Customs Carson Tops and other kinds as well

From the 1954 Custom Car Annual by Motor Trend.

 

January 1952 Hot Rod-----A Bob Lee top.

 

Went to a friends estate auction and picked up another box of magazines. In it was a 1951 Issue of Hop Up. Vol 1 no 2. A cloth covered removable hardtop in 1940.

 

It`s Louis Chavez. From the Custom Cars Trend Book--1951.

 

More work from Chavez in the same issue.

 

Hello,

This Carson Top Convertible is one of the nicest one around. It is a smooth design, custom car that has hidden it roots in the build. It showcases So Cal style in the 50s and early 60s. Locally, where is it now?

Right in the middle of So Cal in the Price Transfer Automobilia display rows. When the Automobilia and Lion’s Dragstrip Museum reopens after the pandemic is over, you can’t miss it, as you walk down the rows of hot rods and customs, on the way to the dragstrip museum’s new wing. You will be “green with envy” after walking down that row.

Jnaki

It is a full custom redesign that looks like it rolled off of the custom car garage assembly lines from those small shops that were everywhere back in the early days.

“The car received 14 coats of Kandy Emerald Green by House of Kolor atop a silver base coat to achieve the seductive finish that gives the car its name: Green Envy. The body looks straight and shows well with its set of custom hubcaps and wide whitewall tires. This custom creation incorporates many elements from other cars produced around the same era.

The platform started out as a 1946 Ford convertible and was adorned with Ford elements from various years, such as headlights from a 1939 model, while the windshield was raised two inches to make room for a Lincoln cowl hood. The front end is immediately recognizable as it utilizes many design components from the 1938-39 Lincoln Zephyr.”

http://customrodder.forumactif.org/t4556-1946-ford-convertible-emerald-envy-buck-owens

 

Built by my old friend Bill Ross. Unfortunately his name was never mentioned in the Custom Rodder Ad.

Mick

 

Yes, Bill Ross Took these pic` in early 2000 when he took the car to Ohio for the leadsleds KKOA show. Watched him as he drove it into the show and parked it.

 

And another Chavez.

 

An in the process top from 1951. Different car.

 

HONK from 1953.

 

In 82 I attended the KKOA show in Des Moines Iowa. There I saw Ron House`s Merc convertible from New York. with chopped bows.

 

A couple years ago I saw it again at the Custom Car Revival in Indy. Sitting by Cecil`s from Springfield Missouri stock looking convertible top frame.

 

From the same issue of HONK.

 

A smooth flowing top ^^^^^^ as opposed to the covered wagon look. vvvvvv

 

An add from 1965.

 

In the just wondering department... who makes good Carson tops now?

 

Here`s the article introducing them in November issue of Motor Trend. Here`s what they said about the top.

 

August 1956 in Rod and Custom. Another one with cut down bows.

 

stance makes the difference in the photo layout…

Lee Hammock's 34 Ford California Top Phaeton.
GOLETA, CA... STOW HOUSE BUILT IN 1873

Hello,

Back when I was a photojournalist, I followed a build in Goleta, CA on a very similar construction of a Carson Style Top, by a great guy named “Big Hearted Ken.” He was an absolute character. Wire frame glasses with a different color in each lens, a cool cap, and a personality that was just classic. I titled the article for a magazine called “California Top.” The top was just one of many ideas that happened to be put on a 34 Phaeton owned by Lee Hammock from Santa Barbara.

We spent many days up there photographing the creation and build of the top as well as the finished photo shoot days. Since we love the Santa Barbara/Goleta area, we did not mind the drives up the coastline and back to Orange County. It was just a plus that I was able to follow the build. Those were the last of the 35mm and 2.25 Ektachrome slides I had found in our files.

Jnaki

Big hearted Ken introduced us to the whole slew of hot rod/custom shops in the Goleta, CA industrial area. One was Project Designs near the airport. It was owned by legendary, Sam Foose. Later on one of those photo shoot days, we were taken to Sam Foose’s house. We all talked about the California Top. Then a little kid wanders into the conversation and was as nice as a little kid could be. He knew a lot about cars.




https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...a-nice-rear-end.1099639/page-19#post-12487251

NO...

 

Love finding early examples. Pre 1941.

 

here's one I done, its easily removed. Its quieter going down the road. And insulated.

 

January 1951 Motor Trend. As in my first post. Then the add in Hop up from September of 1951.

 

@jnaki Here are some close ups from Rod Action from January 76. Found these while trying to organize my magazine collection.

 

Hello S,

Thanks for the information. It is a wonder in the magazine circles, that Rod Action ran the same Phaeton several years later than the story that came out originally from Santa Barbara. Normally, once published, and as well liked as the story was in Street Rodder, no one would touch it again. But, it was a pretty fabulous build and a most unusual one at that.

Jnaki

This was the first example of a moving shot with the background slightly blurry, while the Phaeton was in focus. My wife drove our El Camino and I was in the back with two different cameras for a rolling platform for clarity. It was easy to see the hot rod frozen in the viewfinder, while the background was showing motion.

When the editors saw this action shot, they wanted to know how it was taken. They told me to stand at one spot and move the camera when the hot rod went by the spot. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it did not. Color slide film was expensive and I did not want to waste too many shots on that technique, so we set up the El Camino method.

When I told them, they were impressed. later, there were other staff photographers that had similar shots taken out of a sedan delivery or station wagon. I also submitted a motorcycle shot in a different area of So Cal with the same El Camino focus technique, which made the cover.

Today, we probably would get a ticket from the CHP for not being buckled in place.

 

And now, we return you to an ‘actual’ Carson Top discussion...

 

Here`s a 49 Ford convertible with cut down bows from the June 1953 issue of Honk. Why isn`t this done more often ?

 

Still trying to get people to cut thei r bows down in 1964.