Barn Find 1953 Buick Kustom

OK, right off the hop I cannot really tell a lie, this is a project I started to build when I was a teen, lost interest and took it to my fathers airport hangar to forget I had it forever. Well guess what, hedecided to sell the airport and I was evicted after 20 plus years of leaving it for the Rac****s to live in,ha,ha. I talked about it with my 12 year old twin girls , one of them has been hounding me to get back in to the garage and get at it again. She asked the other day if I'd teach her to weld, I can't say no to that so here is what happened today after work, went out and extracted it to the daylight after much of a rest in a very poor facility for a partially finished car. I will slowly pick at it over the summer and will post if there is any significant work accomplished. I am quite busy atteding pinstriping events all over this summer but hope to get at it somewhat. Hope you enjoy the ride.......

 

Very interesting what we come up with as kids....

 

Don't you just love those early 50s Buick Roadster Pickups? Hey, it is actually a breath of fresh air from a time everyone and their brother was making El Camino/Ranchero trucks out of cars, isn't it?
I say GO for the twins! My oldest daughter, the artist, would love it and my second, the surprise twin by ten minutes, would love to learn to weld to work on it! They are 34 now.

 

THAT'S BAD ***! And I usually hate extreme kustoms but man that looks like it'd be killer once its rolling on its own power

 

Got any pictures from back when you had it when you were younger? Headlights are bad***!

 

Reminds me somehow of that movie 'The Human Centipede'.

dka

 

Awesome. Glad you decided to bring it back to life!

 

this one comes to mind.

 

do it for the kids!

 

I think I saw the amputated former **** end of that car at Darcy place years ago....Looks pretty slick Chris I think it will be a fun project with the kids, make sure you keep us updated eh!!

 

Ha, yup Darcy bought the NOS Packard taillights I had grafted into it, told him he had to buy half the car to get 'em. I thought I had a vision back then, forgot that I didn't have money or ambition though,ha,ha. I'll keep posting, don't hold your breathe though, got about 6,000 jobs ahead of it.

 

Before we get too settled with 'Buick Roadster Pickup', let's stand back.

I see a Buick Road Master pickup! heh, heh...

Pretty cool. Would be a rolling testament for a traveling pinstriper.

 

maybe change bed to a fleetside '58 Chevy bed or '57 ?? Dodge bed with the fins.

 

Sort of thought of a 49 Studebaker box as a base would be a nice smooth start too?

 

sweet! hurry up and tech her how to weld

 

Wombat, OP built it into a truck...read back a couple posts

 

studebaker box would be great

 

That's a great story there chris. Should make for a fun family project.

 

I like that idea. It would smooth out a lot of the bumps. It looks like a fun project to get your daughter involved in.

 

That has the potential to be a really nice ride. Best of luck!

 

Very interesting, I'd like to see a build thread on this one, if you ever get the time that is.

 

Well, finally got enough stuff taken care fo this summer that I was able to get the old bomb, or what's left of it in the garage. Here's a few shots this week, nothing to outrageous just yet but hoping to get some progress starting now.
Started removing the 49 Ford pickup box to shorten it to the proper length and fab a back for the cab.



The bad side ( uhh, the worst side?)



Here's the good side, yeesh!!!



This is the back I haven't made for the cab,ha,ha....



Gonna need a little attention in the floor department too, bought it from Fred Flintstone.

 

I have an old thread about don't forget your daughters. There will always be a pinstripe job, your daughters will only be this age once! A wise man would not miss the opportunity of a lifetime. Making the wrong choice will haunt you forever.

 

Ha I'm here trying to put a car's *** on a pick up and you put a pick up bed on a car.
Interesting for sure,not your grandmas grocery getter

 

too cool! already swapped the wheels looks better already!

 

Hey Larry, the main reason I brought this car back home to start carving was that one of my twins wants to learn how to weld and they both like pinstriping. I guess its sort of a natural thing to do around here. I'll never forget them, thats why this car disappeared for so long as it is.
Thanks,
Chris.

 

man..."that's some bad hangar, Harry"....no wonder he sold it.

As to the car - unique, if you complete it well, you'll have some great times with your daughters and a fine ride.

dj

 

sweet

 

thats gonna be a cool set of wheels your girls can take to prom ( there dates can sit in the truck bed )
lots of options to go with it. look forward to whatever you do im sure your girls will dig it.. and every women should learn to weld
chris.

 

Really diggin' the frenched headlights. I'm planning to do a similar treatment to my '54 since the rings are totally shot.

Good luck!