Hall of Famer Chip Foose may not be interested in pimpin’ your ride, but if you’re lucky enough he’ll lace you with nothing short of a miracle whip.

Story Adell Henderson
Photography Jeff Ludes

There’s nothing like catching a check to do something you love. If you ever get a chance to see seasoned car designer Chip Foose “working” at Foose Design, his Huntington Beach, California–based body shop, it’s very hard not to envy the humble 39–year–old for enjoying himself too much. When he’s not taping an episode of his hit automobile–makeover TV show Overhaulin’ or designing wheels for his MHT–produced Foose Wheels line or making special guest appearances on Funkmaster Flex’s car show tour, the multiple–award–winning Hot Rod Hall of Famer actually takes time out to design and build cars: Show cars, street rods, roadsters, even motorcycles. But he would trade all the fame just to stay in the game. When it’s all said and done, Chip is just a good ol’ car guy.

RIDES heard that you learned the way from working in your dad’s shop as a seven–year–old pup. How did that child labor treat you?

My father allowed me to destroy a lot of stuff around his shop ‘cause I didn’t know what I was doing then. I destroyed a lot, but I learned how to save it. That’s what my dad always taught me. It’s real easy to build something, but when you mess something up it’s all about what you do to save it.

Did you ever imagine that opportunity would eventually lead to this, to what you've been able to accomple career–wise in such a short amount of time?

I never thought I’d be doing TV and I never thought I’d be doing hot rods as a career. I thought I’d be working at a car studio designing cars for the public and you’d just go down to your local GM, Ford or whatever dealership it might be and I might be behind the scenes there designing a door handle or something. It didn’t matter, I just wanted to work on cars.
Go figure. It’s great to see that even after the success and the show you still have that same mentality.

Whatever you wanna call it, fame or recognition, that’s here right now, but I know the TV thing will go away. It’s not forever. When it’s done I’ll still be here doing exactly what I love to do.
If only rappers could have that mentality. Anyway, about Overhaulin: I know you do what you do on the show based on how the participant would love to see their ride, but what you do at Foose Design is a different animal.

With Foose Design, I’m trying to build timeless cars. I try to design every element of a car as if that’s the way it should have come from the factory. Ten years from now, I don’t want that to like like it was a trendy design. You’re not looking to change the wheels. That wheel fits that car and that’s what makes the car.

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