Los Angeles

Being a jack of many trades, Jimmy Summers told his step-daughter Karen that he made his money owning gas stations. By the late 1930s, he was running "Jimmy Summers Custom Automobile Body Shop" at 7919 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. This photo of Jim's 1932 Ford Roadster was taken in front of his shop. Located right across the street from Fairfax High School, So-Cal Speedshop founder Alex Xydias was one of the local kids that used to hang out at Summers' shop after school. The shop was nothing fancy, Xydias recalls in Mark Christensen and Tony Thacker's book about So-Cal Speed Shop, "just four plastered walls, a bare concrete floor, and a gas jet, which on cold mornings was ignited to shoot a flame that warmed the shop in minutes." Photo from The Jimmy Summers Photo Collection.

In the spring of 1940 a leftover crew from Howard Darrin established the Coachcraft Ltd. custom body shop in Melrose, Los Angeles.

The Blair Special

Louis Banto and Jack Perre's 1927 Ford roadster of Los Angeles, California was completed around 1951/1952.

Louis Banto and Sal Macchia's 1927 Ford Model T Roadster of Los Angeles, California was completed around 1949/1950.

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A 1940 Ford hot rod, captured mid-transformation at Chuck's Top Shop in Los Angeles, California. Notice the louvered hood and the faux whitewall tires—creative touches that blend speed and style. Photo from The Robert Genat Collection.

Bill Vogt's 1929 Ford Model A, of Los Angeles, California.

Buzz Pitzen's 1929 Ford Model A Roadster of Los Angeles, California. Buzz was a member of the Challengers of Los Angeles car club. The build was started around 1954, and completed in 1959. Shortly after it was completed, Buzz sold the roadster to Barons of Westchester member John Rasmussen of Westchester, California.

Chet Herbert's 1932 Ford 4-door Sedan

Mac Schutt's 1932 Ford Roadster, of Bel Air, Los Angeles, California. The build took two years, and it was completed in 1949.

Ed Pink's 1936 Ford 5-Window coupe of Los Angeles, California. In 1949 Ed chopped the top on the Ford and converted it into a dry lakes racer. He joined the Rusetta Timing Association, and became a member of the Coupes club.

George Barris' 1936 Ford Convertible

Jack McNeil's 1936 Ford, of Los Angeles, California was built by J & G Custom Shop.

Arthur Lellis' 1939 Ford Convertible of Los Angeles, California. Restyled by Art at Art & Jerry Custom Shop, the build was completed in 1946.

Jerry Moffatt's 1939 Ford Convertible of Los Angeles, California. Restyled by Jerry at Olive Hill Garage, the build was completed in 1946.

Bill Henderson's 1939 Mercury Convertible of Los Angeles, California. Bill bought the Merc when he was 14 years old. In the mid to late 1940s he worked for Barris Kustoms, and they taught him how to customize cars, while he was working on the Merc.

Bob Creasman's 1940 Ford coupe of Los Angeles, California. Bob began restyling the car late in 1943, making it the first 1940 Ford coupe to be channeled, and the second to be chopped in the Los Angeles area. The work was done in conjunction with the Brand Brothers Body Shop in Los Angeles. In 1948 the car received fadeaway fenders.

Jim Chapkis' 1940 Ford

Albrecht Goertz' 1940 Mercury of Los Angeles, California. Known as the Paragon, Albrecht's Mercury was restyled in 1939. Once completed, it was shown at the 1939 World Exhibition in New York. Albrecht went on to become a noted BMW designer.

Jack Stewart's 1941 Ford Coupe

Earl Wilson's 1947 Studebaker - The Grecian

Lloyd Marshall's 1948 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible was restyled by Brownie's Body Shop in Los Angeles, California, and fit with a top from Carson Top Shop.

Marcia Campbell's 1949 Chevrolet Convertible was restyled by Barris Kustoms in 1949.

Mando's 1950 Chevrolet

Chuck DeWitt's 1950 Ford

Curt Mendalson's 1950 Ford

Bill Cicerone's 1950 Mercury

Bob Feldner's 1950 Mercury

Tom Davis' 1950 Oldsmobile 88, of Los Angeles, California.

Tony Tellez' 1951 Chevrolet

Vince Ulloa's 1951 Chevrolet Four Door Fletline

Fred Rowe's 1951 Mercury Convertible, of Los Angeles, California was restyled by Barris Kustoms. The build was completed in 1953. A second version of the Merc, restyled in 1954 was featured in the movie Running Wild along with Bob Hirohata's 1951 Mercury.

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Frank Airheart's 1951 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible

Charles DeLacy's 1951 Studebaker

Ed Wilder's 1952 Cadillac Coupe deVille

Custom City Auto Sales' 1952 Mercury

Anthony Heinsbergen's Muntz

Chuck DeWitt's 1953 Ford Station Wagon

Vic Tuttle's 1953 Mercury

Russel Martin's 1953 Studebaker

T. A. Neal's 1956 Buick

Ronnie Reishert's 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air, of Los Angeles, California.

Gil Ayala's 1955 Ford Thunderbird of East Los Angeles, California. Known as the Wild Bird, the car was restyled by Gil and Al Ayala at Gil's Auto Body Works. The first version was completed in 1956.

Ed Hoban's 1956 Chevrolet, of Los Angeles, California.

Bruce Schwartz' 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air - The "Blue Car"

Frank Mann's Baby LeSabre

A 1960s business card for Perez Kustom Kar Interiors, operated by master upholsterer Joe Perez at 4819 Nobel Street, Los Angeles, California. Renowned for his expertise in diamonds and pleats, Joe was a favorite among customizers, creating interiors for many of Larry Watson's builds. He also contributed to Tom Kosulandich's 1955 Ford Thunderbird. When Eddie Martinez did most of the upholstery work in the car, but when he was unavailable, Joe crafted a snap-on hood tarp and upholstered the trunk, adding his signature touch to this iconic custom. Photo from The Mike Kosulandich Collection.

The flyer for the 1964 Winternationals Custom Auto Fair. Held at the Great Western Exhibit Center in Los Angeles from February 6-9, 1964, the show was promoted as one of the nation's largest and most popular custom auto shows of its time. Scan courtesy of Tom Kosulandich.

Mark Jorgenson's 1960 Chevrolet Impala was restyled in the mid 1960s featuring lifts up front by Dick & Ron's and a pearl blue fadeaway paint job by Joe Andersen's Custom Shop.

Sandy Gordon's 1961 Pontiac Bonnveille Convertible received a fadeaway paint job by Joe Andersen's Custom Shop in the summer of 1965.

Jim Arkin's 1965 Chevrolet Impala of San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California received a full custom paint job by Joe Andersen's Custom Shop and lifts on all four corners by Dick & Ron's in the summer of 1966.

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

Jim Arkin's 1965 Chevrolet Impala as it appeared after Joe Andersen of Joe Andersen's Custom Shop had repainted it black pearl with cobweb in 1967.

Jim Arkin's 1967 Buick Riviera of Los Angeles, California. Jim was a member of the San Fernando Valley Illusions car club, and in 1968 his Riviera featured 8 inch Ansen slotted aluminum wheels, and a subtle business men's pinstripe by Larry Watson of Watson's House of Style. The pinstripe consisted of two lines, a half inch apart, that ran the length of the car.

The 1965 Winternationals was held January 28 - February 7, 1965, consisting of the Winternationals Custom Auto Fair and the Winternationals Championship Drag Races. The Custom Auto Fair part of the show was held at the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Joseph Perez - Perez Kustom Kar Interiors of Los Angeles, California. Donated by Marshall Tripp, this business card comes from the office of Larry Watson. In the 1960s Joe was known as one of the best custom upholsterers in Southern California, and he did many of Larry Watson's interiors. Marshall, who worked for Larry between 1966 and 1967, remembers Watson once telling him that "you'll never win best interior with black." When Marshall worked for Watson, Joe had a shop at 4819 Nobel Street in Los Angeles, and diamond and pleats were his specialties. Photo from The Kustomrama Business Card Collection.

Sinister Knights of Los Angeles was a car club out of Los Angeles.

Charles Marshall's 1950 Cadillac Roadster of Palo Alto, California. The design of the car was inspired by the 1953 Cadillac LeMans concept car, and according to later owner Charles Marshall it was supposedly built in New Jersey in the 1960s. Bill Halvorsen of Los Angeles owned the car in 2000.

Henry Contreras' 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air of Norwalk, California. Henry was a member of the Rogues of Long Beach car club, and his Chevrolet was restyled several times in the 1950s and 1960s. Branson's Custom Shop was responsible for many of the modifications on the car. Ron Gomez of Los Angeles owned the car in 2013.