Features The Definitive "MILD CUSTOM" Photo Thread....

Average Joes were the backbone of the hobby, that's why I started the thread. I'd be willing to bet there are far more serious builders today than at any point in history and the average Joe today has some mad skills....In a way, I'm saddened to see so much emphasis on all the radical work being done...How many Shoeboxes, Mercs and Chevys go immediately on the "chopping block" only to look just like the one before, but another color? I like Radical cars, but seriously, it's expensive enough to bring a car back to life, much less customize it. Mild Customs not only motivate builders to bring cars back, but insure that 10 years from now, those cars still have a life rather than become a relic of the "old" Traditional look that happened for awhile back....I'm not hatin' so please...save it. It's just my opinion...Let's get back to the pics......

 

You are absolutely correct. Great observation. There were actually very few cars chopped back then, compared to now. Radical customs were far and few between. Mild customs (most with nothing much more than being lowered and a different set of hubcaps or wheels) were the norm and the vast majority...

 

C9 again we agree for the most part. A lot of cars today are ground up builds and I think that's why they go for the chop right off the bat. Years ago a mild custom was built from a driver ussually a daily and could not be down for more than a day or two. My car has come about in this way. The original customizer was starting his upolstery buisiness and it got a nose, deck, shaved handles, purple primer and then one of his first full interiors, the next owner from what I gather bought as a driver and did just that, the next guy wanted it to be a better driver and had all the mechanical gone through and a MII front put in oh it got a SBC & 700r4 along the way. Now I have it drove it for two summers and this year took it in for some frenched headlights, filled gas door and filler relocate and custom taillights. Mines not a daily but I don't want it down for long either and it has been done backwards with the interior having been done first. What I'm trying to say is nowadays it is probably more difficult to build a mild custom than a radical one for the simple fact that they are expected to be a reliable driver. It's not the same as when these cars first became popular we're not buying a new or 2 or 3 year old car and customizing it there is usually a fair amount of restoration work involved aswell. I think the best option for us "average joes" is to start with the best car we can afford and go from there.
Ok what I was trying to say is that if a fella has a car in the shop to get a resto/custom job why go mild the cars torn to pieces anyway might aswell go all the way.

 

Here are a couple pictures of my old '50. It fell victim to exactly what you are talking about. Next guy chopped it and made other 'improvements' to it. Now it was his car and he could do whatever he wanted to it, but it looked much better as a mild custom. He just made it easy for me to clone, since I'm ready for another shoebox.

 

DAMN!! That's cool.

 

X2 I really like the 55 Chev eyebrows helps to lessen the bathtubish look of the shoebox adds some needed character. IMO that's what a mild custom is all about.

 

This one sucks...

 

Oh that's just horrible! (said in a sarcastic tone)

 

That starliner is one of the baddest cars built in the last 10 years. I heard the original owner was a bit of a dork though

 

any more pics of this one? i really dig it.

 

Is that why you sold it?

 

My first trophy.
TwoChops

 

Traditional.
Mild.
Kustom.

Bravo.

 

Agree, a fantastic mild spinner kustom.
Q, what hubs r they on front?

 

Caddy with bullets I think 49 or 50.

 

Sorry, They are Caddy Sombreros. Larry

 

did this first


Then put the Supremes on it.



Dont know where the car is now but I hear its not the same anymore

 

Ya I did say Caddy. They are earlier than the ones commonly refered to as sombreros. Notice the uncanny resemblance to the traditional Mexican hat of the same name. This car has sombreros. John's has earlier Cad discs.

 

I know I'm guilty of overexposing some of these cars, but the Thread Title calls them out of me....I have no self control where some of these cars are concerned. It isn't about right or wrong...It's about "Love"....C9

 

Alex....Are you kidding me?! You bet yours counts! Your car is the stuff dreams are made of......You see, and many of the rest of us see exactly what I'm talking about.....I remember taking a MINT '55 Mercury and pulling the hubcaps off and rattle-canning some primer on the car where it didn't need it so I could give the impression my car was "under construction"....I was 17 years old and it was 1964....Today, I'd be considered a "poser"...Then, I was a young guy with a dream........Things haven't changed much with me...The hobby has lost much of its innocence and we've become much more cynical. You keep at the dream Sir.....Great car! Centurion9

 

centurion9, i love that 56 buick. any info on it? ass end pics of it?

 

Is this could be a MILD CUSTOM... If so ,it's mine/Users/lmetsos/Documents/don/cruz5.jpg

 

/Users/lmetsos/Documents/don/cruz5.jpg this is it...

 

Johnny....Sorry to say that I don't. I found this car here on the HAMB so somebody is connected to it.....Awesome car, and I fould these images on this thread.....Hope it helps you....Centurion9


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=449691

 

Actually the Hirohata Merc uses 1949-1952 Cadillac Sombrero hubcaps and John's Shoebox used 1953 Cadillac Sombrero hubcaps

 

Ok thanks Rik
Larry I appologize.
I personally only call the 49-52 caps sombreros just confused the years.

 

here is my dads mild custom '56 olds.