This Thread reminded me of my older cousins 49 Chev. It was a convert. built in the 50's 348 powered and fast as hell. He was the best chevy mechanic there was in many car guys opinion. Died too young in a tree accident. Car was hit by another driver and never made it back on the road. It was Caddy Arlington Green. Would give goose bumps when it by.
The roof side profile is among the best I've ever seen on one of these early 50s era GM coupes and the larger cut windshield opening really helps thin the forehead too.
That photo convinced me to build a custom car ["kustom" car!], and got me looking for a '49-52 Chevy coupe. I didn't find a coupe until after I'd got my '53 on the road but it's in my shop in pieces right now waiting for the full treatment when I have time again someday when the kids are a little older.
Are we sure about that? My experience is that you can't lay the stock window down that far and still get any kind of flow? It humps up more in the middle than you would expect. This looks flatter to me. Maybe it's the stock window opening with flat plexi installed? Or is it just the angle of the very few rear-view photos I've seen? ***** By the way, I just noticed your HAMB name. I don't mind if you don't mind people mixing us up, but I've been "atomickustom" here on the HAMB since 2005 and on eBay for a couple years before that I've been nicknamed "Atomic Dave" since the mid 1990s when I was in a band called the Atomic Hellcats. Just saying...how'd you come up with that name??
I do believe that the back window is a stock '49 Chevy piece as well. The entire roof skin was removed and therefore relieved of its bulbous shape allowing Ayala to layout the most rearward 2 feet or so and create that perfect transition that you see. That Motor Trend issue featuring Barris' shop with Landon and Hirohata's Kustoms is in my vintage magazine stack so I'll try to dig up the details listed about the chop ...although I do not believe that the Barris brothers really chopped this car.
My '51 Sedan's back window is a stocker but it has been rotated 180 degrees in order to place the back glass bulge at the bottom of the roof closer to the beltline. I happen to prefer this option since it creates an almost fastback line allowing a more radical chop. Mine is cut 5" in the front and 6" at the rear.
So stoked to see that this car proved to be such an inspiration for so many others! Also, stoked to have mine back after an almost 4 year hiatus!
The Jalopy Journal
