Folks Of Interest GENE WINFIELD cars - Who Owns One?

We all know Gene Winfield has worked on many, many cars during his long career. It would be interesting to see photos of some of the cars he has done for HAMBers.

If Gene has built, chopped, modified, or painted your car, let's see it!

 

This should be good!!

 

subscribed

 

I wish...

 

I hate to be the first to stand up, but my brother bought a merc from Winfield a few years ago, a 4dr project car. But it did come with a pink slip signed by Gene Winfield, and bought directly from him. ha ha!

 

no one else?

 

Gene would love to see this!...once people post some pics (says the secretary)

 

keep this going, there should be some good stuff, by tonight.

 

There is a Merc in the classifieds the guy says is chopped by Gene, saw the ad this morning.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=438151

 

I had this old shoebox convertible back in the late 70's. I was told and am pretty certain it is the same car. Had canted Studebaker tail lights and had been painted a metalic blue at one time. As happened with many old customs, it was changed significantly over the years. I sold it in about 1978 but for some reason, I still have the title. I wish I had better and more pictures but I didn't take many back then. It was rough but not to bad considering what is being restored these days. About a year after I sold it, I saw it for sale in Hemmings in running condition.

 

Well, Gene didn't build my truck but he did louver the hood . . . does that count?

 

damn no one has anything ?????????????

 

My buddy Bob owns quite a few Gene Winfield kustoms. He's planning on bringing quite a few to the NEW BilletProof at Riverside park in Ypsi in May.

 

Got this from Gene, he autogrpahed the glovebox.
Its running around Southern Sweden now.

If you look close you can see the Winfield Custom sticker in the back window

 

This car is owned by the Science Fiction Museum in Seattle, Washington. It is a Police "Spinner" from the movie "Blade Runner." The car was one of 25 vehicles Gene built for the movie. Only a few survive. This car went through several owners, was then sold to a police museum in Florida, but fell off the trailer on the way and was heavily damaged.

Jay Ohrberg bought the remains and did a partial restoration to the car and toured it over seas. The car was eventually sold and later purchased at auction for over $50,000 by the museum. The car was immediately turned over to Gene who restored it back to it's original configuration. The vehicle now hangs from the ceiling of the museum with working lights.

 

Well...I owned one...possibly. I bought this car from a tattoo guy in Ventura in 2004. He said that the custom work was originally done by Winfield back in the late '50s. I had Mr. Winfield take a look at it at the 2006 Cow Palace show (don't know if you remember, Mr. Winfield) and he said it "looked like it could be my work" but couldn't be sure. Obviously, without documentation and a solid history...who knows?!

When we bought it, it had been lowered poorly; had an uncustomized hood replacing the original (hood latch failure at freeway speed); was in crappy black primer with homedone pinstripe flames; and a jacked up interior. My lovely wife and I made some major improvements, but finally had to sell her after a job loss.

Here it is...
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w162/anziodogface/100_0228.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w162/anziodogface/100_0224.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w162/anziodogface/100_0223.jpg

 

After seeing the Blade Runner one... wasnt the Strip Star in the movie Back to the Future? Ive always admired Mr Winfields Work... What an Excellent Craftsman..

 

Wow, that is Jade Idol one of my favorite Winfield cars.

 

Now that is a nice car good job

To bad you had to sell your wife after a job loss

 

No its the "Jade Idol II"... it has nothing to do with Winfield's one. Which was a Sectioned 1956 Mercury!!!
I think Gene only painted this one in a similar fade paint job as his original Jade Idol by the owners request. Although personally I don't see a real link with the original Jade Idol. The fender skirts are totally misplaced on this car.. and so it the mural on the trunk/rear fenders!

This is how it looked i the 80's

 

LMAO! Yeah, guess that sounded a little funny! The wife read this and said I should have sold her instead of the car! She kicks herself about us selling the '52.

 

"After seeing the Blade Runner one... wasnt the Strip Star in the movie Back to the Future? Ive always admired Mr Winfields Work... What an Excellent Craftsman..


Yes, the Strip Star was a background car in "Back to the Future II" with the Spinner and the Star Car from "Last Starfighter."

The Strip Star was also used and driven in a sci-fi movie called "Solar Crisis." The car was actually wrecked on camera. The film crew repaired it over night by slathering bondo over the dent in the aluminum body.

Gene currently owns the Strip Star and takes it to shows around the country.

 

I believe this originally was built for a young lady named joan van der kamp. I've seen this in genes book sayin it was built along with another car that escapes my memory at the moment. it also says it was crashed then fixed by one of genes associates and then later sold to his cousin back east. i don't have the book on me so dont quote me on any of that though.

 

I have a set of Mooneyes decals that I bought from Gene at a car show a few years back. That's as close as I'll ever come to owning one of his creations. Oh, I do have an autographed picture of his Strip Star around here somewhere, too.

 

He Tried to steal my girlfriend at speedweek 08... Wonder if I coulda got a car outta the deal?

(btw) I wasnt there...so im not sure he diddnt get her... HA HA!

 

I hear ya! I have an autographed pic of him a a salt flat car.

 

Thanks for the information. That sounds like the story I was given when I purchased it in Frankfort, KY in about 1977. The person I bought it from had just bought it in Indy. While it was changed a great deal over the years (not for the better in my opinion) it was pretty solid and could have been saved. Maybe someone did.

 

me too! i wish...

 

Billy Belmont in Mass has the Jade Idol

http://www.streetrodderweb.com/hotnews/0905sr_hot_rods_new_england/photo_12.html

 

Gene is a class act all the way, the guy has more talent and energy then two common men. ask him what his secret to good health is........ the man is a wealth of knowledge, if you ever get the chance take one of his class' you won't regret it. i learned tons