and there is more out back... it might be a more door but it was definately done a long time ago and is definatley a custom. it was prolly pretty nice at one time. anyone want "save" a more door???
Here's a couple of pics of a Merc I took in Jamestown NY several years ago.It was sitting beside this shop doing nothing.I wanted to find out about it,but no one was around and the next time I got up there it was gone.Looks like some serious body mods aside from the chop;52-54 Ford rear quarter sections grafted to the Merc's,flaired wheel wells,and an unusually shaped grille opening.Nice tuck and roll inside but couldn't get good pix of it.Anybody around the Jamestown area ever seen the car?
Ray, The merc was built by Elden Titus from Wichita Kansas and ran around in the 70s with radiused rear wheel wells and fat Cragars!After that they did the quarters and put it in 2-tone prime .I last saw it at the Merc/Deuce reunion in 84
[ QUOTE ] Ray, The car was built by Elden Titus from Wichita Kansas and ran around in the 70s with radiused rear wheel wells and fat Cragars! [/ QUOTE ] Anthony:Thanks for the info;I should have known YOU would know about it! It was a real nice looking car it didn't look like it had been driven in awhile.Wonder if it's still there?I don't get up to Jamestown much anymore but I guess I could ask my cousin to check it out
This 50 coupe belongs to a buddy in my old car club on the west coast and is sectioned, chopped, trunk lid shortened and custom tailites, had the fenders widened in the front by wedging them, 440 police interceptor mopar motor and hasn't seem the road for decades. Nutz
Another old friend with a couple of cars that haven't been seen in deacades on the street. Channeled deuce roadster with flattie and mild custom 41 ford convert with chopped top. Has a flattie now but used to have a red ram hemi. Nutz.
Another friend in my old club. Recently repainted and took off a bunch of graphics and returned it to more of a traditional custom. 36 humpback with custom headlites, grille and opening and chopped top. Nutz
Where did you find that pic of the Chevy?? I love the look of that thing...Could you please forward it to me?? Thanks Dirty
Here are some old photos of the red 58 Dodge (or whatever it started its life as). These black and white photos are from the Swedish magazine Colorod #1 1973 (customs were still OK here in 1973!).
The red 55 is a kustom built in Barris shop in Lynwood. Harry Hoskins from Maricopa, Ca did own it. It was chopped 2 1/2", Lincoln 56 tail lights, Pontiac license plate guard, 56 Corvette grille, 55 Dodge side trim, molded grille shell and peaked hood. Paint in candy cherry. The photo has bas reprinted recently in the book "Barris Kustoms of the 50´s" page 90. Thats were I picked up the details as well... But since the subject in this post was "customs that have not been saved yet": What happened to Harry Hoskins 55? Is hidden somewhere out there?
Hey OO, wasn't that Merc actually owned by Eldon's brother Jerry. He is the prez of KKOA. The car was painted a funky green before and sat real high in the rear. I had some pics of it ,if I can find them i'll scan them.-MIKE
Could be the "58 Dodge" is a '59 Plymouth. Compare the dash shot to this dash in this POS I sold on eBay a while back. I think the rib around the speedo/cluster is a part of the cluster - The fins have the right shape for a '59 Plymouth too. Normally they slant the other way, but if you wanted to V them to look like the '60-61 Chrysler it wouldn't be a big deal. Note the shape of the fins and deck of my POS in the first shot. (hosted elsewhere) On the other hand, my buddy has a steering wheel about like the one in that shot, that says 'Dodge' across the chrome in the horn button. But a lot of the parts on these cars interchage across all 4 makes, so you could make a real puzzle car up out of them. 58 DeSoto and Chrysler cheap models (Windsor and Fireflite) use not only a Dodge frame but the front fenders and hood, too, for example.
So what is that interesting car behind the Batmobile? Chopped Nash or Hudson (from the HASH years)? Dave
Hey Rot'n, check this out. I found this in a 1964 issue of Hot Rod Magazines Spotlight book "Custom Fords" Evidentlly it's a Barris car!-MIKE
Some Dodges, Plymouths and DeSotos was sold as other brands over here in the 50´s (export models). For instance we had the DeSoto Diplomat (it was a Plymouth with a DeSoto grille) and the Dodge Kingsway (a Dodge based Plymouth). Some interior parts did change as well... The car behind the Lincoln Futura is Ford concept car that was part of a deal between Ford and Barris (a long story...). The concept car has rently been restored (sorry I do not remember the name of it, its too early in the morning for my brain...)
Wow where did you get that picture of the Futura? That had to be right before Barris turned it into the Batmobile. KK
[ QUOTE ] Some Dodges, Plymouths and DeSotos was sold as other brands over here in the 50´s (export models). For instance we had the DeSoto Diplomat (it was a Plymouth with a DeSoto grille) and the Dodge Kingsway (a Dodge based Plymouth). Some interior parts did change as well... [/ QUOTE ] I should know this. A good percentage of export DeSoto and Dodges were Plymouth bodies with the respective nose. Canada got them too. Have seen some goofy 57/58's where even the side trim is Plymouth sport tone, but they have a Dodge nose and some half-assed looking trim on the fender to match it up. Anyways, it's one mystery solved, kinda. I should steal the pictures and put it on the Forward Look pages and see if I can fake them out with it.
If this was a known car, will take some digging through the little pages to find out a history for it. But it looks like just what they say it is - you can see the nose of it a bit behind the Stude Lark on that page. Take a 39 or 40 Ford, any body style, cut the top off, section the cowl and hood, cut down and weld in the doors, add '50-ish Caddy fender ends/taillights and replace the entire top and deck with a 51 Chevy hood turned around to face the rear, add about 500 pounds of lead, and you too would have about the same thing. Or maybe I am stating the obvious here...? Appears to be for sale, looks like the top side of it isn't in bad shape anyhow, not like you couldn't get pans and an aftermarket frame to get it rolling.
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