Projects FOUND ON CRAIGSLIST 50s ERA CUSTOM

While perusing the Craigslist ads for a decent deal I could afford. I came across this ad for a 57 chevy custom. thought maybe some HAMBER might be interested in this. Joe


https://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/6547887318.html

 

Moriarity pick up the white courtesy phone.....

Pretty cool that an early Custom tri five Chevy conv. stayed a Custom and didn't get restored to stock. Price tag probably has a lot to do with that.

Anyone know what title/date magazine it was featured in?

 

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That’s funny!!! He probably knows about it.

 

Pretty sure I've seen this car discussed here, and I feel like the price has come down significantly since it was first posted for sale. (was like 50 or 55K a while ago). Still might be kind of pricey, unfortunately it's probably more valuable in stock shape than it is as a survivor custom. Neat though, it does have some documented history.

 

I am thinking there is an earlier thread about this one. I am a major CRS sufferer though.

 

A good example of that age of custom show cars where a number of extra touches were added to garner show points. It actually doesn't look all that bad though.
It looks like the flairs where added to the fenders when the fat tire and deep reverse wheel craze was in vogue.

 

It’s been forsale for awhile plus they boogered up the wheel wells from the original you have too cut a few things off too bring it back


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I'm a hot rod guy. This car is a perfect example of why I don't dig customs. To quote my brother concerning originality or " period" work.....

"What sucked then, sucks now."

Me thinks there was a lot of the (Emporer's New Clothes) thing going on in the late 50s concerning.....taste.

 

The price is a joke. I don't think it's well styled even from a period perspective, and probably holds more value as a legit 57 ragtop that some one will get new panels for an put back the way it come. I'm fine with that.

 

Three letters....UMF! Just my opinion of course. It looks like the front of it got caught up in this!

 

Here are some more.

 

The rear bumper and taillights look great.

 

if it was built in 1960 that probably looked pretty regular driving down the street next to a new Mopar.

 

I agree that a 32k asking price is too steep a starting point to restore it as a period Custom or stock 57, but don't be surprised if this ends up being restored to stock. Bummer for us Custom fans, but the fact that the starting canvas is a 57 Chevy Conv. is a factor that has to be reckoned with.
For what 55-57 Convert's go for in any shape, I'd say if the car dips down into the low/mid 20's, a restorer will snatch it up and dive in on a factory restoration. Swapping in a stock front clip is easy. You'd be purchasing new bumpers and side trim and doing the interior anyway. The only heavy body work will be hanging new quarters, but there's really no major rust or rot to deal with such as missing floors, rockers, etc. The car is with the second owner (since it was only a few years old), solid and has only 11,000 miles on it. It's a dream for the owner of a freshly restored 60 year old car to be able to state the resto started with a 2 owner, 11k mile, rust free car.

Some more info/photos. Somebody should be tar and feathered for installing those malignant high back buckets in the car.

https://www.customcarchronicle.com/news-flash/kentucky-kustom-found/

 

Buy up the leftovers and hang them on a tudor.

 

A guy around me recently got $5K for what was basically a pile of dust, a couple convertible top bows, and a VIN# and matching title for a '57 ragtop. Despite this having a ton of ugly custom work done, all of the wrongs can be righted for about $5K in new sheetmetal. The hood kinda looks like a NY Rangers logo tho, but I still don't like that car.

 

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I can't behold a stock 57 or that custom on my allowance so. Joe

 

57Joe is right about the 5K for the sheet metal. Add another 6 for chrome & stainless, and 3 for the interior. Paint will be 8-10 if the buyer wants it to be worth ragtop money. It adds up fast. Hopefully someone will return it to it's custom configuration. Probably cheaper and one of a kind.

^Now this is cool^. ''Aerial'' sounds better than ''antenna''.

 

he might have bought a new metal body to put the vin tag on

 

Since everyone loves the front end, here`s a pic of it. I cut the one off of a truck from one in U-Pull it. It was something I couldn`t pass up. Cost only 35 dollars. I hope this guy sells it to someone who will leave it as a custom. You guys are on the wrong forum if you want to return it to stock. Looks like it has features similar too the 57 that Roger Jetter had. Hint of Mint.

 

^^^ Look it's smiling ,it knows we're talking about it.

 

I hope it stays custom, I just hope it's customized to something better than it came from the factory. That's the rub.

It takes real balls to chop up a 57 Chevy. Not because it's some sacred cow that's above being chopped up, far from it. But mainly because you're starting out with what is one of the finest, most iconic automotive designs the world has ever seen, and you have the audacity to try to make it better. It's a tall order. Doable. But tough.

The idea of customizing the car is to make it look better than it did from the factory, not just different for the sake of being different. IMHO, this falls way short, though I do like the hood rocket antenna. So did this year's Ridler Winner. Even the El Capitola is a lateral move at best. The Dave Jenkins 57 the A Bros. did nailed it. There are even a few others I've come across that look great too but I can't remember them individually. I'd love to try to build one one day. I had a 57 in high school and I'l jump at the chance to have another.

 

I'm sorry - I tried being open minded about this one.....but it looks like it hit a wall head-on in the side view picture - and then they decided to paint it
(p.s. - is that Ryan's Ford pick-'em up?)

 

But remember when this car was customized it was (I'M guessing here) just a used car.
It just happened to be a 57 Chevy convertible. Now it's part of customizing history. Be a shame to loose it to another 57 droptop, all that work good or bad would be gone. Kinda like turning the Bat Mobile back to stock. Joe

 

Im a big fan of customs, and I really want to like this, but regardless of the price, im having a hard time. I didn't see it mentioned in the feature, but does it say what color it was originally? I think I could warm up to it a bit more if it was black with metallic gold or off white scalloping and striping

 

Candy apple red. Doesn't say what color the scallops were, but I am guessing white.

 

Looks like the scallops are outlined with pin-striping. On second thought, I would say gold scallops with white outlines solely based on the fact that it had gold upholstery/carpet.