Features The Definitive "MILD CUSTOM" Photo Thread....

My 54'

 

my 50...still in progess

 

Dig your Merc 1950 sled. It's come a long way!
I've always loved the look of a chopped four door '49-'51 Mercury or Lincoln. Keep up the great work! E

 

One of my favorite threads in the HAMB...here's some from my hard drive...

 

Nice batch loveoftiki but that black '58 is a standout!

 

Is that car not perfect.....I mean perfect. Fit, finish, paint work, really is outstanding....some would say it doesn't belong here..it's been lowered, with some chrome oe wheels...but they were Kustom from the factory..more folks mess them up trying to improve upon a perfect car to begin with

 

My Dad use to say "The 60 Catalina 2 door hardtop, is the most beautiful car Detroit evr produced." Well, the red Poncho you exampled, sure lends credence to his opinion!

 

Yes they are amazing cars...59-60 GM products were all outstanding

 

I had a '60 Catalina for a number of years, and I thought it was a very good looking car. I bought it to flip it, though, and it took me 11 years to get it sold -- and then I lost money to boot.
It was one of four '60s Pontiacs I owned over a 40 year period, and I really liked those cars. Too bad they're extinct now.

 

A few more to kick this back up....

 

This is my last American car a few years back Now have a 50 shoebox just starting

 

My Pa, always trading, would have loved to have kicked the tires on that one! That one is a little different with the dog dish caps.

 

That's the Beauty of Mild Customs...It takes very, very little to make them stand out......Centurion9

 

Wrong thread, Leon!

 

Please, don't misunderstand me, I think your car is awesome. It's just not what I would define as a "mild custom".

 

Leon, go to the photoshop thread.

 

Leon....I think you need a photoshop thread...lets get this thread back on track

 

I find it interesting that chopped top cars can now be considered as "Mild Customs"
(There are three on this page alone.) This would never have been the case "back in the day".

 

I agree with you 100% Mo! If a chopped car is now "mild" what would it take to be declared a radical or full custom? An absurdity?

 

Deleted the purple olds...sorry and I agree

 

From the Web.

 

Man, that coupe is gorgeous. The hooded headlight treatment is trick, how the top of stainless hides underneath the metalwork. The mild modification of the stock grille is great, simple but quite effective. I dig the green tinted windows, complimenting the green paint. All it needs is a 1 piece Olds windshield!

 

Thanks, then where is the line drawn? What's mild, what's radical? Mines chopped, frenched olds bezels, Frenched caddy tails, nosed, decked, shaved. List goes on. Where do I fit in. Lol

 

Ok, guys sorry I shared my 49. I feel mine doesn't hold a candle to what I've seen other guys call a "mild custom" chops are a dime a dozen. Didn't realize that was such a big deal. I thought crazy body mods more than an everyday chop is radical. And mild was maybe shaved, lowered a bit, maybe frenched with a nice paint job of some sort. My daily is a bagged 59... Is that mild? Lol

 

So this would be a mild custom ?

 

The terminology has changed with the times. Chopped tops have become much more common, often being the first change made to a car.
Such was not the case in the fifties and sixties, when there were four modifications by which a car would be deemed as a "Radical Custom", and judged accordingly at shows. These were: Chopping, Channeling, Sectioning, and Shortening. This was a definitive standard, and cars within the class generally (but not necessarily) carried a slew of other modifications, as was contemporary for the time.
Cars with heavy body modifications that did not include one or more of the four changes mentioned were generally referred to as "Full-Customs" and "Semi Customs" This was often a discretionary determination. These were popular categories, and encompassed many famous customs.
"Mild Customs" were the cars without major changes, either procedural or stylistic. Sometimes such simple changes as rounded hood corners could move you into "Semi Custom" status.
But like I said, times have changed. Like Yogi Berra said, "The past ain't what it used to be!"

 

Thanks for the breakdown. Some folks are so sensitive to placement in this group. I didn't mean to step on toes. I've seen some cars that have put a ton of metal work into their ride, crazy paint and custom features. And it's still just a mild custom. Learning everyday. [emoji51]

 

One important point, though, is we aren't concerned with today's definition of "mild custom" or how it has evolved over time. Since this is the HAMB and we are focusing on 1965 and earlier styles, the definition that 'Mo put forth is what we must go with. Again, it doesn't matter what we think of today, it matters what was during the period that the HAMB covers.