[GulfCoastGasser]

I really love those crazy Kustom Kars from the 60’s.
Those incredible futuristic wild cars of designers like Cushenbery, Starbird, Roth, Titus, Barris, Wilhelm and Jeffries.
My problem is, there is very little info on the web dedicated to these incredible artists.

Does anyone know of a site dedicated to these fantasy rides?

[MARTINSR]

I don't know exactly what you are after but Daryl Starbirds museum site is a place to start. I have been near there a few times on vacations playing on stopping by but never got there darn it. I have to next time I go thru the area.
Click here for Starbird site.




But this site (click here) sounds like it is right up your alley! It may only be about models but SHOW CARS is the subject. Have fun!

Brian

[MARTINSR]

I googled (without the quotes) "show cars barris startbird" and came up with all kinds of sites. Call them "show cars" not "fantasy rides" and you will come up with much more in a search. Click here for the complete Google search

Click here for one I found

Brian

[GulfCoastGasser]

Originally Posted by MARTINSR

I googled (without the quotes) "show cars barris startbird" and came up with all kinds of sites. Call them "show cars" not "fantasy rides" and you will come up with much more in a search. Click here for the complete Google search

Click here for one I found

Brian

Dude you are a genius! I would have never looked under show cars! Many Thanks!

[GulfCoastGasser]

I guess my point is that there does not seem to be anyone building these type of cars anymore or restoring the ones that were built in the 60's.

[MARTINSR]

Here are a couple of sites that have some photos of one of my favorite builders (proably THE favorite) Gene Winfield creations.(Click here) and Here .

My absolute favorite show car of all time, Genes "Reactor".


It is made on a Citron frame with a Corvair motor up front and the body is hand made from aluminum. I have a Peterson publishing "How to do autobody" magazine from the sixties that was my first glimpse into the world of making panels from scratch. I had never thought of such a thing until I saw the photos of Gene bending panels over a pipe and welding together the pieces to form the Reactor in this magazine. What a work of art!

The reason you don't see them, is because they are simply not in style anymore. You don't see True Spoke wheeled "Resto rods" anymore either. Or pastel pink with pastel purple graffics anymore, it is another era.

They will make appearances at car shows once in a while. A couple of Genes cars (including the Reactor) and the Alexander brothers "Deora" were at the San Francisco show a few years ago.

The Deora in it's heyday.


Some are being restored, the Deora looked great and one of the Alexander brothers was there with it to chat to, very cool experiance talking with a legend like that.

Maybe if you built one yourself you could revive the style? God knows most of us are tired of the "Rat Rods" that are filling shows these days.

Brian

[fatboyman05]

youre looking for custom Kemps... see the web link below for their site. they have a newsletter you may like ....


the issue before last had a blurb and pic of a guy meking his own deora


http://www.kustomkempsofamerica.com/


props to my Dad (a child of the 60's) who is a subscriber to these krazy customized cars

[Rambo_The_Dog]

Not a Kustom so to speak - a prototype I always loved as a kid....the Firebird

[MARTINSR]

See my thread on the Pebble beach concours D'elegance, the Firebird is going to be there!

I LOVE the dream cars of the fifties that the manufacturers displayed at their shows.

The Wildcat II is one of my favorites.

Brian

[wishnevsky]

I don't really follow it, but there are a few guys making Bubble-tops again.. I see them time to time in Street Rodder and (i think) Rod and Custom. Check out Car Show coverage.

Seems like there were a few at the Starbird show this year.

And there is a thread of people making roadsters out of very junk 60's cars. I have seen a Tempest, and a 60's El Camino cut down until there are barely more the T- Buckets.

But after the Fiero Trike i just saw a few hours ago, i think there is liable to be anybody making anything right now.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by wishnevsky

And there is a thread of people making roadsters out of very junk 60's cars. I have seen a Tempest, and a 60's El Camino cut down until there are barely more the T- Buckets.

I forgot about those "ratrodish" cars, they are pretty cool sixties looking "show car" looking cars.

Brian

[wishnevsky]

I am working toward something almost as silly, once i get a few projects out of the yard.

I saw a rat rod sedan that was so low the 20 x 600 tires were level with the roof.. and it drove to the show. And i'm in North Carolina, not a hotbed of custom weirdness.

This is actually a Golden Age of a lot of "Art Forms" but somehow people don't notice. For example, off topic, i make guitars and there is more weird and wonderful work in that field than ever before.

Also with the Rat Rod and Bub and Ricer and Chopper and Low Rider Magazines, no matter if you hate the car styles, i don't ever remember seeing a dozen hop up Magazines on the racks ever before.

Interesting times.

[wretched ratchet]

wasn't there a "milk wagon" rod with the curved top???
seems like it was kind of a T-bucket style???
old memory ain't what it used to be !

[Larry3]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39wpBXpE5co

Here's a real short video of the Deora at a car show.

Here's a link to a site about customs giving history of some of the guys and their cars. If you keep on scrolling down you will find a really good looking customizerette wearing hot pants when they were called "short shorts".
http://www.roadsters.com/custom/#pioneers

And here's a long article about that car and the builder Mr. Bradley.
http://members.aol.com/thomasv12/pri...ora/deora.html

I saw on TV one of those series programs where they built another one of those with all the modern technology aboard.
But I can't remember which program!!

Yeah I've been around the block a few times, but I can usually find my house without help!!

[Larry3]

I just went back an read further into the article on Mr. Bradley and found that he Designed the Deora, he didn't build it.