Hello everyone, I just wanted to introduce myself here. I've been a lover of Traditional Hot Rod and Kustom Cars for as long as I can remember. Cars were my love in and out of high school but after moving to Chicago…. it proved hard to afford the space to have older cars there so my interests were then funneled into Building, Fabricating and Riding 60's 70's Harley-Davidson choppers. Motorcycles have been my primary focus for a number of years now but I have been a working Photographer in the Custom Car and Motorcycle industry for well over ten years now. I mostly photograph for the Harley-Davidson Motor Co. but I have had work published in a large majority of the traditional car and motorcycle publications spanning globe… that being said I have known a handful of you long-time HAMBers personally for many years. The only reason why I haven't signed up earlier is because I haven't had traditional car... but I have recently acquired a Kustom 1951 Dodge Wayfarer from a friend that split the mainland for the Virgin Islands. The car has been through a few stages in the time that I've know of it. I remember seeing it for the first time 12 years ago ripping down a dark chicago side street after the owner and girlfriend got into a loud verbal altercation… shortly after we became friends. "Z" liked to party and a lot wild nights were had in the car…. so much so that one morning he woke up to a smashed up car…. the pieces of the puzzle started to become more clear when he noticed the muddy tire tracks leading out of his driveway and over the neighbors obliterated concrete mailbox. The car then sat for a few years after that until I got ahold of it. This is what it looks like currently I "very quickly" addressed a few of the body issues and sealed it up with primer and satin paint… Good from far… Far from Good. This is certainly not my final vision just a means to get it to a point where I could have a bit of fun with it before the snow fall and salt spread… and that I did. It seems that it was very solid car before it was customized but most all of the work that has been done to the car needs to be "revisited". I have been doing a lot of peaking around on the internet to grain information on customizing, upgrading and just pain maintenance on this car and am always directed to the HAMB for this very useful information…. so rather than just Lurking… I figured I'd show my face. First cruise out of the spray booth In the Booth First Sunset Drive as my car How it looked when I purchased it. The concrete mailbox really did a number on the car…. The p***enger side windshield was busted out and roof caved in at the brow… along with dented bumper, grill trim, quarter panel and hood. It also ripped the exhaust off breaking the exhaust manifold. I put on a new exhaust manifold changed the oil and spark plugs and drove it out of there. and…. it's got a Hemi. 354 with 700r4 trans This is what it looked like in 2010 (before the mailbox) I guess you can say it was customized in a very traditional way… cut springs up front and about 2 feet of lowering blocks and de-arched leafs in back. Hopefully this winter I can address the suspension and modify the uprights to get rid of all the camber… disc brakes.. headers to clear the steering box and clean up and re-adjust the motor to fit in the bay a little better to make it a solid driver…. then move on to the outside esthetics as time allows. I've always been more into things that are a little different….but still cl***y. In a sea of Chevy, Merc and Ford Kustoms and I love rolling around in this Dodge Kustom… Thanks Josh Kurpius
Great intro, Josh. This could be a "model" for future intros. Certainly an interesting and different approach to a Kustom. Welcome, enjoy your HAMBtime and the Wayfarer. Nice photography as well.
The Jalopy Journal
