This is the purple car... Alexander Brothers "Purple Pelican 1953 Ford) Other color photo from my own collection
Just talked to a guy who chatted with him at the show, said he built it himself. Just finished it not long ago. But he coppied the taillights to a T.
Yeah, saw Curley's car for sale in Carlisle several years ago. As usual, in pretty sad shape...was that pic from the Jalopy-Rama? Hope it gets restored to it's former glory! It was a big influence on me growing up, reading all the magazines about the rebirth of Kustoms!
Yes it was a photo from the Jalopy-Rama. I was totally surprised to see photos of the car at an east coast show. Never expected that... and in such sad shape. Who would do that to such a nice car... and like you said. This car has influenced so many people when it was built And when chopping the top on this car was used in several magazines. I too do hope it will once return at the shows fully restored. A few more photos of it in better days. Photographer Andy Southard with Curley and model...
i always loved that car !! and is part of the reason i put the buick lites on mine.. and man that car had more hot chicks crawling all over it than bad bobs!!!
Mild custom 1955 Chevy from New Jersey Alexander Brothers Victorian I think these photos where taken in the 80's
One of my favorites; Rod Powell's, from Rikster's site (the most valuable custom archive on the Web by light years.) Check it out, if you haven't already. http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/ And while you're there, don't miss Lyle Lake's Buick in the Barris collection.
does anybody know if the blue danube in an episode of the twilight zone? i forget what episode it was but i saw a chopped top kustom that looked like either the same roofline or similiar as the blue danube
Their is an article with a full start to finish chop of a '53 in Rod & Custom February 96, pm me if you want me to scan and send pics! it's a hard top.
This car was at our show a couple of years ago but I think it's a 51. Is the body the same as on the 53?
I saw the car once in the mid '90's. I think this photo is the closest to showing how brilliant that Tangerine paint color was. I was driving back from Los Banos and I look across the freeway , that's 4 lanes over, and I saw Curly's Merc heading the other way. I was surprised, as the car was chopped, how the white interior just jumped out at you. It was a bright sunny day and the white interior (more like the model's bathing suit white) against the tangerine was spectacular.
I love that Merc. If I remember right, there was a "how to chop a top" article with this car in the german "Chrom & Flammen" magazine in the mid 1980s. It made a big impression on me when I was a youngster. Don't have the mag anymore... damn.
The magazine was from Belgium... and was published in a number of languages. Including Dutch, English and German.. perhaps even French as well. I have the issue... but I scanned the English version that was in an issue of Custom Cars from Hot Rod magazine. Below is one scan.. the rest (5 scans) can be seen if you click on the image below.
As quoted by Stu ... “I'll be viewing Riksters site for the next lifetime seeing all the archives of kustoms. Thanks. Great stuff there”So true. Rik, Thanks for more of these ... Fuzzy Fuerholze archives. Slim
I would named the owner if I knew anything at all about the car. All I know is that Pat Orsillo came back from Cali with that exact pic but it was the full shot.
Normally, I don't like v-butted windshields and, normally, I don't like shaved drip rails either, but they seem to really work together on the Curly Merc.
Wow! That is a LOT of Tuck & Roll & Pleats! Engine compartment kinda makes it look like the engine's in an open casket. Also sort of reminds me of those balloons used to make balloon animals... Other than the over-the-top upholstery, it's a real nice mild custom Impala. The fog painted tube grill is a unique touch.
The Jalopy Journal
