This or That

Mid '50s to late '50s sure is the RIGHT era, huh?

 

I'd say the Impala all the way. Even though I am very fond of the 55. I think if you are going to do somthing, do it all the way. Or all the way with in your means.

 

I'll take the '58 Chevy thanks.Don't wrap it, I'll drive it home thanks.Great Watson paint job,Great choice of colour combo.

 

I would have to go with the Ford. I guess I'm a "below the radar" kinda person and that '55 fits my character.

 

Subtlety wins in my book... I can dig flashy stuff but I love clean subtle customs...

"If you placed it in a typical modern-era custom car show, it probably wouldn’t get much attention"... I think you're right the Ford wouldn't get MUCH attention but it would get MY attention... Anyways I need to pick up that book.

-Juan

 

They're both nice, but the Chev is more professionally executed.

Apart from the (very nice) Watson paint, a ton of trim has been removed and/or simplified on the Impala (louvers, handles, script, flags, trim around the side cove, trinkets in front of the rear bumpers), so it's a cleaner, sleeker canvas on which to do the paint work. The second paint version is awful; now we have "loud and flashy" for sure.

The Ford is a good looking car, but the grille is disappointing -- doesn't fit the opening properly. And what's with the jinky lettering behind the front wheel wells? About a day's refinement (and some Merc taillights) would have improved this car for me by 100%.

Neat comparo. Thanks, Ryan!

 

Guess I'd take the Ford. I like my customs MILD!

 

I'd take the the Ford too. Both are great. Conversely, take the Chevy and compare it to a "straight outta Bako, air syndicate" paint job and that '58 looks downright sedate!

I like the slight rake, always have, so the Ford gets it there too.

White slacks vs. cuffed Levis?
C'mon, we don't need to drag Sha-na-na into this do we?! HAHAHAAA

 

I love the '58 hands down

 

I agree, but I also think it was a "low" across the board.

 

The Chevy is the one for me. I love that car....in it's first configuration. Not too much of a fan in it's second as posted by Rik.

 

I love 58 Chevs but clean and subtle is my style so the Ford would be my choice in this case. My 54 F100 I am building is a mild custom and even parked along side a stock 54 one migth not notice all of the changes. Hope to be driving it to the pile up.

jim h

 

Yeah I gotta agree on the 58,its kinda plain for my taste but still KOOL as hell.This book is a take off of work & photos by the same guy,the orig book was called grease machines and came out in about '76.........I picked up this same book(Kustomland) from Thom Taylor at the So-Cal party,,,,,,,,

 

I'd have to go with the Ford for the car I'd rather own just for its clean styling and subtleness. The '58 is an amazing car and also happens to be the exact color green that I've been trying to find for my shoebox but can't seem to match in any of the color books I've looked at. Anybody have any idea of a color code that might come close, I'd appreciate the help. I keep getting strange looks from people when I tell them about my green/gold combination for my shoebox, these pictures will certainly put any doubts to rest that its a great combo. Thanks Ryan for posting these.

 

While I really like both cars,I think I would give the nod to the 58;that car is just PERFECT!The second iteration is HIDEOUS!My reason for this is that the fades are not consistent(nearly impossible to do anyway)and stand out like a sore thumb.There are very few people that can make a fade paint job look good.

Just a hunch but I think the 55 is from just slightly later in time;if only a few years.

 

I'd have to choose the Vicky, I love the stance, clean lines and overall balance accentuated by the side trim. The '58 Chev is, of course, very nice and a fine example of late 5o's/early 6o's customisation. However, in this case as much as I dig scallops, I'll go subtle and understated; besides I could never abide no Hoodoo Wagon.

 

I'd love to see that Chevy in my driveway. I just recieved my copy of Kustomland a couple days ago. The white Ford really cuaght my attention but I tend to like more wild customs, painted or modified.

 

I would have to agree. I love them both.
I would own the Ford but it could use a little more pop in the wheel cover department.

 

The 55 does it for me. It's timeless, it'll look as good to me in 10 years as it does now.

 

the impala

 

I like the the Ford it's not over done (timeless) , the Chevy is on its' way with the "one up" thing and on to an ugly custom , change for the sake of change does'nt work (IMHO).

 

A lot of those pictures were published already in a cheapo book called Grease Machines back in the 80s, but I still bought the new book. I showed it to my 18 year old daughter and she was pretty taken aback by some of the ridiculous paint jobs. They're not all aesthetically pleasing, they could be the equivalent of some of the effed up shit you see in Low Rider, near new cars with zero or few body mods but absurd over the top paintjobs.

Different era, same thing.

 

i think the Ford looks so good. its just plain class like the 52 or 53 Ford Gary Howard built for Jimmy Vaugh just simple and clean

 

I like them both, mild and wild. Sometimes I think that is a curse, because when your building a custom and you like things from both camps, it makes it even harder to decide. I do agree about going too wild and changing things just for the sake of change. It does kill the look. I'll have to look for that book. later shawn

 

I like the 55. It reminds me of the cars that guys fixed up in my home town in southwestern PA in the early 60's. Sort of an 'everyman's' custom.

But the 58 just says.... "Hey dude, I'm a custom Chevy from sunny California".
Nothing reaches me deeper than those sort of cars.

I gotta go with the 58!

 

The 55 is the like girl I'd bring home: beautiful, pure, an absolute heart throb. The 58 is like the girl I wouldn't bring home: sassy, full of herself, and a load of fun.

 

after just working on the front ends of a 56 merc and a 54 lincoln..which have the same front end as that ford, I have one question...

How the fuck did they get it that low!!!

that car must be totally bottomed out with NO bumpstops to sit like that, or have major changes up front, and i dont thing subframe clips were around when that was built..

 

I'd pick the Chevy. Loud and flashy for me.

 

So how do I get the job of being the HAMB book reviewer??
Like Bob Freiber said, "Just play it LOUD ok!"