History Top 5 Barris Kustoms of the early 50s

Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post:

Top 5 Barris Kustoms of the early 50s

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Even though I read and understand your reasoning for leaving off the Hirohata, it still needs to be on this list. But it's your list, not mine

 

Good article, as always. The effect of the Matranga Merc affects me too. My favorite of the 5, even if you had the Hirohata in there.

 

I think Busters Ford is on the ugly side. that would be on my list of Barris failures.

I didn't even know they built Landons Chevy, I need to pay more attention.

 

Kind of interesting that two of the cars picked were not start to finish Barris cars. Landon's Chevy was chopped by the Ayala's and the Liston Ford had a bunch of work done on it by George Cerny.

 

Love 'em all,but given the chance,I'd make the Chet Herbert streamliner my daily driver.

 

Thats the tough part of picking Barris "built" cars- The work was often started one place and finished another. Sometimes the credit was given to the wrong shop or metalwork was redone, so yes, it's confusing! Are you sure Dan Landon's Chevy was chopped by thew Ayala Bros?
http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Dan_Landon's_1949_Chevrolet

 

I don't think anyone is sure if it was but it seems to be the general consensus that it was. Rik Hoving says there is some evidence that the Ayala's chopped it and it is more like an Ayala chop than a Barris chop with everything molded in a very organic looking.

 

In one of Barris' many interviews on Jonnie King's "Legends..." site (sorry, I don't know which interview}, George mentions having chopped Landon's Chevy. I think it was in the context of liking to try new things, so it MAY have been in the Larry Ernst episode, but I'm not at all sure. (My computer will no longer access the audio, but some digging should turn it up.)

 

Sam was the artist and George was the savvy business man. I bet they are happy to be together again. Peace.

 

@jcmarz sorry but I have to disagree in part. George was every bit the artist Sam was. George was a commercial artist and was customising cars before Sam, Post ww2 George convinced Sam to stay in LA and taught Sam bodywork. Sam did become the better body man and had a natural flair for customising. George saw the potential of promotion and moved in that direction, this doesn't diminish his abilities. People might say there isn't many photos of George working on cars, well George was the one taking the photos!

A good article from 1953 by Spence Murray THE BARRIS STORY (MAY 1953 HOP UP ARTICLE)

 

In the big book of barris Sam Barris gets the credit for all the work on the Dan Landon chevy

 

Agreed. I think people think that once Sam got there George had no input into the design of any of the cars. Georges design sketches of the Hirohata are the first that come to my mind when talking about the input George still clearly had on how cars were being built in the Barris shop after Sam's arrival. Both were remarkably talented.

 

Here are some design sketches George did of the Hirohata merc, a pink and white Olds and the Karl Cadillac, though not all the ideas were used it shows his artistic talent.

Mick

 

@Jive-Bomber Jay -

Glad you included the "BEAST" 4 'liner on your list! ...

​

Here's some pics of the streamliner chassis while at Barris Kustoms:

Sam Barris in Chet Herbert's streamliner
(photo from the Barry Mazza collection)


Chet Herbert wrote the following caption on the back of this photo: "George Barris of Barris Kustoms
making notes on the car as a police officer from Lynnwood, CA. stops by to check on our progress at about 2 in the
morning. We worked straight through the night for 3 days to get the car ready to take to Bonneville Speed Week".​

 

The pic with the police officer looks almost staged until I read the caption. At 2:a.m. he was wondering why the lights were still on and a door open. Now days it would be a full s.w.a.t. unit and the NSA.

 

Sorry, but my list would include the Sam Barris Merc. Love everything about that car.

 

Sam was actually a police officer in Lynwood for a number of years and there were a couple of other officers that also worked at the shop on their off time so it probably wasn't a rare occasion for an officer to drop in.

 

Can anyone identify the front axle used on the Herbert streamliner? If it's an early Ford piece, what would be the front track dimension? Thanks.

 

Narrowed model A axle.

 

I believe it's Frank Sonzogni pictured, who moonlighted as a bodyman at Barris' and had a beatiful custom Merc.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=20432


Picking just 5 Barris Merc's is a task let alone any 5 cars.

For Merc's, my 5;

Hirohata
Matranga
Sam Barris
Quesnel
Sonzogni (or perhaps Fred Rowe's convert.)

 

Good list. Hirohata Mercury absolutely belongs on it though.

We all have opinions... but man... I don't see how you find the Panoramic Ford to be ugly. There isn't an ugly line on the whole car. It's probably the best shoebox Ford ever created.

 

These types of things are purely subjective. I'd have to think through my final two - but my first three would be Sam's Merc, Matranga's, and the Hirohata car. The first two for their sheer beauty, and although not to my taste, Hirohata for its lasting significance to the genre.

 

All great cars on the list, and all worthy, but I'll add myself to the list of people who want to see the Hirohata Merc on there. I would consider it one of the greatest custom cars of all time, Barris or otherwise. Certainly one of the most famous.

 

The Hirohata Merc was the first custom I ever really took notice of. I think it was a 80's issue of Rod and Custom that had a story on it and the build. Or it might have been the clone that was built around that time? Either way, it opened my eyes to customs and the Barris brothers.

 

In no particular order...

Bob Hirohata '51 Merc
Chuck DeWitt '50 Ford convertible
Carl Abajian '49 Chevy convertible
Marcia Campbell '42 Ford
Buster Litton '49 Ford "Panoramic Ford"

 

Great (and relivent) article Jimmy. I missed it the first time, thanks.

 

BTW,does anybody notice a resemblance between Barris and a young George Clooney?

 

Just wondering if I missed something ? That is the first time I have ever read someone writing that Jerrys was started first without it turning into a huge discussion. I was glad to read it though.Did I miss some new evidence ?
This is a cool thread and everyone has their favorites.

 

Thanks for sharing that Hop Up article @Jimmy B! It paints a good picture of what the early days at Barris was like.

Those pictures are epic @HEMI32! I love that second picture of them test fitting the Chet Herbert streamliner - seems like perfect placement for the roll bar, just be sure to tuck your head when she rolls!

AGREED!