History Kustoms of America - At The Beginning?

After doing a search on the HAMB for info about the origin of KOA, Dennis O'Brien suggested a thread on here to answer a couple of questions. Did the first KOA plaques have Los Angeles or America on them?

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Over the years several changes were made on these plaques for both locations.

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On Rik Hoving's Custom Car Chronicle website there is an article written by David Zivot. It has a photo taken in 1955 with what looks like another KOA variation with "OF" set on the far left and a larger space between Of and America ...

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Here are some other Los Angeles examples ...

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I'm hoping some old timers will share some light on how this "Club" progressed.

 

This doesn't add much:

 

Phil Sauer who used to own my Dean Jeffries built Merc said he paid a dollar to join the Barris Kustoms of America.He said he got a window sticker and a membership card. Here's a pic of the window sticker that's still on my merc also a pic from Petersen Publishing Archives from 1956 where you can see the sticker in the window. I also have a plaque too.

 

Im looking for that first plaque posted (Kustoms Los Angeles) if anyone wants to part with it. Dennis has the second one (KOA) which is cool. would be great if someone had some insight to what years exactly all these plaques were first made and used.

 

Your request instigated this post

 

I figured! That’s cool!

 

My recollection is that "Kustoms" was George Barris's original idea and he gave this plaque to people who had George's shop build their car. Then George started to sell the Kustoms plaques in the car magazines. I think I joind it and let my membership run out. Long time ago. There was also "Kustom Kemps of America" which started in the Midwest.

 

I found this on the net from 1954

 

Not exactly the Midwest Looks like 5864 is where a 76 gas station is in LA now

 

Not in the Midwest - in LA. My money is on George seeing the big picture and figuring that he can make money by selling his fame nationwide. Fast forward to the mid 80's and there was an effort to revive the KOA based in the upper midwest. And later in the early 90's it was revived again and that time lasted until approximately 2010.

 

Anything currently going on with KOA?

 

I'd certainly like to know more?? !!

 

Around Indiana or Kentucky (or around there), there is a couple that shows up at car shows with a flyer (badly made) and for 20 bucks. You can join. It`s been talked about in other threads. I wanted to join, just to see what it was about. Jim Hibbs ran it in the late 90`s. Barry David ran it before that. I`ll post more later.

 

Actually John mentioned the KKOA (as opposed to KOA) which indeed started in the Midwest. Wichita to be exact.

 

Anyone have a copy of this plaque?

 

On one of my many trips to Barris' shop to see what they were building, I picked up this price list. It would have been after I started driving in 1955 and at that time there was an ad on the back for KOA with the same Hollywood address.

 

Anyone notice the "No Car Necessary" disclaimer?

 

Here's some other stuff I just found on my website. The fancy membership card for the Kustoms of Los Angeles looks like it has George's signature on it. It also has the address for his shop on Atlantic Blvd in Lynwood, CA ...

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The one for the KOA was issued to Bob Benoit and it's dated 1-10-56 or 58 ...

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Not sure if they were up to over 10,000 members or if that number in the upper left hand corner means something else. Or maybe George started the Member Numbers at 10001.

 

From the 1985 ISCA annual. ISCA annual.

 

Charter Member in 1985?

Knockout Jacket and Plaque?

Kustom Vans?

WOW! Such a deal for $50.00

 

10811 Riverside Dr in North Hollywood ...

 

Two short years ago in 2021 ...

 

Graffiti around the corner on Riverton Ave ...

 

August 1954 Rod and Custom.

 

Anyone have a copy of "The Kustomizer" newsletter? I'd like to see what it looked like.

 

The earliest add I`ve found. April 1954 Rod and Custom magazine.

 

It's interesting that the 1954 ad says "All members joining the first year will automatically become charter members".

And in 1985 they were still offering a chance to enroll as a charter member, 30 years later.

 

I Joined up sometime within the last 6-7 years, don't remember exactly when, got a sticker and a news letter ? With more to follow, Then never heard or saw anything again.

 

The 50's KOA was strictly a Barris thing. The 80's KOA was a different organization altogether, with Barris having little to do with it.

Mick

 

So why were the checks still being mailed to the Barris Kustoms address on Riverside Drive?