New Baby!

I grew up in Texas and was taught since birth to love the state of Oklahoma, but I was actually born in Wichita, Kansas. None of this seems all that pertinent until you come to terms with what Wichita means and meant to the custom world. I guess the “Wichita look” starts and ends with Darryl Starbird. He created the standard in the late 50’s and early 60’s with his worldly creations on wheels while subsequent generations (McPhail, Myers, Titus, Harness, etc…) have kept the torch lit and fueled.

But what exactly is the Wichita look? I’m not the most qualified person to give an all encompassing answer, but I can tell you what it is to me. It’s clean lines and simple modifications. It’s bright paint. It’s scavenger pipes accented by the slightest of hot rod rakes. It’s big and littles. It’s an attitude. If SoCal customs were high brow art suitable for museums, Wichita customs were low brow suitable for night stands in the whore houses of the south side.

Somehow, that makes sense to me.

In any case and more to point, Marcie and I recently bought a 1960 Chevrolet Parkwood wagon. It’s one of those deals that just kind of fell into place and the next thing I knew I was the owner of a very nice and tastefully done street rod. Big inch wheels, nice air assisted stance, crate motor, 700r4, a/c, stockish interior, etc… It was a nice package for sure, but not quite to my tastes.

Now, the plan for this car is to be a daily driver. Marcie and I will be using the wagon as both a tow pig for our events and as a kid hauler for our regular every day lives. With that in mind, reliability and practicality were priorities that wouldn’t normally be as important as they are in this case. Restrictions in mind, we decided to give a nod to my own birth place – Wichita.

While the car certainly isn’t there yet, we’ve made strides. First and foremost was the rolling stock. I called Rally America and had a set of ’55 Chevy centers matched up and reversed to a set of modern (safety beads) 15″ rims. The whole package was then plated to perfection. To cap off the look, I called Corky and ordered a set of 205/75/15 fronts with a 1″ whitewall and 225/75/15 rears with a 1.5″ whitewall. The big and little decision felt awkward, but a quick look through an early 60’s custom car magazine and an approving nod from Mike Young set me at ease. I like it.

Of course, I still have lots of little details to attend to… In due time I suppose… but, that hasn’t stopped us from putting the ole girl to work. This morning I saddled up Miller Cochran in the back seat, pumped some air into the suspension, cranked the a/c, and headed off for his first doctor’s appointment. He’s doing just fine… and so is mom.

See you guys next week.

Editor’s note: I’d be amiss if I didn’t thank a few folks for helping me get the wagon to where it is now. I already mentioned Rally America and Coker, but I also have to thank Reggie, Norm, and the rest of the Austin crew for driving the car all the way back from California for me. It’s hard to imagine that anyone has as good of friends as I do.