Fade Paint Job

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 featuring one of Gene's signature fadeaway paint jobe. 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.

George Barris' 1963 Buick Riviera of Encino, California. George, who owned and operated Barris Kustom City in North Hollywood, California, designed the car himself. Known as "The Villa Riviera Buick," the build was completed in 1963. In 1964 a white iteration of the car appeared in the popular Surf-movie "For Those Who Think Young". In 1963, once the movie work was done, George experimented with a fogged paint job before returning The Villa Riviera to its originally intended cherry red paint scheme.

The X-Sonic as it appeared when it was featured in Popular Customs Winter Issue 1963. The Platinum Pearl paint job with Royal and Oriental Blue Shading was applied by Larry Watson at Watson's House of Style. Photo from the Ron Aguirre Photo Collection.

Tim Smith's 1951 Ford Victoria received a faded paint job by Dick Page in 1965.

Larry Nixon's 1956 Chevrolet Nomad of Tacoma, Washington received a custom fade and flame paint job by Dick Page in 1967.

Joe and Jerry Valdez's 1921 Ford Model T Roadster of Oakland, California. Joe and Jerry purchased the car as a race car in the 1950s. They took it apart and turned it into a show car. By 1974 the car had been given a Silver and Blue Metalflake fade paint job by Al Fettke.

Richard Zocchi's Second 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix was restyled by Lucky 7 Custom for Richard Zocchi of Walnut Creek, California. The car was built as a chopped clone of a 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix that Gene Winfield restyled for Zocchi in 1962. The build was completed in 2002. Art Himsl and Marcos applied the fadeaway paint job on the car.

Dennis McPhail's 1960 Ford Fairlane of Wellington, Kansas. Restyled by Hooligan Hot Rods and Jeff Myers the build was completed in 2010, featuring a fadeaway paint job.

Wheels Unlimited's 1952 Chevrolet of Japan was restyled by Gene Winfield at Winfield's Custom Shop. Named "Desert Sunset, the build was completed in 2015, and it made its debut at the 2015 SEMA Show, featuring one of Gene's famous fade paint jobs.

Mikko Kiviniemi's 1953 Chevrolet of Örebro, Sweden. The body on Mikko's Chevrolet has been sectioned 3 inches and chopped 3 inches, reducing the height with a total of 6 inches. The build was started in 2013 and completed in 2019. It featured a Gene Winfield inspired fade paint job that Mikko laid himself.

Cars Featuring Fade Paint Jobs