Customs Most Influential Customs of the past 15 years?

DON'T forget the lucky 7 riviera, mike youngs, gary howard built 60 chevy, cole fosters 54, and oz built gable, rick dores 36 kandy red carson top ford. and I think your 52 and maybe the 60 should be in there as weel, but I'm kinda bias.

 

Thanks for the input guys.........I think we have something going here and a lot of the cars are ones I had in mind. I'm planning on a new painting/poster with 'new' influential and traditional customs..........I think customs kinda had another new golden age with several cars and just when I thought there was nowhere to go after Cadzilla, a lot of builders stepped up and the whole thing just broke wide open........ I grew up with customs kinda being the bastard step children, and a lot of customs i saw werent built to very good specs. the idea was there, but there were a lot fo flaws in the final execution. I think the Lee Pratt, Gary Howard , Moriarty, Dore, dAgostino, Oz, Zocchi, Foster, and Bragg are all names I'm looking at right now, But there are several smaller builders and cars that have created a lot of buzz and made people think of new ideas as well......that's what I'm looking for, cars that moved everybody's way of thinking forward. well, as forward as you can get while still remaining, 'traditional'.......
And thanks for the comments on the 52 guys.....If anything Jeff and I did even inspired one person, it's worth it......thanks

 

Saw the unchopped version in TRJ, then this version at the SF show in '04 (or sometime around then)...

And all the versions since.

Definitely a huge influence for my '51....in fact, the guy with the yard that sold me the windsplits for my car knew exactly what I needed 'cause he said he helped with the taillights on McPhail's '52.

Fabian's Chevy and the Valencia Chevy too...

Cars like Weez' shoe and Fisher's '36 were huge because they captured the period....those cars MADE me study the early ones in an attempt get it right. So I say add Scott Guildner to the list.

Bryan

 

After a couple years of working on Mercs and not really wanting one, I'd say Bad Bob's Merc gets a vote from me. Been wanting one ever since! Obviously influential in my little brain. An everyday ride thats realistically attainable.
Other than that, hard to choose, but Cole's 36 hits home for me.

 

The red one was built by Paul Cepeda, Nipomo Ca. The Green Windsor Was built by Mark Garza and his father, Santa Maria Ca. I have heard that the Windsor is now in Australia? Saw Cepedas Car last year at WCK. Both traditional, very influential in what ass draggers should look like

 

Lee Pratt:

 

May Cause Dangerous has helped revive the late '5o's style featuring "panel paint", that is regaining so much popularity today.

 

Alright something needs to be said on here to people that are posting pics of "Taildraggers". Here it is...... Just because a car is a certain year... say pre 49 . That does not automatically make it a taildragger!!!!!!!!!!! The term is from the stance of a custom, hence " taildragger" not just cause its from the 30's or 40's.

 

I think it's a harder to answer question than it seems. My feeling is that the kustoms that move me from over the past 15 years did so because they were very close emulations of kustoms of the past. They were the ones who paid the most attention to the detail, character and attitude of historical cars. May Cause Dangerous was not a clone of any past car, but rather a "could have been" car because Alex and I put ourselves in the mindset of a kustomizer of the early '60s.

I'm honored (and I'm sure Alex is too) to have MCD considered influential. But it was kustomizers and cars from the past that influenced us. We just tried to channel them.

 

I think you can be influential just by serving as a reminder of past styling ques at a time when a reminder is much needed.


As far as my car being included on the list (thanks Rik), all I can say is that IF it has served as an influence, it should be "If that dufus can build a nice custom, then maybe I can too."
I hope it has influenced others to jump in and start building.

 

All awesome cars for sure, but for me Rob Fortier's chopped to the max 53 led me on the hunt for my own vintage Chevy. Cole's car is another modern classic, but so isnt everything else he does.. Great thread.

 

I apologize Jeff, I was just repeating the remarks from the previous post. I know that terms get thrown around incorrectly and causes some ruffled feathers. In the future I will be sure to be more careful

 

I agree.

Most "new" trends from the last 15 years do not fit in with the ideals of this board and traditional customs therefore I think it is going to be pretty hard for many "new" style customs (those that don't in large part pay homage to past builders) to be considered influencial to members of this site.

 

"Influential" is a strong word...considering many (all?) of the cars above have been influenced by customs of the past....
That said...the '49 that Axle posted sure looks "influential"....I can see where it could inspire others...what a car.

 

I may get shit canned for this but what about Terry Cook's Scrape? Since then there have been alot more Lincoln Zephyr customs. I remember seeing it in magazines during 1998 and thought it was the coolest custom ever and was the reason I bought my first ever issue of TRJ.

Other influential customs of the past 15 years Fish's '36, Valencia 49 Chevy, McPhail '52, Lee Pratt's '49 Ford, Moriarty's Futurian, Kirk Hammett's Cole Foster Built '36.

 

Oooh, yeah, Rob's and Cole's Chevys are both pretty stellar and important.

 

I have to go with Elden Titus VooDoo spider.My not be suitable here but its a true custom

 

Take my opinion for what it's worth, but I feel the best customs are the ones that really don't look modified. Jimmy Vaughn's Gary Howard built 54 Ford is the finest example of this type of custom. It just looks right, in every way, the way the factory should have done it. Many of the mods can go unnoticed without a keen knowledge of what a stock 54 looks like. All the cars on this post are great customs and worthy of being called influential.

 

Oh man, so many good ones in this thread!!! For sure Dennis's Chevy and The '49 built by Drag N Shop.... at least for me!! But there's a lot more!!

 

I'm still a young pup, but a car that rings deep in my loins was built by Bo Huff a year or so ago. It's the '49 Merc Dxie Deluxe. I absolutely love this car. The pic isn't mine, so I posted a link to it as well. Hope that's kosher.

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Cole Foster's creations (his Chevrolet, the 36 Coupe) and the Burbank Choppers' cars (Fisher coupe, Weesner shoebox etc.) definitely impressed and influenced a lot of builders

 

Resilience Buick Custom by Tim Strange at Strange Engineering.

 

I think the resurgence in the showcar movement, 'bubble top' show customs, was pretty much started by Anthony's brown neck bandito, although Moriarty's Futurian was being built at the same time........am I right on that?

 

I'm sure i'd be accused of being bias but for the most part i'd have to agree that the "BNB" was one of them for sure.

 

There were several cars like Jesus' built by the same shop/ builders? they did the 41 Buick and the chevy hardtop as well right? and I think there was another one, a packard or something like that?

 

I can't tell you how much of an influence the Shifters as a whole have influenced me......So I think the Brown neck bandito definitely has a spot in the new poster.......

 

Dennis your old chevy was bitchin. I loved the stories you did on the car getting it ready to go to Paso for the first time.

 

Yeah the Drag n Shop built a few cars with a similar molded style very cool.

 

Yes Dennis, if you havent already seen this, check it out.... Rikster's site. I know you like a certain car in there, but im not gonna say which one just in case.......

http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/beautiful_custom_cars/drag-n-shop_custom_cars/

 

There is something about Oz's Cadi that gets my heart pumping. This car had a very big impact on me. I've seen it at several different events and it will always stop me in my tracks.