Kevan Sledge ranks the 3 greatest customs of all time

Kevan Sledge is a founding member of the So. Cal Shifters car club. He runs Sledge Customs and is responsible for chopping and building some of the world's finest 1939 - 1940 Mercury customs. Photo by Henrik Forss.

3. Nick Matranga's 1940 Mercury Coupe - “The Matranga Merc”

2. Southern California Plating Company's 1935 Ford Phaeton

1. Jimmy Summers' 1940 Mercury Convertible

Kustomrama Top Lists | Kevan Sledge | Sledge Customs

Kevan Sledge is a founding member of the So. Cal Shifters car club. Kevan has had a passion for cars since he was a young kid, and began building hot rods and customs as a hobby in the late 1980s. In 2011 he started up Sledge Customs, turning his hobby into a full time profession. Sledge Customs is dedicated to building the best possible cars while keeping them completely period perfect and true to the early custom car style of the 1940s and early 1950s. Kevan's speciality is 1939 - 1940 Mercury's. Curious about where he gets his inspiration from, we asked Kevan what his All-Time Top 3 Customs are?

3. Nick Matranga's 1940 Mercury Coupe - “The Matranga Merc”

"This was the car that really made me realize how beautiful and fantastic customs can be. When I first found out about this car in the late 1980s it completely blew my mind. I loved every angle of it and it was immediately one of my favorite cars. Even though this is a radical custom, they still kept all the beauty of a 1940 Mercury. This car had just the right amount of parts shaved and molded. The stance is just right and I love that they kept the stock side trim and grille. Obviously, the top was a home run. Making the car a hardtop with the curved side stainless was just pure genius. The car really brought customs to the next level."

2. Southern California Plating Company's 1935 Ford Phaeton

"It's hard to believe that such a wild custom could be built so early on. From the wild streamlined front end, the radically chopped Carson Top, almond shape side windows, Cadillac and hand-formed tube-bumpers, everything about this car is cool!"

1. Jimmy Summers' 1940 Mercury Convertible

"I have always loved this car. It was a very radical custom for the time but amazingly well balanced. With all the radical body modifications that were made it's amazing that it looks so well proportioned and classy. This car must have turned a lot of heads in Los Angeles in the 1940s and I'm sure it was a huge influence on Valley Customs, Barris, The Ayala Brothers, and other builders in the area. "