My first attempt at a 40's custom- "round 1"

Put a nice White interior in it and call it DONE!!!!!.Sweet ride.

 

Outstanding, I sort of remember the late '40s customs, and you nailed it! Maybe a mild chop and the Stude taillights that someone earlier suggested, but also understand "broke." If you don't change a thing, it is outstanding...

 

For some reason all I hear in my head is your brothers voice saying, " so he can fit more dudes in it".

 

That will also help in lowering the car too, on the cheap.

 

Chris, I gotta say, great job! Are you sure you weren't in our high school parking lot in 1959? The thing looks so good right now, and IMO, (to my limited recall,) the lowering is spot on. As I suspect you know, us "kids" were usually on a tight budget, and even the nice customs were "mild." ('Cept for the "show boats" in the little pages,) Yeah, "less is more!"

I also got to tell you, EVERY car of yours you post always makes me smile. You "get it!" Keep up the good work, you're awesome! GA

 

This is going to be a nice car, would love to find a convert like that.

 

Yep. and "Ye ol sausage wagon" striped on the trunk

 

Thanks man, I just do em how I like em.

 

Thanks, and I agree, and no matter what you do to your car people will tell you "lower, faster, louder, brighter, ect"". I want the car to be mild, so thats how it's gonna stay as long as I own it.

Your Cabriolet sounds cool, post some pics!

 

looking sweet

 

Nice.....
1st thing I'd be doing is eliminating the trim from the fenders.....hideous (especially the front)....and get this...it won't cost ya a dime.....

And just "lowering" an old car doesn't make it a custom.....get to work holmes....

 

CHris,

I LIKE IT! Nice and mild, she's a fine lookin' auto-mobile. Im hoping to start on my '41 Merc this spring, so ill have to pay attention to this thread.
Pete-

 

Chris, Good to see you in Part I of your Mild Custom build. Is looking great right now. I am getting some more work done on my Chopped '41 Business Coupe. It is newer than the era you are going for - but not too far.

Dave

 

I like the trim on the fenders. Without it the cars have weird lines down them. I'm not going for the "as low as I can get it and shave the shit outta everything" look. More like a guy who was proud of his ride and did some low dollar things to make it a little more flowing. And it's a little more then just lowered, but I guess I can't please everyone. I figured doing this thread and calling it a "custom" would stir the pot. I know most custom guys wanna cut/chop/shave/mold a car up, and that is fine. Just not what I have envisioned.

Look at Jive Bombers 39 Merc convertible. Stock or mild custom? How about Sledge's Merc convertible? It's chopped, has long shackles and the nose shaved, but otherwise basically stock. Is it not a custom?

 

Don't worry, Chris.

I think that the people that knows about 1940's kustoms, mild to wild, get frustrated by people replying and saying it is an ok kustom as it is. Of course it is not a kustom just yet. At this point it is just an easily lowered stocker. Do not take it as critizism, because we all love where you are going with this.

I see that you compare to Kevans and Jivebombers two convertibles. The mildest of the two is Jivebombers -39. But it has lots of small modifications. Removed trim, handles and emblems. Different bumpers. Other taillights. Shortened side-mouldings (very common). It is not a chopped car and you can get away with it while not putting the top up. I did this to my -40 coupe first year. The 1939-40 Coupe top should be banned from planet earth.

Kevans -39 has the same stuff done. More shaving on the hood trim and also the most important. A chopped top.

So, I think a few small tricks could get it much closer. Shave the trunk. Shorten the hood moulding. Loose the gas tank moulding. Change the front bumper to a 1946, as the rear. Cheap and cool. Fill those fog/parking lights. 1" lower all around. And as soon as you have the possibility. Chop the top!

I have seen your great eye for proportions and style when it comes to hot rods and I am sure you will get this wonderful car up there too.

Keep up the great work!

 

Thumbs up from Downunder. Quality is always in style.

 

word up.

I always wondered how Ford was able to come up with such a stange style, right after the bitchin '40 models.

 

And see, I like 41's more then 40's

 

"At this point it is just an easily lowered stocker."

Gadzooks! Here we are in another semantics discussion: is this a “custom?” “that isn’t a “custom!” I say it is in the eye of the owner. As with any other old car definition; we all must consider the owner’s goals.

Attached, (courtesy of Rik Hoving’s Website,) is what he describes as a “prewar” Ford. . . Um, “custom.”

And I remember well when any one of us “kids” would have loved to show up at the corner drug store in this car. Sorry, youngsters and those rewriting history. This is just the way it was. (At least as near as I can remember! )

To me, Chris’ car is spot on as an early custom, just as it is. The idea he has, to duplicate what a kid in school with an afternoon job at the local gas station and a limited budget, is just “right.” My .02.

 

Chris,
its a good thing ya got all these people tellin ya what to do to that thing cause its obvious all yer taste is in your mouth. now bag it so it'l lay frame, throw on some radials and briz bumpers,then you got a real custom
B

 

Man, that is just frickin awesome !!
I personally like it with the good 'ol patina, but will make a killer custom too.
Good for you.
Cheers...........

 

Thanks Bruce

 

Perfect 41.just exactly what we were building in the early to mid 50's. Low bucks too. Bull nose,decking,lowering,dechroming,duals. Add some alum heads,2 pot manifold,chrome acorn nuts, chrome water pipes and polish the shit out of the radiator tank and you had the same car we were seeing in the little pages.

 

Yep ... people forget this or are overly influenced by the thought of "Greased Lighning" .... we might have read the little mags and we might have dreamed about what was inside, but circumstances of real life tended to dictate that we lived that limited custom look.

 

Thanks a lot! I like simple cars, look at my past cars and you will see simple early Fords that are true to the era in which I intended. Nothing groundbreaking here. And like stated in my original post, it still has a long way to go.

That 38 is BITCHIN!

 

Heres a pic my good friend "Neat Name" did last night

 

I lke it too. I still have those taillights if you decide to go that way in the future. She cleaned up nice. Have fun with it. Dale