The Rise and Fall of a Few of Custom Cars

"The earliest hot rods (called gow jobs or hop ups at the time) evolved in Southern California in the late 1920's and Depression-era 1930's, and were mostly Model T's and A roadsters that were stripped down to bare bones for lightness and streamlining, then hopped up with racing engine parts left over from the heady circle track racing craze of the teens and early 20's.

"...the newer (1935 and later) 'fat fender' cars just didn't look good with the fenders off. But since the owners of these newer cars had grown up in the hot rod culture, they couldn't leave these cars alone. They had to fix 'em up, alter them, modify them, personalize them."
-from The American Custom Car by Pat Ganahl.

Thus started the an incredible tradition of altering cars by customizers like the brother teams of Barris and Ayala. All across America, shops were opening up to service this growing demand.

True metal artistry set certain shops apart from the rest. These works of art would flow from these garages out into the public. It is what happened to these works after they were taken home that interested me. I have posted a few photos of some great cars and "what ever happened to..." them photos. Some are alive and well, and some met with tragic ends.

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I have no "before pictures" for this one. Just looking at the car makes the imagination wander though, doesn't it?

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This car first started out as a project by Barris. But soon after it was started, it was seen parked out back behind the shop, and was ultimately never finished. Its whereabouts are unknown, most likely scrapped.

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There are numerous custom shops around these days, but the shops of the 40's and 50's were arguably the pinnacle...originality in its infancy. Oh how we all long for the days in that dirty little shop in Lynwood.

I would like to thank Rik Hoving for letting me post several of these photographs. They are just a minute part of a huge library of images documenting hundreds of past custom cars. Please visit his site if you would like to see many, many more images.