Tricked - Out Custom Paint

"Hot Dog" Finlan Delivers It All, From Custom Paint to Pinstriping

- Joe Ray

For custom painters, winning the prestigious Ridler award is a career making honor. For pinstripers the same can be said of the Von Dutch award. So it’s nothing short of phenomenal that Pete “Hot Dog” Finlan has earned both—a feat no other painter has accomplished. “I’m one of the few out there who can do full paintjobs and detailed artwork to that level,” he says. “It’s my artistic vision all the way through.”

His unmatched résumé and body of work helped him land a spot on the TV stage as well. Hot Dog was the head painter at West Coast Choppers on television’s Monster Garage. “It was a super cool experience for learning tricks on how to do things under a tight timeline,” he says. All in all, he appeared on 35 episodes over five seasons.