Chopped Mercury coupes and low-riding Chevys may be the first rides that come to mind when you think of classic customs—or kustoms—from the ’50s and early-’60s. Let’s not forget, though, that pickups also played an important role in the fabled custom era. Most of the popular custom shops had parts-chaser trucks that inevitably went under the torch. And several of the most famous customs of the day—including the Rod & Custom Dream Truck and the George Barris-built Kopper Kart—were based on radically restyled commercial vehicles.
It should really come as no surprise, then, that a good number of modified haulers showed up last summer for one of the biggest custom car events in the country: the Kustom Kemps of America Leadsled Spectacular. Held July 28-31 in Salina, Kansas, (about as close to the geographical center of the US as you can get), the 2011 Leadsled Spectacular brought together more than 1,600 custom vehicles of all styles and shapes, with an emphasis on the era when flipper caps, fender skirts, and lakes pipes ruled the road.
Now in its 31st year, the Spectacular remains one of the most laid-back “big” shows in the country. Participants can cruise the lanes of Salina’s Oakdale Park and claim a parking spot under any number of shade trees. There’s plenty of retro-flavored entertainment, from do-wop bands to pinup contests. And you can even put power to the pavement at an old-fashioned, heads-up drag race on Friday night at a local airstrip. For most participants, though, the real fun comes from hanging out with friends and fellow enthusiasts who share a love for chopped tops, whitewall tires, dual pipes, and candy paint. Does this sound like the sort of tail-dragging gathering you might enjoy? Cruise on over to www.kustomkempsofamerica.com for details on the 2012 show.
Dakota Wentz is the grandson...
Dakota Wentz is the grandson of pioneering customizer Darryl Starbird and has recently revived his grandpa’s famous Star Kustom Shop.
This bright blue Chevy is...
This bright blue Chevy is one of his latest creations, featuring a custom tube grille, rolled pans, and a custom-formed bed and rear panel. We especially liked the blue pearl drum kit material used as accent on the dash, door panels and bed-side steps.
Dan Cuellar makes the kustom...
Dan Cuellar makes the kustom pilgrimage from California to Kansas every year, usually in his chopped Chevy pickup.
Influenced by the Barris-built...
Influenced by the Barris-built Kopper Kart, Cuellar’s cruiser sports a custom tube grille and a radically reshaped bed with custom taillights and a rear pan and grille.
KKOA Hall of Famer Harold...
KKOA Hall of Famer Harold Murphy brought his wild ’60s-style ’54 Ford pickup, which has been radically reshaped from nose to tail.
The grille and rear fender...
The grille and rear fender scoops pay homage to the El Matador, the radical ’40 Ford custom built by Bill Cushenbery in the ’60s and restored by Murphy in the ’90s. We’re pretty sure that full-width taillight is from an ’80s-era Buick—what do you think?
The Atomitron is the name...
The Atomitron is the name bestowed on John Saltsman’s radical ’49 Studebaker pickup.
A 6-inch top chop is only the beginning of the modifications on this wild rig, which lists bodywork credits from legends like Bill Hines and younger torch carriers like Brad Masterson.
The reshaped and molded front...
The reshaped and molded front end features ’55 Cadillac bumpers, modified ’53 Chevy grille teeth and teardrop-shaped custom headlights from George Barris. Out back, a ’59 Chevy trunk lid creates a tonneau cover between the custom fins, with taillights from Gene Winfield and ’59 Dodge grille bars serving as bumpers. Keith Dean gets credit for the brilliant gold paint with candy red scallops.
It’s not all ’50s-style cruisers...
It’s not all ’50s-style cruisers at the Spectacular. Terry Conyers’ chopped and wildly flamed ’68—with its deep-dish slotted mags, BFGoodrich T/As and a laundry list of body mods—looks like it could’ve rolled out of a ’70s or early-’80s Autorama.
Want to give your ’47 Ford...
Want to give your ’47 Ford pickup a distinctive look? How about grafting on the front fenders and grille from a same-year Ford passenger car? We liked the effect on Sid Drapal’s olive-colored hauler from Oklahoma.
Artist Dennis McPhail and...
Artist Dennis McPhail and customizer Jeff Myers have teamed up on a number of cool custom projects through the years. Their latest is this ’58 Chevy, which wears a ’55 Plymouth grille bar and sports scores of slick and subtle body mods. Watch for it in paint sometime soon.
Hey, Dodge trucks can make...
Hey, Dodge trucks can make cool customs, too. Kevin Murphy’s ’57 was looking sharp with a ground-scraping stance and a panel-painted green metalflake finish on the chopped top.
How can you not like a simple,...
How can you not like a simple, well done highboy street rod pickup like Bill Shapland’s clean, green ’32 Ford?
We really like the subtle,...
We really like the subtle, understated look of Jerry Curry’s ’36 Ford pickup. All the elements are right on target, from the perfect stance and whitewall-wrapped wire wheels, to the gray-green paint and triple-carb small-block Chevy mill.
We’re not sure if the Sentimental...
We’re not sure if the Sentimental Journey Garage is a real business or not, but Larry Sherer’s ’41 Ford bearing that name on the door is most definitely a real cool ride.
Call ’em rats, bobbers, or...
Call ’em rats, bobbers, or anything else you’d like, but there’s no doubt that fenderless, channeled pickups like Chad Weaver’s ’46 Ford have been plenty popular lately. Several examples could be found in Salina.
Remember when Plymouth made...
Remember when Plymouth made pickups? Gary and Pat Robbins do. Their ’41 is a survivor.
The wide lanes of Oakdale...
The wide lanes of Oakdale Park are perfect for cruising, which is just what this citrus-hued ’56 F-100 was doing.
Becki and Floyd Dutton’s Oklahoma-based...
Becki and Floyd Dutton’s Oklahoma-based “Edselero” is a regular in Salina, but we always enjoy seeing it.
How about a Gasser-flavored...
How about a Gasser-flavored Dodge A100? Zeke Ballinger’s Colorado hauler looked pretty tough.