Archive for April, 2009
Paul Teutul Jr., a.k.a. - Junior or Paulie - was born with sheet metal in his 
blood. From the age of 12, he spent his summers at his father’s steel business, learning all the skills of fabrication that he would later use building motorcycles. While in high school, Junior also took part in a Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCE) program, which allowed him to further hone his craft.
Soon after graduation, Paul Jr. went to work for his father’s business, becoming head of the railing shop. As his father began to spend more time building motorcycles for pleasure, he approached his son to assist. It was then that Paul Snr. recognised his son’s design and fabrication talent, and with his blessing, Junior left the rail shop to help establish Orange County Choppers as a business in 1999.
That year, the father-and-son team gave their bikes their debut in Daytona to massive interest, and they’ve never looked back, With Paul Jr. as the chief designer and fabricator, and with Paul Snr. lending his considerable business acumen, OCC is unstoppable.
He was going to give it away.
Or maybe “give it back” is a better way of putting it.
Chalk up an outfield assist “It just seems strange to have the car companies in trouble,” he told me this past week. “The Big Three, where would this city be without them? I mean, my father came from the old country and got a job at Ford’s. It put food on our table. “It’s scary to think that any of those carmakers could go away.”
So Ilitch told his people to thank the potential paying customers, but to say that the centerfield fountain this year was spoken for. It would be the feature site for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.
For free.
No charge.
Not one penny.
“It’s just a small opportunity to respond to what’s happening,” Ilitch said, embarrassed by the attention.
There’s nothing small about it. Every business has been affected by the collapsing economy; baseball teams are no exception. Walking away from a couple million dollars is not considered a wise financial move. Who turns away paying customers? In this case, Ilitch did. Because sometimes it’s about the where and the who, not just the how much.
A message from the ballclub “I thought for a few weeks before deciding,” Ilitch admitted. “I didn’t want to offend anybody. I didn’t want to put off the foreign carmakers. And I didn’t want people to think we couldn’t sell the fountain. As a businessman, you do worry about those things. “But I finally said, ‘The heck with it.’ I want to do something to help.” So starting with the home opener this Friday afternoon, the Chrysler, General Motors and Ford logos will be on an equal plane above the fountain. And beneath those logos will be a few new words: “The Detroit Tigers support our automakers.” It may be as close to a social statement as centerfield has ever made.
Visitors in Detroit for this weekend’s Final Four may think our small, thriving downtown looks a lot like other cities’ downtowns. But there is something different beneath the surface. Here, we construct in the face of adversity. We build on hope. Pure investors will tell you a city with rampant unemployment, enormous budget shortfalls, a troubled school system and a laughable city council is not a place to put your money. We do it anyhow. We do it because we love our past and we believe in our future. We do it because the alternative would be to close shop altogether. We do it because last week there were stories about the gleaming new Yankee Stadium, which cost $1.5 billion and has seats as high as $2,625 a game — and here is Ilitch giving away his fountain for free.
Detroit may be the new home of the bumpy ride, but as the Three Musketeers once discovered, it’s a little smoother when you grab hands with others. Think about that the next time a home run sends that fountain shooting up to those logos. Sometimes it really is all for one and one for all.
In THE RIDE OF A LIFETIME, Paul Teutul Sr. tells his story of how he overcame extremely tough 
challenges both in his personal life and during his 28 years in the iron business to create a successful family business that is predicated on dedication, devotion, passion, hard work, love and honesty.
Since founding Orange County Choppers in Upstate New York in 1999, Teutul has grown the family business from a hobby into a 70-person-plus operation that produces and sells 150 custom bikes a year at retail prices starting at $30,000 and quickly escalating to six figures. Paul Sr. and his hard working, dedicated team not only sell their custom designed choppers from their world headquarters in Newburgh, New York, but throughout a dealership network in the U. S. and abroad. With unrelentless passion, creativity, and dedication to excellence, Paul Teutul Sr. and his sons build some of the best custom-made choppers in the world. Since 2002, he and his business have been the subject of the hit TLC show “American Chopper.” One of the newest tin signs out for the American Chopper fans.
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A great way to redecorate your living room is to fill a wall with vintage signs. These metal signs are reproductions of old advertisement signs. Get copies of old soda signs to appreciate the classic artwork made during the 50s and 40s. Preserve the memory of old sports legends by collecting their famous World Series signs.
When your grandparents or parents come to visit, they will have a ball looking over your collection. This is a great way to entertain old timers, as you can connect by reminiscing about how they lived in their youthful years. If you like vintage cars, metal signs of old cars will be ideal to include in your collection. Taken care of properly, these metal signs will last for years, and they can be passed on to future generations.
OCC 10 Year Anniversary Celebration
April 23 - 26, 2009
OCC Showroom and Dealership
Newburgh, NY 12550
OCC turned 10 years old this year, and we are throwing a huge bash starting April 23rd all the way through April 26th. We have a full roster of events planned such as live bands, bike run with a member of the OCC crew leading the way, and a classic car show. OCC will also unveil theme choppers for the first time ever to the public to be aired on American Chopper. OCC is proud to announce that starting April 23rd, they will officially be a Ducati dealership. To end the weekend, on April 26th the raffle drawing will take place for the Town of Newburgh PBA “Sweet Amber” raffle. For you american chopper fans here is the newest chopper tin sign.
A
BOUT ORANGE COUNTY CHOPPERS
When you hear “Orange County” you may think of California, but the Hudson Valley boasts its own. It’s there, specifically in Rock Tavern, N.Y., where you’ll find Orange County Choppers - about 80 miles from New York City.
Inside the Garage
Established as a business in 1999, the shop grew out of Orange County Ironworks, a steel fabrication enterprise founded nearly 30 years ago by custom-chopper builder and rider, Paul Teutul Snr. OCC jumped on the custom-bike scene at Daytona Biketoberfest, 1999, with “True Blue,” a classic chopper built in the basement of Paul Snr.’s house. Here is one of the first tin signs put out for orange county chopper.
Other signature bikes soon followed, including the Spider Bike, purchased by musician Wyclef Jean of the Fugees, and the Jet Bike, built to honour U.S. military forces in Afghanistan.
Today, Orange County Choppers has garnered worldwide praise and recognition for their custom motorcycles. In 2002, OCC was recognised by American Iron as one of the world’s top 12 builders; likewise, OCC was among 19 other top builders profiled in the book, Haute Motor: The Art of the Chopper.
OCC bikes have been featured on numerous magazine covers, including American Iron, Freeway (France), Norsk Biker Journal (Norway) and Street Chopper. Plus, the Spider Bike was one of three bikes chosen in the world-class competition at the Rats Hole Custom Show in Daytona, Florida, to receive an all expenses paid trip to Germany, the site of one of the biggest auto/bike shows in the world.
It’s a garage that’s come far in just a few years. Just wait to see what comes next!
Orange County Choppers at a Glance:
Founder: Paul Teutul Sr.
Chief Designer/Fabricator: Paul Teutul Jr.
Established: 1999
Location: Rock Tavern, N.Y.
Employees: 20
Bikes Produced Annually: 150
Jan 16 2008
Rarenp
southern Iowa
A good sign and a good laugh
★★★★★5.0
“They say you get what you pay for. If that is true, and a laughs are dollars, I’d be a very rich man.
My wife purchased this sign for me after I saw it in your magazine and made a comment on it. She was decided (without my knowledge) that I should have this sign on the outside of my shop. It looks very nice where it is, and I have to say I was impressed with the quality of the printing plus the durability of the steel that it is made from. This is no stamped out piece of tin sign.”
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Jan 14 2008
jwmack
Pennsylvania
Busted Knuckle Garage Collectible Metal Sign
★★★★★5.0
“This sign is great for anyone in frequent contact with their local auto mechanic. I gave this sign as a christmas gift to a relative who frequents several auto repair centers for several vehicles he owns. He said this would be an ideal gift for one of them.”
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Well every one has heard that General Motors CEO Rick Wagner was told to leave by President Obama. 
Weather or not that was right thing to do is hard to say at this time. I know from working in the auto industry that hourly get blamed for a lot that goes wrong in the plants. When they have management not even understanding what the problems are on the floor. When I first started working in G.M. the foreman’s had to be able to replace all the people in there section, but know some of them don’t have a clue how to do anything. People in the auto industry work hard ya there some gravy jobs, but not many. I have 30 years and only 49 years old to young to retire. There closing the plant I work at by Dec. 2009 or sooner. A lot of people in this plant don’t know what to do, weather to move or try to take some kind of retirement if they can! The people of United States have got to realize that the auto industry is a big part of America. I’m not just talking about the Big 3, but all the other little shops to that supply other parts. They say the American cars can’t compete with foreign cars that’s were people are wrong. The only way foreign cars are cheaper is that they don’t have all the tariffs on them they should.
I guess what I’m trying to say in a nut shell is that America can not make it on just low paying jobs for most of public. We need manufacturing done in the United States. We need the middle class, other countries are trying to get their. We seem to be going back wards. I remember after 9-11 that people cared what happen to one another. We need to stand together know and get back on are feet. No it is not going to be easy, but what in life is. Like the song says proud to be American. Like the tin sign above with its red white and blue. I am proud to be American. We have choices here where you don’t in other countries. I guess I choice here, where I can make choices and run my own life.
Supervising the trial of an experimental gamma bomb for the U.S. Defense Department at a nuclear research 
facility in New Mexico, Dr. Robert Bruce Banner selflessly rushed to the rescue of an ignorant teenager who had wandered onto the testing field as the countdown ticked inexorably toward zero. After shoving young Rick Jones to safety in a nearby ditch, Banner was struck full-force by the bomb blast. He survived, but was irradiated by the deadly gamma energy.
At first, Banner would transform into the brutish gray Hulk only at sunset, and revert to human form at dawn. Eventually, his changes into the childlike green Hulk came to be triggered by the release of adrenaline when he was intensely excited, no matter what time of day. The green Hulk possesses little of Banner’s memory and intelligence, and is easily enraged; making him a menace to society.
Since Banner’s initial transformation into the Hulk, military forces commanded by the implacable General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross; father of his late wife, Betty — have hunted him continually.
For a short time, Banner successfully treated his condition with radiation and was able to maintain enough of his own personality when he became the Hulk to control himself in that form. Subsequently, he helped found the Avengers and even received a presidential pardon. Ultimately, however, the Hulk reverted into a brutish menace. The Hulk has been made into television shows, movies, comics, and even tin signs for the kids at heart still
Steve Rogers was a scrawny fine arts student specializing in industrialization in the 1940’s before America 
entered World War II. He attempted to enlist in the army only to be turned away due to his poor constitution. A U.S. officer offered Rogers an alternative way to serve his country by being a test subject in project, Operation: Rebirth, a top secret defense research project designed to create physically superior soldiers. Rogers accepted and after a rigorous physical and combat training and selection process was selected as the first test subject. He was given injections and oral ingestion of the formula dubbed the “Super Soldier Serum” developed by the scientist Dr. Abraham Erskine. Rogers was then exposed to a controlled burst of “Vita-Rays” that activated and stabilized the chemicals in his system. The process successfully altered his physiology from its frail state to the maximum of human efficiency, including greatly enhanced musculature and reflexes.
After the assassination of Dr. Erskine. Roger was re-imagined as a superhero who served both as a counter-intelligence agent and a propaganda symbol to counter Nazi Germany’s head of terrorist operations, the Red Skull. Rogers was given a costume modeled after the American flag, a bulletproof shield, a personal sidearm and the codename Captain America. He was also given a cover identity as a clumsy infantry private at Camp LeHigh in Virginia. Barely out of his teens himself, Rogers made friends with the teenage camp mascot, James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes. Barnes accidentally learned of Rogers’ dual identity and offered to keep the secret if he could become Captain America’s sidekick. Rogers agreed, and trained Barnes. Roger met President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who presented him with a new shield made from a chance mixture of iron, Vibranium and an unknown catalyst. Throughout World War II, Captain America and Bucky fought the Nazi menace both on their own and as members of the superhero team the Invaders, which after the war evolved into the All-Winners Squad.
In the closing days of World War II in 1945, Captain America and Bucky tried to stop the villainous Baron Zemo from destroying an experimental drone plane. Zemo launched the plane with an armed explosive device on it, with Rogers and Barnes in hot pursuit. They reached the plane just before it took off, but when Bucky tried to defuse the bomb, it exploded in mid-air. The young man was believed killed, and Rogers was hurled into the freezing waters of either the North Atlantic. Neither his body or Bucky’s were found, and both were presumed dead.