East Coast

Sebastian Rubbo's 1936 Ford Roadster of Massachusetts. Sabie started working on the roadster at age 23, in 1945. He had just gotten out of the Navy, and was inspired by the cars he saw racing at the dry lakes near where he was stationed in Southern California. The build was completed in 1946, and Sabie drove it all over the country for the next 42 years.

Ray Giovannoni's 1936 Ford Roadster of Washington, D.C. Before custom car magazines spread the gospel of chopped tops and lead sleds, Bud Unger was shaping metal on the East Coast, unaware of the California scene. A skilled metalworker trained in the Air Force, Unger applied his aircraft fabrication techniques to Ray Giovannoni's 1936 Ford roadster, creating one of the finest early East Coast Customs. He fully molded the fenders, quarter panels, aprons, and running boards, shaved the deck, moved the taillights into the bumper, and reshaped the front end to fit a Packard grille. The finishing touch? A deep, 20-coat jet black paint job laid down circa 1947-1948. Ray drove the freshly built custom across the country to have a Carson Top made in Los Angeles, gaining nationwide attention along the way. The trip proved that East Coast builders were creating showstoppers on par with their West Coast counterparts, and in November 1948, the car landed a feature in Hot Rod Magazine, cementing its legacy in early custom car history.

After serving in the Marine Corps during WWII, Lawrence Garrison moved to Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1947, bringing his passion for custom cars to the East Coast before hot rod and custom car magazines spread the movement. Based on a self-penned design, Larry transformed this 1940 Mercury into a sleek, low-slung masterpiece. He channeled the body, sectioned the hood, and chopped the windshield to achieve a streamlined European-inspired look. Full fadeaway fenders, nosed and decked bodywork, and push-button doors added to its elegance, while 1947 Buick bumpers and spun hubcaps gave it a distinctive flair. Larry built the car entirely himself, fabricating parts, stitching the Spanish leather interior, and even installing hydraulic window lifts. His Mercury wasn’t just a showstopper. It was a symbol of how custom culture was spreading across America. Luckily, the car has survived, and today it is currently located in Norway. Photo courtesy of Paul Garrison.

This photo shows a 1940 Hudson Converible that Bud Unger of Rockville, Maryland restyled for an unknown customer in the late 1940s. In 2012, when Kustomrama interviewed Bud about the car, he remembered that he hand made a set of fender skirts for the car, and that he fit it with his own version of a Carson Top. He admitted that the top was no way as good as "the California job". Another photo of the car, taken the same day, shows it wearing a set of New York 1948 license plates. Other modifications included a shaved hood, dual spotlights, a 1946 - 1948 Mercury grille and removed running boards. Ray Giovannoni's 1936 Ford Roadster can be seen across the street. Photo courtesy of Bud Unger.

A 1939 Ford Convertible that Bud Unger of Unger Auto Body Company customized and painted in a light metallic blue in the late 1940s or early 1950s. When this photo was taken, the top had been chopped, and the sidetrim on the hood had been shortened. The hood was shaved for most of its chrome, and a bumper that had been shaved for bumper guards protected the front of the car. Fender skirts and single bar flipper hubcaps had been installed for a true west coast custom look. Photo courtesy of Bud Unger.

Fred Cain's 1940 Ford coupe of Wilmington, Massachusetts. Fred's coupe was originally restyled in 1948.

Don Blake's 1951 Ford 4-Door of Lynhurst, New Jersey. Blake was a member of the Drivin Deuces of Carlstadt car club, and he started restyling the Ford in 1956, while he was in high school.

Nick De Simon's 1940 Ford coupe of Teaneck, New Jersey. Nick worked for his dad at De Simon Auto Body, and he was a very talented body man and fabricator. The build was completed around 1957.