Cal Custom History: Post what you know

I know that it started in the 20's selling auto accessories... but that's about it...

 

Found something...

http://jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2031882

This is good to know, but I was thinking more along the lines of part numbers and when they were produced also...

 

Funny that this came up...

A few weeks ago I had met Andrea Kraus who is the daughter of Joesph Kraus.
She came into the Barris shop and we were pleased to meet her and talk about cal custom and the importance of her father did for our industry. She came in with a box full of images of her father and Cal custom goods..my first question was..do you have any accessories left over? unfortunately No .. But she did have allot of grate photos and even some Stuff she gave to the Peterson museum..Well were trying to help her hopefully maybe get a Book about Cal Custom also a site www.originalcalcustom.com has been bought and we hope to make some cool merch like tees and stickers ect. She is looking to get the rights to the name if possible..I'll do a post as soon as I get some more stuff going.. Cal Custom rules!!

 

Cool info!

 

The solid hood sides and bulletnose on my 36 Ford are both CAL CUSTOMS parts.

 

Just some originals laying around.

 

What are the part numbers on those feet pedals... Maybe we can start identifying differences in the knockoffs...

 

One of the outside salesman for Cal customs was Ed Cholocian (sp?) who started EC Industries with CC knockoffs. Ed is the Caddy guru and has quite a collection. At one time, Ed drove a Corvair with every CC accessory they made. Each wheel had a Different accessory.

 

That's bitchin! Hopefully there is a book on Cal Custom.

 

Cal Custom got a bad (or maybe somewhat deserved) rap in the late 70's and 80's for selling the cheezy bolt on "gook wagon" stuff and cheap chrome engine tin...but the early California Custom stuff was the real deal and very well made. Be interesting to see what this thread brings in the way of history, photos, etc........subscribed!



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Here's one of the best presents my brother (non car guy) ever gave me. Got it for my 16th birthday in 1965. I've never had what I considered the right car to put it on, so it's still in the package. I might use it on my 56 Ford pickup if I ever get it done but it's been around in the package for a long time, I might just put it on the shelf and smile when I look at it (hoarder mentality, I guess).
Larry T

 

I'm meeting with her on Wednesday to talk about what going to happen next.. book is definatly some thing we would like to do.. I gonna talk to motorbooks and see if they want to doit.. I think it would be RAD!!!

 

Not to high jack the thread, but are these plastic or metal? I have a set that look the same but they are metal. They don't fit the early 5 spokes. I've always wondered what they were meant for.

I've got a Cal Custom stainless gen cover for a 54-59 Ford still in the worn but intact box. I prize it for the box as much as the cover. 59 was probably the year that it was printed because the generator didn't change in 1960.

 

They made some pretty cool valve covers.......

 

I’ve got some of the “dressy” stuff I can post up, but this is by far the coolest (I think) piece I have. NOS vacuum powered window lift kit for ’49-51’ Ford and Mercury. Complete kit included vacuum lines and fittings, switches, steel brackets, hardware, etc. and two custom window regulators which used large (steel) canisters to hold a reservoir of vacuum and two Trico vacuum operated motors (one on each end.). Door mounted double-throw toggle switches controlled electric solenoids which released the vacuum to either the “up” or “down” motor which regulated the glass using an ingenious system of cables and pulleys. Each vacuum motor has a knob that allows you to regulate the speed at which it operates. They even included two really nice polished cast aluminum escutcheons which house the switches and take the place of the factory window crank.
I guess these were sold before they even had their own packaging since the kit came in an old mason jar box. The fancy aluminum bezels were wrapped in old newspaper and stuffed into an old brown sack. The whole kit (E705) boxed up made for a very heavy package…must weigh 20 lbs….shipped to Sandy’s Auto Sales, Northampton Massachusetts for $49.95 (anybody remember Sandy’s ?).
Think how slick this would have been in an old shoebox or lead sled…..I’m guessing this was sold sometime in the mid/late 50’s…anybody out there that remembers these kits or actually seen one operate?








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Scored these covers a few months ago for 20 bucks. USA stuff to.

 

Those window lifts are a first ! I had no idea they were ever avalible , what a piece of auto history you found . scrubba

 

I like mine......

 

I defintaly like cal custom stuff, i have a few cal custom things, scoops, velocity stacks, voltage reg covers, a shift knob, and a few otheres.

the velocity stacks for stombergs are part number 40-3000

the small scoops are part number 40-30

the medium size scoops are part number 40-40

the large are part number 40-44

the staggerd sbc covers are part number 40-1000

and strait sbc covers are 40-2000

JEFF

 

Nice collection Jeff!
..can you check the box containing the rocker cover and see if it still shows the address at 301 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles....trying to see when/if they moved...packaging/logo changed...etc.


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I just sold a pair of those ribbed chrome covers...

 

unfortunaly nothing on or in the box that has the address, its just an empty box, i got it from my boss, he bought them brand new for his 40 ford with a 302, he was moving and brought a few of his parts to work for storage in the basement, i seen the box and kept bugging him about it and he finnaly gave it to me!

Ive always like em, i got these froma buddy who alos bought them brand new but the box disapeared thru out the years, the covers were still on the plastic bags and in mint condition.

JEFF

 

The small medium and large scopps - 40-30/40/44 - did any of them have provisions for a filter or did they all just have a screen?

Dennis

 

They all just had the screens, ive seen some pics of badger scoops with a air filter element in the opening but dont think thats the way they came.

JEFF

 

Love the old Cal Custom stuff.

I still have the original "bare foot" dimmer switch and gas pedal from the early '70's that I had on my "64 Chevelle. They are now on my Acadian.

 

Here's a 59 ford tube grille I just sold. Had one for a 57, put it in a 57 ranchero a while back. Still have a 1958 ford CC grille and a 59 chevy CC grille in the rafters

 

I have four sets of these Cal Custom axle covers. These pictures are all I can post right now but when I get back home I'll show them in their original packaging.

 

What bolt pattern are they?

 

My Calcustom tailights

 

I have a few NOS Badgers and they all came with a portion of a round paper filter in the box. I couldn't find a part number for the cut up filter.



These are the second generation Cal Custom. I couldn't find the early ones that I wanted for a while. They looked a lot better than the LT-1 Chevy VCs that it came with.