In the midwest I think they are dying out, I am a custom guy first, but I am in business to build stuff for people, thats why I have 3 pro tour cars, one street machine and a truck going on...and one of the baddest customs under construction in the world sitting with no client, as the customer was hiding it form his wife...thus is out of $$ for it. This thing was being built as not many customs are, in that the ch***is has a ton of custom work, boxed rails, tube crossmembers, crazy engine sheet metal...all the stuff to go to the big indoor shows and do very well. The market is so small for a high end custom, there are far more customers out there wanting the basic red 32 with a small block or a 69 Camaro with an LS1... I absolutly loved restoring the Westergard Caddy, I wish I could work on stuff like that everyday, but in the wolrd of building for a living, the custom customer is few and far between. Don't think the customs are a smaller market...prove me wrong and find someone to take over this Buick sitting here undone...LOL!!
I'm bumping this back up, as I'd like to see all those that are being built. I came to this site hoping to build a full out traditional early-mid 30's ford coupe or "rudy" truck. I am starting to REALLY want to cut into a Kustom build after my truck is done. I just don't want to get into it and really really mess up. I want to learn metal shaping and all but get tired of things if it's not going towards building something, or showing physical progress on the big picture! So let's see those kustoms under construction! I'm talking about ANY stage of the build, it doesn't matter. Just bought it, or just finished it. Post em up!
My 37 is chopped, lowered shaved and molded with a healthy 340, is it a rod or custom.Back in the 50's you would shave the hood deck the trunk lid maybe french the head or taillights or maybe shave the door handles. Today they add 19" wheels and air bags, no shaving, decking or molding and they are still called a custom. I've must have been a sleep for a couple of years, when did this start?
I could be wrong, but is a kustom not a car that is drastically changed from it's original shape so that you have to take a stab at what it is? It's not about wheel choice, it's about cutting up a car to make it flow and look 100x better than stock. You may have been asleep, I just want pictures...
I agree a cars lines should flow not just cut and add . My car is on the Let see those Hunsons thread
maybe if more people were into full kustom living then there would be more kustoms. I'm more of a 1/8 kustom living person so yeah.....
Ellaborate... See the way I look at it, take some of those high dollar, street rod esq. cars you would see at a Goodguys show. The have smooth flowing lines, a lot of chrome, tweed interiors, and probably some sort of chrome wheels with low profile radial tires. That car is a custom car. The whole kustom with a K to me defines a car that has 50's custom tricks in it. Nosed, decked, shaved, lowered and some wide whites with some nice hubcaps. Now either may or may not look good but thats the way I ***ociate it.
I'm talking about cars like B***' "fastback" he's building, **** where metal has to be push, pulled, shaped, cute, and all. Radical stuff. Something like that 3 window I saw here recently on the forum that has SEDAN PARTS to fix it, stretch 4.25 inches, chopped, ford semi style grill, packard fenders, all made to fit and flow nicely. That's what I meant, thats what I want pics of. Be it a "k"ustom or a "c"ustom. The spelling means nothing, it's a one off piece of art. "custom" work.
kustoms are alive and well in my shop! id sure hate to hear that the 50+ year old tradition of kustom cars is dying now, and mine wont be on the road til spring
i think traditional, little book, styled custom cars are becoming not so popular, I even believe 50s cars in general are dying out, a few years ago it seemed like you used to see like twice as many tri five chevys as you do now...and if the rate of 50s cars going down, customs go down too, if that makes any sense.
hell no customs aernt dyin out! people are just gettin lazy when comes to building a car. its a hell of alot easier to build a rusted model a (for example :cover car of rebel rods issue 3) than a slick *** custom. customs take alot more time and planning for a really eye catching car. anyone can bolt a model a body to a half *** built frame and drive it down the road. but just my opinion.
I dont think so, my shop up here in canada hs a 2 year wait to get it to start a full custom. We have 6 in th shop right now 30s to 50s era. I think its as strong as ever. Mine will be on the road in spring
Kustoms aren't dead and they're not going to die. But it is really hard to build a nice kustom nowadays. Certain parts are hard to find, the cost of chrome is sky high, and the skill level needed to build a GOOD kustom is very high. Anybody proficient with a welder and who has mastered right angle geometry can chop a Model A. A '49 Merc, Fleetline, or later model with curved gl*** is on a whole different level. In addition, for kustoms to not die out, there needs to be new life building them. I think part of the youth thing is to have a fast car, which rods have going on; lightweight and fast. Less emphasis put on style and more put on speed and power. Actually, for a rod, performance IS style. Different story for a kustom. The very things that make kustoms cool is what makes them perform worse often. Adding weight, lowering the car in a fashion which compromises ride quality and drivability are examples. A kustom's primary purpose is to look cool, not haul ***. You can make them haul ***, but that means more power, and horsepower equal money. A kid has to be content with just having a cool car to cruise.
A local talent is doing his part.... one merc at a time I've got a long way to go but I'm looking at a "mild" custom treatment to my hardtop, s.
You mean "full poser living"? I know that line is off the cover of Garage magazine, but it sure sounds like something from OSR/CKD. The "lifestyle" thing has nothing to do with the ammount of true custom cars being builts these days. In fact, the "lifestyle" guys that are most often building BS, half ***, junk customs.
Or they're the ones who ride up in mommy's minivan with their 6 man "car club crew" in the back. I'll quote BadBob in this situation: "Walkabillys"
I think a lot of these "custom" cars, the ones that give a solid platform line wise, not even quality wise, are becoming more and more rare and expensive. A lot of guys just don't want to throw down the cash to get started! I would love to grab one that has a full frame under it, and available patch panels. But wanting 10-15000 for some rusted sheetmetal you have to patch like a full car isnt going to happen.
My concerns with Kustoms is being able to show the young kats that you don't have to have a Merc or a car that is chopped to be considered a kustom. When I was introduced to Kustoms I was drivng a '55 Chevy 4 door and I wanted a chopped Merc. They were and still is the ultimate kustom. I was twenty years old and could not afford one. So instead of giving up on the dream, I bought Dummy spot lights, lake pipes, lowered it as low as I could and shaved some chrome off. I knew that it wasn't a Merc but I was being able to play the game with very little effort and money. I would Kruize the streets and all the Kustom guys would waive or give me the thumbs up. I was part of something that is kool. Kool is not expensive and you cannot buy it. Almost twenty years later I was able to purchase my Merc that was finished but it needed a lot of changing. I drove it for my daily driver over seven years and just recently able to buy another daily driver so I can finish out my dream. The dream to own a fifties style Kustom Merc. Why am I into Kustoms? The people involvd in Kustoms are the greatest people you will ever be around. If you have a part that your looking for or need. Its not for sale it is giving to ya. You cannot believe the floating grill that was giving to me this weekend. We should look for opportunity to help people continue the kustom movement. Kustoms are not only about chopped, radical altered cars. It is a fifities life style and you can be part of the experience in any pre 64 car. I had a lot of great times in my '55 Chevy. The main reason for this is because of Gary Mundy, Hub Harness and Jeryy ***us making me feel like I was part of this movement. Because of this I was able to follow my dream, be patient and eventually getting closer to being there. I put on a couple of shows a year to try to reach the younger guys to show them what they can be a part of. Kustom shows are not popular to some of the guys because your not going to be able to see thousands of cars. I'm a short and my momma always told me that size isn't everything. Its the heart thats important, its not just about the cars. I cannot wait to show you the pictures of the Kustoms that were a Ft Scott this weekend. Lot of kool stuff in the Mid-West. While we are on the subject of Kustoms, I can not believe the killer kustoms that were at the James Dean Run and Ducktail. I was not there (will be next year) Checkout the website coverage below. http://www.jamesdeanducktailrun.com/ A lot of these Kustom should be in Salina at the Spectacular. I know and heard that they're were some personality problems and maybe some hard feelings that were keeping them away. Kustom guys need to get over this and support the Kustom movement. I'm only 45 and I want a place to go play with my Merc When I'm only 70. I'll see ya in Salina and you will see me next September. Sorry to rant but I have a p***ion for Kustoms and if I have anything to do with it, Kustoms will never die............ Happy Trails, Mick
Customs and Hot Rods won't ever die I believe (and truly hope). Here in Europe there are some cool cars which are being built or already done. Ok, we don't have ur skills but things are moving for a few years. In Europe what u call "import cars" rule the road (yeah i know, it's a sad story), but a few afficionados are trying to make it change. I own a '67 Camaro for 2 years now and i won't die until I own and build my own Hot Rod and Custom. More and more people are just like me. But i agree with the guy who said it's getting more and more expensive to just buy a car. i don't care I'll eat bread and drink water if needed but I'll get my own... Last thing I have to say is as long as guys like u dear Hambers live, Customs won't die. Neither will Hot Rods. And I strongly believe people like B*** and his '49 (and all the guys i forgot the name.... sry I'm quite new here) is the best proof. Like Terrarodder sez : "Long live the Kustom movement". And **** billet
<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" width="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">Big long smooth Kustoms is what they all want just some of us can't afford them all at once so we also build hot rods to compensate. aabut a big old Kustom is still the king just like Elvis. Rags </TD></TR><TR UNSELECTABLE="on" hb_tag="1"><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height=1 UNSELECTABLE="on"> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Kustoms are cars from the Barris shop. Customs are cars built for the tastes for the CUSTOMER. Just to clarify...
No, I can not even try to imagine how anyone can even think customs are dying out. With all the new technology available to now make your own parts (compared to the 40's thru 80's), all the"cool" looking head & tail lamps now being used on production cars available for swapping, new paint & materials, the custom area has to grow. It has been the one area of our hobby that, to say the least, has remained consistent. Hot rodding (go fast quick cars) has yo-yoed over the last 1/4 century. You have had your "drag cars", "pro street", "G-Machines" etc.,and don't get me wrong, they are all fine.....but no consistency as compared to and as I like to call them, Kustoms. Long live all of them,hot rods & Kustoms!!
The Jalopy Journal
