Pete Chapouris, the “Pete” of Pete and Jakes fame, who would go on to resurrect the moribund So Cal Speed Shop, has died. He was 74. The San Gabriel Valley, California, native grew up around fast cars due to his dad, who had a series of customized hot rods. That and the hot rod climate around the Pasadena area sparked a love for old, fast iron. Working for Clayton Manufacturing building dynamometers in the late-1960s, he built a series of hot rods for himself including a resurrected old 1934 lakes coupe that caught the attention of Rod & Custom staffer Gray Baskerville, who was also following the build of another 1934 coupe by former R&C staffer Jake Jacobs. The pair was featured on the cover of R&C, while Pete’s flamed coupe became the star of the made-for-TV movie The California Kid starring Martin Sheen.
It wasn’t long before the two went into business starting Pete and Jakes Hot Rod Repair, building customer cars and also a project car for HOT ROD magazine. Soon the “Repair” part of their moniker was dropped, to morph into Pete and Jakes Hot Rod Parts. With Jake’s ability to create clean, affordable parts for Model As and Early Ford cars, and Pete’s business, manufacturing and marketing savvy, Pete and Jakes became synonymous for state-of-the-art hot rod components by the mid-1970s from their shop in Temple City. This was at a time when the second coming of the hot rod was happening, putting P&J in the right place at the right time. They went on to build a series of projects followed by HOT ROD magazine to help promote their component lines. By 1987 they sold their business to Jerry Slover in Peculiar, Missouri, which continues today under son Jason. Pete went on to the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA), helping to form the Street Rod Equipment Association as a means to bring some clout to the young industry to help battle legislation and position them for a better footing with the National Street Rod Association. This became the Hot Rod Industry Alliance we know today. From there Pete joined friend Bob Bauder to again build cars, and then broke away to form what became So Cal Speed Shop after broaching the idea with So Cal founder Alex Xydias. This too became a highly successful venture, resulting in numerous franchises throughout the country. Pete’s reach allowed him to mentor many an up and coming builder, both through So Cal, but also through his efforts to stay connected to the industry as a whole. He leaves behind his wife of 50 years Carol, daughter Nicole, son Peter IV, and five grandkids. His influence in the style, quality, organization, and culture of hot rodding is immense, and will be his professional legacy.
The post Pete Chapouris, Influential Hot Rod Builder and Industry Figure, Has Died appeared first on Hot Rod Network.