There are some real heavy hitters in there: Hirohata, Jesse Lopez, Ralph Testa, Buster Litton, ...and I think that is even Marcia Campbell's car on the far end of the right-side row - All cars that are iconic to us custom freaks now. What strikes me, is the number of people who see that poster now, with all the BIG name customs present...many times they gravitate right to the Nethercutt Olds and say something like 'wow, look at the heavy chop on that one.' Its a gorgeous car. But where are the owners in that photo? I don't recognize anybody...didnt they hang behind their car in lawn chairs
The pale blue convert with the blue top is Tommy Thornburgh's Studebaker, also a Barris car and a Motor Trend cover car. Iconic, too! See it here: http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/beautiful_custom_cars/barris-1/tommy_thornburgh_47/
cleatus - True Dat! ... from Rikster's CUSTOM CAR CHRONICLE website: "The Parking Lot Scene" left row (from top to bottom): * Earl Bruce’s 1940 Ford coupe * Fuzzy Luscari’s 1940 Ford pickup * Bob McNeil’s black Chuck Porter-built 1932 Ford three window coupe * unidentified 1929 Ford highboy * Jack Pere and Lou Banta’s red track nose model T Ford middle row (from top to bottom): * Bob Hirohata Barris built 1951 Mercury * Ray More’s 1952 Ford which would later get a wonderful Larry Watson paint job in maroon and gold outlines * Jay Johnston’s cream and orange version of his 1949 Ford right row (from top to bottom): * Tommy Thornburgh’s 1947 Studebaker convertible built by Barris * Don Carroll’s 1949 Ford convertible built by Gaylord * Jack Nethercutt’s Barris built 1952 Oldsmobile * Buster Litton Barris/Cerny built 1949 Ford * Chuck DeWitt’s Barris built 1950 Ford convertible * Jesse Lopez Barris built 1941 Ford coupe but now owned by Danny Lares which can be seen by the longer piece of side trim on the hood, something Danny had Barris added to the car after he bought it from Jesse. * The last car in this row is an unidentified mild customized 1953 Ford coupe.
I have a '52 Olds 98 and have studied those old black & white Life magazine photos in many occasions. She's really a beauty!
I have been mailing some with a couple of guys from the Nethercutt Collection about the car, and they sent me some great photos from Jack's personal collection that I added to Kustomrama. One of them is this one: As mentioned above, Jack is absolutely looking for his old custom, and I know he would appreciate all leads! Have anyone from the El Cajon area heard about Ronnie Smith? I guess he would have more information for us as he owned the car in 1960.
Seems to me that in the Customs scene...it was pretty incestuous. I see the names: Barris, Watson, Gaylord frequently. Now they are beautiful cars, but was it the "scene" to have RICH boys having customs built for them....you know, cut a nice check and drive with class????????? vs. actual hotrodders building their own cars. Don't get me wrong, they are beautiful cars and these guys are the top of the game, but jeez. If I just cut a check for a BUILT car and paraded it around as MY CUSTOM, I would think the HAMB society would tar and feather me and say I didn't deserve such a car, right? why are these "owners" now held in esteem? I don't get it. I have much more respect from someone without the deep pockets who builds their own rod (warts and all), that someone who buys a boutique custom. Hits me like the lawyer who buys a $50K harley and $5K worth of leathers for weekend diner hopping.
I don't know the spare dollars available for all the names above, but I do know a little about the middle row,, not big bucks guys at all. where I lived then, as well as now only the guys that are made famous by the magizines, are the KNOWN people. Some wealthy some not. But the Big Shows may have hundreds if not thousands of really nice cars, yet If any, just a few get ink.
Personally, I don't see anything wrong with a wealthy guy spending his money as he pleases. There would be a whole lot fewer legendary cars for us to look at and talk about today if they had spent their money on something else.
Agreed. I'm jealous of rich guys too, but I also know a whole lot of great guys/craftsmen who really NEED to make a living by building customs for 'rich' guys. Historically, most of the best-know customs were built FOR someone willing to write a check. Our favorite customizers and the cars they built would not even be known to us now if it weren't for guys with extra cash burning holes in their checkbooks. I would even venture to say that without the rich guys the hobby would not even exist, because their money is what keeps laws/regulations from being passed to make modified cars illegal (like they are in many countries). Just a fact of life / theres always someone who can afford the things that we only wish we could, and its all relative - I feel poor, but there's always someone poorer who thinks spending money on toys makes me a rich f--k, and relative to their situation...they are correct. (I did build my custom with my own two hands though). At any rate Nethercutt's Olds is very tastefully done, so you have to give him credit for spending it on something we all can appreciate instead of just a shopping trip to Paris for his chick.
None of them "paraded it around as my custom" everyone knew who built or worked on these cars..go scratch your broke ass some where else..
No need to be jealous.... You live in a FREE COUNTRY! Work harder, make better choices in life. "Anyone that doesn't have everything they want, only has themselves to blame" ---- Me. X's 2---- thankful that guys with money kept Barris, Winfield, Emory's, Ed Roth, etc.... In business!!!!!!! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
There were a few that did have some buck but most of them were young and regular guys. Many helped out and traded labor for work, for most of these guys it was the only car they owned. Look at the old pictures of Barrises shop, it is definitely is not Coddington! If your willing to put your blood and sweat into your car you can go along ways without spending alot of money.