The car that never dies. I was watching Pawn Stars tonight and the 55 is sitting covered up with clear plastic in the back ground. Somewhere in Detroit. Guy with all the Sha Boom cars, Bob Fryz
From the start of this thread in 2007 I couldn't and still can't understand how anyone in our hobby could belittle this Kustom. That is the way they were back then. Over the top. I can understand a bashing from a Ricer kid but not an "old car" guy or gal. I guess to each their own. I think it's cool.
Cool is in the eye of the beholder. One things for sure, no one will be on the fence with this custom, Love / Hate period.
I remember this thread from a few years back. Funny how a lot don't like it, but hey, ya gotta give it points for being a survivor.
It seems that the car is for sale again. Unfortunately he gives no details about price etc... http://www.shboomm.com/forsale.html It has seen better days, but it does not look like it would fall apart immediately. I like it, could be made into a nice car with some small changes....
As I read these posts it amuses me to see people sound like they're AACA restoration guys and not hot rod or custom guys. I thought this was the HAMB? Oh, that's right, it is, it's just that something like 75% of the readership likes to shit on full customs. I'll admit I don't care so much for the '59 Pontiac rear bumper used as a front, gives it a catfish looking snout complete with whiskers, but the rest isn't bad. And tons of cars were done with loads of bondo. I remember buying a truck from a guy in 1991 or so, who also had a customized o/t '72 or so Charger who happily admitted to me the wing on the deck lid was made of bondo with some marine grade lumber underneath. I should have taken some photos of it - while O/T it was purely done as a full custom, not a muscle car, the grille, lights and other things all changed on it. I wonder where it is now? It was dark green.
Exactly, it's custom! I love the front of it! Hate the fact it's a vert-lines of any vert just dissappear IMO and just a little in the back needs to be slightly altered( besides the stooopid flame throwers). It's different and different is good in my book, lemmings.
40 Stude Dude is right. Front bumper is rear bumper from 58-60 Lincoln. It looks great on a Lincoln but not so much on the wrong end of a tri-5 Chev. IMHO
Though it's got a face only a Mother could love, it IS a period perfect survivor from an era where Customs got too big for their britches and so out of sync that they fell off the face of the Earth. They became a victim of themselves. I hope it remains as a survivor example and the price point doesn't get down so low that a do-good restorer, buys it, hangs repop quarters and a stock front clip on it and paints it Gypsy red/Adobe beige so it looks like every third restored 55 conv-Yawwwwnnn! The idiot that lettered "Golden Rat", slapped Barris crests (Really!!??), giant flamethrowers and had a 3 year old draw flames on it should be shot. He should be kept away from classic cars as he has less taste than the original designer.
Yeah, the Sh Boom guy.......Bob Fryz.....geez that car just keeps falling apart just a little more. Here is an article with photo credits. The following text is also from the same article. Often what happens with a custom showcar is it takes to the show scene and wins trophies for a couple years, then gets put away and fades out of memory…like a thrown out toy. Over the years, paint and bondo begin cracking and little by little the car falls out of glory. This ‘Golden Rat’ is one such example. At one time a fully-built show car, now you’d probably have to pay most people to take it home. But its beautiful custom details still remain and they’re what caught Bob’s eye when he bought it; they just need some love and skill to shine again. While you may not guess by looking at it, Bob says the ‘Golden Rat’ could start up and drive. Looking to the rear, I see Bob has added one of his favorite customizations, fire-breathing exhaust pipes. The ‘Golden Rat’ is just one of many fire-breathing cars of Bobs. Carrying on the ‘Sh Boom’ namesake, Bob needed to create a car that would breathe fire even more than the original, in order to show up some other guys who thought they could beat him. His answer? ‘Sh Boom Great Balls of Fire’.
I got a PM tonight asking me if I was the Steve Stewart who posted pictures of his dad's 55 Kustom years ago. It was the then young man who lived in the trailer when I first posted this. He ask if I had any info on the car and that he was looking to buy it back. He said his father had passed away and left them in a bad money crunch and the car was a way to get out. Since then his mother and brother has passed away and he moved away. I guess the car haunted him and he is now in search of the car. I gave him what I had and even Sha-booms FB page. Not sure if he still owns the old car but we will see. The story never ends.
Hello all. I started this thread 10 years ago. Funny how things go. Bob Fryz did own the car. With some help from some of my club brothers in the Scroungers CC we tracked him down and gave all the info to Carl Allen. His dad use to own the car. Bob Horn built the car and is still alive at the young age of 75. Still sharp as a tack. I have been talking with the builder that was just 15 years old when he started on this car. Why? Carl Allen made a deal with Bob Fryz. The car was brought to my shop, Hilltop Hot Rods in Cold Spring, Ky where Bob and Allen worked out and finished the deal. Carl is now the owner of the car that was left to him by his dad but his mom had to sell to help feed him and his brother. The car will be gone through and put back to the way it once was. I understand some don't like the looks of the car but if you are a lover of this hobby you need to understand this is our history. If anyone is interested I will post progress pictures here.
It's funny when an old thread pops up and you see you commented but have no recollection of what you said. For less money one could probably convert this back to a stock body and sell it for really good money BUT I'm glad to see that isn't what is going to happen. I'm not a big custom guy myself but the history of the car and the times from it was built should be enough for anyone to restore it back to it's car show glory.
I'm interested in seeing progress pics myself , as a custom lover and body man by trade I can appreciate the work that went into that car even thou I don't think it's the most attractive car ever built I can guarantee most of the people here who talked so bad about it couldn't build it themselves even out of "bondo" as they say. It still takes skill to shape body filler even if used in access Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
This Car is absolutely different. Isn't that what a custom is about? Not follow the crowd? Having your own vision? Theirs things I like and dislike, But I appreciate it all. Awesome car of that era and a true custom. Thanks For sharing.
Another example of why some people will never be automotive stylists or designers And why they should never try to begin with.
As shocked as you are of the car I'm just as shocked at your lack of understanding this and many others like it have.
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