By owner! I have a “California Custom”, 1950 Chevrolet 2 door sedan that is a one of a kind. This is a real old school hot rod that was originally built 30 to 40 years ago. The body and paint have been untouched but the entire chassis and drive train was updated in the last 10 or 12 years.
I have purchased a new sea going boat and my interest have changed. The car is awesome and draws attention everywhere it goes but I am ready to pass it along! Here are the details:
The car was built 30 to 40 years ago in Southern California by an unknown custom car builder. The body was extensively modified. The top was chopped 4” in the front and the rear pillar was laid forward 3” while the rear window was laid down 6”. The chop is outstanding and looks right on this car. The fit and finish are great and the door jam is not butchered up. All clean! The front one piece windshield was donated by a 50 model Oldsmobile. The headlights are frenched and feature 53 Mercury headlight buckets. It has a 55 Desoto grill frenched 59 Caddy tail lights and custom frenched antenna’s . All of the seams were welded, corners rounded and drip rails shaved. The door handles have been shaved and it features door poppers and a trunk popper. The firewall was also cleaned up and smoothed. This car has its original paint that is now over 30 years old. Since it was painted in lacquer, it has surface cracked which creates a spectacular patina all over the car. People pay big money to duplicate this natural effect and everyone who sees it loves it. I wouldn’t change it!
As far as the body, who knows what other modifications have been done. It is awesome!
In 2005, a new owner purchased the car and decided to update the chassis and drivetrain. The body was removed as was the engine and transmission. The chassis received a new TCI front end and 9” Ford rear end. At that time, the underside of the body was cleaned and repainted. The chassis was also smoothed and painted and a new air ride system was installed from Air Ride Technologies. The car got a freshly rebuilt 235 Cubic Inch inline 6 cylinder engine with dual Rochester Carbs, spit headers, electronic fan, walker radiator, and new A/C and heat. All of the lines were run inside of the factory vent tubes under the hood for a clean look. The car also got a new 700R4 automatic transmission with B&Md electronic lockup control.
At that same time, a new white roll and pleated interior was installed. That interior is comfortable and functional while looking outstanding in this custom built car. The owner of the car spend $35,000 in restoration and upgrades during the phase.
The theme of the car is “InLiner” since it obviously has a cool, chromed inline 6 cylinder engine. The car cranks right up, does not smoke, drives out excellent, shifts great and will run at interstate speeds with no issues. The modern front end makes the car handle great and safe. The brakes are good and it stops well. As far as mechanicals, its ready to go. The battery will need to be replaced due to sitting but I will install a new one for the next owner before they pick it up. As clearly stated, the paint and body work are over 30 years old, so expect chips, a ding or ping or two and some hazed paint. IT IS NOT A RUST BUCKET OR RAT ROD! No rust visible anywhere under or on top of the car. If it has rus, you know it would rear its ugly head after 30 years! The paint is cool, the chop is outstanding, the drive train is up to date and dependable, its just a plain cool car!
I have a 2016 Alabama registration that goes with the car, and even though Alabama does not use a title for cars this old, I do have a clear title from the State of Illinois that goes with it. I also have a stack of paperwork from updates and restorations done over the years.
If you would like a personal inspection, please call me and I will be happy to show it in person by appointment. I have many photos of the exterior, interior, under hood and underneath of the car beyond the ones that are shown.
Thanks for taking a look and good luck bidding!
Chip 205-296-8256