I gave this a quick skim (didn't read in depth) and it vaguely resembles a simple statement that my day used to make. "All hot rods are customs but not all customs are hot rods." I am not inclined to explain this statement just thiMk a little bit. Not HRP anyone but HRP I don't like Danny's opinion at all.
I would venture to say that we all have “customized” every vehicle we have. But that does not necessarily make them “ customs”. A lit up plastic jesus on the dash does not a custom make. But throw in some dingle balls, lowered with chromies and a custom grill, well maybe. Add a candy paint job and some tuck n roll, well yea ! I can call that a custom. My opinion obviously. Which is another way of saying that I don’t expect anyone to agree with me.
If whoever wrote that thinks that the custom car culture in California started in the mid 50's I wouldn't take anything they have to say about traditional custom cars with one iota of credibility. The classic age of traditional customs was pretty much over by then not beginning.
I agree with Mark and he is right on what is considered a Kustom. There is a Kustom/ Low Rider crossover within our hobby and I welcome it. When I was just getting into kustoms I didn't own a "true" Kustom. Yet Virgil McGee, aka Mac (Kustom Kemps of America's Official) welcomed me every year that I was at a KKOA event. I wanted a Merc but I was young and I couldn't afford it at the time. My '55 Chevy was a very confused car. It had some Kustom parts bolted on that i bought from Night Prowlers. Had a 80's style mag wheels with white letter tires. and a Mini truck paint job. No body changes. I look back and say YUK! But at the same time, I think about how much fun I had. When I participated a KKOA event, I felt like I was part of something special. I remember those days like it was yesterday. How Mac made me feel driving into a KKOA event. He recognized that a young guy was trying. Yes they (KKOA) could have very easily say "Mick your car is not a kustom, you will need to park in the speculator parking lot." That would have been discouraging and I might have dropped out. I would have missed out being part of this Kustom family. When I see people attend shows or post on line, maybe they are not getting it. Confused like I was, I try to encourage them and if they ask my opinion I will tell them what I think. I'm really the wrong person to ask about what is a kustom. I'm concentrating on the person more than the vehicle. If you drive a Kustom or Hot Rod we forget how Blessed we are to own something that is considered kool. Lot of people can't afford one and want to be part of the kustom family. I would hate to discourage someone because some day I hope they will find their dream car. So I have a loose set of what is a kustom rule. The guy that drives a stock bodied vehicle with no body changes may see how much fun this hobby is and we should give him a chance to be part of our family. Sorry for the ramble but feel like you should see my background on why I believe the way that I do. Answer your question, yes it could be considered a kustom. Lol!
hi. Photo shows my personal custom car I had in mid 50's - early 60's. 1953 Ford convertible. Rounded hood corners, frenched headlights, several trim changes from other brands, 54 Old's tail lights, Chevy grille teeth, continental kit in style of the time, lowered front & back, 18 coats of hand rubbed lacquer, etc, etc. Some might call it a mild custom but my entire vision with the build was NOT to be radical, just many subtle changes that fit together well. Cannot show more as this is the only photo I have of it. Jimmie
Yeah, maybe that's when commercialized customs started. (After '49-'50 Mercs had depreciated enough to chop)
Since this is about "opinions", here's mine. Concerning the whole " What's a hot rod/ What's not?/ What's a custom?/Kustom/ Bomb/ Lowrider/ Taildragger/ Street Freak Gasser-Poser, etc." thing, as I have said and written before, "On a scale of world problems, it doesn't even register." Btw, people ask to take pictures of my car. So I'm OK with "poser".
Yes but are you a model. If you are a model wouldn't that make your car a model car? my first car was an AMT model, a 40 ford. I remember the discussion of it was going to be a hot rod or a custom and saying it was going to be a custom hot rod. My dad said (and one of my favorite sayings), "I have had 4 Fords cused 'em all."
Good answer, I'm thinking the same thing. All of them are just great, great productions to be sure. Just not Custom productions.
Do you honestly think a single one of those owners didn't think they had built a custom car? Sent from my SM-G950W using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
It's kinda like a model. Except all the pieces came in separate boxes. I let someone else put it together because I wanted to drive it this century. My first model was T roadster pickup. Then a Ramchargers '64 Dodge Polara, Stone, Woods, and Cook '40 Willys, '30 Lincoln Continental<? Awesome gangster-boss looking car.
From the paint and do-dads perspective the cars have been customized and taken away from a stock appearance as a result, but that does not make them a custom. It my be a difference in semantics, but I believe there is a difference. That difference would be body work, beyond removing a couple of badges.
My point is if these were considered customs back in the day when were being created, and I bet they were, who are we to reinterpret history and say they are not now? No they don't classify if entered in a judged competition but I bet every one of these guys running them on the street back then thought they had a custom car, so it was a custom car because they were creating the trend and establishing what a custom was not us 60-70 years later. Our opinions are meaningless in a historic perspective which is what this site is suppose to be about.
I drove a lowered, nosed and decked '54 Chevy, in 1966/67. I called it a car. You folks who argue over what it call cars can say whatever you like. But, back when we drove them to work and the store, they were just cars. Hot rods were called hot rods, but mild customs didn't have a name.
Looks like a stocker, lowered, lake pipes, dummy spots, and a custom paint job.....yep it's customized the way the owned wanted it. So it's a custom.
Thanks but I'm not sure about that. Yours has a dynamite look and the Fairlane posts of 1957 were definately one of my favorites in 57. I can't remember seeing one anywhere that's nicer that yours. As stock appearing as both our bodies and exterior trim is. We both have "customs" as we customize them the way we want. But your right, I don't call mine a "custom" ever....modified maybe The best thing is driving them; even with what's going on mine will be out Saturday if it doesn't rain...JD
I’d drive that custom. Would swap out the wheels for 20s/22s It just has that vibe. Wouldn’t post the pics here though with the larger wheels. That car looks great.
And this is why these topics are fun. Some might have the opinion that the current wheels do exactly that ( I’m not one but speaking hypothetically) Every car owner/builder has their own definition of custom and style.
Exactly...because it customized to suit the likes of the owner doesn't make it a Custom. A Custom has a look, a finish, a style, a stance and maybe even a theme but definitely a statement. Maybe a subtle understatement or a bold in-your-face statement. Personally I find some customization almost seductive and others I can walk right past... Thankfully though we don't all have the same tastes or we would all be chasing after the same car...boring
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