AEE CHOPPERS OUTLINE

 

1957

Tom meets Tex Smith

1959

Tom McMullen met Jim Clark

1962

Tom met Dave Brackett, Tom was living in LaHabra with wife Joan, had 32 roadster

Dave had purple 30 Model A coupe, Working for Tyree Header Co.

Tom and Dave cruised and worked on cars

Jim got out of Navy and returned to the east coast

Mid 62, Dave goes to work for Mickey Thompson

1963

In early 63 Tom and Carl Sulkey started Auto Electric Eng., wiring kits, wired cars

Tom finishes 32 Ford highboy with flames, early 63

Summer, Tom mets Rose Genuso at Indy National drags

Late 63, Auto Electric Eng. closed

Dave leaves Mickey Thompson, back to college

1964

Dave gets his 23 T bucket running, w/6.71 blown Chevy motor, Tom and Dave cruise

Late 64, Tom and Jim  finish twin Chevy engine Austin

1965

Feb 3, Dave goes to work for Hooker Headers, worked thru Sep.,  "Goldenrod"

Apr 1, Tom and Dave move into house together in Buena Park

Tom still selling wiring kits, Auto Electric Eng.

Dave helps Tom rebuild the Austin "Chevy II", remount motors, headers

Dave helps Tom redo blower drive on 32 high boy

Aug,  Dave moves out and Rose, Tom's wife to be, moves in

Tom and Rose get married

Aug, Jim returns from east coast

Dave builds headers at Muller Muffler

Tom and Jim again working on cars

Dave works at Anaheim Speed Eng., lift chassis, frames and headers

1966

Aug, 15, Dave starts Brackett Speed Products, in Anaheim, built "Pure Heaven" frame

Nov, Dave builds 34 Ford for Bill Brundage

Tom doing fulltime freelance writer/photo, for several hot rod magazines

Tom and Jim start "Mindbender", 47 Knucklehead bought from Ed Roth

1967

Dave went into army

"Mindbender" finished

Fall, Tom's accident on "Mindbender"

Tom, Rose and Jim start AEE, name from Auto Electric Eng. , Freda helps

1968

Tom, Rose and Jim, build and sell chopper parts out of two car garage

Feb, AEE moves to Whitaker, in Buena Park

Tom and Jim work on "Corvair Trike", finished late 68,

Machine shop moves in next to AEE  to make products for AEE

Jul, Jim leaves AEE

"Women's Pride", Rose's bike, built

AEE bought machine shop operation next door

Tex Smith hired to help with magazine

Danny James hired to run newly acquired machine shop

1969

"Corvair Trike" wins Sweepstakes at Oakland Roadster Show

Carl Sulkey machines parts in the evening

Jan.  Dave returns from Army, Tom hires, wants Dave to organize mfg., and design

Dave starts building jigs and fixtures to increase production

In Apr, Dave hires Bill Brundage to run newly created Welding shop

Apr, Dave designs and builds bolt on hardtail for Sportster

Result is "Quickstart" electric start Sportster, to show new products

March starts new "Street Chopper" mag., mail order, 4 issues in 1969

Apr and May, Dave designs and builds "Really" 350 Honda chopper

Boomer gets out and walks around front to get in with people

Jun, Dave designs more hardtails, and side hack for Harley

Jul, Dave designs weld-on hardtails for several different bikes

Jul, Dave designs and builds 3 wheeler kit for Sportster

Resulting from articles about "Really", Dave starts production on many items

Spool hubs, custom nut covers, gull wing,"Contour" gas tank  into production

Mini bikes and race track appear, "Boomer" enters into daily activities

Late 69, AEE moves to Via Burton, Anaheim, Dave builds offices, racks, shelves, etc.

Two "Easy Rider" copies built for movie studio, finished in Jan 70

Xmas, Tom, Rose, Jim and Dave create concept for new 5 wheeler bike

Dave designed and drew up plans, and "Big Twin" was born

1970

Dave built "Big Twin" done by early Feb, Oakland Roadster Show Sweepstakes winner

Jan 2, Jim returns to help with magazine

Jan, "Wild Kit Sportster" finished, showing new products, hardtail, seats, etc.

Feb, Lenny Cenotti hired

Mar, First issue of "Street Chopper" nationally dist. on newsstand

Mar, Dave designed and built raked triple trees, solo sissy bars, rams horn style, too

Dave designed new products, dual H/L bkt, 45 jockey shift, knucklehead top mount

Dave designed new coffin style gas tank

More cats, Spoke and Ciebe, later Wheel (breeder)

Dave found source on early Harley magnetos, thought to have disappeared

Dave designed and made jigs for "Z" style handlebars and narrow triple trees

Build track and race minibikes at lunch, drag racing in winter inside building

Having trouble getting exhaust items, Dave redesigned, added new products

He then contracted with Mitchell Mfg. Co. to build all exhaust items

Increased volume made Dave find vendors to build and supply products

With these efforts, Dave encountered industrial espionage

Mar, Dave and Danny design new square springers

May, Dave wanted to build complete rigid frames to sell, Tom said no

Dave starts Brackett Chassis Co., sells rigid frames to AEE

Tom and Rose get first plane, Cessna 310

AEE hires J.L. Smith, to expand sales through magazine

J.L. creates Rick Mason, leading authority on motorcycles

Jul, Tom, Rose and Dave develop idea for "Kit Bikes" to build complete chopper

July, Dave finishes the "Supersport"

Dave and the gang at AEE build first "Kit Bike", a Sportster

Summer, Jim returns as VP for AEE and Magazine division

Create "Chopper the Custom Motorcycle Guide"

Aug, Dave built his own chopper "Amani", 450 Honda motor

Steve Jones is hired to run new wheel lacing dept., suppliers can't meet demand

Dave builds dune buggy for Gary Donahey

Dave and Danny design and build square glide front ends

Sep, Dave finishes the "Shovelhead"

 

1971

Mar, moved to Monroe Ave, Placentia

"Hot Bike" magazine introduced, publishing company growing

Tom and Rose get two newer Cessna 310, one each

C.C.Ind., created to increase sales and offer discounts

Windshields and small front brakes designed by Dave and Danny

Jun, Dave prepared 26 page report for DOT for minimum motorcycle safety

Tom and Jim fly to D.C., with DOT report

Tom gets T33 jet airplane

AEE sponsors bike for Bonneville Salt Flats, Leo Payne

Dave did destructive testing of front ends to insure safety

Dave wrote articles about safety and product quality for bike magazines

Tom and Rose get Leopard and black panther

Tom gets F86 jet airplane

Mario Illote, from Italy, visits to start bike parts manufacturing in Italy, did't happen

Dave builds hot rod wheelchair for Dean Moon

"Singles Lifestyles" created

Summer, Dave and Danny design rigid tubes, mono girders, ultra narrow springers

Dave has Dean Moon build custom bike oil tanks

Starting in performance equipment, design custom intake manafolds and carb covers

Nov-Dec, Dave builds "Amani" number two, gets motorcycle manufacturers license

Dave builds tooling to build complete rigid frames for Harley 74, Triumph, BSA

1972

Jan, Dave finishes "Kit Bike", a Sportster, yellow paint, showcase new products

Dave builds yellow Honda 175 Dune Cart, for desert racing

Publishing Company starts "Street Rodder"

Feb, Dave moves to front office to be general manager, Stan Meyers hired prototype

Feb, Dave finishes "Big Four" Honda 750, using Brackett Chassis frame

Mar, Dean Rediger hired to do prototype

Apr, Dave starts "Trick Trike", works off and on, Stan and Dean take over

May, "Panhead 74" (How to Build a Chopper) finished

AEE now has over 100 employees

Jun, Dave builds "Forgery" 750 Honda dragster, first race Aug 19, Action Fours motor

Dave gets SEMA license to build racing chassis

Dave starts concept for twin "7UP" bikes, 500 and 650 Triumphs,

Dave builds Honda 90 Dune cycle

Jul, Dean and Stan finish "7UP" bikes

Nov, Dave quits AEE to work full time at Brackett Chassis Co., to mfg chopppers

Dec, "750 Honda" (How to Build a Chopper) finished by Dean

"Trick Trike" finished,october

1973

Jan, Harley 74, blown, altered AEE frame, finished by Dean "Street Digger"

This bike starts a new low profile trend in bikes

Feb, Bill Brundage quits

Feb 23, Brackett Chassis Co.  moves to Fender, Fullerton, builds total 5 "Amani" bikes

Feb, Jim leaves AEE

Mar, "Time Machine", Dean builds low profile Triumph, altered AEE frame

Mar.  Dave builds a rigid chopper with a Wankel engine, prototype for production, not done

Apr, Dave builds tube bender at Brackett Chassis Co.

May, Blower added to Yellow "Kit Bike", adding performance products

Jun, Dave rebuilds "Action Fours" drag bike for Bill Hahn, Brackett Chassis Co.

Danny leaves AEE

Jul, Dean leaves AEE

Aug, Dave visits Ace Distributers in New York

Tom and Rose seperate

AEE Choppers and TRM Publishing split , Rose gets AEE, Tom gets TRM

Oct, Jim returns to TRM

1974

Early, Tom and Rose decide to divorce, Rose gets AEE, Tom gets publishing co.

Dave builds several mini dune buggies with motorcycle motors

1975

Mar, Dave at Brackett Chassis Co., stops selling frames to AEE,

Tom get Piper airplane

May, Dave sells Brackett Chassis Co., to Jan Lowe

AEE closes

1976

Dave designs soft tails for Jan Lowe, Lowe Chassis Co.