Anyone know anything about this car?Originally from Cicero,Illinois. Originally gold glitter metallic,Mercury taillights,Chevy interior.Many 1st place trophy winner. It was shown around the midwest in the early 60's as "Golddigger" before major body changes and orange paint. Appeared in Hot Rod Magazine's Custom Car Yearbook #1 in 1963. It's a lowered 1957 Fairlane with a '57 Desoto bumper and headlights, shaved doors,rounded hood & trunk,frenched antennas,1962 Chevy tuck and roll interior,upholstered trunk & engine compartment & lots more. I found it after having been stored in a trailer since 1983.I am beginning restoration and looking for any info or pictures anyone may have. Thanks. GEE YOU GUYS SURE ARE SWELL....
I seem to remember this car been up here before, was it on e-bay 6 months ago or something...? Really cool, lookin forward to see more of it!
That's awesome! I love seeing this kind of stuff. Glad to hear your going to do it justice and return it to its former glory. Keep us updated on the progress.
cool car...wish you all the luck on getting all the old info on it. i will look thru some of my 50's and early 60's mags for anything that might help. don't hold your breath though. later dudes chuck
Here goes. I originally took a picture of the car(1st photo) in 1966 when I was 12 years old at the World Of Wheels auto show at the International Ampitheatre in Chicago.I just thought it was SO COOL! Years later I found the picture and had it on my bulletin board in one garage or another.I would tell my friends that if I ever had a full blown custom car it would be something like that one.Last year I was at the Hunnert Car Pileup at Grundy County Speedway in Illinois and happened to see a guy showing someone a photo album of some cars he owned.I recognized the car right away and told him I had a picture of the car.He asked if I wanted to buy it.At the time I wasn't ready to buy it and took a p***.I gave it some thought (not much) & this year I was determined to find that guy again and buy the car.I returned to the Pileup in early October (I was on a mission from God )and found the guy,he still had the car and I made an appointment to see the car.Here I am 40 years later finding myself standing in front of it again.It was sandblasted in 1983 and the owner became ill and was unable to continue with restoring it which was his intent.It sat in a trailer since then.Needless to say, two weeks later I had it parked in my garage.Car has some rust thru (drivers side rocker,small holes in L & R quarter panels) but I have replacements.Interior Tuck & Roll upholstery is in excellent condition.Even the T&R in the trunk, underside of hood and trunk lid,even on the panels for the fender wells for the inside of engine compartment are in great shape.I have started cleaning up the metal and putting it in primer.Motor is out of it.The engine will be redone.Beefed up 312 with Tri-power chrome Strombergs,Offenhauser finned valve covers,lots of chrome and 3 speed on the floor,before any filler touches the car.I hope to take it to the Pileup in primer next year. Then on to it's former glory... Thanks to all who asked.
Awsome! I alway's love to hear when a dream is fulfilled. Sounds like you're the perfect guy to bring this one back. Good Luck!
extensive clear photos of the car required!! J/K I have a 57 2dr hardtop also and have done the same headlights and was looking at doing similar front and rear bumper treatments, I'll have to look through my little books for this car, but haven't notice a lot of old custom 57s with the chrysler headlight setups. I have collected a few vintage mag only because there are customized 57 ford in them. I'll see what I can find. If you can post clear'er pics on a photobucket or something that would be great.
sweet car. you goin back to the Gold paint job or the orange??? i vote for the gold!! can't wait to see it at the Pile Up. better get busy.
Kinda looks like it. That car is bad***! I've got a soft spot for the '57-58 DeSotos and that Ford looks an awful lot like one. Those last pics (from '65) made my jaw drop. No wonder you were so fascinated by it as a kid. Great story.
Another Kust 57 on the bay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford...020QQitemZ300052494632QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
Yes it is.Apparently it didn't make the reserve.Worked out to my advantage.I wasn't sure whether the car existed anymore.After keeping that picture all these years now the car is mine..
This is awesome. As smooth as the 57s look in the mild state (see the cover of Rod and Kulture this month), they look as killer in the radical 60s style too. This is a great example where the over the top styling didn't destroy the looks of the car. Very rad, and it would be awesome to see it "restored" to it's 60s show car glory. Keep up 57 lovers posted!
Yep, damn good to see somebody restore an old custom. That ride is sweet. I don't know if it is just me, but, the old show pictures seem to show the car has an Alexander Bros. influence.-MIKE
OK, I'm going out on a limb here, and it might not be the same car, but I'll put ot out. A couple years ago my parents were coming home from Chicago when they stopped in Lasalle Ill (north central part of Illinios) Long story short, they got to talking to a guy who had pictures in his gas station of his old custom car. the only visual I have of the car right now is a print out of the Dec.'62 issue of rod-n-custom it was on the cover of. It would be the first gold version, with a little different front, but it looks like a '57 ford with the same dual headlights and chin piece. Like I said, a long shot, but a heavily customized ford from that era in upstate Ill. Maybe someone with this issue can help.
I'll have to find this mag.The car was owned at one time by some guy who had a gas station.He used it as a pushcar. Do you recall where it was located? Thanks for the input.Much appreciated.Ed
The next time I went through they took me by the station were he was. It was an older station with many service bays added on. He was already closed for the day, and I haven't been back since.It was right downtown, and I kinda did a search, and the closest thing I came up with a place called Kings'. I looked up their ad on a yellow pages site and they sold wheels, chrome add ons, so I figured that was it. I'll pm you the #.Like I said, its a long shot, but I hope it works.
I called them & they referred me to a place called Big Boys in LaSalle but couldn't find a listing for the place.I appreciate your effort.Thanks,Ed
Here's a link too all the gold digger pictures from the Rik Hoving site Coming from one 57 Ford show survivor too another https://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11...cars/50s-60s-built-1957-/1957-ford-the-gold-/ Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
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