wildbill and chopmerc are correct in how we should respect the customs of the past. Some were ultimate winners and styled to be timeless. Some were milestones. Some were gawdy. Some were truely unique. But I'll stand by my comment. One bad idea after another. Not ALL of the surviving customs deserve such homage. It's redundant to even start a list of the greats. I'm also quite certain that everyone here understands the "context". And while maybe one aspect of the car may be kool, that doesen't account for the thing as a whole.
I thought that was the point of customs in the 60's. To make people say what the hell is that? Just a thought. John
If you're under 50, you don't have a clue about context. If you didn't live then, as part of the car "scene", you have no idea what it was like. Even the people who lived and hot rodded back then can't agree on what was cool, so how can someone who wasn't part of it make that decision? There was progression to every aspect of life, guided by what was happening at the time. Not all of it was spectacular, but all of it had a place in history. Mutt
the barris Parisienne is based on a 54 El Dorado and in my opinion is much easier to look at. The Ford on ebay I can respect all the work and effort put in but it doesn't do much for me. Kinda makes you wonder what they'll think in the future of some of the radical stuff being built now.
I agree on all accounts. Lots of the current rodders will sit there and cum over a sedan chopped and channeled so much that the entire driveline is inside the car and the drivers head pokes through the roof. I'd bet a sizable sum of money that such cartoon rat rods which garner so much attention and praise now will receive the same "WTF?" in 20 years
I'd cut off the entire front clip and make a radical 54 based fron tend to go with the back...the back is neat. =]
Hindsight is 20/20... When this car was built, GM and Ford were putting the headlights down into the grill cavity, and GM and Chrysler started flattening out the fins, Ford rooflines were starting to lose the wraparound backglass... This was a flashy, attention getiing car in 1960. This car taken out of context IS ugly, but the cleaner style we appreciated now would be considered boring.
Come on, guys. It says "easy restoration". I say strap a solid propellant pack on the tail, light fuse and get away!
My opinion hasn't changed. I thought it was ugly in 1960, and I think its ugly today. Some guys try way too hard to be different. Look at some of the REAL ugly Mercs built in the last 25 years.
Get me a bucket! I don't care if Jesus Christ himself came riding in on that beast, it is Uuuhgly. It's a joke right?
I've got a feature photo of it in one of my old Hot Rod Yearbooks. I remember the photo caption saying, "A whole lot of work but not much taste involved." It got him a job at Barris'. Barris was trying out something he was calling "Space Car Styling" It looks like total shit now but when it was fresh and shiny with whitewalls etc it was glitz and flash. This car was considered over the top back then but if it pulled up in front of the Sands and Dino, Frank and Sammy all piled out you would involuntarily begin to salivate.
The Jalopy Journal
