Looks like a Porsche from the front...I'll bet you noticed that too...When it comes to a Man in a Garage with a pile of mags and a fluid mind with skills anything can happen...oh and European influence may be part of the reason too...Nice Rocket, clean, subtle and absolutely full of radical workmanship...
I will reserve judgement as in, "maybe it will grow on me".....I can certainly appreciate the incredible amount of work that went into this, but like you mentioned, Ryan, these cars were so nice from the factory, it's easy to go wrong with too much modification. The front end has lost all semblance of Olds, well except for the "Rocket 88" emblem. Would enjoy seeing more shots of the car. Hopefully more will surface............Don.
My first reaction is it looks like something coming out of Germany or Russia in the 50's. Definitely a more European luxury flair than American. IMHO.
I, too, can appreciate the work that went into it but I just don't see it as an improvement. Pretty hard to beat the original design... View attachment 5182974
It's definitely one that causes mixed reaction. I like it, although it is "out there". I wonder about airflow/cooling capability....
I really like the side profile with the fender cutouts and roofline, and from the rear. Up front it's kinda neat looking, but I have doubts about it's cooling abilities, and I'm not sure I like how much attention is lavished on the license plate. Still neat though. Back when these Oldses were just common used cars this must have been a wild sight.
As an unabashed fan of these cars, I must admit I'm not a fan. It's neither a custom nor a hot rod, and sort of falls into that weird "sport custom" category. Not my cup of tea. The 49/50 Olds gives you whatever you want in terms of build style. If you want to build a hot rod, you build a coupe. You could hop up the Kettering mill, run a Lasalle trans or 4 speed, and cause some trouble. If you want to build a custom, you could take a fastback and give it all of the great custom treatment. I bought one at a yard sale one time. These are great looking cars. VERY hard to improve on the styling.
If it was parked next to a Muntz Jet, it would confuse the hell out everybody! It's a cool car, but I do prefer the stock 50 Olds. Thanks for posting.
I have had a few 49-50 Olds, unlike a Merc of the same vintage, I don't think they handle body alterations. Even the "Polynesian", by Valley Custom, didn't do it for me. When I think 50 Olds, I think Gene Adams, and performance. Here is my old '49, right after my Brother Jerry, sprayed the Chev Truck "Golden Yellow".
back in the day, guys would put an olds in a chevy. i do know that the '49 olds still had a torque tube...
I’d drive it. Looks wise, it’s a step backwards from its original look. But I’m not looking at it through its builders eyes.
You don’t tug on Superman’s cape. You don’t spit into the wind. You don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger and you don’t mess with the lines of a ‘50 Olds. It’s not bad, but not nearly as nice as the stock lines, IMHO.
“I’ve always had a thing for ’49 to ’53 Oldsmobiles. They are clean, simple, and fast straight from Detroit… In my opinion, you can’t do anything past a shave and some stance work to make them look better than they looked in the showroom. It’s just a solid design with fantastic mechanicals behind it all.” original look 1956 1957 Hello, My brother and I would whole heartedly agree on the above statement. A lowered Cal Rake style big Oldsmobile Sedan specifically for teenage shenanigans in Long Beach, CA. 51 Olds Sedan check out :09 for instant teenage cruising style… From the racing Oldsmobile sedans of Gene Adams: To one from the archives of Kustomrama: Larry Ewing’s 50 Olds To us, they were the classic designs that made the 50s- early 60s scene in hot rods and drag racing. But, a modified 1950 Oldsmobile sedan that eventually looked to me like a Kaiser sedan from the 50s at the end result? If the result was to get close to a Kaiser sedan, why not buy one that already had the shape and design. No one should criticize a work of a custom car builder. It was his idea and hard work to get the results that he wanted. It was too bad that the idea of digital art and photoshop was not around to help him in his pre-journey. The build reminds me of an article I was researching for a Kaiser sedan. I had taken some photos of a Kaiser sedan a long time ago and that brought up a story from my brother’s archives. Being a quiet, but a teenager with some odd ball ideas, he wanted a big sedan lowered to the ground and would have a huge motor for power. Despite the lowered look, he would race it in the Gas Coupe and Sedan Classes when possible. He would not have any problems with taking plenty of his teenage friends cruising around. The Kaiser would have plenty of room. Jnaki The design and end result is not for everyone, but hard work was part of the finished project. It reminded me of an article I read on a Kaiser Sedan turned into a great looking custom car, that could be a daily driver. YRMV Keith Charvonia 1951 Kaiser Custom
I sold this one earlier this year, just decided I didn't need it, after 37 years. It got a good home and is getting finished.
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