1959

Ed Roth's Outlaw was Ed's first experience with fiberglass. The build was started in 1957, and it made it's debut two years later as the Excaliber at the 1959 Disneyland Car Club Day and Autocade.

Jim Skonzakes' 1922 Ford Model T-Bucket of Dayton, Ohio. In 1959 Jim bought the famous Kookie T hot rod from Norm Grabowski. After buying the car, Jim brought it to Larry Watson at Watson's House of Style for a cosmetic makeover. Larry gave the car a Rose Pearl paint job with Candy Red flames.

Buzz Pitzen's 1929 Ford Model A Roadster of Los Angeles, California. Buzz was a member of the Challengers of Los Angeles car club. The build was started around 1954, and completed in 1959. Shortly after it was completed, Buzz sold the roadster to Barons of Westchester member John Rasmussen of Westchester, California.

George Wiegand's 1930 Ford Model A Roadster Pick Up of Lansing, Michigan. Known as The Barracuda, Jerry "Spider the Crazy Painter" Drake gave the car its flame paint job in 1959.

Bosse Ericsson's 1932 Ford Roadster of Norrtälje in Stockholm, Sweden. Built in 1959, Bosse's Ford was one of the first hot rods in Sweden to run a Chevrolet V8 engine.

Clarence Catallo's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe of Dearborn, Michigan. Known as "Silver Sapphire," Clarence's coupe was originally restyled by the Alexander Brothers in 1959.

Danny Schwartz' 1932 Ford 5-Window coupe, of Campbell, California, as it appeared in 1959.

Deaner Probst's 1933 Ford Cabriolet of Jefferson, Wisconsin. Known as "Lil' Dough," Probst dragged the car home as a project in 1957. He spent the next years working on it while showing it at various shows. This photo shows an early iteration of the car as it appeared in 1959.

Rich Vachata's 1936 Ford Convertible of Berwyn, Illinois. Rich was a member of the Bearing Busters of Berwyn, and the other members in the club helped him build the car. The first version was completed in 1959. In 1960 fellow club member Dave Puhl gave the car a scallop paint job. This version of the car was named the Beach Comber.

Ken Costello's 1939 Ford Coupe

Doug Osterman's 1937 Plymouth coupe of San Jose, California. Doug's coupe was completed in 1959 featuring body and paint work by Flyers Body Shop, custom upholstery by Kay Seat Covers and plenty of chrome by San Jose Plating.

Arthur Bentas' Raven

Jon R. Ford's 1937 Ford convertible of La Porte, Indiana. The Ford was Jon's first car, and he got it in 1957 when he was 13 years old. The build was completed sometime between 1957 and 1959.

Larry Ewing's 1940 Ford DeLuxe Coupe of Redwood City, California. The Ford was Larry's first car, and he bought it in 1957 when he was 15 years old. By 1959 he had fixed it up and given it a 1957 Pontiac Limefire Green paint job.

Maximilian King's 1940 Mercury convertible of Morristown, New Jersey was first restyled by Meekers Body Shop in 1946. In 1959 Korky's Kustom Shop restyled the car further for current owner Ray Henyon.

Fred Thomas' 1947 Chevrolet Four-Door Sedan of Ypsilanti, Michigan. The car came from California, and Fred bought it from a fellow from San Bernardino. The Cal owner had been studying at the University of Michigan, and he sold tbe car to Fred before he returned back home to California in 1959.

Jim Galvin's 1949 Ford Tudor of Ottawa, Illinois. Galvin is an original member of the Illinois Valley Mis-Fires car club. He built the Ford in his backyard, starting the build in 1958. By 1959, the car had been painted blue with a scallop paint job and a chopped top.

Lloyd Myers' 1949 Mercury convertible of San Jose, California. Lloyd was a member of the San Jose Rod and Wheelers car club. The Merc was completed in 1959.

Doyle Bidwell's 1950 Ford Coupe of Torrance, California. Doyle bought the car in 1959, while he was a freshman in high school. After buying the Ford, he became a founding member of the Brahmans of Torrance car club. He started restyling the car, but lack of money and experience prevented the build from ever being completed.

Richard Gregg's 1950 Ford Pickup of Sacramento, California. Restyled by Richard at Rick's Body Shop, the build was started in 1958 and completed early in 1959. The car was shown as "the Capri."

Vern LaCoursiere's 1950 Ford convertible of Tacoma, Washington. Vern was a member of the Tacoma Toppers. The Ford was his second car. Restyled in 1959, all work was done by Vern when he was 21 years old.

George Mizzi Jr.'s 1950 Mercury Convertible of Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Mizzi was a member of the Driving Deuces car club, and his Mercury was restyled at Monego's Body Shop. Named the "Purple Bug," the build was completed circa 1958 - 1959.

Garret Walther's 1950 Oldsmobile Fastback of Stockton, California. Garret bought the car in 1958. About a year he gave it a scallop paint job. He painted the base color, masked off scallops, and had Gene Winfield paint them gold at Winfield's Custom Shop.

Larry Ewing of Redwood City, California, installed scavenger pipes on his 1950 Oldsmobile 88 Coupe in 1959. "This was just a few months before I installed the chrome reversed wheels with big and little U.S. Royal Master tires. Going to the San Mateo Autorama and the Oakland Roadster Show at the time, I must have got the idea to do it! Kind of hard to see in the photo, but I tried as a 18-year-old with a Brownie camera!" When Larry got the car back in the mid-80s, he did a similar exhaust and had short turndown pipes coming out of the dual mufflers exiting just before the rear differential. "But it turned out to be annoying while in traffic or cruising slowly at car shows. The exhaust fumes would come up in the car when the windows were down. So I had complete over the axle tailpipes put on exiting at the rear bumper with turn-down tips." Photo courtesy of Larry Ewing.

Leo Lyons' Ultra Modern Merc of San Bernardino, California. The build was started in 1950, and completed in the Summer of 1959. Leo wanted to do something different. He wanted to build a custom car mostly from scratch. His initial plans called for building 10 identical custom Mercs, but only one, the prototype, was ever built.

Howard Tirban’s 1951 Chevrolet - "Lil’ Bitty Pretty One." In 1959 Howard's Chevrolet received a scallop paint job by Jerry "SPIDER the Crazy Painter" Drake.

Joe Crisafulli's 1951 Oldsmobile of San Jose, California. Joe, a founding member of the San Jose Rod and Wheelers car club restyled and painted the car himself late in 1959, while running J & J Auto Painting out of his dad's garage.

Ken Foress' 1952 Mercury Convertible of Lansing, Michigan. In 1959 local pinstriper and custom painter Jerry Drake, aka Spider the Crazy Painter, gave the car a flame paint job at Cooper Body Shop.

Bill Hoffman's 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air of Portland, Oregon as it appeared after it had received a flame paint job by Leroy Teeple in 1959.

In 1958 or 1959, Dale Scribner brought his 1953 Henry J to Sam Barris to have it lowered. Sam, living nearby in Carmichael, used a simple folded piece of paper as a gauge to lower the front springs to Dale's preferred height. In 2024, the memories of the car remained vivid, especially the moments with Sam Barris: "I have fond memories of those days and Sam who took his time to help a kid out," Dale told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama. Photo courtesy of Dale Scribner.

Duane Steck's 1954 Chevrolet Bel-Air of Lakewood, California. Duane was a member of the Long Beach Renegades car club, and his Chevrolet was well known around town as The Moonglow. Larry Watson painted the car at least three times, and in 1959 he gave it a Candy Blue paint job. A sparkling Silver Pearl was used as base color, and according to Larry, it was his best candy blue paint-job ever.

Larry Cooper's 1954 Ford of Lansing, Michigan. In 1959, after Jerry "Spider the Crazy Painter" Drake had been pinstriping for about a year, Larry Cooper approached him about scalloping his mildly restyled 1954 Ford. By then, Jerry had been pinstriping for about a year and eagerly took on all the jobs he could. Larry’s dad, Lloyd, ran Cooper Body Shop in Lansing, a traditional paint and body shop, that also took on some custom bodywork. After Jerry had masked up scallops on Larry’s car, Larry applied gold and silver faded scallops on the car in his dad’s paint booth. Satisfied with the result, Larry asked his dad if he and Jerry could do custom painting on the weekends when their body shop was closed. Lloyd gave them thumbs up, as long as they cleaned up and were out of the shop by the next Monday. Larry’s Ford was the first car Jerry ever scalloped. Photo from The Jerry Drake Photo Collection.

Don Ellis' 1955 Ford Thunderbird of Portland, Oregon. Ellis was a member of the Ramblers of Portland car club, and the Thunderbird was restyled by several of the guys in the club. The build was started in 1958 and completed in 1959.

Sy Gregorich's 1955 Ford Crown Victoria - The Victorian of Detroit, Michigan was restyled by the Alexander Brothers, and was first completed in 1959.

Gary Ruddell's 1955 Pontiac of Norwalk, California. Gary was the President of the Seagrams of Norwalk car club, and the Pontiac was his first car. He bought it in 1959 and began restyling it shortly thereafter.

Dick Gonzales' 1955 Studebaker as it looked in 1959. This version, painted by Larry Watson, was known as the Yellow Pearl.

This version of Ron Aguirre's 1956 Chevrolet Corvette, The X-Sonic, made its debut at the Disneyland Car Club Day and Autocade, Septermber 5th, 1959.

Ron Luchs' 1956 Chevrolet 150 Sedan - Miss Taboo

The first version of Don Von Dwingelo's 1956 Ford Thunderbird as it appeared in 1959.

Leroy Kemmerer's 1956 Mercury of Castro Valley, California. Leroy's Merc, also known as The Jade Idol, was restyled by Gene Winfield of Winfield's Custom Shop. The build was started in 1958, and completed in 1959. The Jade Idol became an instant hit at car shows all over the US, and it was the car that helped Gene gain national recognition as a custom car builder.

Mickey Ellis' 1956 Mercury of Ogden, Utah. Mickey was a member of the Stags of Ogden car club. He bought the Mercury in 1959 so he would have something to drive beside his hopped up fenderless Model A roadster.

Al Neblett's 1956 Oldsmobile of Vallejo, California. Al was a member of the Swanx of Vallejo, and his dad, Boyd, ran Vallejo Auto Body where the car was restyled. Completed in 1957, the car became known as the Batmobile due to its Chrysler taillights and fins. In 1959 the car received a Pearl White and Candy Blue scallop paint job.

Ron Dulin's 1956 Plymouth Fury of Long Beach, California. Dulin was a member of the Cut Outs of Long Beach car club, and his Plymouth went through seven iterations between 1956 and 1962. This photo shows the car as it appeared early in 1959, after Larry Watson had given it a Candy Magneta and Pearl White panel paint job.

John Hychko's 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk of Waterbury, Connecticut was restyled by John at his Valley Auto Body in 1959.

Dick King's 1957 Chevrolet Four-Door Hardtop of Norwalk, California. Dick was a member of the Seagrams of Norwalk car club, and his car was restyled around 1958 - 1959. Once completed, the car was shown as Kings Royalty.

Doug Osterman's 1957 DeSoto of San Jose, California. Doug's Desoto was first restyled by Flyer Tabata at Flyers Body Shop in 1959. In 1960 it was taken to Joe Bailon of Bailon Custom Shop for a makeover. This version received one of Bailon's signature Candy Apple Red paint jobs.

Bob Turgeon's 1957 Ford Thunderbird, "Le Perle", was restyled by Darry Starbird at Star Kustom Shop. The build was completed in 1959. It won the Sweepstakes and Top Custom Shop Achievement Awards at the NHRA National Championship Custom Car Show in Detroit. The win swept Darryl into national prominence and made him a definite figure to be reckoned with in future championship shows.

Jerry DeVito's 1957 Ford Fairlane of San Jose, California. The third version of Jerry's Ford, was completed in 1959. Jerry was a member of the San Jose Rod and Wheelers car club.

Russ Edgers' 1957 Ford Convertible of Lansing, Michigan. In 1959, Russ' Ford received a scallop paint job by Jerry "SPIDER" Drake and Larry Cooper at Cooper Body Shop.

Chuck Burkart's 1958 Chevrolet Impala of San Jose, California. Chuck was a member of the San Jose Rod and Wheelers. In 1959 Joe Crisafulli gave the car a flame paint job at Flyers Body Shop.

The second version of Chuck Burkart's 1958 Chevrolet Impala, featuring a scallop paint job that Joe Crisafulli laid in 1959. Chuck was a member of the San Jose Rod and Wheelers.

Frank Goehring's 1958 Chevrolet Impala was restyled by Joe Crisafulli at Flyers Body Shop of San Jose, California. The build was completed in 1959.

Ray Strappazon's 1958 Chevrolet Impala

Terry Browning's 1958 Ford Ranchero of Neptune City, New Jersey. Terry was a founding member of the Haulin' Gents, and the "The Ruby Ranch" version of his Ranchero was completed in 1959.

Bill Merrill's 1959 Chevrolet Corvette of Thermopolis, Wyoming. Bill got the Corvette in 1959, while he was a junior in high school. He lived in La Jolla, California for a short while in the spring of 1959, and he had Dean Jeffris lay a panel paint job on the car. Unfortunately, the car was vandalized and the hood was damaged. Jeffries came down to La Jolla and picked up the car to fix the damage and painted the Corvette candy apple red with a gold underbase. The side panel was left gold with a clear coat covering it.

Ed Biggs' 1959 Chevrolet El Camino of Davenport, Iowa. Ed was a member of the Idlers of Davenport car club and he ran Biggs Automotive Service with his father. In the Summer of 1959, Ed decided to turn a brand new El Camino into a shop truck and rolling advertisement. He wanted to give it a custom paint job, so he ordered the car and had it delivered to a Gardena, California dealer so Joe Andersen of Joe Andersen's Custom Shop could pick it up and give it a panel paint job. Ed joined the US Air Force in September of 1959. He was stationed at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, and decided to have his custom shipped with him to Europe.

In 1959 Barris Kustoms debuted the futuristic XPAK 400. According to George Barris, space styled customs was the latest rage of the year. Supposedly translated from Martian, the name meant air car, and that’s what it was. It had no wheels. No transmission. No rear end, and it moved on a five-inch cushion of air. It was driveable on both land and water. In addition to huge fins and a groundbreaking sparkling Metalflake paint job, the XPAK 400 did also feature a plastic bubble top that had been vacuum formed over a male mold. A soft introduction, and a hint about what the future held.

A photo of Bill Krause's Maserati Type 61 "Birdcage" racecar taken at the 1959 Riverside Grand Prix. In February of 2021 Howard Miereanu told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama that he met Billy Krause, as well as Dan Gurney, Richie Ginther and Phill Hill late in 1958, or early in 1959, when he was in his last semester at Art Center College of Design. "They all came to the school and wanted to see the auto designs we were creating. Our project was to design a futuristic race car. Billy liked one of my designs and asked if I would be interested in designing a paint scheme for his Birdcage. He told me that he was having Von Dutch paint the car. Wow…what an honor and I jumped at the chance and submitted a few designs and he selected the one you see on his car." Notice the flying eyeball that Von Dutch added to the nose of the car. Krause was Dutch's brother in law and in addition to the paint, he also lettered the Maserati. Photo from The Howard Miereanu Collection.

The 4th annual Bearing Busters Rod & Custom Show was held March 15, 1959.

The 1959 Pasadena Motor Pageant was held April 23 - 26, 1959 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calfiornia.

The 1st annual San Luis Obispo Motor Show was held May 1, 2, 3, 1959 at the National Guard Armory at Camp San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo, California.

The 3rd annual Krankers Motor Revue 1959 was held on June 13th and 14th 1959 at the Commercial Exhibits Building at the National Orange Show Grounds, San Bernardino, California.

The 1959 Mid-America Auto Spectacular was held October 10-11, 1959 in Topeka, Kansas.

This is the plaque of The Townsmen of East Long Beach Car Club, featuring their emblematic character dressed in a top hat and holding a cane, a symbol of their club's identity in the Southern California car scene during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Officially established on September 27, 1959, and centered around Millikan High School in Lakewood, California, the Townsmen were known for their modified cars and, unfortunately, gained notoriety following the events of the 1960 Car Club Murder. Photo courtesy of Car Club Plaques.

The 1959 Bakersfield Motor & Boat Show was held November 26 - 29, 1959 at the Kern County Fair Grounds in Bakersfield, California.

A photo taken from the roof of Mel's Drive-In in Sacramento in 1959. As Dale Scribner fondly recalled in 2024, Mel's Drive-In in Sacramento was always a hub of activity, much like the famous scenes from American Graffiti. "We would make a loop up K Street, down J Street, and into Mel's, waiting for a parking spot to open up. The place was full of life, and sometimes, folks would be looking to race." Illegal street races were common, and one night after the legal drag races in Vacaville, a gasser team rolled a Willys gasser off a trailer, drove it through Mel's, and loaded it back up, much to everyone's excitement. That spontaneous and rebellious energy was typical of the time. With cars packed into every available spot, people would cruise the surrounding streets until they found a parking space. Illegal drag races took place regularly, with racers looking for competition at every stoplight. Dale’s stories of Mel’s drive-in encapsulate the essence of the era—a time where car culture, racing, and youthful exuberance thrived. The black-and-white image of Mel’s Drive-In showcases its bustling atmosphere, a visual reminder of Dale’s vivid memories from those nights spent cruising with friends and racing on Sacramento streets.

<-- 1958 - 1950s - 1960 -->

By the tail end of the 1950s, some builders in California began toning down flashy paint jobs, favoring single-tone candy or metallic finishes. Gene Winfield's Jade Idol, a 1956 Mercury he built for Leroy Kemmerer, captured national attention with its sculpted body mods and signature fade paint. Larry Watson remained a leading figure in custom paint, perfecting everything from subdued candy hues to experimental scallops and panels.

One car that bridged these changing tastes was Duane Steck's Moonglow. Duane had Larry Watson repaint the Moonglow multiple times, culminating in a candy blue job over a sparkling silver pearl base in 1959. The scallops were now retired, and Watson considered it one of his finest candy blue finishes ever. Although panel painting was still drawing crowds, simpler yet stunning single-color treatments hinted at the sleek, less-cluttered style that would define the early 1960s.

From elegant, understated customs in 1950 to space-age show rods by 1959, the 1950s witnessed a meteoric rise in creativity. Builders refined every technique, leadwork, chopping, sectioning, radical paint, and hydraulic suspensions, while magazines, car shows, and a thriving youth culture propelled the scene to national prominence. By 1960, Kustoms had reached a peak of artistry and influence, cementing the ’50s as the most transformative era in custom car history. As the decade turned, customs evolved rather than disappeared, setting the stage for metalflake paint, bolder graphics, and the radical show rods of the 1960s.

Hot Rods Built or Completed in 1959

Ed Roth's Outlaw
Jim Skonzakes' 1922 Ford Model T Bucket
Buzz Pitzen's 1929 Ford Model A Roadster
George Wiegand's 1930 Ford Model A Roadster Pick Up - The Barracuda
Bosse Ericsson's 1932 Ford Roadster
Clarence Catallo's 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe - Silver Sapphire/Little Deuce Coupe
Deaner Probst's 1933 Ford Cabriolet - Lil' Dough
Larry Ewing's 1940 Ford DeLuxe Coupe
Larry Ewing's 1950 Oldsmobile 88 Coupe

Custom Cars Restyled or Completed In 1959

Rich Vachata's 1936 Ford Convertible
Doug Osterman's 1937 Plymouth Coupe
Ken Costello's 1939 Ford Coupe
Maximilian King's 1940 Mercury Convertible
Arthur Bentas' Raven
Jim Galvin's 1949 Ford Tudor
Lloyd Myers' 1949 Mercury Convertible
Richard Gregg's 1950 Ford Pickup - The Capri
Vern LaCoursiere's 1950 Ford Convertible
George Mizzi Jr.'s 1950 Mercury Convertible - The Purple Bug
Leo Lyons' Ultra Modern Merc
Garret Walther's 1950 Oldsmobile Fastback
Howard Tirban’s 1951 Chevrolet - “Lil’ Bitty Pretty One”
Joe Crisafulli's 1951 Oldsmobile
Ken Foress' 1952 Mercury Convertible
Bill Hoffman's 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air
Duane Steck's 1954 Chevrolet - The Moonglow
Larry Cooper's 1954 Ford
Don Ellis' 1955 Ford Thunderbird
Sy Gregorich's 1955 Ford Crown Victoria - The Victorian
Gary Ruddell's 1955 Pontiac
Dick Gonzales' 1955 Studebaker
Ron Luchs' 1956 Chevrolet 150 Sedan - Miss Taboo
Grant Langseth's 1956 Dodge
Don Von Dwingelo's 1956 Ford Thunderbird
Leroy Kemmerer's 1956 Mercury - The Jade Idol
Mickey Ellis' 1956 Mercury
Al Neblett's 1956 Oldsmobile Four-Door - The Batmobile
Ron Dulin's 1956 Plymouth Fury
John Hychko's 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk - The Polynesian
Dick King's 1957 Chevrolet Four-Door Hardtop - Kings Royalty
Bob Turgeon's 1957 Ford Thunderbird - "Le Perle"
Doug Osterman's 1957 DeSoto
Jerry DeVito's 1957 Ford Fairlane - The Maze
Russ Edgers' 1957 Ford Convertible
Chuck Burkart's 1958 Chevrolet Impala
Frank Goehring's 1958 Chevrolet Impala
Ray Strappazon's 1958 Chevrolet Impala
Terry Browning's 1958 Ford Ranchero - "The Ruby Ranch"
Bill Merrill's 1959 Chevrolet Corvette
Ed Biggs' 1959 Chevrolet El Camino

Show Cars Built or Completed in 1959

The XPAK 400

Hot Rod and Custom Car Shows of 1959

November:
11.26 thru 11.29. 1959 - Bakersfield Motor & Boat Show at the Kern County Fair Grounds in Bakersfield, California

October:
10.10 thru 10.11.1959 - Mid-America Auto Spectacular in Topeka, Kansas

June
06.13 thru 06.14. 1959 - The third annual Krankers Motor Revue was held at the Commercial Exhibits Building at the National Orange Show Grounds, San Bernardino, California.

May:
05.01 thru 05.03.1959 - The 1st annual San Luis Obispo Motor Show at the National Guard Armory in San Luis Obispo, California.

April:
04.23 thru 04.26.1959 - Pasadena Motor Pageant at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calfiornia.

March:
03.15.1959 - Bearing Busters Rod & Custom Show

Hot Rod and Custom Car Clubs Established in 1959

Townsmen of East Long Beach

Ty-Rods of Rockville