Thread: What is a Kustom to you?

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Hey guys!

Im new here at club hot rod!

So, me and my Dad are starting our own shop, specializing in traditional rods. and kustoms.

The name of the shop is going to be SuzyQKustoms named after my mom(rip)

But i have been doing some research around the forums and at the shows i have gone to...

And... my question to you... is.. In your opinion, what is a kustom?
what features of a kustom car stick out from say, a street rod or rat rod?

i obviously have my opinions on what stands out as a kustom, but i want to hear your ideas!

thanks in advance guys!

To me customizing has to include major reshaping of the body,as in chopping the roof or sectioning the body,not just changing seats, adding lakes pipes and minor dechroming. Hank

As Hank said, minor dechroming, nosed, decked, doorhandles, louvers and
lowering was always considered a Mild Custom... chopping, sectioning, rounding hood corners etc are a Full Custom.
Ron

I grew up in the fifties & sixties...started buying magazines in '58, but collected them back into the '40s.

To me, kustom with a "K" implies a George Barris connection. The term custom meant "restyled" or "Personalized appearance", and when you add the terms "mild", "full", or "radical", it described to-what-degree.

Today I find that newcomers are rewriting the definitions of terms that were developed over decades, but I am just glad the hobby will continue to go on, and the active participants have the right to change things. We surely did!

Today I would bet that, to the majority, it is a vague term meaning "personalized appearance", and if you try to get more specific...the debate will start. In terms of you business, most will assume a general restyling of any kind is possible. The only limit being, of course, your abilities.

I'm like hotrod. I grew up in the 50's and 60's and hot rods to us back then meant bigger motors than stock or keeping the stock motor but building it up for more HP and torque. Also we did some nosing,decking and channeling and we used mostly spray cans of paint to paint our rods. Nice reversed chrome wheels with white walls were in style and I see there coming back. we also did alot of scavaging through junk yards for newer rears and front ends. Raking was big back then and if you didn't have a good rake, you just didn't have it. Hot rodding has changed over the years and so have I since now I like the lower looks and brighter paint jobs, but everything the came around will go around again.

Customs come in a variety of flavors as mentioned above: mild, full, radical. My 57 Olds is a mild custom. Custom interior, nosed, decked, shaved, smoothed, frenched, lakes, smithys and many more little changes. The 57 Olds had a factory low roof line, so any kind of chop would have made the car a radical custom. Paint jobs, other than the original colors can also be mild or radical and can define a car as a custom.

Some radicals are simply that, a one-off vehicle. These are usually more show cars than street cars. Although custom building is still with us today, my preference runs to the customs of the 40's to the 60's.

I agree with mopar, kustom to me means, a chopped, shaved 40'/50's , or chop top with lake pipes, appleton spots and fender skirts. Oh and don't forget the flames and pinstriping. It brings to mind the names of Barris, Winfield, Starbird etc.

Drop me back still another decade. I grew up in the forties and fifties.

Hot Rod Paint's term "personalized appearance" says it well. Each of us has his/her own opinions as to how a car should look, although that look might not appeal to somebody else at all.

I like the way chopped tops look just fine. How could one look at a chopped '49, '50, or '51 Mercury and not think "Ooooh, yeah" .... but personally, I prefer the look of a sectioned car with full height top. I once saw a car that started life as a '49-'51 Ford Club Coupe that was sectioned, had fully radiused wheel openings showing off wire wheels, frenched headlights, was slicked off, and had a very tasteful grill treatment.

But it wasn't chopped, and that car really grabbed me.

"Way back when", I'd say that customizing consisted of cosmetic changes
only, but changes for utilitarian purposes would have to count as customization as well, and changes under the hood, too. The sectioned coupe I mentioned had an early "nail head" in it.

Yeah, Jay, your posting is right on, at least from this geezer's point of view.

Jim

although my truck is not a traditional hot rod it is a custom , i wont bore yall with the
details in this forum but it is something for you to think about starting a new shop
even though its not old school or back in the day kustom this kind of work will at lest
help you pay your bills while you work on other prodjects , good luck with your shop

If you have to ask that question....you don't need to be opening a shop.

thanks alot guys..

the kind of cars i want to do are more of the barris/winfield/bo huff hot rods...mostly one off, if not fairly radical kusoms and lead sleds. I have a few projects lined up right now, 54 and 55 caddy coupe devilles, 65 caddy, 49 merc 2 door convertible...im sure youll see pictures sooner or later on here..

to flipper 1938....i think that oppening a shop is just like any business. You want to go out and see what the customer wants or is expecting from what you promise, in say, your business title like SuzyQKustoms. I believe you think just because i ask that question, i dont know what im doing. or I am un knoweldgable on the subject... well i can say im just getting started. i have plenty to learn and plenty i have already learned. You have to start somewhere right.

thanks again guys

The answer to your question is somewhat akin to asking 100 men what makes a woman attractive............you will get 100 very different answers.

I also grew up in the '50's, and have seen a lot of "custom" cars over those years. Some ranged from very nice to downright ugly, but each one featured modifications that the owner felt were complimentary to the original car. Some customs were stockers with simple modifications like removing (or adding) some chrome, a different wheel (or hubcap) treatment, etc. Some were more radical with things like chopped tops, severe lowering, custom paint, etc.

Your customer will be the one to answer your question. He or she may want you to do some things you feel are not the best way to go, but ultimately, they are the one signing the check. All you can do is offer your best professional advice and try to steer them to something they want and can be proud of. Bottom line however is that you are not building these cars for yourself, so your involvement will be solely that of paid builder.

Good idea to do market research like you are doing though.

Don

Kustom??? Did somebody say Kustom???? I like Kustoms!!!!!! Nothing sez Kustom like a big old tank with chopped top and a bazillion other body mods that the average guy won't ever notice but you do anyway!!!! Preferably on a Merc, Buick, Olds, or Caddy!!!

man i love that yella un-leaded sled

Originally Posted by flh4speed

man i love that yella un-leaded sled

That one was sold a couple years ago, but I got more!!!! Sure would like to see one setting in your shop!!!!!!