This is concerning Customs of which I am a big, big fan. I could post it on the Kustoms blues? I need to see some customs, thread but a question like this at times has tendencies to well,...…….to sometimes get out of hand and I respect that thread to greatly to pollute it with what might be said about that of which I ask. So the question. Does a car with just a trick paint job on it deserve to be called a custom? My thoughts are no...……….it is just a car with a trick paint job. To be deserving of being called and known as a custom, more work on its styling has to have been accomplished on it. Now I'm not starting WW III here just a conversation on what HAMBERS think on the subject. So...……………………????????????
I do believe there is a distinctive difference in the stance of a hot rod or custom. (At least how I see it)
Anything that is ‘special’, different than the standard, built or made to a person’s specification, is by definition, ‘Custom’. Custom paint......custom bodywork, custom upholstery, etc. the list goes on. There may degrees of custom......minor, mild, wild, etc. Ray
You are gonna get a lot of widely varying opinions on this one, Larry. To me, a true custom needs to have some metalwork mods, even if they are only as mild as nosing and decking, but that is just me, and I do not wish to offend anybody. A custom paint job does not a custom car make, to moi.
My opinion is that a custom is a modification to the original design of the car. Something that makes it unique. Chopped, sectioned, channeled is a wild custom, where nosed, decked, shaved is more mild. A paint job is the finishing touch to a custom. And that's just my opinion.
Add me to the group who says that true mild customs need some body mods. The lowrider Bomb brigade rather polluted the idea with their radical paint jobs on stone stock bodies with all the original chrome plus every appropriate and sometimes not appropriate piece of aftermarket chrome they can hang on one. I'd say too many non lowrider guys picked up on that just as the Harley owner group concept of customizing has drifted over to cars with bolting on doo dads rather than actually making improvements that actually look great than the "HEY LOOK WHAT I BOLTED ON MY CAR" bs that we see now from a lot of old car guys. To me nosed and decked with some emblems removed plus maybe frenched headlights, a decent grill change and maybe a tail light change make a nice mild custom. The leave all the emblems on and put a wild paint job is just a nice wild paint job and not a custom car.
I would call it a Custom paint job but not a Kustom Car. We all know what a Hot Rod is. Pick any stock car, If I just change from a 2 bbl carb to a 4 bbl and add headers does that make it a Hot Rod?
My '56 Chevy had "custom" paint. (Olds Cinnamon Bronze; Well, that's not really "custom" paint) I nosed and decked it and removed the vertical piece above the spear. But I never thought of it as a custom car. It was just my car.
If you look at the Larry Watson cars you will see that the vast majority of them are at least nosed and decked and a lot have shaved door handles. I too think that you can't build a custom without body mods. What really bothers me is these people that call a car on airbags and wheels a custom when it has every single piece of factory ornamentation on it..... you can't make an omelette without breaking an egg and you can't build a custom without welding on the body
Look up (search) mild custom or Larry Watson. I know there are others, but those two should give the best examples of what you're seeking.
I think that a "mild custom" can be mainly a stock body with custom paint, perhaps just some ostentatious trim removed, like a nose and deck job. But a true custom or kustom car I think needs body mods done to it. Thats my 2¢.
Ah yes, there's that description I like. Mild Custom, to me means "just right". Cleaned up, nosed, decked, something done to the Factory trim, slight grill and taillight mod, and most of all paint. That was the formula I followed on my avitar. At 70+ I wanted to build a nice clean car like I would have if I was still in High School and had limited funds.
You guy's forgot to Mention Street Rods! Which is Engine Change mild Kustom & Different Interior ! Just my 3.5 cents Live Learn & Die a Fool
Customizing a car by adding paint is one thing, changing the texture, stance, and character of the car is another story.
Totally different breed. Wasn't the term "Low Ridder" given to them early on? I always admired the attention to detail that crowd gave there Cars and often, depending on the car thought what a grate place to start from to build a Kustom. They were the cleanest and best detailed cars at any run.
Can’t be considered a bomb if it’s not customized Once you change it it’s a custom. Also, I’m doing a bagged ride with zero exterior body mods. Wish I knew I could do this without cutting the body cause the wheelhouses and floor has had lots of custom disturbances during the build
Bombs are typically stock bodied cars lowered on bags or hydros with every manner of bolt on accessories available... I still don’t see a custom. Is the car you pictured customized and I just can’t see it???
Bombers are known for the sound of the exhaust. You can have a stock '37 Chevy that is just lowered and have Dayton's on it and be a bomber. At least in East L.A. where i am from originally
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