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History Custom Car builder Spotlight: AYALA BROTHERS

Discussion in 'Traditional Customs' started by Rikster, Mar 24, 2005.

  1. Respect.

    These guys had a way w/ 41-42 Fords. People say these cars don't look good chopped. Uh, look at the pic.'s.
     
  2. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    1952 Motorama program with the Ayala Built Bettancourt mercury on the cover.

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    And inside...

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    Last edited: Mar 19, 2010
  3. WEREROD
    Joined: May 3, 2005
    Posts: 198

    WEREROD
    Member
    from Dago

    YOU ARE LORD!!!! Thanks for the pictures!!!!
     
  4. Rot 'n Kustom
    Joined: Sep 24, 2004
    Posts: 2,086

    Rot 'n Kustom
    Member

    I believe that the Packard is the Henney-built Pan-American show car.
    It was so well-received, that Packard brought out the Caribbean in 1953 using most of the styling.
     
  5. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    Another custom by Gil Ayala is this georgious '42 Ford coupe, that he built for himself.

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    And I just came across this photo on another message board, showing the car, which was owned by Ayala beeing raced. Another Ayala custom that was not only built to look good... but go fast as well.

    I love the flowing lines of the chopped top on this one.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2010
  6. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    I thought I post this absolutely great pictures of the Ayala 40 Mercury with Full fadeaway front fenders Caddy rear fenders, Studebaker front bumper.

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    Last edited: Mar 19, 2010
  7. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    I recently came across a '53 Popular Mechanics magazine and it had some nice custom car photo's in it. Among others the Ayala Built Betancourt '49 Mercury. Its clear that this feature was not in a car orientated magazine. I especially like the arrow showing where "all corners rounded" leads to.. like the front fender of a stock '49 mercury are totaly flat!

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    Last edited: Mar 19, 2010
    51 mercules likes this.
  8. loogy
    Joined: Mar 6, 2004
    Posts: 1,236

    loogy
    Member

    That's pretty neat. These threads have GOT to stay near the top.

    Chris
     
  9. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    Added the missing photos again...

     
  10. I totally agree
     
  11. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    I recently recieved some very nice old photos and among them there where a few of Ayala built custom cars including the 1942 Ford coupe that Gil Ayala built for himself. And one of a shop truck for the House of chrome Shop.

    Both cars wher also shown in the two EXCELLENT Ayala stories that Pat Ganahl recently did for the Rodder's Journal.

    I hope that these articles have brought some more attention to the great custom cars built by Al and Gil Ayala. And even better I hope some more old photos of the cars they built will show up... or perhaps even old cars will be found and restored.
    In any event I thought it was time to bring this post back to the top. And show a few ore photos I have found.. and hopefully some more will be shown by others. Sorry that some of the older photos have disappeared over the time. I will try to restore some of them... but these old post do not allow to edit anymore. So I will add them to the back.

    Here are a few new-old photos from the David Errol Zivot Photo collection.


    Gil Ayala 1942 Ford. This time with the Ford bumpers that where replaced by 1949 Plymouth Units.

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    And how the car appeared in the 1950 Russetta program...

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    With Plymouth bumpers...

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    And one more of the Ford shop truck for the House of Chrome (a small store with all chrome plated accessories run by the Ayala's in a corner of the shop)

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    The House of Chrome shop can also be seen in this photo. Behind the Lincoln that is waiting to get extended rear fenders.

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    Hot Rod Magazine article...

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    Last edited: Mar 19, 2010
  12. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    Photo added again

    And two add's using this car.

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    (Scan by JimmyB)
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    And at the drylakes...

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    51 mercules likes this.
  13. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    Missing photo added



    And inside... the 1952 Motorama Program

    [​IMG]
     
  14. nowaxn5
    Joined: Apr 15, 2007
    Posts: 818

    nowaxn5
    Member

    I'm starting to think the Ayala Brothers had more sombrero's than Cadillac!
    Thanks for the thread Rikster. I love seeing the old custom builder archives.
     
  15. loggy
    Joined: Aug 3, 2006
    Posts: 282

    loggy
    Member

    Great thread Rikster,i've got the hop up issue with garcias' ford,and i'd say its one of my favourite vintage mags/car features........what a plush ride,with that style,thae fantastic top and interior....unusually wide rear window too,i guess 'cos the interior treatment deleted the 1'4vision......whatever happened to this car? its just got 'the style' for me personally.
     
  16. Tom davison
    Joined: Mar 15, 2008
    Posts: 6,042

    Tom davison
    Member
    from Phoenix AZ

    Rik, thanks for bringing the brothers the attention that they truly deserve. I was only vaguely aware of the name in the 50's, as they weren't getting as much magazine coverage as some of the other California builders at the time I came up.

    The recent Rodder's Journal feature on the Ayala Brothers really spelled it out for me: These guys were just the best customizers in Southern California (and hence, the world) during their heyday.

    I do remember the T-bird however, and while I never cared much for it, they were definitely thinking outside the box during that mid-50's period when most of the other shops were doing off-the-wall stuff too.

    For the best in Mid-50s customs, it was Bob Metz of Indiana for his tasteful off-the-wall cars:

    http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=276605&highlight=bob+metz
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2008
  17. andrewlw
    Joined: May 8, 2008
    Posts: 27

    andrewlw
    Member
    from whittier

    Not a cool picture but heres a current picture of the shop. There used to be a shop behind this building but its gone now.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jan 12, 2009
  18. Man these Ayala brothers were flatout amazing customizers. Most of their cars just flowed like streamliner on the lakebed. I wish there were more of there creations around today so that more people would understand just how fuckin HEAVY these guys weigh in the world of customs.
     
  19. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    Lets bring this old custom post back up again... over the years many more new old photos have showed up.

    This 1936 Ford Coupe was built by the Ayala's for Lynn Yakel.
    The great early color photos come from the Ron Kellogg archive.

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    I think this is Gill Ayala standing next to the car.

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    Lynn tuning the engine...

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  20. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    The Ayala GMC Shop truck how it looks today...

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    The information in this 70's ad is not quite accurate...

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  21. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    Some time ago I made a desktop image of two nice photos of the Bettancourt Mercury.

    If you click on the photo the original size desktop image will load and feel free to download it for your own computer.

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    Last edited: Apr 23, 2010
  22. Talented for sure. Thank for the pics.
     
  23. Philbilly
    Joined: Dec 21, 2008
    Posts: 1,294

    Philbilly
    Member

    Great photos! Thanks for sharing.
     
  24. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member


    1949 Cadillac

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  25. JeffreyJames
    Joined: Jun 13, 2007
    Posts: 16,628

    JeffreyJames
    Member
    from SUGAR CITY

    This (top version) a Sam's Merc are my favorites of all time...

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  26. RustyRedRam
    Joined: Jan 24, 2005
    Posts: 1,128

    RustyRedRam
    Member

    What a great thread to reread on a day off!
     
  27. Call me crazy but I like Ayala version better then the Barris one. Just looks so early and so damn smooth.
     
    51 mercules likes this.
  28. Heres something interesting, i have a friend of a good buddy of mine, who bought a 46 ford out of a shop in nor cal. It was a Ayala brothers car that was sent for paint and has sat there for decades. pretty cool.

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  29. koolkemp
    Joined: May 7, 2004
    Posts: 6,005

    koolkemp
    Member

    Man thats cool ! Anymore pics you can share?


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  30. Rikster
    Joined: Dec 10, 2004
    Posts: 5,795

    Rikster
    Member

    Very nice car... but is there any proof this is an Ayala custom? Its not one that was featured in any of the magazines that I know of. Does the good friend of your buddy have old photos of it... if so please share... and more photos (recent) sure would be welcome as well. It looks very nice.
    Thanks for sharing.
     

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