Radiused Wheel Wells

Dick Colarossi's 1940 Ford coupe of Glendale, California was restyled by Valley Custom Shop. The build was completed in 1954, featuring radiused wheel wells in the rear.

Ron Courtney's 1951 Ford of McMinnville, Oregon was restyled by Ron between 1954 and 1956. The car, known as the X-51, featured radiused wheel wells.

Milton Depuy's 1949 Ford of Cleveland, Ohio was restyled around 1956. Milton's sectioned Ford featured radiused wheel wells.

Merton Peterson's 1950 Ford of San Diego, California was restyled by Carrol "Red Eye" Gentry of Styler's Custom Shop. The build was completed in 1953 featuring a sectioned body and radiused wheel wells.

David Rolin's 1957 Ford of Sacramento, California. Dave's Ford was restyled by Dick Bertolucci of Bertolucci Body & Fender Shop and Harris' Body Shop between 1956 and 1958. Bertolucci radiused the rear wheel wells on the Ford in 1957.

Paul Vona's 1950 Oldsmobile coupe of Salinas, California. Paul was a very talented customizer, pinstriper, and custom painter. He bought the Olds at age 19 in 1957, and he spent the next few months turning it into his dream custom. The rear wheel wells on Paul's Olds were radiused for a modern look.

Gordy O'Hara's 1955 Ford Thunderbird of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Gordy purchased the Thunderbird from a local Ford dealership in 1957. At the time he was only 19 years old. Gordy spent the next 5 years hopping up and restyling the car. The build was completed in 1962, featuring radiused rear wheel wells.

Ron Volpe's 1957 Ford Convertible of La Salle, Illinois. Ron was a member of the Illinois Valley Mis-Fires. Between the years 1960 and 1963, he took the car through five different stages. This photo shows the fifth and most radical iteration of the car that was restyled in 1963. By then, the car had received an asymmetrical scoop on the hood, radiused wheel wells, and a fogged paint job.

"Al Banome, of Richmond Hill, owned many hot cars during the late '50s and '60s. This teal blue '55 was parked in front of my parents' house when I shot the only photo I have of it in August 1964. The body was extensively modified but still being worked on at this time. Note the dechroming, extended rear fenders with new tail lights, split rear bumper, and radiused rear wheel openings. Under the hood was a late model Buick engine." Photo from The Ken Bausert Photo Collection.

Ralph Tyrone Scarfo's 1950 Oldsmobile 88 hardtop of North Bergen, New Jersey. Ralph's Olds was supposedly restyled in San Diego in the mid 1960s. It featured radiused wheel wells.

Arne Lindstrand's 1955 Chevrolet of Stockholm, Sweden. Arne's Chevrolet was restyled in the 1960s. This is how it appeared at the Hot Rod Show in Stockholm in 1966 featuring radiused rear wheel wells.

Ivan Peroff's 1956 Buick Century of Kanehoe, Hawaii. Built between 1957 and 1958, the car was sectioned, channeled, and powered by a supercharged Buick Nailhead engine. The front wheel wells were radiused.

Bo Hedenström's 1956 Ford Fairlane of Stockholm, Sweden. The build, know as the Avalanche, was started in 1966 and completed in 1967. It featured radiused rear wheel wells.

Von Hunter's 1957 Chevrolet Corvette of Portland, Oregon. This was Von's personal car. Built from a crashed car, the build was completed sometime around 1967. It featured flared and radiused wheel wells.

Mark Mundorff's 1959 Ford Thunderbird of Lincoln, Nebraska. Mark bought the car, named "Avancier", in 1967, by then it had already been mildly customized and prepared for racing featuring radiused rear wheel wells.

Dave Stuckey's 1965 Pontiac Catalina of Wichita, Kansas. The build was started in 1967 and completed in 1969. The car was Dave's personal driver, and the overall height of it was drastically reduced by chopping the top 3 inches, sectioning the body 3 inches, channeling it 2 inches and lowering it 6 inches. The wheel wells were radiused.

George Jezek's 1931 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan of Waco, Texas. Built in 1969-1970, this striking 1931 Ford Sedan was Jezek's tribute to the legendary Lil' Coffin, featuring a chopped and channeled body, 350 Chevy power, and hand-fabricated details throughout, such as radiused and bobbed rear fenders. Crafted in his Waco, Texas garage, the car became a showstopper, earning Street Rodder Magazine's Street Rod of the Year Award in 1972. Jezek sold the car at the 1973 Street Rod Nationals in Tulsa. A testament to homebuilt ingenuity, this sedan remains an icon of late 1960s hot rod styling.

Dennis McPhail's 1960 Ford Fairlane of Wellington, Kansas. Restyled by Hooligan Hot Rods and Jeff Myers the build was completed in 2010. The rear wheel wells on the car were radiused.

Radiused Wheel Wells are enlarged or reshaped fender openings, typically cut in a clean, rounded arc to better fit oversized tires or give a car a more aggressive, performance-oriented look. This modification became popular in the 1950s and 1960s, especially on gassers, street racers, and drag cars, where bigger rear tires were needed for traction. While not as common on traditional customs, radiused wheel wells gave hot rods and race-inspired builds a purposeful, no-nonsense appearance. Some builders blended the cutouts seamlessly into the body, while others left the edges raw, showing off the car’s racing intent.

Cars Featuring Radiused Wheel Wells

George Jezek's 1931 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan
Dick Colarossi's 1940 Ford Coupe
Milton Depuy's 1949 Ford
Merton Peterson's 1950 Ford
Paul Vona's 1950 Oldsmobile Coupe
Ralph Tyrone Scarfo's 1950 Oldsmobile 88 Hardtop
Ron Courtney's 1951 Ford - X-51
Al Banome's 1955 Chevrolet
Arne Lindstrand's 1955 Chevrolet
Gordy O'Hara's 1955 Ford Thunderbird - "Scorchy"
Ivan Peroff's 1956 Buick Century
Bo Hedenström's 1956 Ford Fairlane - The Avalanche
Von Hunter's 1957 Chevrolet Corvette
David Rolin's 1957 Ford - The Tormentor
Ron Volpe's 1957 Ford Convertible - Red Robin II
Mark Mundorff's 1959 Ford Thunderbird
Dennis McPhail's 1960 Ford Fairlane
Dave Stuckey's 1965 Pontiac Catalina