Customs Can you shed any light on the history of my survivor Kustom???

If it was built by Barris, everyone would be telling you how cool it is. Don't worry about them. Good luck finding it's history.

 

Actually for $3000 or something won't he 'verify' that any car you bring him is a Barris original?!?

I gottta say, *that* car sure looks like a real, unmodified survivor, and as such is pretty neat.

It's not exactly handsome, but just looking at it I kinda get a vibe from it.

Pretty cool.

 

I love seeing old survivors,their is just something real special about seeing something old and for the most part untouched.

 

Hope you find your info on the car, and rebuild it much the same as it was, maybe excluding that dash. The old customs like that have a place in my heart. Wish it were mine.

JeffSled, I agree.

 

Yeah, the dash needs to go- doesn't come close to fitting with the vibe of the rest of the car. I think I dig this car because it is so out there- it's a crazy kustom. I look forward to seeing it in paint.

 

I completely agree. The more I look at the pics the more I dig it. Hopefully someones got some info on it.

 

dont listen to anybody there are people on here who dig what ya got, keep going and good luck in finding the history on it.

 

That car is cool for what it is. An absolutely accurate representation of a specific period of custom car history. Whether or not it was a magazine car, winning show car or not is irelavent as it's a more accurate representation of that time period than some over restored example or clone or a new build trying to rep that time period. Yes this period of custom was marred by some true abominations. This car is far from the worst of the period also not among the best but an excellent example of the time. Also take a good look at the over all and this thing actually has fairly good proportion especially for a time when "if a 6 inch section is good then 12 is twice as good" line of thinking. I say bring her back from the dead its still cooler than any billet barge will ever be.

 

Nice bit of history there. Maybe post a pic to Hot Rod Deluxe magazine, they seem to be slowly going through their huge stash of archived photos, maybe someone there will recognize it.

 

Not the prettiest custom I've ever seen, but the workmanship appears to be first rate. Was it ever "complete" with a decent paint job? Good luck on bring it back to life.

 

I think that car is awesome. One because its a Mopar and two because its kooky.

Do as much research on the car as possible. The information is out there just have to wait. It will come to you.

Good luck!!

 

Yeah! What he said!!




BloodyKnuckles

 

it's not the prettiest custom, but, that car has a ton of potential. just like a lot of overdone custom's from the period, a little thought and little re-craftmanship and that could be one bad-ass custom. good luck with it.

 

Is this a "have to keep it as it is thing" or can you change little things and still keep the authenticity?
I could live with everything but the dash and the Corvette tail lites mounted on quarters....................
Would they have V butted the windshield back than?

 

Hey guys, I'm the kid in the eighties pictures who fell in love with it when I was 16. Pretty amazing car for a kid who bought it as his first hot rod. My dork buddies were all looking for some beat to death Camaro about then,ha,ha. If you ever get the chance to see the workmanship on this old sled, you'd immediately know Barris had nothing to do with it because it was a well built car, Sam Barris I could see but not George... Steve hasn't even mentioned the part about the drivetrain that was in it when I bought it. It had a nice complete factory 265 Vette with the two -four setup, all of the removable components on this had been chromed as well. The intake, waterpump, timing cover, pan, oil tube, fuel pump plate , motor mounts etc... This car must have had some serious money involved around its build, there was a beautiful proper Tuck N roll job as still evident in the headliner shot. The whole interior was hand stuff T n R , Tijuana style, very tight , very perfect! Swivel chromed bases for the front seat, chrome steering column and swinging pedal assemblies and a 1959 Chevy steering wheel that I still wonder where it got to, better look around some of our buildings,hmmmm...Oh, the big openeing under the Edsel grill held the 55 Pontiac bumpers for the guy who thought it should have something under the grill, look at all of the photos! Good luck Steve, I want to see this car on the road very bad, still should be kicked for selling it when I actually had it so close to the road before Darcy got it.

 

Yes they did. The Hirohata Mercury had a V-butted windshield in 1952... they only called it different.

 

That is a very cool car. I love a little controversy in the styling, it is what customizing is all about. The factory makes cars to apeal to the masses. Customizers make a car that appeals to them. I wish you the best on finding some history on it.

 

Hey,

That's one kool kustom Mopar!
I'm seein a Watson style paint layout with some '50 Pontiac nave plates with bullit centers or Raders and 'pinners' for tyres. The GM clip would fall to the fire wrench inna New York minute, but I'm bettin you're not at a loss for sleep worrying 'bout the street value of someones' oppion of your vehicle.
I'd try and tap Winfield or Bertolucci for clues, Windy had a shop in Modesto and Bertolucci's shop has always been in Sacto. If it was built in Northern California chances are one of these guys would know.

Again, a great kustom



" The one thing all nations share is the fear that some member of the family will want to be an artist "

 

I like it.Good luck with the build.

 

I love this car!! Kookie ass all hell and cool!!

Good luck with the search and possible restoration. I can't wait to see more on it!

 

customs tend to be personal. a lot of people wont like anything thats too far from the norm, whatever that is.
the builder had enough vision to finish it and you have enough respect for it to try and find its history before you do anything to it.
i think its an awsome tribute to the excesses of customs. they are the coolest cars on the road as far as im concerned. the more radical the better. anybody can drive stockers and cookie cutters.
good luck in your efforts to find the history and to make the car yours in the future.

 

Wow thats awesome to chops !! Can you remember from what year approximately the pics are from??

 

Thanks ! Picture it a coppery burnt orange candy type color ,,,chrome reverse wheels pinner whites new white guts maybe a different dash, wont be the same car! I know its kinda ugly, but in a cool way lol its from the dying days of kustom cars in the 60's before they just got too silly with the theme cars.Hey in my opinion it still looks better than it did stock People either love it or hate it, I dont really care one way or the other ....I am looking for some history on it ...I have seen some butt ugly customs on here over the years and have never had the urge or desire to tell somebody there sled (or rod for that matter)made me puke on my keyboard or some other derogatory insult...as Texashardcore mentioned if Sam Barris had built it I would be getting screamed at to not alter a thing on it!

 

Hope you find your info on the car, and rebuild it much the same as it was, maybe excluding that dash. The old customs like that have a place in my heart. Wish it were mine.

JeffSled, I agree.


Yeah, the dash needs to go- doesn't come close to fitting with the vibe of the rest of the car. I think I dig this car because it is so out there- it's a crazy kustom. I look forward to seeing it in paint.

dont listen to anybody there are people on here who dig what ya got, keep going and good luck in finding the history on it.


Thanks guys thats how I view the car its a bit of a time warp back to when kustoms started to go way over the top then got plain silly before they died off for 20 plus years .

 

Thanks for the words and the PM Greezball...by the way the wifes 64 Pontiac has the same color pain job as your avatar

 

I have been meaning to do that ...wasnt sure if they would want it, they seem to prefer rods more? Cant hurt to try though eh!

Not the prettiest custom I've ever seen, but the workmanship appears to be first rate. Was it ever "complete" with a decent paint job? Good luck on bring it back to life

The workmanship was awesome all done with lead and it had shitloads of chrome on it, tons inside the car and lots under the hood as well, probably more than I could ever afford to replicate !

 

Do you have names of people who owned the car before you?

 

Chris Stapley here on the HAMB is as far as I know the earliest owner I have found...have talked with a couple of others but none knew too much about its history...unfortunately .

 

I grew up in NorCal in the mid '50s to late '60s. I was often surprised when someone would show me a project that had never left the garage where it was being built and no one ever saw it on the street. Lots of stuff was built and never finished, this could be one of those projects. Once a friend took me into a warehouse garage where he made lumber deliveries and I saw a beautiful show quality full fendered candy blue deuce roadster PU with lots of under carriage chrome and no motor. Never saw it before, never saw it afterwards. A car like yours might have been a multi-year project that got put aside in the mid to late '60s when the kid building it went to college or got drafted and sent to Nam.

The photos indicate the quality of the custom metal work is pretty high; it is not all cracked and rusted. So, maybe it was a product of a professional shop, someone here will remember it, and you will in time learn more.

If it were mine though, I would be inclined to use a bunch of larger chrome bullets in the center grill cavity, and drop use of the Edsel grill ring and then find a late 50s to early 60s heavily sculpted dash to replace what is there. A lot of us old guys never warmed up to the Edsel grill. (The only thing kool about an Edsel was the stationwagon tail lights fitted to a '57 ford.) Finish this thing! it will look kool when painted and all finished! Chromed rims and spiders would fit the car and era. Keep the bullet theme that shows up in the rear, and bring it to the grill and wheels.

 

Pretty bold statement from a guy who's only car appears to be an "Austin A 40 missing most of the motor parts"