Top 3 Custom Shoebox Fords of the 50s

ron dunn's sectioned 50 does it for me(first build) just love it............

 

Totally agree. Although one thing I never understood about 49-51 customs is the 54 head lights, and the merc grill. Although its custom, they look horrible and anyone that does a shoebox custom uses those two. It kinda off takes away the custom when 9-10 shoebox customs do the same thing.

 

For me. it's Junior's. I fell in love with it when the Zupan bros. owned it in the late '50s. I would just stand and stare and stare at it. ( I was 11 yrs old) It represented all that was cool and beautiful and exotic at the same time. (I hadn't yet really discovered girls) Of course, in front of their Conoco station, it was always parked next to the ex-Louis Bettancourt Merc, and their green scalloped '56 F-100., and their '"Flamer" Deuce coupe. Not a bad lineup.

 

Here's an earlier thread about shoeboxes, and a few are shown in it that have been overlooked in this discussion. Please check it out:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=512524

Oh, and if I chose my 3 favorites from the '50s, they'd be
Litton
Dunn
X-51

...and if I added my favorites among recent builds, they'd be
Royalshifter
Geeman51
and, uh, mine.

 

It seems that finding a good looking grill is the hardest part of building a custom 50 Ford

 

No mention of LeRoy Goulart's shoebox? Some of you older guys
might remember, don't have any pics. One of my all time favorites.
Remember seeing in person at car show in East St. Louis back
in the day. Named "Goularts Cart"

 

My favorite is the one I am viewing at the time. Love these iconic Fords. Lee Pratts unchopped is one of my all time faves. ~sololobo

 

Thats the green car in the lead post, also shown in updated form in post #49!

 

Should have read old posts closer. The canted H/L's is how
I remembered it. Thanks chop32.

 

The revised rendition of Goulart's car provided the basis for the AMT model kit front end styling.
(Winfield, as well as other customizers, was employed by AMT.)





Another unique feature of the car was the use of a '52 Ford one-piece windshield. A lot of work for an un-chopped car (though very subtle).

As a side note, LeRoy's brother, Ray, used an un-chopped '51 BelAir hardtop, complete with a sedan rear window, on his beautiful, owner-built '50 Olds. Check it out on Rikster's site. http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/customcars_i_like/oldsmobile_customs/ray_goulart_50_ols/

 

I bought this one a few years ago, it has some Denver, CO history, bit only to the 70's. The car has a 6" section , all gas welded & was painted red (like the X1). I'm guessing the maroon came in the 60's. I'd love to get more history on it.

Some unique traits. Headlights are not frenched, still has door handles, rear spears and gas door have been removed, the trunk was actuated from a solenoid and still has outside hinges, the bumpers were added a few years ago, it used to have gravel/roll pans on the front and back. Also in the trunk, they raised the floor 6" along with the fuel tank.

Also I've been told it had an Olds motor in it.

That's all I've got.

 

I'm all over this one.....Centurion9

 

Here is one that's always been a favorite of mine and according to Rikster, has recently been found hiding in someone's garage!
http://www.customcarchronicle.com/custom-cars/another-classic-barris-survivor/