In the October 1991 issue of American Rodder, the subject of writer Mike Griffin’s “Where Are They Now” column was Alex Xydias. In the second-tolast paragraph, Mike said, “Xydias now lives with his wife, Helen, in quiet retirement, ” With no disrespect to Mike, nothing could be further from the truth.

Pete grew up in El Monte, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, and started “cruisin’ the boulevards” as a young hot rodder with his friends around 1955. It was an influential time for a young man bitten by the rod and custom bug. Pete’s first hot rod was a ’32 roadster but at the time, he was in love with Gil Granuci’s ‘A’ coupe so he sold the body, bought a Model ‘A’ coupe and channeled it over the Deuce rails.

I am frequently asked how Jimmy got nicknamed “Shine”. Certainly there are all kinds of stories, but the simple truth is “Jimmy Shine” is a lot easier to get by on than James Dennis Falschlehner. Nothing taken against the time honored family name considering Jimmy’s dad’s nickname is “Flinger”, I rest my case.

Frank started his legacy with cars in his youth, mowing yards and doing odd jobs finally earning enough cash to purchase his first “classic” a 1929 Model A square cab pickup at age 14. He started his career path hanging out after school at Antique Auto on East Indian School Rd. in Phoenix, the late Jerry Mundy’s store and restoration shop. Jerry would say, “The kid just wouldn’t go away, so I finally gave him a job.”