Customs Joe Bailon's mystery Victoria

Either love it or hate it and regardless what an icon, I definately would not kick it out of the garage. I am sure Rikster knows plenty about it. Found and restored in the mid eighties I believe. Comments welcome.

 

I do like that, That is Cool..,, Joe Bailons cars were alway nice..

 

It is not what I would do to a Victoria. However, I certainly agree with you completely Skip. I fully respect the builder and history of the car, and would always have a home for it, just as it is...

 

That cars in the Oakland CA. museum. My old buddy Paul McElly from Hayward CA. restored it. He made some changes that I wouldn't have made, but it's still basically the same. I think it was the last car he did before he died.

 

This is one of my favorite Bailon customs. The car was restored by the late Paul McElly and has been on display at the Oakland Museum for many years. I am sure it is still there.
RodP

 

Hey you beat me to it. GReat minds think alike.
RodP

 

You know your cars Mr. P

 

Custom Rodder article on the Mystery Victoria (Scans by Fuzzy)








Photo from the Jim Bauer collection

 

Custom Cars March 1959 cover and article








Andy Southard photo... different paint job... but the most attractive view of the car.
Photo was taken in 1963

EDITED
This photo has been removed by request of the copyright holder.

 

Dodge HAD to steal some styling for the early 60s models!?

 

I was just looking at those shots from the magazine the other day in color.. Such a great car..
It almost made the cut for the art show

 

Don't want to change the subject but the Moon rocket was photoigraphed in the same location. Does anybody know where it is.

 

George Barris Shot those images.. he shot at that location allot I have seen about 10 different cars shot at the location.. I believe its in Sacramento or somewhere in Northern california.. i'll ask him where exactly it is..

Same place

 

I love the back of it, but it took a while for the front to grow on me...very cool kustom nonetheless, and a great example of Joe Bailon's unique and original restyling.

Everytime I look at what Bailon did to the kustoms he built, I can't believe the amount of time and work involved...pretty intricate detailing on most.

 

The custom shoebox pick-up was originally from Sacramento. I have a magazine article from way back when on it somewhere in my collection of pocket magazines (got the magazine when it was first published). One of my faves from the era. Wonder what its fate was..?

 

It is at the Monterey Fairgrounds. One of the all time great locations for car photos. Those were all taken at the Monterey Kar Kapades.
RodP

 

defently a timeless classic, i love threar but like said before the fronts growing on me

 

I seen it at The Oakland Museum about two years ago, same display as above with all the memorabilia and trophies, etc.

 

Thanks, I don't know why I am so obsessed with locations. When R.&C. showed the picture of the track Ts in front of an Oakland theater from the '50s I had to go find the exact place the picture was taken. I was hoping it was still there. Even if it was converted into something else. It is now a parking lot.

That shoebox has been at the Oakland museum for maybe 30+ years. I'm sure we all can thank Phil Linhares for that.

 

Nice car!Not my style I think!

 

I really like the colors on the Andy Southard's picture. What a cool car, I'd take it for sure.

 

Bailon's customs were almost always over the top, sometimes he pushed the frontiers of good taste, but I give him lots of points for creativity and skill...(my favorite was "Miss Elegance." sadly abandoned on an Oakland street in the early '60s and later crushed).

 

personally I love over the top customs, you get to really see someone's sense of creativity.

 

Moon Rocket is in Fair Oaks, CA last I heard and was at the Sacramento Autorama in its unrestored glory in February.

 

Looks like Chrysler stole the styling for the early 60s Valiant.

 

Thanks Rod P.. I knew it was somewhere north.. funny thing I was just in Monterey this weekend...

 

Bumping a three year old thread with some new pics...

Went to the Oakland Museum of California over the weekend and found the old "Mystery" sitting in a display about CA in the 50's. It's a trippy custom for sure and cool to see in person.

http://www.museumca.org

 

Thanks for posting the pics. I had heard the museum was completely redoing their California exhibit and wondered what they were going to do with the car. I'm glad to see the car can be seen better in this new display. In the old display, you could not see the front of the car because it was positioned in that very small space. I hope the Arlen Ness chopper was kept, it looked good next to the ford in the old exhibit.

 

The Arlen Ness bike ended up in the art exhibit which is a good spot for it.

I was not blown away by the "new" California exhibit. VERY general - light on informational placards next to artifacts, reproductions items mixed in with original stuff and overall not that informative. It was a solid 5th grade level exhibit and definitely geared towards that age group. No problem with that, but they should advertise it as such.

The art gallery was the best part...

 

Awesome.