Customs First pics of the golden Sahara in decades

Perhaps that would be part of the restoration...there is a lot to know and obviously you are well aware of these special attributes that are hopefully not overlooked. They may be at Larry's place stored for the future process which really is just a assumption at this point. I totally understand overdone.

Norman Timb's Custom comes to mind as a vehicle that was faithfully restored.






https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/norman-e-timbs-custom-buick-streamliner.178451/

Compliments to Hamber @rexrogers

It can be done.

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I would rock that car as is

 

One thing also to keep in mind is this was a Showcar...Shiny, Spiffy and Wild...not a Jalopy/Hotrod. Over the top was part of the package...So to me a Norman Timb's style restoration including those clear tires would be just the very least this icon deserves. I find it incredible that one would be willing to invest the huge amounts of money to achieve this but hey I'll be in awe of this should it happen...It is also just fantastic that it has been so well documented in its current state as that is incredible to see as well.

 

Didn't see it mentioned but the Chris Craft Cobra seen behind the Golden Sahara in pictures sold for $140,000.

Sent from my SM-G950W using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

The buyer really is a neat guy. 16 years old and fighting the Japanese during WW2. Now, an afternoon with him would be fun.

I LOVE both versions of this car. I don’t care what direction he takes, as long as people can see it. Great to see it out of storage and into an open collection!

Cars like this shouldn’t be locked away in a dungeon. Rip that fucker apart for all I care. It’s in better hands now then it was a year ago.

 

Yeah, I'm really glad this car is finally out in the open to be viewed, instead of stored away...in whatever condition it's in.

I'm curious who the other bidders were...who 'almost' bought it? And who almost bought the Kookie Car too? ...which sold for even more than the GS.

 

I understand your point and all, but I’d much rather see Farrah Fawcett in her heyday than to look at her now and say “wow, I bet she used to be hot!!” LoL!
If the new owner can make the GS “hot” again, I’d say get to it!! LoL! Just me tho.

 

And I understand your point of view... but I don't care how much plastic surgery you do on a 75 year old lady, she'll still never look as hot she was at 18.

 

Looks like he already has a few Customs in his collection. The Van Halen 4-dr Merc(orange with white scallopes), the Fioto bubble topped Ford and the Gold 56 Lincoln Bubble topped car as well as a few others. Has any body been there before.

 

I bet Goodyear has a set of clear tires collecting dust in an old warehouse...

 

No ... but they did reproduce a set:

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Man, and it is in Switzerland , of all places! Wish I could go and check it out!

 

Like a Edsel 'Tucker or any other ugly vehicle It does nothing for me. What good is it you cant really use it? Not a driver. Not a drag race car. I had a 59 Ranchero. after a week I didn't want it any more. It wasn't a good car and wasn't a good truck. I found myself asking what good is it. Finally sold the Ranchero for $1500 and lost money on it. was glad to see it go.

 

Waiting with baited breath for all of the comments about how ugly it is from guys without custom cars.

 

And just who is the authority that decided that you have to own a custom car to know what is ugly? The vehicle in question isnot only ugly but Fugly

 

In your opinion

 

So cool to see the Golden Sahara looking more like its creators intended!

As for the custom-haters...just stop. Seriously. We get it.
It's like joining a Marine Wildlife Preservation forum just to complain about how harbor seals are just "earless ugly dogs with crippled-up legs".

 

That's your opinion of it. I, for one, think it's a gorgeous car, especially the this first version of it. I also respect the history and significance of it; Barris-built with real ground-breaking stuff. Trying to push the envelope of custom cars . This thing had a TV in it. Think about that. How many decades would be have to wait for TVs, DVD players, etc, to find their way into cars. This one had it in the late 50s. Not to mention the skill and craftsmanship involved in actually creating a car like this. It's incredible.

Though we share a common thread for the love of "traditional" rodding and customizing, I feel like the point of customs are lost on a lot of hot rodders. I also laugh at the irony of the fact that the HAMB has a now-96 page thread where people are complaining about "homogenized" hot rods, and someone builds some mind-blowing shit like the Golden Sahara, which is so far out of the box it's in a different zip code, and it gets called ugly. You can't win.

 

That’s because it’s not really a car, truck, or any of the other things you listed.

It’s basicaly an experimental concept car, that show cases loads and loads of tech developmenents that wouldn’t be common in vehicles for 50 some years. It’s a tech show piece, a resume, an advertisement.

And in that regard it does it’s job very well.

Do I have a use for that? Nope. But I get what it is.

 

Always heard that fugly was in the eye of the cornholer, or something like that

 

Yes indeed we all have opinions. I also think the 57 ford because of the headlights was ugly. and a 65 ford fairlane was ugly. a 59 chevy was ugly and gaudy. the 60 chevy was a nice clean looking car. However different strokes for different folks. Who am I to judge why someone with more money than brains would pay a fortune for such a run down old has been vehicle.

 

It's called history, good or bad, it's what it was. Would you rather see it destroyed like a statue because you don't like what it stood for at the time?

 

That's why they make Fords and Chevys... everyone here has a different opinion of what is cool or nice or whatever. Wouldn't it be just boring as hell to get on the HAMB and see the same old car.
We all need to just enjoy the cars... like... I don't care if you like my 57 or not.

 

This could be said about every single car on the HAMB. But we idiots keep rebuilding old cars when there are perfectly good brand new Hondas for sale across town.

Old customs are dead! Long live old customs!

 

Just an FYI ...

George Barris didn't have much to do with the build of the "Golden Sahara II".

While it's true that Barris Kustoms built the (original) Golden Sahara [via designs supplied by Jim Skonzakes (aka Jim Street)]; Bob Metz, Henry Meyer, Delphos Machine & Tool Shop, and Jim Skonzakes are credited with updating the car to its "Golden Sahara II" iteration.

 

@JoeFoMoPar I have a couple things to say...I think both versions of the Golden Sahara are incredible and I have an open mind to all Traditional Customs celebrated here...it truly is part of the umbrella that is the Hamb and Past Hotrod /Custom/Race History.

I also believe you have completely missed what the Homogenized thread actually represents. I am a regular participant in the thread...and what it celebrates is the Hamb Period Hotrods/Racers that were different for any number of reasons with appearance being one of them...that raced or drove alongside the revered Hotrods here...many featured Hotrods in the thread are rejected by many much like the Sahara here in these last few pages...even though they are all part of the celebration of the period history of the movement. Many within the thread are actually iconic revered Hotrods themselves...Very little complaining of perceived Traditional Hotrods is ever done rather most posted are celebrated as what they are Relevant History, Traditional Hotrods and Racers and influencers of the movement...just like all the others.

 

A shout out to all providing continued restoration coverage and touring associated. It truly is an incredible Custom and Milestone of forward thinking and Technology embraced by those that saw the big picture.

 

I think you missed his point. It was that while the hotrods guys on this site will have a thread that runs for pages and pages "celebrating different" with very little to no "that's the ugliest thing I have ever seen" a thread about customs inevitably bring out those types of responses in very short order and more often than not from guys that contribute NOTHING to any other threads about customs.

 

Trust me there has been plenty of the same type of negativity in the Homogenized thread by similarly aligned membership as there is towards Customs but towards Hotrods and it sometimes begs the question why are they here if so much makes the taste buds sour...it all mattered and paved the road we celebrate here. Not everything is a Ten but it still is part of the landscape.