History custom Car builder Spotlight: WESTERGARD/BERTOLUCCI

WOW, this is a cool post....I can give an honest report on how Westergard did his work after working on the 41 Cad for Kurt...He was amazing!! Especially for his time and the crude tools they had, this work was very nice, you could kind see through the fade a ways, that it looked like they might have shaped them with a brake then ground the endges off, they were shaped very nice and even through the bend through the length. We tried to save as much of the original stuff like even the lead, luckily the car was very well cared for over the years and major rust out and lead contamination was not a problem. Kurt and his buddy did do some top reshaping on a couple bows and I added a few things on it just to make it a better top, the original top design had a wood bow which was kinda above your head if you sat in the rear seat, that was the last bow then the top fabric was just stretched to the beltline and snapped on, I build another stell bow that followed the beltline all around so the top fabric could fasten to that, this way the top holds it shape even at the rear if the top is ever taken off. Alot of the inner supports of the fade a ways were pretty crude with being made from angle iron but there is cool little filler peice that go in the areas so you can't see in the fade a ways when the door is open. The over all metal was shaped very nice, but up close the door fit , skirt fit, and fender fit left a little to be desired, I work for along time to get the skirts to fit nice and flush and the bottom of the body to be one smooth flowing line along the bottom, it was of 1/8" here and a 1/4" there, but workable.
I think these 2 you are talking about had the best style, I wish Westergard would have lived longer...what was he planning next??
Its funny, guys came into my shop when I was working on the 41, they thought they were kustom guys, all you have to do is mention Westergard, and see the look on their face, if they new who he was, their face would light up, if they really didn't know kustoms, then they didn't know who I was talking about...seperated the men from the boys if you will, of all the guy that came through I think less than 5 knew who he was...

 

....

 

Westergard is my hero.

 

every now and then, I have to look at this post...I love the cars

 

Faith and begorrah! A four door! I think all the naysayers should have a good look at this one ...

 

Thanks Rikster for some cool memories.
Do you have any idea of how long it did take Harry Westergard to build and complete a '36 Ford coupe or sedan? Thanks for your help.
Rags

 

i have heard a lot about the "westergard" style and have had a general idea of what it was, but after researching and seeing this thread i am blown away...the attention to fit and detail is amazing, especially the car with the shoebox taillights on the low part of the rear quaters, WOW!!!!

 

wow that car really survived, and what year was this done with all that roll and pleat interior

 

Thanks for the great history lesson.

 

The Leroy Semas 1937 Chevy was built in the mid/late 40's. I dont have an excact date when it was built but in one of the Don Montgomery books it is shown o one of the dry lakes in the late 40's.
The photo below was taken at a 1950 Sacremento Car show.




And this photo might even been older since it has single bar flipper hubcaps instead of the Cadillac Sombrero's in the rest of the photos. The Flipper hubcaps where very popular in the 40's.

 

Wow. Thanks for the history lesson here everybody. I think I stared at the 39 Ford at the Auto Museum here in town for half an hour. Way ahead of his time! With a company like Coker around today, you'd think they could do something about those tires!

 

Totally agree the wheels/tires do this masterpiece no good at all.

These photos below where taken at the Pebble Beach concours where the Taildraggers where a theme in 2005. The Mel Falconer 1939 Ford was on display only. Thanks to the Museum the car is in good condition, but they really need to replace the UGLY wheels and tires and back date it to how it looked in the early 50's....!!! (at least I'm glad they put the bumpers back on after the car lost them in the 70's)

(CaddyDave Photo)






(KustomBuick Photos)

 

that car is intimidating as hell....too beautiful.

 

Rick, i think this is the finished product. I could be wrong. interesting anyway.

6w

 

I just came across this photo... I had heard Dick had found his old custom 1938 Chevy Coupe a while ago.. and planned to bring it back to how it used to look... but I had never seen photos of it... until now...
This one looks so right.




And how it looked in its glory days... (Color Photo from the TwoChops Collection, black and white photo from hausdorfstudios.com)

 

Wow thats cool that the car still exists !! Will you have access to some resto pics Rik??

 

Thanks Rik. Sure hope we get to peek in on the restration of this one as it goes along!!!

 

Thank you for sharing that pic, Rik...I've talked to Dick many times about the '38, but still have yet to see it in person. I'm not sure I'll be able to remain upright if the opportunity arises...

Attached are a pics of two '40's Chevy's. One Bertolucci, one belonging to HAMBer Cleatus. Same location, just a handful of decades apart.

Bryan

 

Hi folks, i thought I would chime in on the Leroy Semas coupe. I just recently bought this photos showing the Semas Coupe on the Bonneville Speed Week in 1949:





Really cool photos, and it shows the car with caddy sombreros, filled hood sides and dual spotlights.

This photo posted by Rik shows the car with louvered hood sides and flipper caps prior to the spotlights were installed, so I reckon this photo is older then the one I have from 1949:


This photo shows the car at the first Sacramento Autorama in 1950 with dual spotlights, caddy sombreros, and the louvered hood sides re-installed.


Just plain custom geekiness, but it helps explain the life span of this great car. I have started to create a page on the car here:

http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Leroy_Semas'_1937_Chevrolet

So if anyone have some additional info on it let me know so that I can add it.

 

thanxs for bringing this back to life

 

That`s a 37 LaSalle grille,-38 is wider.This car has been a huge inspiration on my build(-36 Dodge coupe)I somehow forgot about this thread,thanks for bringing it back.Subscribed!!

 

Have any of you seen this one around? Ive seen it in the Bakersfield area. Its a cool Westergard style Plymouth. I want this car!!!

 

Hey, here's some new info from the bookstore interview here in Sac with Dick a few nights ago:
When talking about this 38, Dick said that he chopped it, but, was more into another car he had at the time, so he then gave the 38 to his dad (who was also very into hot rods/customs) and that it was his dad who then installed the Packard grill and welded the 40 Chevy head light buckets to the fenders, and then Dick leaded them in for him. So it appears that his dad deserves some of the credits for this car.

 

Hey,

Now how kool is that?!!!!!!

Thanks for the post and picture.

' looks like the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

" Meanwhyle, back aboard The Tainted Pork "

 

Thanks for that really great story Cleatus. I had never heard that.

 

Just found this cool photo over on the AHRF website. The photo shows Ohanesian Merc on Bonneville in 1951. As you can see this photo is taken before the exhaust was routed through the rear bumper. The photo is a little small, but it also seems like the car hasn't been fit with 1946 Ford taillights yet! A neat photo that helps us date more of the evolution of this car

 

All this info on these great customs of the past are great to read and look at,keep them coming.Thanks Rik

 

More please!

 

I did a lot off work on this car for the late Ed Blassengame formerly of Texas. Ed did have a good eye for what looks correct.
dwrfab Don Ross

 

Kuul thread!

But does anyone know anything about the two guys behind these great builds?
Wonder if Westergard is a decendant from Northern Europe, perhaps even danish family, and Bertolucci sounds Italian - can anyone clearify this for me?
Thanks in advance!