Fade Paint Job

A business card from Joe Andersen, a custom paint and pinstriping shop in Gardena, California. Andersen, an early pioneer in airbrushed designs and fadeaway paint schemes, started his career in Los Angeles under the mentorship of Louis Senter of Ansen Automotive. His innovative work extended to show cars, street cars, and dragsters, including the iconic Stellings and Hampshire "Red Stamp Special" dragster, praised as one of the most beautiful dragsters ever painted. Photo from The Mike Kosulandich Collection.

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.

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 late 1959 or early 1960, after Larry Watson had given it a fogged panel paint job.

Ron Volpe's 1957 Ford Convertible of La Salle, Illinois. Ron was a member of the Illinois Valley Mis-Fires. Between the years 1960 and 1963, he took the car through five different stages. This photo shows the fifth and most radical iteration of the car that was restyled in 1963. By then, the car had received an asymmetrical scoop on the hood, radiused wheel wells, and a fogged paint job.

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.

Ray Farhner's 1963 Chevrolet Corvette, known as Outer Limits, was restyled by Ray Farhner of Farhner Custom Shop in Kansas City, Missouri in 1963. Tom Davidson gave the car a fade paint job in 1963.

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.

Tom Kosulandich's 1955 Ford Thunderbird of San Pedro, California. Known as "Sundowner," the second iteration of Tom's Thunderbird was updated in 1964 by Bill Hines with additional bodywork and a striking fadeaway paint scheme. These modifications ensured the Thunderbird remained a standout in the custom car circuit.

Richard Zocchi's 1964 Buick Wildcat of Concord, California. Richard's Buick featured hydraulic lifts by Bill Hines and a fadeaway paint job by Gene Winfield of Winfield's Custom Shop. The car was restyled in 1964, when it was brand new.

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

Nick Hoogoian's 1965 Chevrolet Malibu of Granada Hills, San Fernando Valley received a fadeaway paint job by Joe Andersen's Custom Shop in the summer of 1966.

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

Jim Robertson's 1961 Ford of Simi Valley, California. Jim's Ford was restyled in 1969, and it featured a fadeaway paint job by Bill Carter of Carter Pro Paint and pinstriping by Walt Prey.

Raymond Öström's 1937 Ford Coupe of Sweden. Built by Christer Lundberg in the early 1960s, an early iteration of the coupe was shown at the 1965 Hot Rod Show in Marmorhallarna in Stockholm. By 1973 the car had been sold to Raymon Öström, and it had been given a fade and panel paint job by Frittes Billack.

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.

Gene Winfield laying down one of his famous fade paint jobs on Dave Wright's 1959 Chevrolet El Camino of Poole, United Kingdom. Named The Golden Idol, Wright's El Camino manifests his vision and the expertise of these celebrated car customizers. He purchased the car in 1989. In 1994, he decided to turn it into a 1960s show car. In 2007, after restyling the body, Wright flew Gene Winfield in from Mojave, California to have him lay down one of his fade paint jobs.

Dave Wright's 1959 Chevrolet El Camino of Poole, United Kingdom is a distinctive custom that originated from Wright's admiration for Gene Winfield and Larry Watson. Gene painted the car in the United Kingdom in 2007. Known as The Golden Idol, the build was completed two years later, in 2009.

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.

Mike Cornwell's 1951 Ford Business Coupe received a fade paint job by Kyle Martin of Martin Kolor & Style in 2016.

TJ O'Conner's 1956 Ford Customline. Kyle Martin of Martin Kolor & Style gave the car a suble fade paint job in 2017. Photo by John Lemoine - Customikes.

Wheels Unlimited's 1965 Buick LeSabre of Japan. Restyled by Winfield's Custom Shop, the build was completed in 2017, featuring one of Gene Winfield's signature fadeaway paint jobs. The car made its debut at the 2017 Grand National Roadster Show.

Roger Miret's 1954 Chevrolet 210 of Scottsdale, Arizona. Known as "Morphine," the build was started in 2010 and completed in 2018. Eric Rowland gave the car a faded panel and flame paint job.

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.

Jesse Orozco's 1956 Chevrolet - Memory '56 of Salinas, California. Inspired by Lanny Erickson's 1956 Chevrolet, the build took more than 20 years to complete. Greg Gonzales and Erik Solorio gave the car a fade paint job. Once completed, it made its debut at the 2023 Grand National Roadster Show.

Cars Featuring Fade Paint Jobs

Joe and Jerry Valdez's 1921 Ford Model T Roadster
Raymond Öström's 1937 Ford Coupe
Mike Cornwell's 1951 Ford Business Coupe
Tim Smith's 1951 Ford Victoria
Wheels Unlimited's 1952 Chevrolet - Desert Sunset
Mikko Kiviniemi's 1953 Chevrolet
Roger Miret's 1954 Chevrolet - "Morphine"
Tom Kosulandich's 1955 Ford Thunderbird - The Sundowner
Jesse Orozco's 1956 Chevrolet - Memory '56
Larry Nixon's 1956 Chevrolet Nomad
Ron Aguirre's 1956 Chevrolet Corvette - X-Sonic
TJ O'Conner's 1956 Ford Customline
Leroy Kemmerer's 1956 Mercury - The Jade Idol
Ron Dulin's 1956 Plymouth Fury
Ron Volpe's 1957 Ford Convertible - Red Robin II
Dave Wright's 1959 Chevrolet El Camino - The Golden Idol
Dennis McPhail's 1960 Ford Fairlane
Jim Robertson's 1961 Ford
Richard Zocchi's Second 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix
George Barris' 1963 Buick Riviera - The Villa Riviera
Ray Farhner's 1963 Chevrolet Corvette - Outer Limits
Richard Zocchi's 1964 Buick Wildcat
Wheels Unlimited's 1965 Buick LeSabre
Nick Hoogoian's 1965 Chevrolet Malibu