Gerald Twamley's 1954 Chevrolet

George's Chevrolet after Larry Watson applied scallops on it for the first time, and as it appeared in Car Craft February 1959.

Photo by James Potter.

Photo by James Potter.

The silver metallic version of the car before Larry Watson scalloped it at the Norwalk Motorcade held at Excelsior High School. Photo by James Potter.

The silver metallic version of the car as it appeared after Larry Watson had scalloped it. Photo by George Barris

Gerald posing next to his Chevrolet. Photo by Colin Creitz.

A photo of the silver metallic and scalloped version of Gerald Twamley's 1954 Chevrolet 210 2-door sedan, from Gerald's own photo album. This photo was also used in the souvenir program for the 1958 Renegades Rod & Custom Motorama. Photo from The Trend Books Photo Collection.

The same photo as it appeared in the 1958 Renegades Rod & Custom Motorama Souvenir Program.

Another photo of Gerald's Chevrolet taken in 1958. Photo from The Trend Books Photo Collection.

Gerald's Chevrolet car was upholstered in blue and white Naugahyde. It was dressed up with chromed trim around the windows and white piping on the carpets. Photo from The Trend Books Photo Collection.

The Chevrolet as it appeared when Tom Zinke came across it behind a Conoco service station in Lakewood, Colorado in 1973. Photo courtesy of Tom Zinke.

Gerald tore the car down in 1959 in order to fit it with canted quad headlights. The work was done by a guy in San Pedro. Photo courtesy of Tom Zinke.

When Tom bought the car, it featured 1955 Pontiac split bumpers in the rear. This work could have been done by the fellow in San Pedro before Gerald sold the car. Photo courtesy of Tom Zinke.

Photo courtesy of Tom Zinke.

Photo courtesy of Tom Zinke.

Tom was 15 years old when he bought the old custom. Photo courtesy of Tom Zinke.

An old color photo of the car from Tom's collection. When Tom bought the car it was painted in Candy Blue paint that needed hours of rubbing out. Photo courtesy of Tom Zinke.

Photo courtesy of Tom Zinke.

Tom sold the Chevy to his buddy Dennis Brakeen. Dennis put a 9" ford and 4 speed behind the 283. He eventually sold it, tried to buy it back, and then he and Tom lost track of it. Someone thought it may have gotten scrapped in Colorado Springs. Do you know what happened to the Twamley Chevrolet after Dennis sold it? Please get in touch with Kustomrama at mail@kustomrama.com if you have more info and photos about the car to share with us. Photo courtesy of Tom Zinke.

1954 Chevrolet 210 2-door sedan owned by Gerald Twamley of Artesia, California. Gerald Twamley was a member of the Renegades Car Club of Long Beach, California. Gerald bought the car when it was a year old from a Chevrolet dealer in Lakewood. When Gerald bought the car, it was painted white. He started doing some work to it. The second version of the car was painted dark blue and featured some really unusual firecracker like pinstripes.

After that the car was painted in another dark blue metallic color. This version of the car was featured in Custom Cars October 1958. Branson's Custom Shop on Pioneer & Artesia in Artesia, California did most of the body work on this version. This version featured a molded 1950 Mercury grille shell and gravel pan. Tubing bumpers made from sections of old drive-shafts were mounted in the gravel pan in a floating fashion. The stock grille swapped for an older 1953 Chevrolet grille with extra teeth added. The stock headlight rims were frenched, and the fender flare was carried forward to the edge of the headlights. All of the trim were shaved. The hood was also peaked and had the front corners rounded. In the rear Gerald restyled the car using 1956 Chrysler taillight lenses that he set in frenched openings made out of round rod edge. The rear bumper was from a 1950 Plymouth. Gerald also had the car fit with side pipes that were routed through the body. Inside the upholstery was done in blue and white Naugahyde. Larry Watson of Watson's House of Style applied some white pearl scallops with powder blue pearl tips on this version of Gerald's car. The scallops were pinstriped in imitation gold.

A later version of the car was painted silver metallic. Gerald was actually painting the car blue, but after adding to much aluminum powder into the paint it turned out in a weird silver blue instead. Larry Watson later applied some light silver blue metallic scallops to the silver version of the car. One side of the scallop was pinstriped in white, the other one was pinstriped in black. This version of the car was featured in Car Craft February 1959. The six-cylinder Stove Bolt-powered car featured some hot-rodding parts, including triple carburetors. Gerald won the Semi Custom Award at the Krankers Motor Revue 1959.

In 1959 Gerald tore the car down in order to fit it with canted quad headlights. The work was done by a guy in San Pedro. When the job was almost done, Gerald got drafted in to the army and decided to sell the car for $300 in 1960. The car was sold to a guy in Colorado.

Found Behind a Gas Station in Lakewood, Colorado

Around 1973 Tom Zinke saw the car stored behind a Conoco service station in Lakewood, Colorado. In 2018 Tom told Kustomrama that he was able to buy the car after he had been bugging the owner for a couple of years; "At that point, the car had a 283 with 3 speed. A white interior and Candy Blue paint that needed hours of rubbing out. I was 15 years old and lived with my folks in Golden, Colorado. My father and I also had a 1941 Ford business coupe that Sam and George Barris had chopped." When Tom bought the car, it featured 1955 Pontiac split bumpers in the rear. This work could have been done by the fellow in San Pedro before Gerald sold the car.

Where is it Now?

Tom never got the old Renegades custom streetable, and he traded it for a J2 powered 1939 Pontiac Coupe a couple of years later. "I believe my friend Dennis Brakeen acquired the car toward the 1980s and drove it daily. Dennis put a 9" ford and 4 speed behind the 283. He eventually sold it, tried to buy it back, and then we lost track of it. Someone thought it may have gotten scrapped in Colorado Springs. I hope not!" Do you know what happened to the Twamley Chevrolet after Dennis sold it? Please get in touch with Kustomrama at mail@kustomrama.com if you have more info and photos about the car to share with us.

Magazine Features

Rod & Custom November 1957
Custom Cars August 1958
Custom Cars October 1958
Car Craft February 1959
Car Speed and Style May 1959
Trend Book 197 Custom Cars 1961 Annual
Speed and Custom February 1962
Customs Illustrated May 1963
Trend Book 207 Custom Cars 2009 Annual