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Kustomrama is an encyclopedia dedicated to traditional hot rod and custom cars. Our mission is to keep history alive by protecting, preserving and sharing hot rod and custom car history from all over the world. More info...

Featured Stories

Dave and Sue Wright's 1959 Chevrolet Brookwood Station Wagon - The Headhunter 1959 Chevrolet Brokwood Station Wagon owned by Headhunter Car Club members Dave and Sue Wright of Poole, United Kingdom. Known as 'The Headhunter,' the Wrights discovered the wagon at the Pomona Swapmeet in 2001. George Jezek's 1949 Chevrolet 2-Door Sedan - The Candy Cart 1949 Chevrolet 2-Door Sedan owned and restyled by founding Eliminators of West car club member George Jezek of West, Texas. The car underwent multiple transformations under Jezek's hands, becoming a featured magazine car in the 1960s. DeWayne Iverson's 1949 Mercury 1949 Mercury owned by DeWayne Iverson of Tacoma, Washington. DeWayne's connection with the world of cars began at an early age. Born in 1945, he developed a passion for automobiles during his teenage years and quickly embraced the lifestyle of a "Gearhead."

News

10.31.2023 - Gene Winfield Debuts the Solar Scene II Gene Winfield is finally back with a recreation of his iconic Solar Scene Mercury custom 09.27.2023 - Tom Hocker's 1940 Ford: The Restoration Journey Nears Its Grand Finale! The meticulous restoration of the legendary Tom Hocker 1940 Ford is approaching its grand finale. 09.18.2023 - Greg Tidwell's 1940 Ford Truck Wins the World's Most Beautiful Truck Award Built by South City Rod & Custom in Hayward, California, the truck was shown at the first-ever Grand National Truck Show, where it won the World's Most Beautiful Truck award, beating 17 other custom trucks.

Lost and Found

Found: John Lane's 1924 Ford Model T Roadster Pickup Rediscovered after six decades, John Lane's 1924 Roadster Pickup, a symbol of early hot rod ingenuity, is set to dazzle audiences at the 2024 Grand National Roadster Show. Seeking More Information: The Knudson-Bookman 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe owned by Wayne Knudson of Toledo, Ohio. The chopped and channeled coupe is believed to have been built by Knudson in the mid-late 1950s. The Grinager Coupe: A Detroit Icon with an Unresolved Mystery The Grinager Coupe stole the limelight at the Detroit Autorama last year. The iconic 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe has a history filled with passion, craftsmanship, and a lingering mystery.

Photo Archive

The Joe "Bud" Simmons Collection Joe "Bud" Simmons was a founding member of the Throttle Benders car club in 1949. According to his grandson, Brian Burnham, it wasn't a big club, "just a bunch of farm kids from the California Central Valley." The Lyle R. Johnson Collection Lyle R. Johnson was a member of the Emperors of Seattle car club, and he was involved in the hot rod shows in the area in 1956 and 1957. Lyle acted as secretary-treasurer of the Emperors in 1956, and thanks to his son, a few of his photos and memorabilia have found their way to Kustomrama. The Janne Lepola Collection Janne Lepola had to travel around the world to find out how special the Suomi kustom tradition really is! "On my first trip to Los Angeles I showed pictures of Suomi Kustoms to my new friends and even though they said "nice," I could see from their faces that something was wrong!"

Remembering the Legends

09.30.2023 - Andy Southard Jr. Andrew "Andy" Suydam Southard, Jr. is a well-known photographer and pinstriper. From his early days modifying his first 1940 Mercury Coupe to mastering the art of "California Style Striping" and capturing the essence of the custom car culture through his evocative photographs and books, Andy's contributions stand as monumental pillars in documenting and shaping our scene and culture. 08.01.2023 - Andy "The Rodfather" Brizio Andy Brizio was a prominent figure in the world of hot rodding and a revered icon within the Northern California Hot Rod community. He was affectionately known as "The Godfather" and gained recognition for his significant contributions, innovative spirit, and unwavering passion for the hot-rodding hobby. 07.25.2023 - Ron Gerstner Ron Gerstner was a renowned craftsman and innovator in the world of custom cars and metalwork. His lifelong dedication to the art of automotive design and metal craftsmanship left an indelible mark on the industry, earning him national acclaim and a reputation as a visionary creator.

Marketplace

For Sale: Historic 1946 Buick Custom Convertible A rare find! Presenting a genuine 1946 Buick Super Convertible - a classic California mild custom. For Sale: 1963 Ford Thunderbird Custom Painted in a Larry Watson-inspired green and mint panel and scallop paint job. Runs and drives great. For Sale: Bill Holzhause's 1951 Mercury - The Dragon Lady 1951 Mercury owned by Bill Holzhause of Paris, Kentucky. Known as "The Dragon Lady," the car was built by Bob Nitti of Jersey City, New Jersey, in the early 1980s.

Guides, Reviews & Recommendations

Marvel Mystery Oil: Unlocking the Secrets of Engine Performance and Maintenance With a name like Marvel Mystery Oil and a reputation for extraordinary claims, this fuel and oil additive has captivated automotive enthusiasts for nearly a century. Mags, Drags & Rock'n Roll - Kustomrama's Guide to Mag Wheels You could see them on dragsters, hot rods, customs, lowriders, and show cars! Mag wheels were the ultimate craze during the 1960s, and no one wanted to stand outside the winner's circle. Buggies – A New Generation of Street Roadsters - The Kustomrama Guide to Street Buggies of the 1960s and the 1970s This guide is made to showcase a style of buggies that has the authentic 1960s and 1970s look and style.

Top Lists

50 Automotive History Books Every Car Enthusiast Must Read Are you a gearhead or an automotive enthusiast looking to expand your knowledge on hot rods, custom cars, and the rich history of the automobile? Look no further! Top 21 Barris Kustoms of the 1950s - Plus the Expert Picks of 2022 Do you have a favorite Barris Kustom build from the 1950s? We have made a list that showcases the 21 most famous and most important Barris Kustoms of the 1950s in chronological order. Kevan Sledge ranks the 3 greatest customs of all time Kevan Sledge is a founding member of the So. Cal Shifters car club. Kevan has had a passion for cars since he was a young kid and began building hot rods and customs as a hobby in the late 1980s. In 2011 he started up Sledge Customs, turning his hobby into a full-time profession.

Featured Events

SEMA Show 2023 The 2023 SEMA Show was held from October 31 through November 4, 2023. The show is a key event in the automotive specialty products industry, held in Las Vegas, Nevada. American Dream Cars of the 1950s at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance You are hereby invited to experience the magic of the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance through the lens of Roy R. Sorenson. Custom Car Revival 2021 The 2021 Custom Car Revival is a weekend event dedicated to traditional custom cars in Indianapolis, Indiana. It started as a one-day show in 2013 but grew on to a weekender for the 2014 show. The 2021 Custom Car Revival was held June 10-12, 2021, at Edwards Drive-In in Indianapolis.

Featured Projects

Lawrence Garrison's 1940 Mercury Convertible In 2011 Birger Meland of Lier, Norway bought Lawrence Garrison’s channeled 1940 Mercury from Pat Orosco in California. For a long time, the history of this old custom has been full of holes and rumors. In June Birger told us that he wanted to restore the car back to how it was originally built. We applauded the initiative and agreed to help him research the history of the car. Gil Ayala's 1955 Ford Thunderbird - The Wild Bird Gil Ayala's personal custom, a 1955 Ford Thunderbird, known as the Wild Bird, has been sold to Scandinavia. Gil's Thunderbird is one of the few known surviving Ayala Customs, and it is a great addition to the Scandinavian custom scene. The restoration. We followed the restoration of the car, and it's trip halfway across the world on Kustomrama. The Kustomrama Dream truck The Kustomrama Dream Truck is a tribute to the custom cars of the late 1950s. Being an admirer of Jerry DeVito's wildly restyled 1957 Ford Fairlane, that we all know as the Maze, Sondre Kvipt decided that he wanted to recreate this car as a Ranchero. The build was started in Oslo, Norway in January of 2014, lead by Sondre's brother Olav.

Kustomrama Styling Studio

1950 Ford Custom - Bongo Date 1950 Ford Coupe designed by Howard "The Weird Rembrandt" Gribble. Gribble drew this custom sometime around 1959, as a high school freshman. At the time he was busy restyling his own 1950 Ford, and this design shows what kind of ideas he had planned for the car. Panel Painted 1950 Ford Custom 1950 Ford Coupe designed by Doyle Bidwell. Bidwell drew this custom sometime around 1959, as a high school freshman. At the time he was busy restyling his own 1950 Ford Coupe, and this design shows what kind of ideas he had planned for the car. 1941 Lincoln Zephyr Convertible Custom Janne Kutja has been down in his archive again and found a design he drew back in 2006. This concept is based on a 1941 Lincoln Zephyr convertible. Main modifications include a chopped and leaned back windshield and a padded top.

Recommended Reading

Recommended: The Automotive Alchemist by Andy Saunders The Automotive Alchemist dives into the universe of UK master fabricator Andy Saunders. A tapestry of inspiration, resilience, and craftsmanship unfolds over 464 pages adorned with 1,055 behind-the-scenes photographs, telling the story of a young man from Poole with an endless imagination. Recommended: Peter Sukalac: Photo Journalist Thanks to Peter Sukalac, Northwest hot rods and customs started appearing in national magazines back in the 1950s. Thanks to Albert Drake, the history of the man behind the photos has now finally been documented and preserved. News: Early Kustom Kulture: Kustoms and Hot Rods Photographed by George Barris George Barris is indisputably the "King of the Kustomizers," the most phenomenal kustom car builder ever. This book collects the incredible photos of early hot rods and custom cars taken by George Barris in the 1950s to early '60s.

Misc

DicE TV - Barn Find Hot Rod 1932 Ford Incredible barn find chopped & channeled 1932 Ford 3 window coupe found in Charlotte, NC! Bello's Kustoms Bello's Kustoms is a custom body shop run and operated by Mike Bello. Located in San Diego, California, the shop has a focus on 1954 and earlier American-made cars. Featured Video: 1965 Pontiac Catalina - KKOA Dave Stuckey's 1965 Pontiac Catalina was exhibited at The Garage museum in Salina, Kansas in the summer of 2022. This is a brief presentation of the car.