^^^^ True... also remember this was advertising the shop when it was driving around so im sure this truck stood out bigtime in the streets during this era.I love this EARLY flame job on this truck. Im very glad the question was asked about scallops,striping,flames.There are alot of people who don't know that the 50s were split into different styles and looks.They just assume that everyone had all of the characteristics of the late 50s because it is the most popular and there are more old timers around today that had their teenage years in the late 50s not the early 50s.
True, true, true. Early '50s kustoms are best in my view: clean, uncluttered, and classy. They were trying to look high-end and mysterious, not hot-roddy and obnoxious. From my perspective the early '50s kustoms were classic and the late '50s were sometimes...trashy. Pat Ganahl points to the Hirohata Merc as the turning point away from the subtle/plain and toward the flashy/showy kustoms, and I am in no position to disagree with him. And I agree about the memory issue: whenever my Dad or Uncle talked about custom cars they were clearly remembering late 1950s/early 1960s. (Canted quad lights, pin striping and louvers, etc.)
Ron.... I have been thinking about this mercury nonstop since you posted it last night. Thanks I still cant get over the 120mph
I wish more people understood this great early era of custom cars. I love how none of these cars need any gimmicks to stand out, like so many other eras.. hell, they made a 4 door plymouth look decent!! I think people just get antsy and want to add onto their cars to make them pop out more than the other cars, when in reality, you need to do the opposite to make your car stand out nowadays. These cars were perfect, and when people tried to make them better in the later 50s and after, it only degressed, because you can't improve perfect!! PS, the stances in this thread really show how rediculous cars laying on their rockers look compared to a classy, "rarin' to go" stance.
Jeff...That is a pretty amazing claim , I am going do some research to see if I can find any more info to back it up.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.That Shoebox convertible with the radiused rear wheel wells is the first I've seen that I actually like.Very tasteful.
It`s amazing that most of these cars are less tnam 4 or 5 years old. In todays world, cars that new wouldn`t even be paid off by now. I always thought to myself that Custom painted cars in the late late 50`s and early to mid 60`s with scallopes and lace paint jobs in candies and pearls is what killed the customs like in this thread. Why chop a top or french your headlights when all you need to do is buy a car a couple years old and add a Watson style paint job. Just look at the popularity of Rik`s thread on him. As to the popularity of customs on the HAMB, we are still here everyday looking at and reading what is being posted.
Flames and scallops were definitely a Race Car & Hot Rod thing , check out this example from the same show......
^^^ I love this right here,also helps explain the early flames on Gils truck.He was more into speed and racing then he was shows and the paint on his truck shows that.
And notice....not a one of them "laying frame" like they're broken. These pictures with information are just great.
That T roadster was featured in Hot Rod in '53-'54 I need to scan that article. Ron could you do a Hot Rod post of entrants of the '53 show? also love this Chevy custom & the Ron Dunn Ford is shoebox perfection!
I'll be doing a post of Hot Rods at the 1953 show in the next couple of days......Hang in there Jimmy.
The Jalopy Journal
