Hot Rod Archeology – 1955 Ford pickup

More story-time than all-out build, this post revolves around a keen youngster from Norway who lives in US and has a deep love of hot rods and customs. A stolen daily driver leads him to Craigslist for a replacement, where he finds an ad for what looks like a well-worn farm truck, but turns out to be much more. A closer inspection reveals custom body-work by George Barris and pin-striping and murals by Von Dutch. The sale and handover is not a simple pick up, hand shake and “see ya later”. Both buyer and seller start a blooming friendship that opens up a treasure trove of history thanks to the original owner’s penchant for taking and keeping old photos. The new owner continues to keep in contact to ask questions and pick up parts, and even just cruise around and talk cars. Apart from the car itself, the thread is great just for the old photos from the custom car scene of yesteryear and the series of coincidences that unfold.

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Vintage Build Threads

One thing that has remained consistent since cars first came into production is that guys simply can’t keep themselves from cutting them up and showing off their work. Before blogs and forums, there was black & white photos and car magazines. Rikster from Rik Hoving Kustoms posted up an amazing thread on The H.A.M.B. full of scans detailing the work done by Valley Customs in the late 40’s to early 60’s. Luckily for us, not only did he post pictures of finished cars, but also some rare in-the-build shots. If anyone tells you that modifying cars is just a phase or a fad, show them these pictures.

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