History ICONIC CUSTOMS ~ WHAT COMES TO MIND?

The Jade Idol is at the top of my list. Even though it's a chevy also love Miss Taboo. Both cars now reside in the Northwest.

 

1936 ford 3 window.


Thank you.
Brian C.
Reno NV

 

Doug Rice's 39 Ford!

 

In my eye and opinion, a custom should be something with flow from front to back. I think a lot were inspired by speed boats, who's designs were as much for speed as for looks. Lots of bodies lend to that theme, anything that affects the smooth flow is removed such as emblems and door handles, and maybe some things are added in, such as extending the front fenders into the doors on some 40's cars to create a fade away look. I don't think adding fins, wings, toothy grilles, goofy headlights and tail lights add to the looks, in many cases they take away from it. Subtle changes such as frenching headlights, rounding door and hood corners, slight top chops that streamline the rear of the top into the trunk area while still maintaining the identity of the original car are what makes a custom to me, you know what it is, you know it's different than a stocker, but how did it get that way? Little things that are different, but don't slap you in the face different, little things you don't notice at first until you look closer. Some would say they are mild customs, but are they really when every inch of the car has been worked and smoothed, yet it still resembles what it started as? I think they are harder to pull off than adding a bunch of stuff off of different cars that doesn't always go with the flow.

As to a favorite car or cars, I'm more a fan of what some call the "lead sled" era, Harry Westergard, early Barris styles. Mostly late 30's and 40's fat fender cars, slicked up and smoothed out. There have been a few modern versions of mid to late 50's cars that people like Rich Zochi , may have misspelled his name, have done in the last 20 years that I liked, too. So, while I am a fan of some custom cars, things like that bat winged 50 Ford pictured earlier and cars like the Golden Sahara just don't float my boat, neither do bathtub or outhouse cars. And if you stop and think about it, street rods have a bad name around here for some reason, but if you look closely, a lot of them are built using the same ideas of smoothing off anything sticking out and making the lines flow better, even though some of them carry it to the extreme with body mods just like a lot of customs morphed into. Maybe they could be called mild customs too?

It's a good thing we all like different things or we'd all be driving the same thing...

 

X-2 !!!
My original post stands as the 49/51 Merc's and excluded all pre WW II cars. These two are at the top of my list for all time favorites,

 

Tri fives as a whole make good bases for customs.

 

Thank you.
Brian C.
Reno NV

 

I don't believe Roth ever built custom cars. Just show creations, nothing you could drive on the street.

 

Wrong.Big Daddy came through Grand Junction on his radical trike,traveling with the Power Tour back in the 80s,early 90s.There were some sketchy cracks on the bike that had me nervous,but it didn't bother Ed.

 

48 Kaddy



Lincoln Capri



51 Packard waggy

 

The Grapevine has to be in this thread!

 

46-48 Fords can be cool too

 

Jerry Quesnel's, Sam Barris chopped Merc.

 

Dave Conrad 36’ Ford
Sam Barris Buick

Doug Thompson Chevy
These are a couple of my my favorites but the most iconic Kustom of all time is the Hirohata Mercury!

 

Potato /Patato, Custom/Kustom, the 49-51 Mercurys are the Iconic Kustom car IMO. So many Kool Kustoms of all flavors, again IMO

 

This is the reason why the Merc-Deuce reunion was created 5 times, each one 5 years apart, at 5 different locations!

 

Gotta go with one of the locals – Ron Aguirre's X-Sonic (lavender version). Arguably with the first hydraulics and bubble.

In the early 60s I was cruising my so-hot 6-carb quickie roadster when it came up E Street in San Berdoo towards me. Cooled me right off.

 

No make or model in particular, but I like early style customs. Fat fendered coupes and convertibles. 1935 1936 to about 1948. Chopped. Low in back. Skirts. Not so low in front.
And a truly custom paint job. I don't mean crazy colors and designs. No pearl. No metallic. No flake. No clear. Just straight, organic color... wet sanded and buffed to perfection.

Someone said, "flow"...

 

Jerry Quesnel's, Sam Barris chopped Merc.

 

Still got the straight six!
Moonglow


Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

How about a very well done chopped & channeled 40 coupe!

 

T

The Forty is nice. But that Mercury convertible with the Lincoln door buttons gets me off.

 

Ray Vega tub by Valley Custom Shop

 

These two are iconic

 

I love chopped 49-51 Mercs. But to me the iconic customs were topless 1936 Fords. I think Dee Wescott's 36 built in 1958 and Spence Murray's 36 built in the late 60s define the word Custom. But then again I may be a little bit biased. And Custom is spelled with a C unless it came out of the Barris shop, then you can spell it Kustom.

 

Mercury...early Mercury!

 

This was in one of the first issues of Custom Rodder I ever bought. Ruined me for life...