I can appreciate all the workmanship, but no love here. Looks like something Tony Soprano bought for Pauli Walnuts. Especially with the top up.
No, it is more like something Clark Gable would have bought for Carole Lombard. I would park it in my Garage Journal
Stole this from: https://www.customcarchronicle.com/...om-shop-cc-b/ray-vega-1938-ford/#.XdK84ldKj-g,, I like 39 headlights, but not on this historical ride,,, but it is his to do what he wants
That car should really be restored with the tooled leather seats. Very unique. I also dig the Studebaker taillights. I'm currently polishing up a pair destined for a '39 convertible sedan.
I agree with @typo41 & @alchemy put it back to it's Hop Up May 1952 configuration. Especially that interior with the maroon paint! The new all black car is nice, but isn't very exciting.
Always one of my favorites. Appreciate that it is still around and being loved, but if ever there was a car meant to be restored back to its 1953 state this is it. The hand tooled leather interior would be tough to recreate though, as Ray's mother is no longer with us. Mick
Looks like the current stance is noticeably higher, also. As @Ryan pointed out, "the stance makes the car"... would be nice to drop it a bit.
Many times the sequel isn't as fun as the original...hopefully a revisit gets a second opportunity...They were Golden Years for Auto Customizing...there was alot done there and yeah class was it... Thanks for Sharing and it's good to see it in a still protected haven...
I've told this story a few times here on the HAMB, this car was at my high school in 58/59 it cruised the parking lot and then sat in Mike Bergmans' front yard for several months, just a block down the street from school, the car has had me crazy since I was 13 and I am now 78. Tony Handler bought it in the 60's from a junk yard in Palmdale for $7, it was wrecked by a Sailor who owned it before Tony. I found it stored in a friends front yard but it wasn't for sale. At the first Throttlers Tony brought it and I tried to buy it from him, I tried to buy it from Tony many times and even tried to trade 2 Cords I had for it, still no deal. Well I have had a 39 Ford tub that I finished with the help of Guildner Brothers who I lived with in the mid 80's, I drove that one for 12 years and sold it to Al Mc Kee of Bass lake. I'm working on a second 39 Tub now, It's ready for paint and upholstery. About 5 years ago I had lunch with Ray Vega and gave him Don Montgomery's book, during lunch Ray told me that the Valley Custom 38 was the only Rod or Custom he ever owned. His Mom did the tooling on the seats, she had a shop and restaurant on Olvera st in down town L.A. and made tooled purses, that's how she knew how to tool the car seats. Ray continued in the restaurant business and own's Casa Vega on Ventura blvd. He also had a huge catering business in Las Vegas, it serviced classified air bases in the area, he made a bundle and went into Nevada politics. My current tub and below it my first tub. Forgot to mention I worked with Clay Jensen for about 5 years and it took me the longest time to ask him how they built Rays' tub how it was sectioned, Clay said "it was easy we moved the fenders up 5 inches, added 5 to the bottom of the fenders at the running board and sectioned the hood 5 inches. One more afterthought, I got a quote from a modern day leather artist to tool the Ray Vega seat caps, $1200 each that'd be $4800 for all 4 caps. I found some vinyl with the same color and pattern, bought that and will use it in my current tub upholstery.
Tony Handler is a Rolls Royce/ Ferrari dealer and I think he wanted to give the 38 a more classic car feel with the black.. I love the original look.
I was debating on exterior color and interior when rebuilding my 41. Once I saw the color photos of Ray’s car I knew I had to have maroon and tan. I saw this car a few years ago and it is amazing, just not into the black on black. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app