UGLY on Steriods - 1950s Custom on evilbay

I noticed there is a very "unique" 1950s "Custom Show Car" named Hellhammer (item # 300724707464) with a write up on it's history and some neat old Car Craft pictures. It is advertised as a 1936(I would have guessed a 1938 coupe):

1937 FORD CLASSIC SHOW CAR FROM THE 60'S MARK MIST GT.


This is THE Mark Mist GT. Built by Joe Wilhelm in 1959. It evolved through the 60s as one of the icons of the show car circuit. Starting with a 36 Ford couple, Joe chopped, channeled, and sectioned the body to start. From there an extensive list of modifications were performed, both cosmetic and mechanical. A truly radical custom in every way, the Mark Mist is an amazing piece of history. Featured several times by both Car Craft and Rod and Custom magazines throughout the 60s. The car is in amazing unrestored condition. It is complete, including the handmade 4-carb intake on the 322 ci Buick Nailhead engine. Not to mention the adaptor used to mate up the Cadillac Hydra-Matic auto trans. The Jaguar front suspension and brakes are intact, as is the Oldsmobile rear axle and suspension. The power windows, electric door openers, even the custom one-off tail light panel are all functional. It’s truly a time capsule!

Check it out- some neat pictures.

 

just because you can...you know the rest...

 

What has been seen cannot be unseen...

 

I hope I win the bid.

 

Errr, aaahh, yeh, that's an interesting study in automotive customizing.

 

Makes my buttcrack look good.
B.B.

 

Just some of the "baby steps" it takes to become an accomplished builder. But ifn it had been me, I would have crushed it. But back in the day, ANYTHING unusual was cause for celebrity, made the car mags, show circuits, TV and movies. I bet he made some fast $$$ on it, too. There were lots of really ugly customs making the rounds in the 50-60's, IMHO. Gary

 

Ahh, yes another definition of FUGLY...

 

im not sayin it looks good. but its so ugly that i kind of like it...do i get an infraction for saying that?

 

Me too I could be a hero for sending that one to the crusher.

 

It looks like it missed the mark

 

Honestly? I sorta dig it. It's ugly as hell and leaves you scratching your head and asking "WTF?" But then again, I'm ugly as hell and often leave people scratching their heads, asking "WTF?" too. If I had more money than sense, I think I would bid on it. Y'all are right, I'm not denying that it is UUUUUUUGGGGLLLYYYYYY, but I'd drive the wheels off it.

 

do you think any mopar products of the late 50s influenced his design?

 

Not as ugly as some. Such as "X-sonic," "Scoopy" ('58 Impala) and, more recently, "Thunderflite."

This later version is much improved over the '59 version with the tall grill and the black steelies with poverty caps.

Love the nailhead!

 

It's kinda like an "art car / rat rod." People swarm to it and just walk around it saying stuff like, "What the hell is that," or "I've never seen anything like this!" and "Hey Marvin, get a picture of me and this one!" Gary

 

Design?

 

Stevie Wonder just dialed 911

 

Wow, I didn't think LSD really became popular until the mid Sixties...

 

I am so glad you guys have such great cars.....this is called history, its what was built back then! Pick up any Custom Mag from 57 to 62 and they were full of cars like this! And seriously the dude that called the X Sonic ugly...are you fucking serious....The HAMB need to stick to What color should I paint my car or what transmission will make me cool threads! This place is not the place for Custom Threads....This place seriously sucks the last year....

 

I'd proudly drive the hell out of that one. John is right. This IS history. If you can't appreciate the work that went into it,go back and read a bunch of little books. They don't have to all look alike,y'know.
No,I don't like all angles of it,but damn,look at what the original builder did with it.

 

Not all old customs are worth getting excited about. They may have moved the hobby foward (or in this case, backward), and have some kind of historical value to show how we got to whaere we are, but ugly is ugly, and this one is ugly.

 

I dont totally hate it in the carcraft cover from 61...


I wish it was sectioned like 3" less.... and that windshield is killin me.

 

I've always like that car. It's different and definitely traditional. Better than looking at cookie cutter 32 Fords. People back in the day had creativity, something that's missing from the traditional scene today.

 

John Your absolutly right. I guess if it doesn"t lay frame or have 4 in. wide white walls it is not accepted .

 

Lots of talent to make that car, and looks like a real nice job.
However, I have never been into that type of custom, and find it butt ugly too.....
Especially that front end..
Cheers.......

 

Not a design masterpiece, but it is an important car

 

I have always liked the "Mark Mist". So it doesn't fit what today's narrow minded traditionalist think is cool or worthy of existence phhhh! (repeat after me) We dare not stray from the fluffy dice, mural laden chopped Merc...... Nah, fuck that! Give me Mark Mist or any other perceived fugly custom heap that was built back in the day over the same ol crap that is a carbon copy of a hundred other customs.

 

What gnichols said.

 

I'm with you John , cool car in it's own right.. Too bad the bolt together car club can't at least appreciate the amount of work involved.. That's a whole pile of metal stretching right there... I believe they used to call that "TALENT"...