IMHO, stock Patrician looked much better than the custom. The custom's front fenders are out of proportion to the rest of the car, which makes the cab look like an afterthought. If the custom were sectioned 3 inches or so, and it lost the fins, it might bring everything together.
For the old timers and the timid—those too stuck in their routines to crack open something unfamiliar—Wu-Tang Clan is a Hip Hop collective out of Staten Island that didn’t just flip the genre on its head… they rewrote the business playbook while they were at it. They rolled deep, and early on, they made a move most would call reckless: they bet on themselves. Their contract let each member own their own work and chase solo careers while still flying under the Wu banner. It was genius. Untouchable, independent genius. Musically, you’re either into Hip Hop or you’re not—but Wu-Tang’s sound? It’s unmistakable. Dusty and raw, yet somehow polished. Grit and cinema chopped up and spit back with teeth. Beneath all the chaos is a heartbeat centered on loyalty and family. The core message? Build your kids a better launch pad than you had. Period. That's where "Wu-Tang is for the children" comes from... And if you didn’t catch it already: Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nothin’ to fuck with. *** As for me, I take Wu-Tang in measured hits. I’m a Hip Hop junkie, no doubt—but my tastes lean more West Coast. Still, I’ve always had a lot of respect for how Wu-Tang ran their game. They didn’t just talk about flipping the system—they did it. On their own terms. That kind of energy hits me square in the chest. It’s like watching a rogue race team tear up the track with no factory backing. Sure, the big sponsors came knocking, but Wu turned ’em down and kept wrenching in their own garage, running what they built. And even after stacking trophies, they never sold out. No shark jumping. No corporate leash. Just raw independence, full throttle. Even if you don't like hip hop, there's a lot to learn there if you are willing. Edit: But Yeah, Cob is right... Let's focus on the car. Sorry... I'm passionate for fearlessness.
Learned something, love anybody or anything that is independent. The poor Moderators, having to heard this group including the BOSS! Dan
Wu-Tang ain’t for everybody—just like hot rods and customs aren’t for everybody. And sure as hell, not everyone values things like autonomy, sovereignty, or personal agency in the same way. That’s fine. Different veins run different blood. But there’s a reason a featured this car with Wu. Gene Meeks took a Packard—an upper-crust, suit-and-tie kind of car—and turned it into something entirely his. He didn’t flinch. Didn’t conform. He just hacked into it and made it howl. Now, I don’t have to love the final product to love the conviction behind it. That kind of boldness? That’s gospel in my book. And yeah—it reminds me of Wu-Tang's approach to music. This wasn’t just about building a cool looking car. It was about flipping the bird to convention and carving out something personal. That’s the soul of customizing, right? Raw expression with a wrench in hand. And if you’re doing it your own way, that’s art… whether anyone else gets it or not. Ultimately, that is what makes custom cars cool... There's more art to it than hot rodding, so there's more room for interpretation. It doesn't matter whether someone loves it or hates it - so long as they are considering it.
“It looked better stock” always makes me grin Like the purpose was to build something to please someone other than the builder. The purpose was probably just to build something the factory didn’t. I laughed at myself for knowing more about this obscure Packard than the musical group mentioned
Yup, I don't know anything about hip hop and I don't care to learn about it. Custom cars on the other hand ... I live for that stuff. People here are constantly saying "that looked better stock" ... Nobody cares about their opinions, especially not the builder. It breaks my heart that some dumbass bought this car cheap back in 2010, then saw fit to part the son of a bitch out by removing the engine and all the trim and putting the rest up for sale. I hate it when people tear the pages out of the history books....
There's actually a Wu-Tang quote that mirrors your own. I believe many customs built in the 1950's and 60's are just flat ugly when not viewed through the appropriate lens. Some of them take context. A good example of this is the DiDia 150: On the surface, this thing does nothing for me. It’s excess for excess’s sake—rolling indulgence without a thread of restraint. That kind of thinking runs counter to everything I value. But then you dig into the backstory… Andrew Di Dia and Bobby Darin cooked this thing up while out on tour. Then Bobby Kaiser and his Detroit-based crew actually built it—not for glory, but as a middle finger to the California custom elite. That spite? That chip-on-the-shoulder craftsmanship? Suddenly, the DiDia makes sense. The story gives it weight. Do I want it? Hell no. Do I want to clone it? Absolutely not. But do I love it for what it represents? Without question... Even more, I love the fact that there are people in the world with different sensibilities to my own that love it just for what it is and for no other reason. The conversation... or hell, the debate... is the foundation of the custom car scene in my book. Without it, custom cars don't really have a reason to exist... at least not for me...
see? everyone is different, I love the Didia 150, it is a fucking rocket ship on wheels.... I was always under the impression that custom cars exist because of the owners wish to visually express themselves and for the idea of driving something different than everyone else. But I am the kind of person that typically doesn't look to far below the surface for why things are as they are...
We’re in full agreement, my man… We both dig the DiDia, even if it’s for different reasons. Same goes for customs—we come at them from different angles, but that’s the whole damn point. That’s what makes this thing beautiful. And here’s where it gets real: You’ve got a deeper, broader education in custom car history than I do. That matters. In any sane world, your opinion carries more weight. That kind of perspective sharpens the conversation... Maybe it doesn’t change how I or someone else feels about a roofline or a grille, but it sure as hell should make us stop and reconsider why we feel the way we do. That’s valuable. Might just be me rambling into the void here, but hell… these are the kind of thoughts that make the blood move a little faster. Makes me feel smarter than I am—which is dangerous, but also kind of fun.
Love this thread. A couple guys posted Wu Tang is for the children, me thinking this be like bubblegum pop,you know kids stuff. So I posted that they had confused Wu Tang with Orange Tang - kids stuff, was told to dig deeper. WOW missed that by a mile. My take is that customs and hot rods should go against the grain, also to be about the builders desires not conforming to what others think. An example: A friend built a car a beautiful car. One day he says to me “can’t wait for summer so I can drive my car” I ask him if everything is done yep he says. I say let’s go. NO there’s Snow and salt says he. I say that shit will wash off he’s looking at me in disbelief, would you drive this car if it was yours? (he already knows the answer he’s witnessed me driving this type of car in the snow) . The point is he doesn’t care what I think he ain’t driving his car in the snow, and I don’t give a shit what he thinks if the car was mine I’d be driving in the snow. Sure would be a monochrome world if we all liked the same stuff whether it’s cars, music, women etc. Dan
My take, Dare to be different, dare to follow, dare to care, dare to not, the most famous dare of all, go ahead I dare you…. Customs are the signature of one’s mind. Sane or insane, doesn’t matter, it’s your signature. It’s your Wu- Tang.
The word cookie cutter gets tossed around. For both hot rods and customs. If you build something normal it’s cookie cutter. If you stray from the norm it’s ugly. Reminds me of the Twilight Zone episode when the plastic surgeon removes the bandages to reveal a hideous to them, beautiful face. I’m in the cookie cutter zone. There’s a zillion customs with desoto grills and I’m stoked I was able to find one. Also has cookie cutter molded in ford headlight rings. Cookie cutter SBC Who knows what subconscious events shape our minds. I do know what messed with my southern raised on stockers and log trucks mind. A blue chopped merc 4 door at a show when I was around 12-13. Looked totally different than the rear up, white letter tires, center line and rally wheeled rides surrounding it. Like a space ship in the middle of a parking lot full of cars. That cookie cutter taildragger was totally different than any ride there. my car will probably be just cookie cutter white noise at a real custom car show. around my house it will be a space ship.
Interesting thread no doubt! Different opinions on some interesting elements, that most don't ever take into consideration! I appreciate the exchange of ideas and the exposure of what people like and desire, in a manner that isn't often seen anymore, but here on the H.A.M.B. "Everything old is new again" And everything that might raise an eyebrow, is given equal thought from new perspectives! That being said, Jeff Beck was always my favorite, when it came to being innovative, and constantly expanding the world of rock and roll and jazz and fusion via his great guitar playing, and his choices of who performed with him! And this was always my favorite Packard Custom, to me its just a cool kick ass ride, that is timeless! Everyone else's results may vary greatly! Thank you @Ryan From Dennis.
I like it. It's weirdly subtle considering the amount of changes made. If you didn't know what a stock Packard looked like, would you even think it was modified?
Odb is one of the most brilliant lyricists period. The dude could show up completely trashed and blow everyone out of the water. Talent comes in many shapes and forms
If someone would have bought it in 2010 and kept it all together I think I'd really love it. It had a lot going for it at that point. It's got a lot less going for it now, with no drivetrain and some changes that didn't help. And that was already a couple years ago, who knows what happened to it since. It's a shame an old custom lasted that long, intact, just to lose some of its parts and get passed around in various classified ads. I hope it ended up with someone who likes it.
Agreed. It reminds me of the 1953 Dodge Zeder Z-250 Storm concept that's in the Petersen Museum collection. https://kustomrama.com/wiki/Storm_Z-250
This Packard does not work for me. For many customs I appreciate the effort and work that went into them. Plenty of them I like. This car is not for me. But there is a lot of skill and effort built into it and I can appreciate that even though I think it's an ugly ass mordoor. I can count the number of 4 door cars ( stock, custom or hot rod) that I like on two hands...with fingers left over. Now had this been customized on a 2 door Packard, I think my take would be different.
I saw the Didia 150 at a car show in Minneapolis when I was a kid. I think it was at the Minneapolis Armory and may have been a Ray Farner show. Billed as the Bobby Darren dream car. Couldn't believe how long it was and how tall the fins were.
@pdq123! Go here and introduce yourself https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/forums/new-to-the-h-a-m-b-introduce-yourself-here.18/ Dan
I like hip hop that you can actually understand the words and the concept and dance to it and drive fast and take chances!
Are these the taillights used? As far as hip hop pioneers, Stringbean is my favorite. he was spittin lyrics and bustin a sag decades before others.
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