Ala Kart another customrod survey

So where do you buy those tin foil jack stands? J C Whitney or Sears?
I too, love the Ala Kart. I have a few of the new release of the 1/25 scale model. Some of Barris's work is a bit strange at best but that truck transends all. chant OMMMMMMM

 

Here's a couple vintage cover shots

 

one of my favorites from the good ole days !

 

I'm with you. He pulled some shady **** later in his career, but I own over 2,000 vintage rod mags from the fifties and early sixties, and his influence was TREMENDOUS, as a designer and promoter. Sam and him did great work, but Sam was like a lot of the great builders of the fifties; it was about the work, he wasn't a natural publicist or promoter like George.
Someday I'll get these mags organized!

 

Funny thing just occured to me. Back in those days, when chrome seemed everywhere (seeminly cheap?) why the heck didn't they think to chrome the jack stands? They had chrome fire extinguishers and tools in the trunk, and chrome blocks, and would have chromed the tires if they could, but the display was just an afterthought? Gary

 

Thanks!!

 

Everybody is en***led to their opinion, of course, but my brain cannot wrap around the idea that some people don't like that thing. To like it is a given, sure as the sky is blue.

 

The only thing about that car I don't like is they misspelled my name on the ***le!

 

exactly!

 

All the outside upholstery is just silliness,,other than that its ok,,Looks like it started out fine then got carried away

 

In its time, it was a groundbreaking car. A watershed moment. Out there.

I would imagine that the traditionalists of 1958 (guys over 30) hated it. This 14 year old dug it.

 

Hell yeah, the Ala Kart is kool.

 

Sorry guys, but I've never liked the Ala Kart. The build quality isn't the issue, that's fine, but the rest just seems pointless to me. What this truck could have been we can only guess at.

 

I love the details of the car, but the styling just was never my bag. I've always been a hot rod kinda guy, not customs. I was rooting for it at the Grand national roadster show (Pamokeland?) last year though!

 

Thats what rules about it! Outside upholstery is the icing on a late fifties showcar. There's no reason for it, but it's there. My A is most definitely gettin some outside upholstery.

What this truck could have been? Seriously?

 

With all respect, the point is that it really never needed a point. Despite any perceived styling shortcomings a piece of rodding history like this may have, it is still iconic because of what it stands for in a lot of rodders minds regarding tradition, culture and history. Would I desire to build a truck like this? No. But, I'm very glad it was built and still survives.

I definetly would steal a lot of ideas from it.

 

I like it, probably the only customized early car that I like.
But, at the time it was built, was it considered be too far over the top like a couple of cars (non-traditional) that have won the AMBR? I'm curious.

 

I don't really disagree with any of this, I too am glad this car was built and survives because it does say a lot about that period of time. That said, the question was do we like the car or not, and I find it a bag of mixed messages that, to my eye simply don't work together. We're all trying to put together cars that are unique and this car does fill that requirement, but I like to see cars that make a statement and still manage to be be well designed. I know "good design" is subjective.

 

We don't have to guess, it is the most famous roadster pickup and hotrod showcar in hotrodding history. Built by Richard Peters, Blackie G, and George Barris and then a success as a model kit and known to every hotrodder from the day. Its styling is a stand alone example of hotrodding at it's traditional beginning, as the voting clearly shows.
We don't have to agree, but it is what it is.

 

Very cool custom rod, dig the low deck Dodge hemi with Hilborns, I'm motor kinda guy.
Link to more picures of Ala Kart from Brizios website :
http://roybriziostreetrods.com/progress/mumford_ak/index.htm

 

i dont like it

 

bag of mixed messages
<O
cars that make a statement and still manage to be well designed<O></O>
<O
just seems pointless<O</O
<O
could have been<O</O
<O
All the outside upholstery is just silliness<O
<O
got carried away <O</O
<O
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->cars were impractical. <O
<O
<!-- / message -->overboard with the upholstery and the trim on the bed, and the canted taillights with little nerf bars on them.


Wow with all this at***ude to bad someone didn't just crush it years ago,


I guess you really needed to be there in the late '50s. That's about the time I started going to car shows, and for a kid seeing these show cars was magical, kinda like hot wheels for you younger guys, and transformers for the even younger ones.
This was the whole point of a show car, not something you would see going down the street everyday. Totally unique. Think show car = show girl (as in Vegas), nice to look at and fun to dream about but not real practical to take home.
The Ala Kart is not a hot rod or a custom, it's a show car.


As for Mr. Barris' credibility, that is his own fault, when he started taking bows for cars everyone knows he had nothing to do with, and most of the stuff he did build from the late '60s on was amateurish, he hurt himself.

[

 

I always thought it was cool , but after seeing it and touching it I knew it was F*&%KING Cool. The Ala Kart is up there with the Emperor.

 

Well Texas********, first of all if you could read you'd have noticed that I did say it was unique. And if you knew anything about what I do like or don't like you might not have lost the wheels off your tram on this one. As far as my having no understanding of art, design, ideas , or skill you might find it interesting to know I spent my entire working life as a graphic designer, and art director (over 50 years) working for many national companies, including the National Football League, so let's see your art background. If you want to see some of my work you don't have to go any further than my album. What is it about some of you guys that get all pissed if somebody thinks a little differently from you or happens to disagree with your point of view? I guess it hadn't occurred to me when I joined that this site it was only open to single focus taste. Now the question is: Who's taste?

 

It will forever be my most favorite hotrod/kustom ever.

 

By the way Texas********, you're not old enough to be "Old School"

 

When I lived in Phoenix, I heard the Ala Kart was there as well. The stories I heard made the truck look a little run-down, to be kind. But I still loved it, much to the amazement of my buddy Ralph, who one day pointed out the owner of the Kart to me. He said the guy was a real jerk, but if I wanted to see the Ala Kart, I may get lucky and he may let me see it. To this day I regret not at least asking the owner at the time.

 

I like it,,,,, just not sure what I like the most about it.

 

I built the kit about 1964 and still have it in good shape.
Dont remember why I painted it purple tho.
Was the AlaKart ever purple?
I was in Hobby Lobby in 2004 and found the kit again
Of Course I bought it!

 

I was there in the late '50s, and I too saw the show cars...doesn't mean we had to like them...some were great, others were done just for effect...some people like over the top, I don't...the chrome toilet on T rails with the blown motor seemed as stupid to me then as it does now...don't get me wrong, the Ala Cart had some great features, but I still say that Barris went too far...as far as Texas ********, jeez, why fire both barrels at someone because they don't agree with you???