Features Kustoms blues? I need to see some kustoms....

Brandon Flaner, East Bay Speed and Custom Concord, Ca. Pics by Marcus Edell













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That '40 sedan is GORGEOUS!

 

I agree with Sancho. Sweet four door. When I see cars like this as customs, it makes me wonder why we don't see more of the "unloved" humpback cars of the late 30's to the late 40's. Lots of old Dodges, Chryslers, Fords, Mercurys, Nashes, etc. all make good sleds--even the four doors.
Maybe it's because nobody wanted them for a long time and they were stripped for their drive trains, or body parts for two doors. I'm sure a ton of them were recycled during World War II for the war effort, too. Shame.
I remember my late friend Teddy always talking about "the good ol' days". He said when he was a kid of around 16, there were cheap cars all over the place. It was right after the war and a lot of people wanted the newer models, not the outdated looking ones that were manufactured before the war. So, you could buy cheap runners for anywhere from $15 dollars to $50 bucks. Cars like Buicks, Studebakers, Pontiacs, Chrysler Airflows, etc. but none of the kids wanted them. They were cherry cars, too! He said "we always wanted Chevys and Fords. The other oddball makes nobody wanted--even if they were free!"
Every now and then we'd be at a cruise night or car show and one of those "oddball makes" would be there. He would tell me that story and then he would say "How stupid were we? Back when these cars were cheap, nobody wanted them because we thought they weren't cool. I see them now and they are so beautiful. Must have been because I was a dumb kid." We always had a good laugh about that. I sure miss him..........E

 

Found this one on the internet. I don't know anything about it, but it is *****in'! I'm sure one of you guys out there knows the whole story on it. E

 

It was in the latest issue of Traditional Rod & Kulture.

Was also displayed at GNRS last year (2016).

 

If this was taken at the GNRS, this is my pic. Hands down. It`s 1:30 in the morning, and now I can`t sleep. I`ve got the bumpers, the headlights and the spare tire cover. The taillights are a little out of my budget. I`ve looked. Now all I have to find a car to put them on.

 

As always a lot of kool kustoms at this years GNRS. instead of reposting them on my thread be sure to Check out Rik Hoving's Kustom coverage.

http://www.customcarchronicle.com/forums/topic/gnrs-2017-custom-cars/

 

Thanks for the link, straykat'.
I'm sure some here will remember the Ismael Robles-built "Tower of Power" in its earlier version.

 

I wonder which direction the doors open now.

 

It would be real kool if they still opened up the same way.

 

They were hinged at the roof, which is no longer there....
And the struts mounted to the door posts, also gone.

 

That's why I thought that it would be real kool.... Lol! Sorry, I'm on a Kustom Packard high.

 

I agree that the 4doors was overlooked, old men drove them. Saw this one in St Paul.

 

Is this the "Alley Oop" Merc? It is or sale on Ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1950-Mercur...29f1857a:g:jOkAAOSwLEtYiqXt&item=172502386042










Love that chromed dash.....

 

YES it is. Duke Thompson acquired it last year after trying to for some time. Here's an early photo of it from 1983 taken at the Custom Nationals in Wheaton, Illinois. The second one is from a late '90's James Dean Run.

 

If I'm not mistaken, that car belongs to "Four Door" Freddy Romo. He's an older gentleman with a few really cool customs--most being four doors. I've heard a lot about him from @PasoJohn. He also has a chopped late 40's Pontiac four door that is chopped. If I'm not mistaken he did the chop himself. He drove it to Des Moines for the second KKOA Leadsled Spectacular in 1982. It was in Custom Cars by Hot Rod Volume 1 number 5 from 1983 on page 64, third car down on the right column. I scanned it for everyone to see. He's owned it for years. Since Freddy is from Minnesota, maybe Mark has more pictures and stories to share.

If I had the means, I'd be cruisin' this Merc until the day I leave this world..........E

 

Thanks for the info, I thought that it was. I saw it at one of the Merc/Deuce reunions and was impressed with the attention to detail.

 

YES, it belongs to Freddy Romo. It was on the cover of the MSRA's magazine and the article says that Rick Schnell was involved in the painting of it.

 

This Duke Thompson. Taken at the Merc/Deuce Reunion in 99 at Davenport Iowa.

 

More pic`s of Alley OOP. Taken before the dip in the doors was removed. The scallopes on the current version don`t look half bad.

 

Did he chop the third one down on the left too. The first pic was taken at the leadsleds in 89 in Davenport Iowa. The second was taken in Des Moines at a KKOA show called Last P***

 

I don't know if Freddy chopped this one, but it is the same car that wasn't chopped in the scan from the Custom Cars by Hot Rod article. I took out my magnifying gl*** and looked at the picture real close. It has the same license plate.
Who would have known that two big Pontiac four doors could look so good chopped?
Wonder why they left the door handles on both cars? E

 

Another 4-door. A guy in a nearby town wanted me to work on his Ford. He eventually brought the seats over. I redid them in the original style. A couple months later he brings the car over to finish the job. He see`s all the pictures on the wall and says he likes customs. So I redo the seats and change the theme of the car. I even sold him some hubcaps that fit the car to a T. Flippers wouldn`t of looked good. Now all he needs to do is a rear lowering job and add skirts. The interior isn`t perfect, but he wanted it affordable.

 

Way to go Jim, just keep converting them one at a time. Be sure to "conveniently" leave out some of these custom 4 door pics next time he visits. And maybe gently suggest that it he can get the wheels balanced with the weights on the back side, the Lincoln covers will look even better. Don't sell yourself short on the interior. Looks great!

 

Mick - thanks so much for posting this.

 

I agree. The interior looks super! Nice work! E

 

Here’s a larger picture of the poster next to Duke’s Mercury. Duke commissioned artist, Thom Peterson, to paint it. I also included another earlier photo of Alley Oop at the Lowriders show in Sterling, Illinois. It had a full hydraulics system then behind the rear seat and the dip in the door.

 

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Here`s an earlier picture of the trunk of Alley OOp. And here is a better picture of Alley OOp with the dip removed taken in 99 at the Merc/ Deuce Reunion. . When the car was in primer, I thought he was gonna paint it red. Everything was jammed in red