El Capitola Custom Surfaces in Maine

I don't know if anybody posted this in recent months but the Barris El Capitola was sold by the Brookville Roadster guy in OH to Guy Boucher in Maine and he just completed a 4 year restoration on the car. His wife says he won't display it anywhere and wants to sell if for $300,000. Any takers?


http://www.exploremaine.com/~capitola/elcapitola.htm

 

Is it just me, or do others think that a good deal of Barris built cars look like the inside of a diner.

 

i gotta admit, given my preference for over the top show kustoms, i've always liked the El Capitola, and the resto looks unbelievable...but...$300,000???, Guy Boucher is certainly no Johnny come lately, i guess that means in essence the car is not for sale, but everything has its price.....

 

If I had a spare $300,000 I'd but it in a second.

 

I think Barris' early work was good but he lost his way and got too outlandish and the "hey look at me style" took over. I like subtle customs that make the cars look like the original designers wanted them to look before the corporate suits screwed up their designss. Most cars just need a little smoothing to make things flow.

 

I agree, the Hirohata Merc and the 2nd version of Rev. Larry Ernst's Chevy hardtop are my 2 favorite Barris cars. The Walker clone of the Merc was at BTT50'S this last weekend. Then is seems that everyone was trying to "outgimick" the next guy. Downhill from there.

BB

 

That seems like a bargain to me... When you think about how chicks would willingly get into that car...

Does anybody have any idea how much money you go through in a year buying rufies and duct tape!?!?

In 3 years it would pay for itself.

 

Let's not confuse the work of Sam Barris and George Barris when it comes to taste.

 

To that I might add that El Capitola was not built at George Barris shop but it is one of very few cars from Sam Barris own shop and also the last kustom built by Sam. Sam is the one with known for his good taste, but the style of El Capitola shows what was in fashion when it was completed 1959.

 

No, Diners were/are built to look like the custom cars.

It WAS built by Sam, by the way, around 1960.

I think some customizing guys used to design and build cars and then sell them, or turn down customers design ideas as not being their "style". Other customizers would do whatever the customer wanted because they were in business to please AND make money! George is the latter.
And you can tell which way is a good way to stay in business since George IS STILL in business.

It'll get the money too.

 

That car is more of an investment now than anything...
It will probably never be driven again. Just think of what it will be
worth 10 years from now... George isn't getting any younger,
when he passes away the price on that car will go through the roof...

 

Does it come w/ a free house and the land it sets on?

 

I think, for the period of time it was built in, that it is actually a fairly restrained and tasty custom.

Sometimes I wonder if part of the reason Sam got out of building customs is because the car show scene focused on getting more and more outlandish which conflicted with his own views.

I mean, he was the master of refined restraint and I wonder if by about 1960, he had to look around and think to himself: "Customs have gone to hell - This is a joke - I'm out"

?

 

maybe its me but i REALLY hate (and i know i piss in the wind when i say this) when people think things are worth more because someone "special" made it, signed it, spit on it, shit on it. granted the meaning of "worth" is "what someone will pay"

there was a post on the jockey journal a little while back that someone posted an ebay link of an engraved magneto...they were debating on whether it was engraved by Von Dutch.... somepeople were saying "it would be cool if it was done by Dutch" so what...........if it wasn't...its not cool anymore ???? really? thats NUTZ. or "I would only pay that price if it was engraved by Dutch"

same thing goes for prices....i cant fathom paying a crazy price for something just because of the person who made it....

GRANTED DO NOT GET THIS CONFUSED WITH QUALITY OF WORK..i.e. why people buy certain brands of things for a higher price, and why some peoples work is worth more than others....

id certainly pay more for one brand of things or one persons work over another if the quality is better. but id also buy it if it was cheaper but better quality or a different brand either (if that all makes sense!)

the end of the day, its a nice car, but why should it be worth a bazillion dollars more because "someone" built it? is it just to say "it was built by so and so"????????

if it is going to be used as a promotional piece, than of course appropriate ROI would be calculated in to the worth if it was going to be a source of profit

im sure ill get all the "historical significance" and what not responses, but in all practicality I just dont "get" it.

now, ive paid for some peoples art some big bucks, but mainly because they were worth it to me for the art, not because of "who" did the art.....

....i guess worth means different things to different people.

 

Yep, I concur. The last decent clean "organic" Barris creation was the Hirohata Merc, then the things started getting gaudy. But that was the show circuit, the more you put on the more the judges lapped it up like kittens. Less is almost always more: example - the Matranga Merc was clean, with an emphasis on simp[le elagance and as Harry Bently Bradley puts it 'the purity of the line". That car flowed nicely with out looking like a worn out bar of soap like so many of the new breed of street rod and custom. And it sat right, not solow as to look broken but lower than stock. It's all about balance, fore & aft, top & bottom. A well proportioned custom will almost take on a feminine quality to its shape. Maybe that's I like 'em so much... Well, that's just 2 of my many cents worth.

__________________________________

Being a true man ain't easy. If it were more guys would be doing it.

 

now, ive paid for some peoples art some big bucks, but mainly because they were worth it to me for the art, not because of "who" did the art.....

....i guess worth means different things to different people.[/QUOTE]

Isn't that the very nature of art? Only the person who created could have been the one to do it by virtue of being themselves. I agree, just because someone famous did vs. an unknown may not make it more valuable to you or I but there are plenty of folks who'd disagree with us. Von Dutch stuff is an example. Only he could have done it because he was the only Von Dutch. The stuff you and I do can only come from us because we are the only examples of us there are. Too bad for me nobody's ready to pony up big bucks for anything I've done. Maybe after I die... Nah probably not then either but so what, I like what I like and that's important enough for me.

it would be more economical and a better journey for the soul to clone a famous car you love than it would be to bust ass at a job you hate to pay too much money for the real deal. spend that money on the ones you love. Or a full body tattoo, or new tools, or a new project, or get yer crotch ground raw with lap dances. Whatever floats your forklift.

Bottom line, love what you love 'cuz it spins your crank. Piss on the rest of 'em. Life's too F-ing short as it is... Just ask my dead friends.

_________________________________-

Being a true man ain't easy. If it were more guys would be doing it.

 

Great resto, the car looks beautiful. But I wouldn't pay 300 grand for ANY car.

I can appreciate history without owning it.

But then, I guess when you think about the fact that guys are dumping 100k plus in to customs these days it may actually be worth the money considering it's historical significance.

 

I have heard that Sam Barris was the cool one and George a pain in the butt showman, any truth to that?

 

From the guys I've talked to, and thats' quite a few (McKormick, Harry Bradley, Lowe, Crook) George was the promoter, showman, photographer, and the designer. Sam was the talented metal man. Sam got replaced by George using outside labor, including Winfield, Cushenberry, Jeffries, et al. Harry
Bradley was especially impressed by George's design talent. Which is saying a LOT!
Sam, on the other hand, knew the technical aspects, but had less of a designers eye with buuilding cars. The Capitola is all his, and while it is a pretty wild car, even good looking, in a flashy, baroque way, his sense of style and proportion is a bit lacking.
Art, what makes some pictures worth millions, and others worthless? Who did it? When it was done? How, where, what technique? A pioneer in a style, or a follower? Rarity, antiquity, fame, popularity?
Why is the real Mona Lisa worth so much? why are the rest of his paintings worth less (even is not by a lot)? Why isn't my oil paint by number copy worthless, it looks just like it?
The open market, and enthusiasts with money are the ones who will stamp a value on these kinds of cars.

 

I know I'm going to regret this because a bunch of you are going to lampoon and roast and toast it, but what do you think of my new custom 1960 caddy eldorado brougham?

http://www.decorides.com/carsforsale2.htm

 

I REALLY dig the shifter in the el capitola. its clean, yet, outrageous, yet functional all at the same time...

 

Did you guys see what ELSE he has?
http://homes.midmaine.com/~capitola/topfuel.htm

 

I thought Gook Wagons were an east coast thing.

 

That's sweeter than a Texas cheerleader in a bathtub full of honey.

 

Terry, that cars is fantastic! No one here with a lick of sense could possibly roast it. Even though it is a rare, and desireable car, you went and customized it. That's balls! Next, the customizing was well thought out, period perfect, and very well executed. A great example of a tasteful early 60's custom, although you are treading a thin line between a real "custom" and a concept car type design, that could have been in the 1960 Motorama!
Some East Coast greats are mentioned in the build. Harvey is a top notch customizer, and so is Ram! The RIGHT coast can build nice customs!

 

I'm beginning to hate this guy. Alot!

 

Terry, very elegant looking Caddy for sure...Tasty!!!

 

Lampoon and roast and toast what?

Building a nice looking caddy and trying to get real money for it?

Like Richard Pryor said to Eddie Murphy in regards to Bill Cosby criticizing his act "tell him to have a coke and a smile, and shut the fuck up".

 

I don't think so Terry, no one in his right mind would roast that car.
That Caddy is TITS, beautiful job, nice and simple and very clean.

BB

 

Hey Terry, That baby is BEAUTIFUL, but I still like your 59 best.-MIKE