Hi All,
A friend emailed Cal Metal and I about this. I spoke to him a few times and he was delightful and very accommodating. He invited us to his home, and I wish now that I would have gone. According to many, he was a legend in his own right.
If you wish to read his obituary, it was in the LA Times on April 6th, and the link is to Hot Rods news column about him.
http://www.motortrend.com/news/stories/020405fh.html
I am glad I met him.
Kati