Al Ayala

Al Ayala

A photo of Al with an in-progress 1951 Mercury custom. The quarter panels on the car have been modified to house 1954 Packard taillight lenses. According to Ralphy, the car was owned by a guy from Indio. The photo was taken circa 1954 - 1955, and Ralphy came in right after it left the shop. Gil Ayala's 1951 GMC truck is parked behind the Merc in the photo. Photo from The Ralphy Morales Photo Collection.

A​ ​photo​ ​of​ ​Al​ from The Ralphy Morales Photo Collection​. As the quiet and meticulous craftsman behind many of the Ayala Brothers' masterpieces, Al was a key figure in shaping the custom car scene of East Los Angeles. While his younger brother Gil managed the front of the shop and created stunning paint jobs, Al was the master fabricator, known for his unmatched bodywork skills.​ ​According​ ​to​ ​Ralphy,​ ​Al​ ​did​ ​most​ ​of​ ​the​ ​custom work​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Wild​ ​Bird.​ ​​Photo from The Ralphy Morales Photo Collection.

Albert "Al" Ayala is a legendary custom car builder. Al was the older brother of Gil Ayala. Al was two years older then Gil, and the brothers are commonly known as the Ayala Brothers. In 1945, at age 20, Gil opened up a custom body shop named Gil's Auto Body Works. It was Gil's shop, and Al worked for Gil. Al did also have a regular job at a Chevrolet dealer, and he would work for Gil when it was slow at the Chevrolet dealer, or at nights. He worked full-time for Gil in stretches, doing strictly bodywork. Al was the shy and quiet brother and was known as the master fabricator of the duo.

Al and Gil were both members of the East Los Angeles Auto Butchers Car Club.

Al had five children, Alan, Greg, Donna, Ronda and Colette. Al died from cancer in 1988.

Al Ayala's Personal Rides

Al Ayala's 1953 Ford F-100 Pickup

Cars Restyled by Al Ayala

Hank Griffith's 1942 Ford
Don Roach's 1949 Pontiac

Sources

Rodders Journal Number Thirty Nine