Building the Better Custom.

I’ve attached an article from the East Coast publication Custom Rodder, dated Feb. 1958 titled “How You Can be a Better Customizer”. It offers some sage advice for the home-built custom that is worth thinking about as you work on your own car. There are plenty of things that you’ll figure out as you go, but I found a few of the tips worth thinking about:

1. The best work is done slowly, carefully and thoughtfully. Make a solid plan, take your time executing the idea, and do it right the first time, finishing what you’ve started before you move on to another part.

2. Finish the core customizing correctly and well, before you get radical- Quality over quantity. Just frenching and de-chroming done really well is worth more than a bunch of ticky-tacky wild mods. Keep in mind the old tobacco saying: Don’t bite off more than you can chew!

3. Work with the natural lines of your car- Don’t fight them. If you bought a shoebox Ford, think about what you liked in the factory design in the first place and start from there. Before you tack on a set of spikes or fins, think about embracing the bodywork that your starting with.

4. Study new and old customs you find appealing, and make up your mind about what mods you want to do on your own car. Take photos at shows, buy good books, scour the HAMB for picture posts with the same model you have. Learn from the masters and steal the good stuff!