery. I'm having a great time building my new T.
If you check out my avatar it's my Little T, a half scale T Bucket that's powered with an electric wheelchair motor. It runs around 3 MPH, and I use it at different shows to get around with. It doesn't use a steering wheel, but a joy stick from a submarine.
When I figure out how to load pictures Ill post some of my new T Bucket project.
Thanks for reading.
Johnny Sweet
