History George Barris Aztec '55 Chevy for Sale on Craigslist...

I’m with @57JoeFoMoPar i thinks it’s a cool car but it’s not the Barris merc or the Hirohata. I think you’d be hard pressed to get half the asking price.

look at the Busonic, killer car, extremely well documented, great restoration and sat for sale for years.

I see little interest in kustoms these days, seems like In our little corner of the world it’s all about model 40’s now

 

I like it, except for the quad headlights, but that’s just me, I don’t really care much for quad lights on anything.

But what gets me, other than folks on here, who sees any 55 Chevy left on it? Maybe the door vent glass and the front fender body line, but other than that, it looks more like an Oldsmobile or maybe a Pontiac. Not saying that in a bad way, but this many years from its build date, not many people are going to get the connection. Most folks know what a 55 Chevy looks like, the other GM brands for 55, not so much. Some would say it’s just a Chevy that someone turned into an Olds because they couldn’t afford or find the real thing. Too much of its original identity lost in the transformation. I mean, it’s not ugly, it has some wonderful lines, especially the side view.

I guess what I’m getting at, is it’s so far from original, not as big a market for cars like that anymore. The folks that loved it when it was newer are fewer and fewer in number, so wonder it’s been a no sale, especially at it’s price.

 

I sort of look at these later Barris cars as relevant because of the work Barris did earlier, not necessarily because these cars are such icons themselves.

Think of it this way; is Stallone an A-List celebrity because of "Stop! Or my Mom will shoot!" or is Stallone a big star because of Rocky and Rambo, and we know his later work because he was already famous from the earlier work? Clearly it's the latter.

 

I don't think it is the best. Prefer Madam FiFi.

 

This one is definitely up there on my list of favorite radical customs.

 

The dash looks like a 55 Chevy
Bout it though

 

When did Sam die…all the “early” Barris Kustoms were more Sam than George. IMHO

Edit:
It wasn’t Sam’s death that was the fork in the road for the “Barris Brothers”. Actually Sam got tired of the hectic L.A. life and moved to the Sacramento area…anyone know what year this occurred? What was the last car Sam actually had a hand in?

 

Can I borrow a quarter for the bus ride home?

Cheers,
Harv

 

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT, HISTORICAL, BARRIS KUSTOM.

 

That's a fair question. I don't know if there is a particular line in the sand, but I do think there is a shift in the styling at some point. The Hirohata, Sam Barris Merc, Matranga, etc., were radical but in a subtle manner. Chopped tops that flowed to perfection, tasteful use of different tail lights, trim packages, etc. The scope of modifications were radical but the styling was more restrained. The later builds, like the Aztec, are about as subtle as a sledge hammer. That's not a derogatory comment, since I like that style sometimes too. It's just stating a fact.

If I had a gun to my head and had to answer that question, I'd say probably once we entered the quad headlight era, so 1957/58(?). Mods became more radical and styling more aggressive. The move away from "less is more" and to "more is more".

Let me be clear, I think this car is awesome. I would absolutely own it (for the right price) and would enjoy the hell out of it. I do think it's a good looking car. Not my favorite work of Barris, but a great custom with an elite pedigree.

 

Everyone chip in a dollar, we can make it.

 

I agree totally with Mark on this one

 

Never heard that description before, but I like the “ melted bar of soap” cars better. Smooth, flowing, minus all the extra add ons. Less is more.

 

Could you clone it for that money?

 

That's a great idea! I wonder if HAMBers really could "crowd fund" a car. The custody arrangement would be the hard part.

 

Here’s an old Hop Up article of the early years:

 

Is probably get hit by a car……

 

I'll chip in a dollar for Moriarity to buy it.

 

Oh, and if we're passing judgement, like the HAMB loves to do to radical customs, my vote it that it's cool as Hell. Always loved that car!

 

That's what I was talking about. @Moriarity is the care taker, everyone gets to see it through the HAMB (and a Xmas card every year) .

 

That's a ton of money for the car as alot of its parts are not even orig when it was first built the car was found with most parts like doors hood grille and so much more missing its almost like it a clone now LOL

 

I just said to my son that you cant build one for the asking price and its a replica! Beautiful car with heritage. WillieBill, pass the hat around mate - I'll throw in a dollar or two.....

 

The Aztec is one of my favorite Kustoms of the era - a huge amount of work went into transforming that car.
Dean Jeffries did the pinstriping on the Aztec as well. Barry did a great job restoring the car and did a lot of research to get it exactly right - including talking to Bill Carr's wife about many of the details. He said she had some great stories about the Aztec. It was on the show field at Amelia this past spring sitting next to the Hirohata Merc. The Jade Idol, The Polynesian and other famous Kustoms were there as well. The first pic is from 2011 when the two "Outlaws" were reunited.