1955 Chevrolet - The Aztec - Bill Carr's 1955 Chevrolet - George & Sam Barris

BUT, ITS ORIGINS WERE that of an out-of-the-showroom 1955 Chevy Convertible, like the 3 girls on the left are riding in.  BILL CARR  was the owner, and he decided right upfront that he wanted to customize his Chev.  It's first incarnation was not really too radical, SO Bill made the move to put together a Show Car that would get MAJOR attention.



If you've followed the History of the Aztec, you know that Bill's next step was to enlist Bill DeCarr at Barris' Shop to help him get the work done, and they worked mostly after-hours putting the car together.



George & Sam BOTH weighed-in on the Project too, with George adding some sketches, helping with the build, and, eventually, painting the car. in what he termed "Golden Honey"...a beautiful shade that fully complimented the outstanding work done on the car.  And, SAM BARRIS did the perfect chop for the Cantilever roof  before he moved to Sacramento.   (Sam would later do the chop & body panels on the "El Capitola" in Sacramento and send the car back to George for finishing.)



Bob Hirohata, of Hirohata Merc fame, made the Lucite knobs for the dash, and custom-formed the wild Lucite lenses that take up real estate as the taillights; Bob Houser of the Carson Top Shop fabricated the front-removable portion of the roof & did the interior; "Junior Conway", sanded & preped the car for painting;  Dean Jefferies did the scallops.




Tinteresting history followed the car for many years until current owner/restorer Barry Mazza acquired the AZTEC and began a serious restoration.  (Scroll down to the  "Did You Know" Section of this page for Information on "The Curse of the Aztec".)

SO, WHEN GEORGE BARRIS, JOHN D'AGOSTINO, and myself joined together for our yearly Sunday Morning Session at the KKOA 30th Anniversary Lead Sled in July, 2010, I wanted George's story of his memories of the build, and his thoughts on Barry's Aztec restorattion, because this is one car we had never talked about before.



The Aztec, along with the Hirohata Merc, The Predicta, The Jade Idol, and the Golden Sahara, are among my personal favorites, so it was a real pleasure to hear George tell how it all came together.  And, as you listen,  you'll hear how George stresses the "family spirit" in ALL  of the builds that they were, and are, involved in.



George Barris is just a class act all the way, and I'm proud to have him for a friend.
http://www.legends.thewwbc.net/gpage148.html

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible restyled by Barris Kustoms for Bill Carr of Hollywood, California. Bill was an insurance adjuster by day, and he shared a house with George Barris in the Hollywood Hills.[2] The car, later known as The Aztec, was taken to Barris Kustoms with only 145 miles on its odometer. Bill wanted George and his boys to transform the Chevy into the wildest kustom he could imagine. Bill also wanted to help with as much work as possible. Bill made some design sketches. Bill Ortega, who changed his name to Bill DeCarr during the build, became Bill's primary mentor.[2] The Aztec was rebuilt over a two years periode, and it featured changes to every part of its body. Bill DeCarr did most of the bodywork on the car. Bill reshaped the doors and quarter panel side scoops, and extended the fins so all of the new forms would flow together. The rear fenders were extended 18 inches with virgin sheet metal. The taillights were hand-formed in red Lucite by Bob Hirohata. The front and rear end treatments were cohesive with the new grille openings. The grille openings were built with a pair of 1953 Studebaker pans. The pans had to be cut and widened in order to fit the Chevy The bumpers were 1957 DeSoto units that were narrowed and peaked. For a more modern look, 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser headlights were installed. The stock fenders had to be cut and reworked heavily in order to make the Mercury headlights fit. The hood was pancaked, and photos printed in The Rodder's Journal Number Fifty Six shows Lyle Lake gas-welding one of the front Studebaker pans to the cut hood. Other photos in the same magazine shows Bill Carr leading a peak on the middle of the nose. The full-length 1957 Mercury Turnpike fender skirts were modified with a front scoop and were flush-fitted into the rear quarter panel. The car was powered by a Corvette engine.


February 15-23, 1958, The Aztec was shown at the ninth annual National Roadster Show in Oakland where it won the Custom Car D'Elegance award. Due to excellent craftsmanship, both the Aztec and Joe Tocchini's 1951 Ford Victoria won the Custom Car D'Elegance that year.[3] Later on in 1958 Bill's Chevrolet was nominated as one of 28 "Top Customs of the Year" by Motor Life magazine.[4]


In 1959 George Barris and Dean Jeffries brought the Aztec to the Detroit Autorama.[5]


In 1961 or 1962 Bill Carr sold the Aztec to Bob Wilcox for some cash and a new Pontiac. Bob's real name was Bobby Wilcoxson, and it didn't take long time before FBI agents showed up at Bill Carr's house with questions. Wilcoxson was wanted for bank heists. Wilcoxson left the Aztec for safe keeping in Phoenix, Arizona. Wilcoxson was later named a public enemy, and the FBI seized the Aztec from the garage it was being stored in in Phoenix, Arizona. The G-men tore the car apart looking for loot, weapons, and evidence.


The Aztec was later auctioned away to a man in New Jersey. The new owner modified the original customizing, before he sold the car. When one of the subsequent owners was caught transporting illegal substances FBI seized the car again.


The car sat rotting away in a New Jersey junkyard when Barry Mazza of Ft. Pierce, Florida in 1991 bought the remains of the car, barely saving it from the jaws of a car crusher. Barry Mazza restored the car back to its former glory, and the car is again touring custom and hot rod shows all over the United States.



[

b]
Magazine Features[/b]

Rod & Custom May 1958
Motor Life July 1958
Custom Cars August 1958
Hot Rod Magazine August 1958
Custom Cars November 1958
Custom Cars January 1959
Trend Book 175 Custom Cars 1959 Annual
Rolls & Pleats Number 12
The Rodder's Journal Number Fifty Six









http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Bill_Carr%27s_1955_Chevrolet

La Chevrolet 1955 cabriolet De Bill Carr devient l'un des plus fabuleux custom qui sortira des atelier Barris et porte alors le nom de Aztec.


Le projet ne sera finaliser qu'au bout de 2 ans


Bill De Carr réalisera lui même de nombreuses modifications carrosserie comme par exemple les grands ailerons qui commençent par une prise d'air au dessus des portières, et l'allongement de 18 inch des ailes arrières. Les feux arrières sont réalisés à la main par Bob Hirohata.




La face avant et arrière sont totalement redessinées elles recoivent des calandres réalisées à partir d'éléments de Studebaker 1953, et des pare-chocs réalisés à partir d'éléments de Desoto 1957.



Les 4 phares avants sont intégré à partir de ceux d'une Mercury Turnpike 1957, de même que les fender skirts (caches roues arrières)


La voiture changera de propriétaire jusqu'à terminer dans une casse ou elle sortira pour être entièrement restauré par Barry Mazza