BobT-47P15 Posted February 28, 2007 Report Posted February 28, 2007 Click on links to see 3 more views: http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o302/rebstew187/HPIM0968.jpg http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o302/rebstew187/HPIM0960.jpg interior http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o302/rebstew187/HPIM0964.jpg Somewhere in Kentucky. One guy thinks he has seen it in a book on Barris customs. Quote
52B3B108 Posted February 28, 2007 Report Posted February 28, 2007 That's one of the ugliest cars I've seen in a while!!! Quote
thedahmer Posted February 28, 2007 Report Posted February 28, 2007 kinda reminds me of a catfish-- without the whiskers.... Quote
Norm's Coupe Posted February 28, 2007 Report Posted February 28, 2007 I agree, it's ugly. Guess it would have to grow on you like the rust under the paint. Quote
PatS.... Posted February 28, 2007 Report Posted February 28, 2007 Just the front fender and wheel well opening makes me think it wasn't a Barris job. He didn't do ALL his cars in good taste, but they usually weren't that much out of proportion. The rear end is just too gaudy and busy. The story behind it would be interesting to know, though. That Chevy really looks embarrassed to be out in public like that Quote
1just4don Posted February 28, 2007 Report Posted February 28, 2007 A bottom feeder for sure. See that long wide mouth,,,better to suck up all the drugs and booze in the world!!! What was it in it's better days?? Quote
Young Ed Posted February 28, 2007 Report Posted February 28, 2007 By the side view a tri-5 chevy. I believe a 57. As much as I get tired of seeing the same old chevys over and over again at car shows I think I'd still rather see that one restored to stock! Probably quite easy with all the repro parts available for them. Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted February 28, 2007 Report Posted February 28, 2007 [quote What was it in it's better days?? a shinier butt ugly car... Quote
Brendan D25 Posted February 28, 2007 Report Posted February 28, 2007 It looks like a 55-57 Chevy and I'm guessing here-58 Merc taillights, 59 Caddy taillights,58Caddy rear bumper, 58 or 59 Lincoln rear bumper used as front bumper, 58 Chevy headlights, and I also agree it is ugly, as a lot of the show customs were in the late 50s and early 60s. Brendan. Quote
Norm's Coupe Posted February 28, 2007 Report Posted February 28, 2007 By the side view a tri-5 chevy. I believe a 57. As much as I get tired of seeing the same old chevys over and over again at car shows I think I'd still rather see that one restored to stock! Probably quite easy with all the repro parts available for them. Ed, I wondered what that car started out as too when I first looked at it. Now that you mention it, the dip by the rear window and the windows look like it could have started life as a 56 Chevy. Even though you could buy all reproduction parts to restore it to original, why would you want to? Would cost you more to do that than it would to just buy one, the way this one is cut up. This one belongs in the crusher as far as I'm concerned and I love 56 Chevy's. They even screwed up the dash. About the only good parts is the windows. Quote
Reg Evans Posted February 28, 2007 Report Posted February 28, 2007 I'm still laughing. What a waste of gallons of bondo. Quote
JIPJOBXX Posted February 28, 2007 Report Posted February 28, 2007 Its my dream car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote
RobertKB Posted February 28, 2007 Report Posted February 28, 2007 Its my dream car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you're having a nightmare!! To me the car is only good for parts, for a lot of different vehicles but the convertible mechanism would be good for whatever year Chev it is. Quote
BobT-47P15 Posted March 1, 2007 Author Report Posted March 1, 2007 Model of a 55 Chevy convertible. Look at the front fender openings....kind of squar-ish. 1955 Pontiac.....fender opening is more of a teardrop......wonder if the mystery car is a Pontiac?? The fender would have had to be made a little deeper from the front edge back to accomodate the modifications done. Hence the strange proportions. However, both the Chevy and Pontiac have the small rear fender openings.....the mystery car openings look more like a 56 or 57 Chevy, with additions. Dash doesn't look like either Chevy or Pontiac. I suspect that rectangular flat thing in the center of the dash might have held a wall telephone when new.....back in the older days, it was considered way cool to think you could have a telephone in your car. They simply used a house phone. Quote
Dennis Hemingway Posted March 1, 2007 Report Posted March 1, 2007 I don't know about that car, but I'll keep my 56 and not trade in in on that car. The front and rear fender opening look partly right. Dennis;) Quote
Normspeed Posted March 1, 2007 Report Posted March 1, 2007 Beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes all the way to the bone. Quote
Allan Faust Posted March 1, 2007 Report Posted March 1, 2007 From my point of view, if you look at the house behind the car, what probably happened was that as everything that broke or rusted through on whatever that car was, he patched it with whatever he could find in the environs...... not a custom at all.... just fixed up to be driven!!! Allan Quote
BobT-47P15 Posted March 1, 2007 Author Report Posted March 1, 2007 The fellow on the hamb said there is supposedly a story that Barris built the car, and it is pictured in a book about his cars of the 50s or 60s. Was owned the last several years by a man who kept it inside. He died, and the current owner, who evidently lives in the house trailer behind the car, is his son, who inherited it. So far....no luck on actually contacting that son. May be true...may not be. Just a little more of the mystery around this unique and kinda ugly car. Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted March 1, 2007 Report Posted March 1, 2007 IF it is current registration and the tags on the vehicle are YOM tags..then it placed the car vintage at a 55 model..regardless of the donor car the vehicle is a bondo bandit with serious canker under the paint/layers. Even the door is has huge shrinkage circle cracks in the paint..very heavy paint on lots of bondo skimmed even on the door panels. Anyone entertaining this best have lots of patience, loved for body work and poor taste in vehicle shape and lines. At on time in its prime the car probably would appear a bit more fashionable..probably trendy in its original heyday..definitely a one of creation..I would venture to guess this car will only continue to go down hill from here as it does not have any real known nostalgic value like being featured in a movie...I am sure the owner has eyes glazed over with dollar signs estimating the cars value. Sad part is that the interior when done plus the top set the owner back a bit when new...time to donate this thing to the Kidney Foundation for a huge tax write off based on the posssible Barris vintage...... Quote
Norm's Coupe Posted March 1, 2007 Report Posted March 1, 2007 55 or what ever. The front fenders may be modified 57 Chevy fenders. The 55 and 56 Chevy both had smooth tops on the fenders. This one has ridges on the top of them. 57 had that type of ridge but wasn't that wide on top. Also the hood looks like it could have come off about 55 thru 57 Corvette. The passenger compartment could be 55 or 56 because the 57 had a more sloping rear quarter window than the 55 & 56. The reason I say this is because I have die cast models of all the 50's Chevy's (my favorite cars of the 50's), so I looked at those to come up with all this. Regardless of what the license plate says (1955 Ohio), I don't think this car was built in 1955. I can't think of a 55 or older car of any kind that has ridged tops on the fenders. They were all rounded or flat. I think someone just stuck that 55 plate on there. As far as being a published car, that may be correct too. I think I remember seeing a picture of that car in some old Custom Car magazine. I know I've seen one with that grill and that's one you can't forget, it's so ugly. Like Tim said though, this car is ready for the crusher, except for things like the top and windows. Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted March 1, 2007 Report Posted March 1, 2007 YOM tag Norm has nothing to do with the time the custom was built...never implied that...has all to do with the registration of the donor car, they must match vehicle build year..why I think 55 may be the original car...would not think anyone would go to the trouble of matching front and rear plates just for sticking them on factor..the states that require matching tags for YOM even can be quite expenisve sometimes..and at this time I would think the tags have a greater street value and would be first thing stolen (maybe the only thing stolen) off the car if indeed it is parked as shown all the time. I don't think drugs were were available in the 50's to come up with this car...even purple jesus hadn't come along yet. Quote
Norm's Coupe Posted March 1, 2007 Report Posted March 1, 2007 Tim, Wasn't disputing the car may have began life as 55. Just pointing out it looks like a mixture of several years. The rear tail lights and fins look like they were grafted on from a 57 Mercury. I'm still having trouble placing what that ugly grill came off of though. Have to disagree with the most valuable part of the car though. Those plates will bring a few bucks, but that wrap around windshield is worth quite a bit. Those are really hard to find in good shape. I agree with you on the body condition. That looks about worthless. That was the first thing I noticed on this car when Bob first posted it. All the cracks and blisters in the paint indicates some serious problems, even for us in the rust belt who are more use to working on rust buckets. Just last year I walked away from possibly buying a 65 El Camino for the same reason. Asking price was only $3500 and a runner. Looked real good until I got close and could see the small hairline cracks in the paint from all the bondo. Quote
Don Coatney Posted March 1, 2007 Report Posted March 1, 2007 Here is the grill. 1958 Lincoln butt Quote
Young Ed Posted March 1, 2007 Report Posted March 1, 2007 If this car is really a 55-57 chevy I doubt that windshield is even close to hard to find. You can buy an entire 57 chevy convert reproduction. Quote
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