Hot Rod Ramblings: Mild Customs

March 4, 2010 by Hechtspeed · 5 Comments

It’s been too long since I rambled on about Hot Rods and Customs, I mean Kustoms. My crazy car brain has gone down the path of “Mild Customs”. I’ll say it right now, the car that really got me started digging Customs was Nick Hoesing’s ex-Ford Galaxie I scoped at Bonneville last year. Peep it below…

Then I picked up a Rodders Journal that featured Kirk Jones’ 1960 Ford Starliner. Our camera man Swanee grabbed this first pic at last years Grand National Roadster Show. This ‘Liner blew me away!!! I pulled that TRJ #45 out again last night to re-read the story and stare at the rad photography. Man, this kustom is mad rad!

Ok, so it may be categorized as a Mild Custom, but this thing is Wild! That paint (better pics in the Rodders Journal, you’re just gonna have to go buy a copy) is nutty! The interior is grade A. This Ford oozes style and stance. Can you imagine the hours spent building this car. I bought this magazine when we were staying in the hospital for the birth of our 4th boy last fall and so, the late nights/early mornings combined with the top notch photographs of this Custom just made me crazy for it even more.

Just sit and stare at this thing…it will make any die hard hotrodder really appreciate the work the Custom boys are doing… Take a funky late 50’s, early 60’s land yacht, drop it, add wheels and tires, paint it and you’re crusin’! Ok, its not that easy, but the formula is simple. Nice pic Pikesan! Oh that you woulda had the wide angle and D90 for this ride! Oh, and anybody know (cheaters can read The Rodders Journal article) where the name “May Cause Dangerous” came from? It’s pretty funny!

This is my favorite Kustom photo at the moment. Props go to Swanee for the photo. This was taken at the 2010 Grand National Roadster Show. Man! These Kustoms (red is a ‘ 54 Chevy and black a ‘51 Merc’, thanks for the heads up Swanee) are amazing. The red one is LOW! ……………sorry, I was staring again! I’m back now. ha ha Love that grille. Are those lights in the outer edge of the grille factory or is that custom? Either way I dig. I’m the biggest fanboy of white walls! I mean come on! Even Disney knows whats up. Remember when “Lightning McQueen” got a “Pimp My Ride” makeover in the Cars movie? What did Luigi recommend? WHITE WALLS!!! So rad! This picture is my current background desktop at work.

Swanman at it again at GNRS 2009. This is a ‘62 Chrysler Newport. I’ll take your word for it man. Are those the stock headlights? I’ve seen a lot of Kustoms with that style of canted headlight design. It looks factor on this ride, it just has a matching style doesn’t it? I’m not usually a fan of flames, but this one works. Doesn’t this have a low rider look to it? The mini white walls and the Astro wheels give it that look I think. Super low ride height is required for a Kustom.

The takeaway from this pic is grab an early 60’s large coupe or sedan on the cheap and apply some tasteful Custom touches and you’ll be cruising in style like this Newport!

Continuing with this oddball Chrysler Newport above is this Station Wagon. I think Pikesan said this is a Mercury Comet wagon? It’s sporting the same Astro Supreme wheels and mini whites. Nice custom grille too. But, that paint. Custom paint is key to pulling off a top notch Kustom. Man, the paint alone is a work of art. These early 60’s wagons have Loooooong roofs, that’s for sure! “All the better to store surfboards on my pretty!” (quote a la Little Ride riding hood ha ha). I’ll try and get more pics from Pikesan and Swanee of this ride. It deserves a blog post all its own!

Last pic of this rambling session. I really dig trucks. I think the Kustom look applied to trucks is a perfect combo. This time, instead of high gloss super detail paint like the Starliner or Wagon above, this truck seen at Viva Las Vegas last year sports a satin red suede with tan panel. Again its got the tail dragger stance, wide whites and custom wheel covers. Oh and a trick grille too. I love the snouts (big hood) of these late 40’s, early 50’s pickups.

Got pictures of the “May Cause Dangerous” ‘60 Starliner above or that Lowrider/Kustom station wagon? We’d lvoe to see them and post them up for all to see.

Hechtspeed

Filed Under: Custom, Featured, Hot Rod Ramblings
Tagged: Bonneville Salt Flats, Hot Rod Ramblings, kustoms, Mild Customs

Throttle Kings – Hospitality and Hot Rods

July 7, 2008 by pikesan · 3 Comments

What do Hot Rods, cool Kustoms, the LA Roadster show and Octopus have in common? The Throttle Kings of Southern California. In 2007 when MyRideisMe.com was barely idling, I hit the LA Roadster show hard with cards and t-shirts to spread the word. That was when I first met Victor Busatamante. Victor listened about my dream of “Myspace for car guys” and offered a beer to celebrate that I was done jabbering. By that time, I had the pitch down, but even I was tired of hearing it. One beer led to another, then Victor and his buddies were making carne asada and fed me well. You don’t meet guys that generous every day. I was grateful for the hospitality so I loaded up the boys with MyRideisMe.com t-shirts.

Fast forward 1 year to 2008. As Saturday at the Roadster Show was winding down, I set out to find Victor and his guys again. Not so hard, just look for the guys having the most fun! A little ways out, I found them. This year was no different then last. Everyone was having a great time, sipping beers and eating what? Oysters and fried octopus? I tried one of those little suckers too. Chewy.

I got the idea to grab a picture of each Throttle King member with their car. For these guys, their rides do tell a story about their personalities. My Ride is Me. With every member nicer then the next, they each told me how they help each other out with their rides and if they’re not working, they traveling together to one of the MANY shows and cruises in the greater Los Angeles area.

It didn’t take long to notice I needed almost every letter in the alphabet to get their names! Bustamante and Kopis Georgakopoulos (Greek if you’re wondering), give you the idea. That’s Kopis’s 51 Pontiac Chieftain.