George Kilgore's 1951 Chevrolet

George "The Gator" Kilgore bought his 1951 Chevrolet in 1951 at De Anza Chevrolet in downtown Riverside, California. He immediately had Bill Bowman to restyle it, and by 1956 the car was completed with dual 1956 Packard taillights, which one were mounted inverted. The bumpers were replaced with custom made Nerf bars. A set of 1955 Chevrolet headlights were installed, giving the front a new appearance. The split front window was swapped in favor of a one-piece 1951 Oldsmobile windshield. A new grille shell was made by using two 1953 Studebaker grille pans, one mounted inverted. The hood was shaved, fit with louvers and had its corners rounded. It was dropped 8 inches up front, and 3 inches in the rear. The car was fit with a complete tuck & roll interior. It was painted Gold Lacquer with striping Gator still owns the car after all these year, and it was freshened up for a re-debut at the 2011 Grand National Roadster Show.

Magazine Features and Appearances

Custom Cars January 1960