Bill Carr's 1955 Chevrolet

The photo is taken when it was brand new. One of the first converts sold in Los Angeles. Photo from the Barry Mazza Collection, courtesy of Rik Hoving.

Photo provided by Barry Mazza

A construction photo of the Aztec take circa 1957. Junior Conway's 1950 Ford is parked behind the in progress custom. Junior was involved in painting the Aztec. The truck to the left is Johnny Zupan's 1956 Ford. Photo from The Junior Conway Photo Collection.

The Aztec as it looked when it was featured on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine August 1958

At the parking lot at Lynwood City Hall. Photo by George Barris

Photo by George Barris

The Aztec at the first Renegades Rod & Custom Motorama in 1958.

A photo of the Aztec taken at an indoor car show. Restyled by Barris Kustoms, the iconic custom is known as The Aztec. Photo from The Roger Lick Photo Collection.

The Aztec sat rotting away in a New Jersey junkyard when Barry Mazza and Bob Nitti bought the remains of the car in 1991, barely saving it from the jaws of a car crusher. This photo shows the condition of the car when they bought it. Photo from The Ray Soff Photo Collection.

A rare photo of Bill Carr with the restored iteration of the Aztec in front of Barry Mazza's house. Photo by Jeff Carr, from The Ray Soff Collection.

Bill shooting his old custom. Photo by Jeff Carr, from The Ray Soff Collection.

Photo courtesy of the Rodder's Journal.

The Aztec was featured on the B-cover of The Rodder's Journal Issue 22. Photo courtesy of the Rodder's Journal.

The Aztec at the 2008 Grand National Roadster Show. Photo by Howard Gribble

Photo by Howard Gribble

Photo by Howard Gribble

Photo by Howard Gribble

The Aztec at the Customs then and Now exhibit at the 2011 Grand National Roadster Show. Photo by Sondre Kvipt - Kustomrama.

In 2011 the Aztec was reunited with Dean Jeffries' 1956 Porsche 356 Carrera at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. Bobby Wilcoxson who bought the car from Bill Carr in 1962 was a notorious bank robber, and his partner in crime Albert Nussbaum bought Dean Jeffries' Porsche at the same time as Bobby. Photo courtesy of Jack Walter.

A photo of the Aztec taken, Friday, January 10, 2020. The day it crossed the block at Mecum Auctions Kissimmee 2020 auction in Kissimmee, Florida. The old Barris Kustom was one of the main attractions during the event. The bid went up to $150,000, but it did not reach the reserve. Photo courtesy of Ralph Esposito.

Photo courtesy of Ralph Esposito.

Photo courtesy of Ralph Esposito.

Photo courtesy of Ralph Esposito.

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible restyled by Barris Kustoms for Bill Carr of Hollywood, California. Bill was an insurance adjuster by day, and he shared a house with George Barris in the Hollywood Hills. The car, later known as The Aztec, was taken to Barris Kustoms with only 145 miles on its odometer. Bill wanted George and his boys to transform the Chevy into the wildest kustom he could imagine. Bill also wanted to help with as much work as possible. Bill made some design sketches. Bill Ortega, who changed his name to Bill DeCarr during the build, became Bill's primary mentor. The Aztec was rebuilt over a two years periode, and it featured changes to every part of its body. Bill DeCarr did most of the bodywork on the car. Bill reshaped the doors and quarter panel side scoops, and extended the fins so all of the new forms would flow together. The rear fenders were extended 18 inches with virgin sheet metal. The taillights were hand-formed in red Lucite by Bob Hirohata. The front and rear end treatments were cohesive with the new grille openings. The grille openings were built with a pair of 1953 Studebaker pans. The pans had to be cut and widened in order to fit the Chevy The bumpers were 1957 DeSoto units that were narrowed and peaked. For a more modern look, 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser headlights were installed. The stock fenders had to be cut and reworked heavily in order to make the Mercury headlights fit. The hood was pancaked, and photos printed in The Rodder's Journal Number Fifty Six shows Lyle Lake gas-welding one of the front Studebaker pans to the cut hood. Other photos in the same magazine shows Bill Carr leading a peak on the middle of the nose. The full-length 1957 Mercury Turnpike fender skirts were modified with a front scoop and were flush-fitted into the rear quarter panel. The car was powered by a Corvette engine.

February 15-23, 1958, The Aztec was shown at the ninth annual National Roadster Show in Oakland where it won the Custom Car D'Elegance award. Due to excellent craftsmanship, both the Aztec and Joe Tocchini's 1951 Ford Victoria won the Custom Car D'Elegance that year. Later on in 1958 Bill's Chevrolet was nominated as one of 28 "Top Customs of the Year" by Motor Life magazine.

In 1959 George Barris and Dean Jeffries brought the Aztec to the Detroit Autorama.

In 1961 or 1962 Bill Carr sold the Aztec to Bob Wilcox for some cash and a new Pontiac. Bob's real name was Bobby Wilcoxson, and it didn't take long time before FBI agents showed up at Bill Carr's house with questions. Wilcoxson was wanted for bank heists. Wilcoxson left the Aztec for safe keeping in Phoenix, Arizona. Wilcoxson was later named a public enemy, and the FBI seized the Aztec from the garage where it was being stored in Phoenix, Arizona. The G-men tore the car apart looking for loot, weapons, and evidence.

The Aztec was later sold at an auction. According to Bennie Howard, Sonny Daout bought it from a used car dealer in Arizona, and had Jack Peed's brother-in-law fly out and drive it back to Virginia. He later told Howard that he almost froze to death as the car had no heater. "He said he took his time and did some touring on the way back."

Sonny modified the original customization before he sold the car to Bill Holtz.

Walt Trapp and the Preservation of the Aztec

The next documented owner of the car was Walt Trapp of Tuckerton, New Jersey. According to Walt's son, John Trapp Sr., the Aztec was stored at Chuck Jurgens' Auto Body Shop for a period of time. Following a raid on the shop, the car was relocated to a storage yard, where it was eventually moved to a junkyard area due to uncertainty regarding its ownership. A family acquaintance, connected to both the Trapp family and Barry Mazza, alerted Walt Trapp to the car's whereabouts. Walt, accompanied by his son and a local rollback operator from Tuckerton, recovered the car and transported it to Tuckerton Auto Repair, where it remained stored for several years beginning in the late 1970s.

The Restoration

During this time, custom car enthusiast Barry Mazza had been actively trying to acquire the Aztec. "I had tried to buy the car from Walt for a few years, but he refused to sell it," Mazza told Kustomrama in 2025. He described first seeing the Aztec at Chuck Jurgens 's shop: "I saw the car sitting at Jurgens' shop, outside, stripped, sitting on small oil drums… nothing in the car… bare body. Thought it was done for at that time."

Due to declining eyesight, Walt later made the decision to sell the car to Barry Mazza and Bob Nitti in 1991. Mazza subsequently undertook a full restoration of the car, returning it to its former show condition.

Main Attraction at Kissimmee 2020

Friday, January 10, 2020 the Aztec crossed the block at Mecum Auctions Kissimmee 2020 auction in Kissimmee, Florida. The old Barris Kustom was one of the main attractions during the event, and it was estimated to bring in between $350,000 - $450,000. The bids only went up to $150,000, and it did not reach the reserve.

For Sale

In May of 2020 Barry Mazza decided to advertise the car for sale again. A custom since brand new, Barry refers to the old custom as "The Greatest Barris Kustom of All." The car has an impressive resume that includes 17 magazine covers and 45 inside articles. Barry is asking US $250,000 for the historic custom, and he can be reached at brrmzz5@gmail.com for more details and information.

Magazine Features

Rod & Custom May 1958
Motor Life July 1958
Custom Cars August 1958
Hot Rod Magazine August 1958
Custom Cars November 1958
Custom Cars January 1959
Trend Book 175 Custom Cars 1959 Annual
Rolls & Pleats Number 12
The Rodder's Journal Issue 22
The Rodder's Journal Number Fifty Six

Sources

The Big Book of Barris
Howard Gribble's pictures from the 2008 Grand National Roadster Show
www.alnussbaum.com