Customs Does anyone know any history of this car?

On pay-day.

 

I like the convertible. I'd like to see a picture of it with the top down.

 

1,118,762 people who bought just 1949 Fords think your wrong.

 

Picture seems better without the photographer.

 

I think it looks pretty good, I wish I could photo shop it and lower the top a little in the front, some paint it might looks pretty good.

Good luck to the guy that bought the car, he just may make some of the naysayers rethink their opinions. HRP

 

One can only assume he thinks the same of mercs that vintage, which would put him against probably double that. Not to mention the merc being probably the most iconic of all 50s customs/cruisers...

But hey, that's ok! We all have an opinion, I like hearing um, even if I disagree...

 

I wonder if it came out of the same Lodi, Ca. body shop that built this one…..

 

I bet Moose could enhance the photo with his artistic vision and make the car a beauty.



I have absolutely no photo enhancement skills but I was thinking to remove the vent window and round the window opening similar to that of a 40 willeys.

 

I’d drive the crap out of that….but I’m weird like that.

 

Sorta reminds me of..............!
I think....customs are suppose to make "something" look BETTER than it did when original. Improve the look in the builder's eye. I feel this one was viewed by the builder and his first statement was...."That really ain't what I had in mind."

 

In the builders eye perhaps it did. I've seen plenty of customs I find hideous that the owner loves.

 

I'm a hot rodder, not a photografer......

 

4 door to 2 door conversion?

 

Crusher fodder, after being harvested, of course.

That type butchery was something seen in the early seventies, often involving tri five Chevy four door wagons, and sometimes sedans.

They hurt my eyes then, and still do.

I’m sure I offended someone who put a lot of work into one, but, so be it.

 

38mag, I pulled that pickup in post #37 off of a ranch to save it from the crusher. Admittedly, it's far from the prettiest shoebox conversion I've seen but I felt that it deserved another shot. It did have some local NorCal history but no magazine or car show history. No matter. I could certainly see it back on the road, painted, with period correct hubcaps and whitewalls just like your buddies Ford. In its day, it was one of those strange and wonderful cars that you would occasionally see parked at the local auto parts store, getting gas or going past in the other direction. I wish your buddy well and I hope he doesn't change it, just put it back like it was in its prime and drive it.

 

Dork!

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum I thought the Mercury’s were good looking. I guess I just don’t like the slab sides of the Fords.

 

Well different it maybe ,but what a body job to make it , I will most probably get laughed at, but I would own it

 

I think it has potential. I'm still trying to I.D. those wheel well openings. At least the builder made an effort to make them look similar. If it truly was a Victoria to begin with (or just a Vicky top) it does seem like a waste of a Victoria. I think in the right hands it could be made pretty cool with a low, tight Euro sporty appearance. I for one , will watch to see the outcome. Hoping for the best.

 

From experience, here is a person that had a "hand-me-down" car from his Mom and Dad, but really wanted a T-Bird, like the single guy across the street, so he built his own, nothing wrong with that. Second here is a person who built a car in a garage that was too small.

 

This thread is interesting to me….read the worst car insults thread, pages of people upset about others using the wrong term to describe their car, yet this thread is just ripping apart someone else’s car. Interesting.

 

This is why you should never remove the side trim from a "Shoebox Ford".

As to the original comment about the styling of these cars, a lot depends on the body style. The wagons (which are all of the two door variety), the convertibles, the coupes, and especially the '51 Victoria's are very attractive cars. The tudor sedans (which are by far the most common), have a particularly awkward look with the overly long greenhouse and the faux rear quarter windows. The fordors are, well, four doors.

 

A couple pictures of "Shorty" at the Detroit Autorama basement and some history the present owner has found.

 

LOL but since Roe V Wade that is legal in many states.

 

In the 50s and 60s, it was fairly common to see the back doors removed and the frame shortened.
There were several here. One was a 55 Ford with no roof. It looked similar to a Tbird so it looked pretty good....but they radiused the rear quarters and added dual mud grips on each rear wheel so that was weird.