Thanks for the props, 'Mo! I'd like to post more than one a week, but the research for these cars has been more time consuming than I thought. Maybe every now and then we can have a "Two 'Fer Tuesday"! E
Just found this thread OG...thot you'd like to hear about my "Whtever happened to...???"..Back when I was a youngster (yep, I was at one time...!!!) somewhere around 1959 or so, I used to go to the local soda shop and read the east coast kustom mags...and Car Craft mag out of the west coast celebrating "kustoms"...I was hooked, but growing up in Iowa, there weren't many true "kustoms" around. In my Junior year in high school, I got a three year old '57 Chevy and immediately nosed and decked it...my version of a kustom...!!! Omaha was only 72 miles from my hometown, so we drove to the huge indoor show there and fell in love with the wildest '57 Chevy I had ever seen...at the time it belonged to a guy named Roger Ryan...had '60 Chrysler "boomerang" taillights just above the rear bumper...’58 Edsel quad headlights, a ’57 Buick grille and painted the most gorgeous Candy Green I'd ever seen...funniest thing is the owner of the car had my first name...and my '57 was also green...!!! In 1966 I moved to Denver and bought a '64 Impala...I lost track of Ryan's '57...but I've never been without at least one '57 Chevy in my whole life since then. In 1984, I found an old chopped "survivor" '57 Chevy kustom on a used car lot, bought it, rebuilt it and drove it all over the US for many years, but this story is not about that car. In 2007, I drove the radical '57 to Lincoln, Nebraska for a 'mini-nats"...as I was driving around the event in my 'kustom', I stopped right in the middle of the street, and held up traffic, because there sat Roger Ryan's '57...no longer green but Candy Apple Red... I got out and examined the car and met the new owner: Jim Meyers of Omaha...the '57 had gone thru many owners over the years and eventually ended up in Zion, Illinois where it took Jim several years to buy the car. He restored it to it's former glory with the exception of the paint... I realize it's hard to tell a story without pictures but there are pictures of the car in the July, 2008 issue of Goodguy's Gazette. I'm certain there are Omaha guys on here that remember the car, possibly they have pictures... Thanx for starting this thread OG...keep it going... R-
I agree with Slopok, plus the lavender one has a wider mouth'd grille, and different headlight trim treatment..
Glad you found the thread, Roger. Always great to have another true custom guy join in on the fun! Great story. I think all of us have a dream car that we saw as a kid and then it disappeared. Very few of us are lucky enough to get to see them again though. Hopefully someone will find pictures of the '57 you saw way back when and then again in the recent past and post them. I'd like to see it. Hope to see you around town this summer as the crusin' season is finally upon us--that is if the weather cooperates. Take care! E
When I said someone would hopefully post pictures of the '57, I had you in mind, Sancho. Thread scouring machine, I tell 'ya', thread scouring machine! Thanks for posting the pictures! E
Roger, I assume this is that same survivor custom? Quite a history on that one, too! (I'm sure some of you remember the rear treatment from the old AMT "Styline" series '57 Chevy model.)
Always nice to see the Hint of Mint. In putting together this thread I've been doing more custom research than I ever have. I have been digging through my books and magazines, and surfing the web big time. Just last week I was on Rikster's Custom Car Chronicle and I came across Roger's article about it. I knew the car had some history, but I never knew the whole story. It's a great read. Here's the link just in case anyone wants to check it out. http://www.customcarchronicle.com/custom-cars/57-chevy-hint-of-mint/ I hope the car never sells and leaves town (sorry Roger lol). I had to include a picture of it when it was a dark honey gold. Liked that version a lot, too. Thanks for posting your pic, 'Mo. It's a great addition to the thread! E
Thanx Sancho, that's the '57 that did it for me...it's strange but I remember the car in a gorgeous Candy Green altho Rikster's story said it was originally painted red...must be that my memory simply changed the color all those years ago...??? R- Yes, 'Mo, that is my "survivor" radical kustom...and the complete story of where and how I found the car can be read on Rikster's site... here's the link: http://www.customcarchronicle.com/custom-cars/57-chevy-hint-of-mint/ Here it is as I found it on a used car lot, ugly eh...??? According to the last owner, this color was supposed to be Candy Tahitian Orange...not even close...!!! The AMT model you mentioned 'Mo, was styled after the radical '57 Chevy when it was owned and built by Don Gajdoz of Milwaukee, WI... FWIW, in the late '90's, AMT ripped off the graphics from one of my other '57 Chevys (below) and included the decal in one of their reintroduced '57 Chevy kits...never got a dime for AMT's plagiarism...!!! I initially owned this '57 in 1972 and re-did it three times over the years...the photo below was the last go 'round before I sold it. It was kustomized a bit more in a contemporary fashion tho...like I said, I've never been without a '57 Chevy, ever since 1960... R-
Roger Ryans car fell off the transport truck when it was delivered to the dealership in 57 when it was brand new. . The car was painted Green when it was restored in the 80`s before it was sold to its second owner. See Roger, you aren`t crazy.
I'm really loving this thread! I have a soft spot for traditional '50s-'60s customs. Sent from my LG-H810 using H.A.M.B. mobile app
It's that time again! Here's What Ever Happened To..........? number 4. 1951 Ford "Little Darlin" Owner: Wayne Jones Indianapolis, Indiana Wayne bought this car in 1956 when he was 16. It took about a year for the custom bug to hit, and the custom work started in '57. He added quad headlights, rounded the hood corners, and used the upper grille shell from a '50 Merc. He built a rolled pan and installed a tube grille. He had louvers punched in the hood, and added a hood scoop with chrome teeth. In the back, '56 Chevy quarter panels were installed, and '56 Lincoln taillights were frenched into extended peaks. He also extended a rolled rear pan and then installed a tube grille to match the front. The door handles were shaved and molded lake pipes pretty much rounded out the early custom mods. This took the better part of three years, and in 1960, the car was painted a bright red. Wayne drove the car like this for many years. Sometime between 1960 and 1980, he installed a Chrysler 331 Hemi with dual four barrels. The engine compartment has tons of chrome and detail, and even though we know customs aren't supposed to be displayed with the hood open, this car can rival any show car under the hood! In 1980 when the Leadsled Resurrection was just getting underway, Wayne decided it was time to chop the car. It was chopped 4 1/2 inches, and the rear quarter "vent" windows were eliminated. Also, a scoop on the roof with chrome teeth was fabricated to match the scoop on the hood. It was at this time that the car was re-painted candy red with blue flames. Wayne attended the 3rd annual Leadsled Spectacular in 1983 in Springfield, Ohio. The car caused a sensation, and was covered in many magazines. It was on the cover of the August '82 issue of Classic and Custom, and was featured inside that issue on page 28. It was also featured in 1983 Leadsled Spectacular coverage in the January '84 Classic and Custom on page 35, and the event coverage in Custom Cars by Hot Rod Volume 2 #2 on page 23. It was also pictured in an article called "Leadsleds" in Custom Cars by Hot Rod #1 on page 52. At the '83 Spectacular, Wayne's car was featured on the video for the lot cruise. This is where they cruise around the fairgrounds and check out the show, as well as "interview" the car owner. It was in this interview where Wayne tells a story of how he thought about selling the car many times before he chopped it. During that time it was stolen, but he was lucky enough to get it back. That's when he decided to go all out and do the full custom route with the chop. He also said in the interview that he would probably never part with it. After the 1983 show season, the car just seemed to drop out of sight. I couldn't find it in any other leadsled video of the 10 or so that I have from roughly '83-'93. Also, the magazines seemed to forget about it as well. I did find quite a few pictures of it on Rikster's photo archive, including a rare picture of it in red before the chop. It was there that I also found a picture of Wayne with the car that I believe is from 2006, so it looks like at that time Wayne still owned the car! He looks the same as in the video, too. A little older, but he still had plenty of curly hair, just grayer. That's where my clues on this great custom end.......... We all know that the premier traditional k/custom event in the country these days is the Custom Car Revival, held in Indianapolis every year. This happens to be Wayne's hometown! You guys that are in the area really need to try to find Wayne and get in touch with him. Is he still with us? Does he still have the car? If at all possible, wouldn't it be nice to get him and "Little Darlin" to make a special guest appearance at the show? Now that would definitely be a "revival"! E
I was wondering if he had attended. I looked back through all the pictures posted from the event's past years and I never found any pictures of it at the CCR. Glad to know Wayne is still cruising his little chopped Ford! E
He was not there last year 2015 he broke a ring in the hemi fall of 2014. The engine is back together and in or going in. He said it will be at CCR this year. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using H.A.M.B. mobile app
He posted this on Facebook a couple weeks ago Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using H.A.M.B. mobile app
Hey Ron! Glad to see you postin' on this thread! Haven't "seen" you around the HAMB in ages. Hope everything is well. Great pics and info. I'd love to meet Wayne one of these days. He seems like a true car guy. I'm sure I would, but Denver is a looooong way from Indy. One of these days I WILL get there! E
OK, so I'm new to HAMB but have had a passion for big rides since 1963. I've got a '64 Dynamic (tobacco barn find) and am now looking for a '60 88 or 98 to do a full blown sled project. Big cars from the early '60s need love too.
I was so stoked to see Lil Darlin at the CCR two years ago. It was one of those cars still fresh in my memory from those pre-teen Classic and Custom years. I saw that in the lot and about died so excited to see it in person after all those years. Hope he'll make it back to Indy in a few weeks.
Hey Oldsguy, a lot of us here have a great passion for early '60s cars. I have a '62 Buick Wildkat mild custom myself. I will eventually add a few of them to this thread, but it will be kind of tough. In the early days of the KKOA the cutoff year was '60, so there were very few cars past this cutoff year that snuck through the gates. Most of those being famous cars built by guys like Lee Pratt and Bill Hines. Eventually the cutoff year was moved to '63 or '64 (I think--help me out guys), and then the late model "Smoothie Division" started. I don't think that was around very long, and eventually the show was opened up to pretty much everything to keep up with the times, I guess. I understand it, but I think it has really hurt the KKOA in the fact that it was an organization founded upon focusing on leadsleds and customs. A '60 Olds would be sweet! Tough to beat the looks of any GM car from '59 to '64. Good luck with your search! E
Dick Crouthers Merc. I sold Dick the Merc as a chopped, running, flathead powered car painted Tahitian Red back in around 1980. I found the stock Merc sitting at a bar when we were returning from a rod run. I was driving my 1940 Ford coupe, saw the car, turned around, walked into the bar and asked who the owner of the Merc was. A guy said it was his work car and not for sale. I made him an offer ( $500), he thought about it for a minute and sold me the car. My wife drove my coupe and I drove the stock, well worn and rusty Merc back home to my shop. I then lowered it, repaired rust, stripped it, etc. Myself and Terry Hegman (now in California) chopped the car. I then painted it Tahitian Red. Dick heard about the car and came to my shop in Iron Mountain, Michigan, wanted the car and offered me a neat small block powered 54 Bel-Air and cash for the Merc. He took it home and built it as it first appeared in black. I've always loved 50-51 Mercs. I have probably owned 20+ since Dick's car and currently own 2 '51 coupes. Randy Hallman (Fordyman)
That's great information Fordyman! Always nice to hear stories that fill in the gaps of the history of a custom. It's great that this thread has brought a lot of people forward that had a hand in building these great cars, or knew the owner or even just saw it at a show once. Thanks so much for posting! E
Fordyman, I have to ask. It sounds like you chopped the top of Dick's Merc. Did you do it yourself? I love the chop on the car. It is one of my favorite chopped Merc rooflines ever! E
It's only a bit over 800 miles OG, takes two days from Denver, if driving (two nites of motel-one each way = $240, ten tanks of fuel-five each way =$500, eats along the way $75, plus 3 days of motel costs while there-another $360-total $1175). A jet airliner can get you there in a couple of hours (round trip= approximately $370, plus two nights of motel =$240-total $610.) and they have cars to rent at the airport ($30.00 a day)...So, it's half price to fly...leave Denver on Friday afternoon, enjoy the CCR motel parking lot, take in the event on Saturday & Saturday nite, fly back home on Sunday...it's that easy. R-
The Jalopy Journal
