Customs History of the Custom display ~ GNRS ~ OFFICIAL thread info & photo's

Looking forward to see you again Janne!

 

We are proud to announce yet another great historical custom car.
The Jay Everett completely hand built Astra Coupe.



The car can better be titled as a Sports Custom, than a Custom Car, since the complete body and most everything else is hand made. However the car was shown at many Custom Car shows, and featured in the Custom car Magazines in the 1950's and 1960's.

Jay started working on his dream car in 1952. He had build some custom cars prior to this car, and had a special interest in car and other product design, and even entered the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena to help shape his design skills.
For this car Jay wanted something unique. Not based on a factory car like most of the other custom cars that where built in that era.

Everything was based on the designs drawn by Jay and the frame was constructed by Paul Koonz using oval tubing, based on Jay's designs.
Jack Sutton and Dennis Powers hand built the complete body out of Alluminum and they first needed to created some special tools to be able to shape the body panels in similar ways as that was done in the aircraft indistry.
The only excisting car products used on the body are the 1952 Cadillac Windshield and a rear window from a Chevy Fleetline.







The grille was created from Flat stock and a set of modified 1953 Cadillac hubcaps where used.
The interior was all custom built as well. The hood and front fenders where a single unit and flipped forward to open. A lot of the design elements seen on this car would later find its way into other factory show cars and production car. Like the flip front (Jaguar) and the headlights (1956 Lincoln)





The car was completed and first shown at the 1953 Petersen Autorama Show. In 1955-56 the car was updated, and a new front and rear end was added among other things. This new version of the car was named the Astra Coupe.

George Barris photo






at the end of the 1950's Jay sold the car to Dick Hoy who had Barris redo the car once more. George Barris has always been very interested in the Astra Coupe because it was its time ahead so much, and always gathered a huge croud around it at all teh shows it was entered. The car was shown for a couple of more years and after that sold several times.
Artist Jeff Allison was one of the owners who had plans to fully restore the car, but never got around to start the project. However he did a lot of research on the car, gathered information when nobody else around knew anything about the car, and in the end made sure the car was going to a new owner who he knew would do the car justice.






Worn, but remarkable complete


Eventually J. F. Launier came across the car when Jeff owned it, and found somebody that would be able to buy the car and have J.F. do the restoration work in his Kustom Shop. The new owner Barry Blomme was going for a very accurate and complete restoration. the end result is as an extremely remarcible hands crafted custom car tat was restored back to its 1956 configurations.













The finished Astra and the at the team Desert Speed Shop that restored the car.









Recently the car was sold again and the new owner Fred Phillips is bringing the car to the show for everybody to enjoy.

 

Oh my!! The Mountain Pearl! Such a great truck.

What about the Golden Nugget? Y'know, that gold flaked survivor F100 that rocks many Cal. shows? Wouldnt it be perfect too? The origianal patina is bad ass also.
If i remember corect the owner is a guy in his 20s.

I think it would be a treat to park it next to the Trendero, 2 survivor customs in unrestored condition and both w/ a bitcin patina that is almost a sacrilege to rubb off.
......im just day dreamin i know.

Hot Rod Hon fugly Merc would also be intresting to see...No offense meant, its an intresting car, but also ugly

 

OMG, how very cool! I'm really looking forward to meeting you. I've been a fan of your artwork for YEARS!

 

You Guy's are F****** Amazing !!!!!!!

That is another GREAT car.

Please notice that because it's Christmas and I am old that I have bowed to the PC Gods and used the asterisk's.

Can't wait til the end of January.

BB

 

oooh...... The Astra Coupè too.....
it sucks being broke. This is goin to be something i'll regret not attending for the rest of my days.

 

Love Mark Mortons Merc, this event gets better every time I check the thread
You guys are doing a great job

 

Me and a few of the other Alter Boys making the trek to the GNRS this year. Cannot wait for this show.

 

Mountain Pearl - Buddy Alcorn Merc - Mark hop up Morton's Merc - Astra Coupe.
What ever will you pull out of your hats next?

 

We should do a New England meet and greet!

 

Cool, the Astra Coupe looks so much better in its second mid 50's version. Glad to see that is still in that form.

 

So I tried to go through the thread, but it's become ...well quite long. Where do we buy the weekend pass for the show? I looked on the website, but I can only find buying individual days. I'm pretty sure at some point I read you could buy a 3 day pass? Am I right?

 

The Super 8 hotel in Upland is wicked cheap,is it ok?

 

There is another thread talking about motels and I think this is one that was not recommended.

Can't find the thread right now though.

BB

 

Definitely

We're staying at the Red Roof which was pretty cheap as well

 

Can't seem to find it.

 

Search is our friend, I typed in "motels for gnrs" and this what popped up"

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL237/1412684/14384586/215389210.jpg

BB

 

Hi, tickets can be purchased at the gates the weekend of the event and will not sell out. Kragan/O'Reily Auto Parts stores in California all have free discount coupons. Thanks

 

Rik, i have a question ( i know i can ask by straight email but what the heck ) anyway, the Alcorn Merc had Fadeaways right? But, if you look at the picture of the Merc on the trailer - from the Pete & Jake book it clearly shows the door having the factory 49-51 dip in the door. Now, that car could of had damage to it and thus, the door replaced, but the door is chopped and the color matches the rest of the car. At the lower left side of the fender you can see the stainless arrow trim piece , the front end work, the chop, and so many other area's show that its obviously the Alcorn Merc but that door has me wondering. See picture below.

 

After reading what Rik wrote and doing some other research its obvious that the car had some damage and that the door was replaced. That opening is weird though

 

Linky no worky but I found it anyway.Thanks anyway Bob!

 

Here is a LINK that does work. Its on page 7 of this thread scroll down to post #125 by Axle.

 

Axle... and others that are interested. There is a good thread about the Alcorn Merc HERE. It will tell you all about the gap, hole and door etc. From page 4 it will tell you with detailed info what happened.

 

A N.E. meet and great would be cool. It would be nice to see some folks from back east.

 

HOTEL & MOTEL info: These are all within a 1/2 mile to 3 mile radius of the Pomona Fairplex. Prices will range from $44.00 - $100 per night.

Howard Johnson Express Inn
721 South Indian Hill
Claremont, Ca. (BC Cafe Restaurant across the street - VERY good food)

Claremont Lodge
763 S. Indian Hill
Claremont,Ca.

Hotel Claremont
840 S. Indian Hill
Claremont, Ca.

Comfort Inn
1421 S. Garey Ave.
Pomona, Ca.

Extended Stay America Los Angeles
601 W. Bonita Ave.
San Dimas, Ca.

Red Roof Inn
204 North Village Ct.
San Dimas, Ca.

Kellog West Conference Center
3801 W. Temple Ave.
Pomona, Ca.

Best Western Diamond Bar Hotel & Suites
259 Gentle Springs Lane
Diamond Bar, Ca.

Super 8 Motel
1282 W. 7th Street
Upland, Ca.


AIRPORT INFO:

Ontario International Airport
2900 E. Airport Dr.
Ontario, Ca. 91761

Located off the 10 Freeway at Haven exit , the airport is less than 10 miles to the fairplex.

 

We are very proud to announce that this original Clarkaiser Custom 1955 Thunderbird will be part of the Customs Then & Now exhibition.

The car is better known as The Golden Bird. This nick name was given to the car because of its gold colored accents and it golden hue in the pearl paint job.




In 1955 when the car was just three month old, owner Bob Palmer took it to the Detroit located ClarKaiser Custom Shop. It would take the shop 8 month to create the Golden Bird.

Ron Clark and Bob Kaiser where two partners who ran the Custom Shop, and together they turned out a lot of great and well known custom cars like the Artic Sand 1947 Ford Coupe, the Utopia Shoebox Ford and the Dream car for Andy Di Dia. And the 1955 T-bird that Ron had built is a fine result of some excellent design and Custom building qualities the shop was known for.

The car can be considered a mild custom car, but it has some very nice and elegant custom body work and other elements done to it.
The hood scoop has been modified and extended forward. The headlights are reshaped 1952 Ford units and are frenched into the front fenders.
A new grille opening was crated using Studebaker front pans and filled with gold colored metal mesh with vertical bars. The floating grille/bumper was made from the top portion of a 1953 Buick front bumper with the bullets of a 1953 Mercury.





At the rear the fenders where extended 7 inches at the top, and 12 at the bottom to give them this wonderful long and streamlined look. A new opening was created from round tubing and filled with Gold metal mesh and behind that custom made taillights. The fenders are protected by bumperettes created from two 1953 Ford Bumper ends, so four bumpers where used to create them. The back up lights are 1955 parking lights. and mounted on a smoothed and rolled pan.




The door handles where removed as well as all the rest of the trim pieces. Originally the car had the push buttons hidden in the T-Bird crest on the top, but those where apparently removed over the years or in the restoration. Special fender skirts where made using a pair of 1951 Mercury units, and not folow the shape of the doors. The hubcaps are Chrysler 300 Units with the centers modified. The July 1956 issue of Motor Life named the car the "Gilded T-Bird".




The car was finished with a wonderful white pearlescent paint with a golden hue. Which was replicated as close as possible in the restoration. Some of the photos here captured the paint rather well, but to really appreciate it you have to see it in person.

In 1956 the car debuted at the Ford Rotunda show where it won its first award, and inspired the Ford Stylists.







These photos where taken in 1956 at the Ford Rotunda car show.




Chuck Vranas photo




The Award Don won in 1956 at the Ford Rotunda Show.



Another 1950's photo show the push button location at the B-Pillar.


Current owner Don Morton from Michigan owns the car since 1958, and is the third owner. The car has undergone a three year body-off restoration, and other than a few mechanical modifications the car is as close as possible to how the car first looked when it left the ClarKaiser Custom Shop. We are very proud that Don Morton is bringing his T-Bird all the way from Michigan to show this fine sample of "mid-west" Custom styling at the Customs Then & Now exhibit.

 

The golden bird is really clean. High level custom.

 

Today its time to announce a more recent year custom car that was build according the lines of the custom cars from the late 1940's and 1950's.

Howard Gribble photo


Ron Gomez had his 1941 Buick built by Joseph and team at the Drag-N Shop. Ron bought the car in California, but the car had spend most of its live in Hawaii, and therefor had suffered a lot from the salty air. Most of the Chrome was badly pitted and needed to be replace.

When it was time for the body work on Ron's Car he took it to the Drag-N Shop with the request to make it a Padded Topped Convertible. But Joseph from the Drag-N Shop had different plans for it. He thought that a nicely chopped coupe top with filled in quarter windows would look much better. The top was chopped 3 1/2 inch in the front and 4 inches in that back. The drip rain was reshaped and filled in, and of coarse the rear side windows where filled in as well.

The back of the top was moved forward a few inches to get the perfect proportions. All the body seams where filled in and the body was stripped of most of the chrome.
The headlights where frenched and at the back shaved off completely. The bumper guards from the 1942 Buick bumper where modified to hold the custom made taillights.

The door handles where removed and since they where located inside the side trip, a second side trim was needed to fill the hole left by the door handle. The stainless was welded and smoothed and polished like it came from the factory that way. The interior was finished in two tone Tuck & Roll leatherette.
Fabian Valdez of Vintage Hammer did the final body work, block sanding, and the paint on the Buick.

Ron drove the car for several years in a lavender primer, but a few years ago he fine tuned the car and added a new low gloss dark green paint. And also changed the hubcaps from 1957 Cadillac to a set of much better fitting Cadillac Sombrero's.





Dave Lindsay photo




The car really has a feel of how the old Custom Cars rolled out of the Barris or Ayala custom car shops.
The Drag-N Shop has turned out a number of really find custom cars with a very own twist, but all based on the looks of the 1940's and 1950's Custom Cars, and Ron Gomez his 1941 Buick is a very nice sample of this.


Joe Grippo photos




Photo by Gary E. Morin

 

That 41 Buick is sweeet! I never realized it startedlife as a 5 window coupe, it looks so natural as a 3 window, like it was always that. That's one thing that makes a great custom great.

 

The Ron Gomez Buick is a fantastic car and the Drag~N~Shop does great work but its important to note that Fabian Valdez of Vintage Hammer did the final body work, block sanding, and paint on this car. We're pleased to have this in the contemporary section of the Custom display.