Its always nice to see a long-lost 50s-built Kustom surface in decent original condition, because it gives us a glimpse of exactly how these cars were built by our hot rodding forefathers. It also means we have one more 60+ year old custom car back w... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
the car is now sitting in son John Smiths Alameda garage under a bunch of boxes waiting to be discovered. wouldn't that be cool?
huh? why wouldn't a sedan delivery or wagon have been a better starting point?... guess that was all they had?
A few years back, I bought a 51 Chevrolet Business Coupe right here off the HAMB/CLASSIFIEDS. I could't figure out why however, the rear interior to trunk steel panel had been cut out, and rather crudely. The only thing I could come up with was, the car was used to transport a small rowboat that would be placed in the trunk and pushed up into the interior of the car. We've since straighten out the appearance of what was cut out, and it will eventually be covered with upholstery, but I still wish it had't been hacked up the way it was. Butch/56sedandelivery.
They started with "a burned out hulk of a '52 Chevy club coupe". No nice cars were butchered in the making of this.
This one was built by Charlie Hall and his son in Tucson Arizona beginning in 1956. It is now in my shop until spring. John
Where would we be without imagination and ability to create something the way we want or think it should be. I built mine for hauling too.
Thanks. A little bit of factory look is what I was going for. I did start with a 2Dr 210 Wagon. You can check out an old build thread my buddy started titled "Pictures of my friends 1956 ElCamino". http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=399170
Dick did that car justice in his restoration/customization and it was a great project to follow -from the find to him locating the original builder to his invite to show at GNR. Unfortunately it looks like the site that he once had that documented the project is down, but here's a pic of the Ute with the cart in haul.
Thanks for the article and bring up the memories. I remember a trip to Gallup NM back in the '60's and a guy's shop by the name of Pappy Noe. He had a Ute that he made out of a '56 Star Chief that looked factory. I remember drooling on it. Later he was displaced when US 66 was replaced by I-40. All the contents of his yard went elsewhere and as I recall there was over 200 model A Fords in his yard. To think of that now. Wonder where his Ute is?
its ugly but kool. I like it. talk to the guys on kustorama about it, the least they could do is come up with some more info on it
The Smith Family is still a very active Hot Rod Family in the East Bay. Here is a photo of the midget today..... still in the Smith Family in Alameda!
Long before the American Auto Company's offered El Camino's & Ranchero's,,They Followed the the lead of the hot rodders & customizers. HRP
The green Stude is awesome, particularly with that go-kart in the back. Here's a different one, with a Triumph on the back. An earlier pic. Like the green one, this truck also still exists. It has Hawk fins and yellow paint. Still badass!
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