Features Ayala-Barris Jack Stewart 1941 Ford RESTORATION has started.

much better Rik!

 

Wow that looks great Rik!

 

Wow Rik you are one talented mofo that looks great!!

 

Nice work Rik.The gold is nice.

 

Funny how just a few subtle things can make such a difference.

 

nice work!

 

As I supected, I will go from indifference to lust when the wheelwells and the color are changed. On a side note, how about just using a 49-51 Merc wheelwell?

 

I'm pretty sure thats where Jack got the inspiration from when he decided to have the round openings on the '48 Ford front fenders changed in 1949. But since everything else was hand shaped on this car... its probably best to keep using the 48 Ford and Al Ayala shaped openings as a start for the final shape.

 

There you go! Looks like it was meant to be that way all along.

 

The Kats Meow Rik!

 

Subscribed to this one. Great to see all this work being done. Bringing a true old custom back to its former glory.
Superb work.

Paul.

 

Hey Palle,

Uh, uh, you've purchased an early kustom jus' loaded with history, gone to great lengths to build a ''period correct'' powertrain, done some interior sheetmetal alteration, and now your ushering in serious changes to something so prominent as the shapes of the front wheelhouses.............. wouldn't it have been better to just have started a build from scratch? Yes, I get fact it's your car, and everyone's need to put their own personal DNA into a build, but it won't be long before you'll have to start refering to this vehicle as the vehicle formerly known as the Ayala/Stewart '41 Ford.

Unless you like ''street rod'' colours, I'd avoid both of the colours pictured, as they come from circa 1972 Ford Motor Company! Those pigments didn't exist when the original build was completed. I'd look to the Lincoln, Packard or Caddie colours of that era, with ''Gold Dust'' thrown in for a colour closer to what Barris shot on it.

Don'e get me wrong, your work is masterful, so far, jus' not very true to the original build.

'' Do not reach greedily for the Kool-Aid ''

 

great work Palle, keep the updates coming !

 

Sweet!

 

Are you serious ???


Anyway .........Rik the picture looks great,thanks for posting.

 

REALLY!!!... are you serious???

I think it would be best you do a bit of research on this car, or at least try to read some of the comments that Palle and me made on this and other posts concerning this car.

The photoshopped color is... what it is. Photoshopped color, nothing more than to give an impression of what the color change will do to the car. We know who painted the car in 1951, and we know the techniques and the materials they used. We even have access to some original color photos. So don't worry the car will not be in a street rod color. The photoshopped image with the new color was done before we had seen the real color photos... It was based on how Jack and others had described the color of the car back in 1951. So it is a bit off.... but not to far.
And as for the wheel openings. Palle and I had been discussing changing the wheel openings before we talked to Jack Stewart about the car. And when we sat with Jack to talk about the car, and before we even brought this subject matter to him, he mentioned those wheel openings where never finished when the car was built and finished in 1951. He mentioned he could not remember why Al Ayala had not Finnish the rounding of the edges of the flattened openings. Also he cold not remember why Barris did not alter it while he did fine tune a lot of the body work. But it did not happen.. while it should. So if the car gets restored, it would be a good thing to change.

The car will always remain the Jack Stewart Ford... even when Bob Drake "restored" it back in 1972 and changed a lot on it it was known as the Jack Stewart Ford.

 

Yeh I think "pimpin paint" is serious and makes a legitament point. The front wheel openings are hidious and should have been changed by Jack when the car was moved to the Barris shop but they were not. If I owned the Sam Barris Merc. I would want to round the hood corners. That in my opinion would look better but should I ? Tough issue but its a decision the owner will make.

 

You guys are going to kill me, but I actually like the current orange color and hubcaps on the car more than the originals. But the bumper does need to be changed back and the unfinished front wheel openings did look bad. I just wouldn't get too "round" with them though because the squared off front openings kind of gave the car a lot of it's personality. Just don't want it to start looking like "just another kustom" because it's truly anything but.

I see what they were originally going for when they added the piece to the top of the wheel wells, if they are full size then it makes the car look out of proportion by it making the tops of the front fenders too "thin" in relation to the amount of overhang in the front. The A-bros were on the right path stylistically but just didn't follow through with it by making the corners "flow". Just something to think about IMO. But that's just one guy's opinion.

 

While I'm usually all for preserving the original features, good and bad, of a historic vehicle, it seems that what Palle and Rik are proposing is actually consistent with the original owner's vision and intent for the car which apparently was never fully realized by the Ayalas or Barris. Fortunately, Mr. Stewart is still around to offer creative insight and input into the project. So, in this rare case it seems historically appropriate for Palle and his team to finally implement Mr. Stewart's original idea, trumping the imperative to preserve a distinctive (though aesthetically dubious) historic feature (which, according to what Rik has written, seems to be more of an unresolved error than anything else.)

 

Thanks Rik!
as Rik says..we did send another version to Jack, and is waiting for his comments on how he feels. it looks better in my book. wait and see!

let me tell you, I would never have done this, if Jack didn't told us he wanted it done. no matter how stupid the openings looks..but of course I am glad he did, and no doubt it will give the car a more finished look.

And Pimpin paint. I am sorry I disappoint you in your expatiations ..if you know anything about the car Rik and I don't..please let us now!
we actually travelled around the world, and across the US to gather as much info as we could possible find. I am saying this, to let you know, that I am working hard to get it back to the 51 version..trust me, its not easy..or even cheap, to put a 'period correct' powertrain in the car over here! those parts don't hang on trees in my neighbourhood! the same goes with any little piece..so i just as well use the right parts.

I can promise you all that Rik and I, know exactly what color it had back then, and it will get that color! for some reason, we cant show it right now!

we knew this subject would give us a good discussion..so its just fine!

back in my hole..have a nice weekend
-palle

 

Palle......car looks great and you are doing a GREAT job.Im very glad you are doing all that you are.With all the work you and Rik are doing,there is no way you will use the wrong color.

Yes doing a period correct drivetrain is not easy or cheap,I found that out.

 

Hey Rik,
My ''research'' and knowledge of this vehicle didn't begin with this post or the internet. I recalled first seeing it in ''Motor Life'' or '' Motor Trend Magazine '' ( post Walker ownership, probably Skonzakes ownership). I was damn near in shock when I saw what it and The La Jolla brought at the Peterson auction I figgered they both woulda brought six figures given their history and whata silly thirty-two Ford brings today, in and condition!
But, history is really what I'm talking about in this post. Who knows why Mr. Ayala didn't shape those wheelhouses another way, perhaps, in his eye he wanted to ape the shapes of the '49-'51 big Lincolns & Cosmos, and also the shapes of Mercedes Benz race cars of that era, all of which shared that shape, anything to change up the shape of just another '41 Ford? A number have said "yeah, good that your changin' um ", but for sixty-two years the've been a part of this distinct kustom. Some wanna talk about what coulda or shoulda been, but what is, is!

Whenever people start talkin about "restoring'' historic kustoms I think of the fate of Bill DeCarr/ Ortega's '41 Mercury............street rodded into oblivion

" Life ain't no Disney movie "

 

I'll buy that as long at the top line of the wheelwell is optically parallel with the pavement if the car was sitting absolutely level.

 

Rounded wheel well openings for the win!

Not sure about the color, but not my car.

 

Exciting news on this project!

After reading the last few comments on this thread, Jack Stewart got really inspired and his memory brought him back to the late 1940's when he was building this car. And suddenly he got the idea about incorporating some of the new techniques onto his old Custom.
Something like what could have been done back then with everything we know now.
So Jack called Palle, Palle called me and before we knew it we where on a hours long three way phone conference. (US, Denmark and the Netherlands... WOW!)
Together we came up with a new plan for this car... and I think everybody on here will love this.

Jack always wanted the car to be low... so there will be a new frame and all independent suspension. (Jack loved the smooth ride of modern cars) We have just ordered a Air Ride system that will enable us to get the car on the floor (literally!).
We have ordered one of those custom made super high gloss hard-wood dashes with every digital gauge imaginable, and air conditioning hidden under the dash. (this car could get ****** hot in the summer, so the Air will be very welcome once the car is ready to cruise). The seats will be replaced with some better styled leather buckets (4), all electric and climate controlled of course, since the winters can get very cold in Denmark.

The front and rear bumpers will have to go to make place for some fiber gl*** roll pans. The grille opening will be replaced with a Winfield Gl*** 1949 Mercury unit and aftermarket grille teeth installed. The taillight pods will be removed for an even smoother look... Just as the Ayala's would have done it if they where around today.We will collect the lead and re-use it to fill the holes to be totally traditional. New LED taillights will be installed in the roll pan.

20 inch Caddy style billet rims ("Segundo") from Colorado Customs have been ordered and will be mounted on low profile radials with custom made thin white wall sides. We are thinking about adding a Cadillac crest to the center to bind the new and old together.





Jack really liked the Mercedes comments on the front wheel openings and decided to take this "theme" a step further. So the doors will be shortened on the bottom and welded to the body at the top. And then new gullwind doors will be created. This modification was already started this morning and the team of guys will most likely have all this mocked up by the end of the weekend... photos will follow as soon they download from the camera.


A set of Hagan headlights is ordered, this will fix Jack's desire to french the headlights.



And the Caddy Flathead engine is on ebay at the moment. Hopefully it will bring enough money to finance a new 350/350 crate combo.

Finally we have just ordered some color samples from the company that produces the Chameleon Chromalusion paint. We found out that they produce a paint that comes close to what Jack had on the car in 1951, but changes to purple when you walk around it... PERFECT for the car said Jack. (don't look at the silly wheels.. this is just for paint sample)



With Jack approving all this I think we are ok... but to be sure we have asked George Barris about our new goal as well.. (since he is the only other guy who actually worked on the car back in the 1950's who is still alive today) we hope he will approve. We think he will.

 

LMAO !!! Good one Rik!! Keep up the great job Palle !

 

yuk

 

Subscribed!

 

Subscribed this great restoration
Keep up the good work
Looks great and you are doing a GREAT job with the right parts and the best people around you
Go for it!!

 

Hahaha that's awesome!! Great job on this restoration keep it up Palle!!