Features What chrome ___ are you lookin for, obsessin' over,not doin' your job because of?

Adding an aftermarket chrome accessory is probably the easiest thing to add when outfitting your Mild Custom. Catalogs like J.C. Whitney were full of the stuff. Hubcaps, antennas, etc. etc. I'm a vintage snob, sorry I just am, so I don't do repop stuff, I guess also because I live for the hunt, the thrill (and a touch of disappointment) when I find the object of my desire. Then, begins the search for another piece that I'm sure is going to be unobtainable and I again, have purpose. But I'm always up for the challenge. It truly is a sickness. So, I wondered, what chrome goodie are you searching for, obsessing over.....and not doing your job because of, for your mild custom, right this minute?

Yeah, we've all been down this road, I'll bet some of us are even zippin along it as I type. So, fess up, show us what ya just gotta have, right now!! For me currently its exterior mirrors. Who knew there were so many choices and manufacturers?
Some of the names I've learned lately:

Allstate
Fleetview
Joma
Norlipp
Roberk
Yankee

Those are only a couple I can remember off the top of my head. So, whata you guys lookin for?

The search is on for another mirror like this Yankee. I'm on the case, don't worry.

 

Curb feelers...........

 

A Cal Custom bolt on "roof scoop" ala 58 Impala bolt on looking thing.....please find me two of them....please

 

Lol. I've never seen one.

 

I love wheel covers. Also chrome plated trinkets that brighten a car up. I just love that stuff. All old accessories are neat

 

I'm from the 50's and I've always loved chrome crap on my cars. Sometimes I think it made them go faster and most times it got me home.
That's my story and I loved JC Whitney and all the others. Honest Charlie, I did.
Every car needs curb feelers, fancy hubcaps, and chrome mirrors.

Now for the rest of the story. We are moving back to the midwest tomorrow. My Florida garage is full of chrome things and other accesories I can't get rid of. I waited to long and even the scrap haulers are laughing.

 

I'm sure just that statement alone could help find new homes for a few pieces, lol. Hot Rod and Kustom parts to the scrap guys? Blasphemy! Lol.

 

Yes, I know. Sadly I waited too long and spent last week in the hospital with heart trouble. The older kids are on their way to move us back where we bought a home nearly two years ago with no time to call anyone or do anything about the little bit of cars and parts.
I didn't want much but most "car guys" expect free or very little. So now I'm stuck with misc parts. A complete '46 Mercury coupe body on a dolly with bare frame and lots of extra parts. Be off line soon.
Hopefully my son here can sell or donate some things.
Where we live I've been afraid to advertise. One of those locations where people are known to look then come back and borrow things.
It'll work out.

 

I hope it does buddy, good luck.

 

Oh, and how about this dilemma?

"The ____ I have now is cool, but look at this ____!"

I hate myself.

 

LOL... My introduction to the JC Whitney catalog was when my family moved back to North Dakota in the early 70's. My grandfather got them regularly. I'd page through them from cover to cover and was fascinated by all the different types of parts - dress-up; features, gadgets, etc. To this day, I still have a memory of some of the stuff I saw in those pages having the same command over my imagination as say a circus freak (bearded lady, one-eyed man, chimpanzee boy, etc) might have. Love to page through one of those old catalogs now...

Enjoy the hunt!

Gotta56forme/Scott

 

I remember the '58 Impala roof scoop but not the Cal Custom piece. HRP

'58 scoop

 

I know what you mean, I remember looking through the JC Whitney catalog, very carefully observing all the "cool" parts they had. The only catalog I enjoyed more in the early 70s was the Sears Wish Book.

 

The 1952 Almquist catalog had more stuff in it than 'Eastern Auto'!
Everything from a wide array of skirts, (OEM as well as deep 'box skirts', flare skirts, and 'half skirts'!)
Chrome goodies, intake manifolds, heads, (finned, for MOST flatheads; 4, 6, 8 cyl., even a finned head for a straight eight flathead! Can't remember what flat 8 it was)
Air deflectors for leading edges of side windows, (some 'clip-ons' for wing windows, in assorted colors, yet!)
One thing that got me: they had a red sealed beam to go into a functional spotlight.
Caryl Chessman probably shopped here...

 

Nothing will brighten up your ride more then a JC Whitney lighted swan hood ornament. If you really want to go hog wild, those red dingle berries hanging above your windows will do the trick. Just remember more is better. Red jeweled mud flaps, fake port holes, coon tails, fake lake pipes and a continental wheel kit with "Little Eva" painted on it will truly set off your ride like no other. Good shopping at Whitneys.
Gary

 

I've always liked that goofy guy hood ornament. The one where he's thumbing his nose and his eye lit up. They also had one without the lighted eyes. And don't forget the cat with the blinking eyes that went on the rear deck of the car.

 

real Stelling and Hellings air cleaners (with the water-slide decals), true "baldy" caps (Chris...)

 

Looking for one hubcap for my fathers roadster. It had a pair of the old national single bar flippers and he lost one awhile back and he won't drive the car until we can find another one. This might take awhile!

 

I loved the J.C. Whitney catalog in the early 70's.....man, I would literally drool over the 'old cars' section in the back of the catalog. I had a paper route and an additional whopping .50 cent per week allowance to spend recklessly....I remember I ordered the front chrome middle section for the grill on my 41 Ford pickup for $19...and headlight rings at $9 each (I remember my mom asking me "are you sure you want to spend that much money on car parts?").... J.C. Whitney catalogs were my major intellectual endeavors....I believed I could conquer the world reading those catalogs ....as long as my allowance held out!.....prices and content have changed somewhat now!

 

I'm getting ready to purchase 4 grill teeth for my 54. I love the look of a filled in grill of teeth!

 

I have wanted a chrome naked lady hood ornament since I was a kid and it dawned on me that all I have to do is mash the buttons on my keyboard and they will send one. So I did. I have an old original with the wings broken off and it was extremely disappointing to compare them and see how cheap the new one looks. The new was so bad that I sent it back. I sure hated to send it back but it was pathetic.

I would like to have a pair of antennas that angle back for the rear fenders but I'm not paying $70 or whatever they cost now.

 

I have a 1968 JC Whitney catalog. Its unbelievable how little things cost back then. Of course I was earning 90 cents a hour

 

Are you having those teeth gold plated

 

I used to thumb through JC Whitney catalogues in school and daydream about what I would someday buy when I got my first car. I wanted to nose and deck an old car and add those chrome dummy spotlights on the cowl. I may still do that one of these days to my 56 Chebby.
I should have paid attention in English class instead so I wouldn't have had to go to summer school.....nah, the catalogue was more interesting..

 

That may be it.. I remember an article with a parts source for it .. Old custom rodder I believe.... But I'll take 2 of those

 

there you go

 

^ Gotta order up one o'the tube grilles^

 

Chrome? I'm trying to buy patch panels.

 

J C Whitney, bought my first chrome reverse wheels there in 1964, thinking $8/9 per + shipping. I have friends that the "Hunt" for original is their fun and challenge, years ago, junkyards were car guys best friends for parts, trim, info etc. Today's Chrome Price's, separates the men from the boys, IMO, I'm just an old timer/boy, NEVER in my wildest dream did I think the quality of our "Hobby" would reach the high level of ART it is.