History What in your mind is the most desirable custom and street rod of all time

Two categories here, hot/street rod and custom built by pro or home built? Mine is the Ala Kart by George Barris for street rod, wish to hell it was mine though so I could put kool wires on it . But The Lil Coffin is so very close.
With the Kart at a 1o, Coffin comes in at a very close 9.999999. No real choice on customs just to damned many that are out there that are so great.
No poll here, (did I start another one)?

 

You'd alter such an iconic two-time GNRS winning Hot Rod by putting wires on it? True those two 'street rods' you mentioned are right at the very top.

Hard to narrow it down to just two, but the Dick Flint Roadster and the Ayala Bros. built Lime Gold Louie Bettancort '49 Merc (the first version before Barris got a hold of it) would be in my top two.

 

Easy choice for me. Bonneville Bomber, gorgeous chopped, sectioned 39 Ford coupe, sexiest profile of all time. If I ever win the lottery, I'm gonna go find that car. Then about 1000 second place cars.

 

I wouldn't call either of those cars street rods by any means. Both probably fall closer to the custom category than anything..

 

For hot rod its gotta be a late 50s tbucket with something besides a small block chevy. For kustom, nothings better than a mild 58 or 59 chevy. Even a 60.


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

Neither one of the two in the first post for sure. I've seen the clone of the Ala Kart in person and think I saw the remains of Lil Coffin at a show in the 70's were it was parked by my truck out in the cheap rows. It was either what was left of the car at that time or somone's copy of it. The photos are in a missing album somewhere in my stuff,

 

So many choices..... Best rod for me would be Tom McMullen's blown and flamed '32 hi-boy; and I'm not even a big fan of '32 Fords or SBCs, but that car screams 'hot rod' in no uncertain terms.

Custom? For something you could drive, no question; Cushenberry's 'Matador'. IMO the coolest pre-war bodied custom ever built. A semi-close second would be the 'Mark Mist' '36 Ford, the first version...

 

Hot rod....the Jackman brothers 32 Ford Sport coupe


Custom.....the Hirohata Merc

 

I wont even try on the hot rod side, but custom? Ray Goularts Olds...

 

Yup, my car I'd do with it as I want. Hell I'd put wires on a 747 if they'd fit.
Other then the the Hirohata Merc, guess I'm living in the dark ages cause I don't know any of the ones mentioned. Wish you would/could post pic's of the them that you mentioned. Maybe anyone else can do the same.

 

You do know Starbird has rebuilt the Coffin like Stucky showed it in the early 60's, and the original Kart has been rebuilt to its original condition ?

 

You know Wheeler, maybe I have to throw in with you on what you say. Maybe they should be called "custom hot(street) rods.
So question for everyone then, what defines a "streetrod"? A thousand yeas ago my '66 Rivi. was awarded "Best Streetrod" at one of the largest weekend show's. I thought that off base but maybe not, huh?

Oh, willybill the Bonneville Bomber was an occasional attendee at some of the shows here in Western Washington back in the 90's when I was showing. It was from out around the coast was my impression.
Don't know if it is still here and showing up or not as I haven't been to a show for quite some time now. I also think it is one of the best. (Quad headlights like "Matador " would look cool in it, but I've been chastised on this board for independent thinking so better to scratch that thought, LOL)

Oh and I googled the cars mentioned, and your all right on. Would be honored to be in such company living out in the garage keeping my 34 company. Good choices all.

 

I like a la kart for hot rod and the hirohata merc for custom

 

Goularts Olds

I have never been able to find any love for those bubble skirted, butter dish, poodle with worms ass dragging lead sleds that most guys like.

 

I liked this version of the Coffin...

 

Another custom I really like, Marty Moores 39/40 Ford convert. Man, would it be something to find this and restore it! I like this car is better than the famous Valley Customs Jilek '40 convert. Add the Jade Idol and thats my top three.




Anybody that knows me well has seen these pics so many times they are probably sick of them.

 

"Poodle with worms ass dragger"

The new name for my car. Thanks, George. Might have to add that to a trunk mural, or paint it on the dash?

 

I was gonna add "upended chrome spittoons on the cowl" to the "poodle with worms" description, but I figured it was already getting a little long winded... Oh, and if anyone (everyone??) is offended by my opinion, well....

 

Trunk mural, beyond a shadow of a doubt...

 

Marty Moores custom sits in his garage. He wrecked it many years ago and it has not moved since. There are rumors that it is soon to be rebuilt.

 

Williebill, no kidding, if you are building a tail-dragger, getting a striper to lay a discreet cartoon of an ass-dragging dog about the size of a quarter somewhere on the car would be cool as HELL, and in the finest tradition of fifties striping. Bet it would get a ton of comments.

 

A dog drag'n his ass across the carpet is funny I don't care who you are.
Well, everyone except my wife!

 

You just gotta ask yourself, would Von Dutch have done it? HELL YES!!!

 

One vote for this street rod.

 

Here's was pretty popular street rod and custom. (used to be a coupe) Gary Byers bs'n with Pat and Cliff.

 

There are more famous and considerably more desirable hot rods that have been touted as the cream of the crop in the hollowed pages of any number of automotive magazines,the Doane Spencer roadster and Dick Scritchfield roadster to name just two but the deuce roadster that absolutely trips my trigger is and has been Gray Baskervilles old daily driver.



As for a custom,I would be hard pressed to find anything I like any better than the Hirohata Mercury. HRP

 

"The California Kid". "American Graffiti" opened the door. The "Kid" locked me in.

 

I saw this version almost every day parked outside Darrel Starbirds Shop in Wichita on my way home from McConnell Air base. Dave Stuckey was working for Starbird at the time. I actually liked them all as long as Stuckey owned it and when sold it to Larry Farber.

I also have a picture taken when Stuckey bought it. I was fenderless and had been channeled, un-chopped with a windshield visor, and what looks to be a caddy flat head (I think), at that time. Perfect duce grille with ribbed front bumper, lowered a couple of inches or so.

 

There are so many great hot rods in my eyes, I couldn't even narrow it down to ten, let alone one. A few that I think are among the all-time greats, but there are dozens.