1956 Chevy pick up - Kopper Kart - George Barris

Started out as a 1956 Chevy partly customized with a 5 ½ inch chop top. Then the top panel was covered with pleated rust and white naugahyde. The body was sectioned 4 inches throughout upper panel with a hand formed pancake hood. Front and rear panels had been molded and sculptured with full cavities and grill inserts mounted in rubber to absorb shock. Quad headlights and bottom directional signal are shaded and frenched in.

Center grill has electronic eye to control head lite operations. Rear fenders and bed had been extended forty inches, with matching shapes and canted rear panel. The bed was covered in the same style as the top. Bullet appeleton spotlights installed with vents on front and rear window. Side molding was hand made half round steel that housed expanded metal paneling. Triple ripple side pipes with flared ends. Hubcaps are old base with flippers and bullet centers and wide white wall Firestone tires. The interior had full seat inpleates roll⁄two tone white pearl and copper naugahyde with mouton carpet. The dash equipped with padding and beads of pearl and copper paint. Also a portable TV and stereo with loud speakers for parties and cruises.

To finish it off, the suspension had been lowered fourteen inches and all interior and exterior metal accessories were copper plated. A six cylinder engine also plated and painted. Paint was white pearl with blends of cooper scallops and hand pin stripping.

1955 Chevrolet Pickup restyled by Barris Kustoms. When George Barris purchased the truck, it had already been sectioned 5 1/2 inches. Sam Barris chopped the top 4 inches according to George's new ideas. The body was channeled 8 inches over the frame. The front was restyled by installing quad headlights, 1957 Mercury bumpers were used to assemble the two large copper-plated grille housings. It had a Cadillac Autronic Eye automatic headlight dimmer installed in the grilles center bar. The grille was finished of by filling the grille openings with copper-plated mesh grille. Both front and rear were restyled by welding Studebaker splash pans together. They also pancaked the hood, added twin scoops and peaked the fenders.[1] The stock six-cylinder was replaced by a 1954 Chevrolet Corvette engine.[2] The The pickup truck featured a portable TV set and a conventional phonograph in the bed. The record player was played back to the cab via interior speakers, while the portable TV was strictly a luxury item for Sunday picnics and outings. It became the promotional vehicle for Barris Kustoms.[3]

May 29 - June 2, 1957 The Kopper Kart was shown in the Special class at the first annual Napa Valley Rod and Custom Show along with Joe Botti's 1955 Ford Pickup.

The Kopper Kart was offered for sale by George Barris in Motor Trend March 1960. In the book Custom Cars of the 1950s Andy Southard has photos of the car taken in March 1960, and he says that this was the last time he saw the car.[4] Rumor has it that Jim Skonzakes bought the Kopper Kart, but in Custom Rodder September 1961 the car is featured with + 40,000 miles on the odometer. The car was then owned by Paul Blasberg. Paul later moved to Florida and brought the car with him. In Florida he didn't have indoor storage, so the car had some serious deterioration. A local body shop offered to rework the car free of charge. THey lost interest in the car, and Paul's wife believes the car was eventually chopped up.







http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Kopper_Kart

Built near the end of the construction sequence of Spencer Murray's Dream Truck, Barris's Kopper Kart was interesting, and considered by many to be an over-the-top design by Barris' shop. The original Kopper Kart disappeared years ago in the mid-West: apocryphal stories have the bed sitting in a field though this story cannot be confirmed. However, Ray Soff is reported to be cloning the Kart: the staff here at the Custom Clinic is working with noted customizer Gary Minor to track down this report. Presently, we're searching our archives right now for a good photo essay, but in the meantime, please enjoy the Bibliography.