Erik Chaputa's 1940 Ford Tudor Sedan

Believed to have been chopped by Sam Barris of Barris Kustoms in the 1940s or the 1950s, Erik's Ford was photographed in full Candy Apple Red glory in Texas in September of 1957. According to Don Ferguson Jr., the photo was taken right after it was painted. Handwritten notes label it “D/G Chopped & Channeled,” suggesting it may have been drag raced in its later Texas days. At the time, the car was supposedly Olds-powered and sported red and white tuck-and-roll upholstery. Clear Springs is noted as the location for the photo. Aaron Kahan colorized this photo for Erik Chaputa. Photo courtesy of Erik Chaputa.

Decades after the Candy Red had faded and the custom legend was all but forgotten, the ’40 Ford emerged from long-term storage in California. Still remarkably intact, the car revealed signs of its past life. Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Photographed after its arrival at Erik Chaputa's home, this image documents the car’s condition following decades of dormancy. After the Candy Red paint cracked and blistered in the late 1950s or the early 1960s, the car was stripped and parked. In the late 1970s, Don Ferguson Sr. purchased the car from Jan Hall in Texas. It remained in storage for decades before passing through the hands of Chris Unger and Terry Stoker. In 2024, Stoker sold the car to Erik Chaputa. Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

This photo highlights one of the most compelling clues linking the car to Sam Barris: the distinctive shape of the chopped roof and rear deck. The subtle slope of the roofline into the deck lid, along with the carefully contoured rear quarters, closely mirrors techniques Barris employed in the late 1940s. “The car has the Sam Barris chop... the way he did the deck lid and the rear contour,” Erik Chaputa told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in 2025. Veteran custom builders and collectors, including Don Ferguson Sr., have also recognized the work as consistent with early Barris craftsmanship. Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Another Barris hallmark visible on this car is the long vent window, a known challenge when chopping a Tudor sedan. Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Once chopped, the Ford was reportedly covered in a Candy Apple Red, a vibrant and popular color choice in the late 1950s. The interior was outfitted in a matching red and white tuck-and-roll upholstery, trimmed with chrome piping, a classic look that the car still wore in 2025. Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Interestingly, a pink slip from Texas came with the car, though the frame numbers don’t match, adding another wrinkle to its already tangled history. Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Frame modifications for exhaust cutouts suggest that the chassis and body have long been paired. Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Whether or not it can be definitively proven as a Barris original, Chaputa’s 1940 Ford remains a compelling artifact from a defining period in American custom car history. With its pedigree, preservation, and potential, this chopped Tudor has earned a second chance to tell its story—this time, to a generation eager to listen. If you have any information, photographs, or stories related to this car, please reach out. Every detail matters, and even the smallest clue could help complete this long-lost chapter in custom car lore. Contact Kustomrama at mail@kustomrama.com to share what you know. Together, we can preserve and celebrate the untold history of traditional customs, one car at a time. Photo courtesy of Aaron Kahan.

Lost & Found - 1940 Ford

Every now and then, a survivor from the golden age of custom car building resurfaces. Covered in dust but rich with stories, Erik Chaputa's 1940 Ford Tudor Sedan of La Verne, California, is one such relic. A mysterious custom believed by many to carry the unmistakable signature of Sam Barris himself. With clues hidden in its chopped roof, early accessories, and whispered tales from Texas, the car is slowly revealing its secrets.

The Signature Chop

The most compelling evidence tying this Ford to Sam Barris is its roofline. The graceful slope into the deck lid, along with the overall rear contour, closely matches the technique Sam was known for in the late 1940s. As Chaputa told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in 2025, "The car has the Sam Barris chop... the way he did the deck lid and the rear contour." Multiple custom car veterans, including Don Ferguson Sr., have confirmed that the workmanship is consistent with early Barris Kustoms. Another Barris hallmark visible on this car is the long vent window, a known challenge when chopping a Tudor sedan.

Candy Dreams and Tuck 'N Roll

Once chopped, the Ford was reportedly covered in a custom paint described as Candy Apple Red, and it could have been an experimental Barris paint job where they experimented with translucent or metallic paint or gold powder. The interior was outfitted in red and white tuck-and-roll upholstery, trimmed with chrome piping, a classic look that the car still wore in 2025. It was also said to run Oldsmobile power, a popular swap among customizers in the 1950s.

Though the exact date of the build and its various modifications are still debated, some suggest 1949–51. What's known is that the car was completed and operational by the mid-1950s. Don Ferguson Jr. was told that the car was built in 1956 or 1957, and that the photo he has from Texas in 1957 was taken right after it was painted. It eventually found its way to Texas, where it reportedly raced at local drag strips around 1957. Not long after, the candy paint began to crack and blister, and the car was stripped and parked, never repainted.

From Texas to California: A Lost Custom Resurfaces

In the late 1970s Don Ferguson Sr., a figure deeply connected to California's hot rod culture, purchased the car from Jan Hall in Texas. Back in California, it remained in storage, untouched and mostly forgotten, until Chris Unger purchased it. Unger sold it to Terry Stoker, who in 2024 sold it to Erik Chaputa.

Interestingly, a pink slip from Texas came with the car, though the frame numbers don’t match, adding another wrinkle to its already tangled history. However, frame modifications for exhaust cutouts suggest that the chassis and body have long been paired. The underside of the hood and body panels bear a tar-based undercoating, a technique featured in Motor Trend articles from around 1949–51. This further suggests that the build likely dates to the early postwar period.

The Road Ahead

Chaputa plans to soda blast the bodywork this summer to inspect the lead work, a step that could help confirm if the craftsmanship belongs to Barris. Every detail uncovered adds weight to the story: the early Eastern Auto door solenoids, the chopped profile, the long vent windows, and the styling that reads like a Barris playbook from the golden era.

Don Ferguson Jr. has been searching for a photograph of the finished car, which he believes is buried in his father’s archives. If located, it could be the missing piece that ties this Ford's mysterious past together once and for all.

A Rolling Relic in Search of Its Story

Whether or not it can be definitively proven as a Barris original, Chaputa’s 1940 Ford remains a compelling artifact from a defining period in American custom car history. With its pedigree, preservation, and potential, this chopped Tudor has earned a second chance to tell its story.

If you have any information, photographs, or stories related to this car, please reach out. Every detail matters, and even the smallest clue could help complete this long-lost chapter in custom car lore. Contact Kustomrama at mail@kustomrama.com to share what you know. Together, we can preserve and celebrate the untold history of traditional customs, one car at a time.