SRM: Have you done any drawings on that yet?
FOOSE: No. But I picture them here (smiling, pointing to his head). I was actually torn on which way to go with it, once I finished the chassis and when we put that '38 Lincoln dash and then the waterfall that comes down from it. Some of that stuff, you know, I even had a small clock that went into where I have the starter button now, and there are some pieces that I'd love to duplicate this car and go the other direction rather than changing this one to the other way. I just think this car could look like something that competes with the Delahaye or Deusenberg type styling. Just really elegant, thirties classic car.
SRM: Don't you have enough projects right now?
SRM: How do you spend most of your time?
SRM: What year is Overhaulin' in now?
FOOSE: We just wrapped up the fifth season in November 2007, and I've been doing the TV thing since 2002 now. We're in negotiations for season six, and I'm not really sure if I want to go forward with it.
SRM: You said that at the end of season four.
FOOSE: Yeah, but negotiations were good. As much as I enjoy doing Overhaulin', I really enjoy doing cars like Ken Reister's Impression and the Grand Master and the styling for Ron Whiteside--that's where you can really put your heart and soul into one.
SRM: Who was it that said "You're only as good as your customer?"
SRM: Is he absolutely right?
SRM: So these types of customers have been able to allow you to express yourself in such a far reaching way.
FOOSE: Yeah, and without them we couldn't do it. And we're working on a car right now for Bob Smith which is going to be a '32 but a real crazy and fun car. I'm starting to turn my attention towards that now that we're finished up with season five and we're doing all the chassis work in the computer and once we start cutting that stuff and it goes together it's going to be an exciting car.
SRM: Exciting like award winning?
FOOSE: We hope it would be award winning.
SRM: A Ridler type of contender?
FOOSE: It may be a Ridler contender. Bob is possibly going there but we don't know if we're going that way or not. The initial intention is that we will. Financially we'll find out if we go there or not.
SRM: Bob has been an incredibly patient customer of yours.
FOOSE: (smiling) Yes, he has. We started working on his car before any of this television stuff and when you're doing shows like Overhaulin' and Rides episodes you can't focus on a car like a Ridler contender.
SRM: Was the first time that you were mentioned in Street Rodder in 1991 when we did that interview with your father?
FOOSE: I did a lot of work with my dad before that, but it was his name and his shop.
SRM: Since then, with your career with Boyds and then out on your own . . .
FOOSE: (smiling) What career?
SRM: Well you've kept yourself pretty busy. Although the P32 is your car, you don't have a garage full of exotics or trucks . . .
FOOSE: Have you looked in my garage?
SRM: I know how large your garage is. It's barely a three-car garage.
FOOSE: Have you seen it with the lifts?
SRM: No. You've got them in there?
FOOSE: Yes, you want to take a quick look?
(Two minutes later)SRM: Okay, I stand corrected. I've seen your garage and you've got four cars shoehorned into a two-car garage.