Michael Thies's Blog – July 2014 Archive (1)

Heritage - Reprint from SEMA 2014 http://www.sema.org/sema-news

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin 

Photo Courtesy Petersen Archives

The Great California Street Rod Civil War

At the 1973 Street Rod Nationals (or so the story goes), rod builders Andy Brizio and Lil’ John Buttera got into a, shall we say, friendly discussion about which end of the Golden State produced the best street rods. Southern Californian Buttera ribbed Brizio, who was from South San Francisco, about how the Bay Area cars were “average” mechanically but were topped by outstanding paint jobs to make them seem more special. Brizio, in turn, said L.A. turned out trick show cars that couldn’t be driven very far. One thing led to another and (so the story goes) the discussion devolved into a “my new car will be better than your new car” challenge. At the 1973 Street Rod Nationals (or so the story goes), rod builders Andy Brizio and Lil’ John Buttera got into a, shall we say, friendly discussion about which end of the Golden State produced the best street rods. Southern Californian Buttera ribbed Brizio, who was from South San Francisco, about how the Bay Area…

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Added by Michael Thies on July 17, 2014 at 6:38pm — No Comments

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Blog Posts

A Bite of History: The Porsche 356 “Outlaw” by Mike Thies

A Bite of History- by Mike Thies

The Porsche 356 “Outlaw”

The term “Porsche 356 Outlaw” gets used a lot today, but at its core, it’s simple. An Outlaw is a Porsche 356 that deliberately walks away from factory-correct restoration in favor of performance,…

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Posted by Michael Thies on February 11, 2026 at 3:23pm

A Bite of History: Current Value Trends for Brass Era Cars (1896–1915)

A Bite of History - By Mike Thies

Current Value Trends for Brass Era Cars (1896–1915)

Over the past decade, values for Brass Era automobiles (1896–1915) have followed a familiar but revealing pattern. The late 2010s saw steady appreciation as collectors sought early, historically significant cars with craftsmanship that…

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Posted by Chuck Aaron on January 13, 2026 at 10:43am

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