Ford 1949 - 50 - 51 (shoebox) custom & mild custom galerie

Here are the specifics on the car.
 

• 1951 Ford Custom
  
• 5" chopped top.
  
• 6" lowered
  
• Custom ppg Pearl Rose and Pearl White Base/clear paint
  
• 53 Buick side Moldings
  
• v butted windshield
  
• Frenched headlights and Tailights
  
• Frenched grill
  
• Rolled and Molded front end
  
• 1957 Corvette Grill.
  
• Shaved door handles and trunck lid.
  
• Selanoid operated doors and Trunk
  
• 302 Ford . mated to a C4
  
• Independent front clip suspension
  
• disc brakes front / drum rear
  
• 9" Ford rearend with leafs
  
• rack and pinion steering
  
• Tilt / teliscopic steering wheel
  
• Lokar shifter
  
• "period" sided lakers
  
• "Briz" aluminum bumpers
  
• engine compartment all smoothed and rolled
  
• interior is "Lite White" tuck and roll with Burgandy piping and accents.
  
• rear seats are 59 thunderbird "wrap around" style.
  
• Front Bucket seats
  
• 50's period spot lights on pillars (non functioning)
  

Built and customized in the early 60's, this Ford Shoebox features:
• shaved and rounded hood
• dual canted Lucas headlights
• custom grille
• nerf bars
• shaved trunk
• rounded front and rear pans
• frenched tail lights
• padded upholstered roof
• bubble fender skirts
• chrome reversed wheels with spider centers
• custom interior
• and more...ALL VINTAGE!


Under the hood is a Ford V8 flathead with:
• Edmonds aluminum headers
• Edmonds heads
• Edelbrock 3 x 2 intake
• 3 Stromberg 97 carbs
• Stromberg progressive linkage
• Mallory ignition
• electric fuel pump
• 3 speed manual transmission with FoxCraft shifter

We're firm believers in using our rods and customs here at R&C, and always enjoy meeting people who get out there and see the country in their own cars. So when we learned that Joanne and Gary Levering's shakedown run of her just-finished shoebox involved a three-week trip up to Glacier National Park in Montana, then Alberta, Canada, for four days sightseeing, followed by cruising back through British Columbia, stopping in Spokane, Washington, for a Goodguys show (the couple are Goodguys Rodders Reps, with Joanne being the first female rep), then home via Mount St. Helens, we knew they like to use their cars. And 4,500 miles is a pretty decent shakedown, we're sure you'll agree! The trouble-free trip wasn't the first long-distance road trip the couple has made either, as they have covered 90,000 miles in their 1933 three-window coupe since 1995, including a trip to Indy from their home in Danville, California.

Five years into the building, the 1950 Ford may not have changed much in outward appearance since purchase, but it sure has changed mechanically. The Leverings found it at a Goodguys show in 2004, already chopped, smoothed, painted, and with its interior done. Mechanically and electrically it was in poor shape, however. Originally brought to California from Florida after being bought over the Internet by the person they bought it from, it had looked better in the pictures on the Web, apparently. The blue paint appeared to have been brush painted, half the interior was missing, and the 283 small-block Chevy was hooked up to the stock drivetrain. With it cosmetically updated, the Leverings were under no illusion what still needed to be done. The front and rear suspensions were too wide for the car, it had 14-inch tires on the front, while the 15s on the rear rubbed the fenders, and it crabbed down the road when driven.

The suspension all around was reworked so the car would sit low without airbags, and it was treated to a new engine and transmission, as well as Vintage Air heat and air, though one of the more challenging tasks was to relocate the radiator and get the engine to run cool. Robbie Azvedo of Pacific Coast Customs in American Canyon, California, was responsible for much of the necessary redo work, which also included making the doors and trunklid fit.

Of course, with both a rod and a custom in the family, the hardest task was yet to come: choosing which one to take on a road trip. That was one question we never asked.

Rod & Custom Feature Car
Joanne Levering
Danville, California
1950 Ford sedan

Chassis
The stock chassis now has a 1978 Camaro clip, using Fatman Fabrications 1-inch narrowed tubular upper and lower arms, and adjustable coilover shocks. The brake booster and proportioning valve are from the same Camaro, as are the disc brakes, though the GM 605 power steering box now hooks to an ididit column.

Drivetrain
The 350 Goodwrench crate motor and 700-R4 were installed at Pacific Coast Customs, the former dressed with no-name ribbed valve covers and a Speedway Motors nostalgia air cleaner. The Tru-Ram exhaust manifolds also came from Speedway, while an Edelbrock 600-cfm carburetor on a Performer intake takes care of induction duties. A Ford 8-inch rearend from a 1974 Maverick brings up the rear, located on the de-arched stock leaf springs moved inboard and attached to the inside of the chassis rails. The 3-inch lowering blocks get the ride height down out of the wind.

Wheels & Tires
Smoothies from Stockton Wheel sit at each corner, all measuring 15x6 with maximum backspacing, coupled with a quartet of Diamondback 185/80R15 wide whites.

Body & Paint
It's unknown who tackled the bodywork, but what is obvious is that it has been nosed and decked, the license plate frenched and door handles shaved, and all the side trim and emblems are long gone. The windshield is V-butted and the front fenders have been molded to the A-pillars. They removed 3 1/2 inches from the front of the roof, while 5 1/2 disappeared from the rear. Campos Body Shop in Castroville, CA, are believed to have shot the 2002 Cadillac Sunburst hue, while Herb Martinez was responsible for the pinstriping. The door mirrors are 1963 Avanti, and the taillights are Technostalgia LEDs.

Interior
The dash may be stock 1950 Ford, but the gauge cluster is a Classic Instruments item, installed with billet aluminum rings with a matching one for the clock. Lincoln Continental bucket seats have been trimmed in tan vinyl, along with the door cards and kick panels, while a matching center console was fabricated, all by persons unknown. That banjo steering wheel came from the Wheel Shop, and Juliano's provided the seatbelts.



Read more: http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/featuredvehicles/1308_1950_ford_sedan/

‘51 Ford Victoria built and owned by Mark and Kelly Skipper.


1951 Ford Victoria built by president of the Royal Shifters Car Club in Fresno, California, Mark Skipper for his wife, Kelly Skipper. Mark bought the Victoria from Andrew Severin, the car was his Dads, Carl Severins car. Carl passed away in 2007, and in may 2010 Andrew confronted Mark to buy the car. A deal was made, and he told Andrew that he was going to customize the car, lower it, chop the top, two tone paint, white interior pleats etc. Mark asked Andrew for permission, and he answered with: "the car could not be in better hands, those are the things my Dad dreamed of doing."[1]


Mark's plan was to restyle the car with minor body alteration, but a haircut was needed. Mark chopped the top and replaced the Victoria rear window with a 1950 Ford coupe window. Up front, grille teeth from a 1954 Chevrolet was installed, however, these were later replaced with 9 1953 Chevrolet teeth. The car was nosed and decked to achieve a cleaner appearance. Lincoln push buttons were installed in favor of the stock door handles. The headlights were frenched, and the 1951 Ford taillights were swapped for a set of 1949 - 1950 Ford units. The stock sidetrim was removed, and Mark got hold of a 1954 Dodge 2-door trim that he modified to fit the car.[1]


The car was ment to be for his wife to cruise around with, so Mark had Tim McMaster to build and balance a Chevy 350 engine. His wife trimmed the engine after her desire, so she picked the manifold, carbs, and a set of Corvette valve covers. The engine was hooked to a rebuilt 700R4 transmission that was acquired from Roger Scott. The eight inch rearend was fit with 3.00 gears to give a pleasuring ride, even at high speeds.[1]


The front drum brakes were improved with disc brakes for safeties sake. The frame was notched in the rear, and the car was lowered to a perfect period 1950s stance. The trunk floor was cut out, and Mark fabricated a new one and installed a 1970 Mustang 20 gallon tank instead of the stock 18.[1]


A 1951 Ford automatic column was installed, a perfect fit against the 1951 Lincoln steering wheel. The dashboard and window moldings were sent to New Age Chrome in Fresno to get plated. Eduardo's Upholstery in Fresno was responsible for stitching up the interior. The dash was painted by Rob Tayler of Clovis. John Coleman did the wiring, converting the car to an 12V electric system.[1]


Marty LeBar of Marty's Hot Rods of Fresno replaced the rockers and the lower front portion of the rear and front fenders. Once this was done, Marty, Jack and Ross Stemple went away doing all the bodywork and finishing it off in a two tone paint job consisting of Alpha Romeo metallic gold pearl and Chrysler 300 cool vanilla. And in the summer of 2012, the car was finally painted.[1]


The car debuted at the 2013 Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California, where it won 3rd at the radical hardtop class. The car also won at the Lonestar Roundup in Austin, winning "The Continental Pick", "Best of show" and "Mothers Polish best of show pick". It also won 2013 top 5 wild Kustom award, and Kustoms Illustrated editors award at the West Coast Kustoms Santa Maria show.[1]


http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Kelly_%26_Mark_Skipper%27s_1951_Ford

1950 Ford Coupe restyled by Valley Custom Shop for Ron Dunn of Glendale, California. Ron purchased the car brand new in late 1950. He had always wanted a custom car that was low, but at the same time practical. Many custom cars had problems entering the slightest driveways and chopped tops on the other hand had little or no visibility at all. Around 1951/1952, Neil Emory and Clayton Jensen of Valley Custom began to transform the stock two door 1950 Ford into a real eye catcher.[3] The body was Sectioned 5 inches and the top was left un-chopped, maintaining great visibility through the windshield. To gain even more headroom, the seats were lowered three inches. The wheel cut-outs had a big impact on the design as well. The small amount of the fenders above the opening gave the car look lower by an optical illusion. As Dean Batchelor expressed himself in Hop Up February 1953; "a wheel is not ugly, why cover it up?"



The chrome trim pieces along the side were re-mounted to help protect the body panels from careless people in parking lots and they gave the car a longer appearance. The hood ornament was removed, but a 1951 Ford chrome strip was added in order to break up the expanse of metal. The headlights were frenched and a new custom grille was made. The The upper bar was from a 1951 Ford and the center bar was hand-formed and chromed to match the stock components around the edges. The door handles were removed and the doors were operated by small push buttons hidden in the chrome strips. Inside, the buttons were placed in the instrument panel; one on the passenger side and two on the driver side so the driver could open both doors from his position. The deck lid hinges were removed and new ones were installed inside the trunk, similar to the 1951 Fords. All chrome on the deck lid was removed in order to achieve a cleaner appearance. The rear bumper was replaced by a narrowed 1952 Ford unit featuring a 1946 Ford license plate guards that were custom made with sheet metal and integrated 1951 Ford parking lights. The taillights were designed to keep the units as prominent as possible. The frames were hand formed from half inch round rods that were welded to the body. The chromed inset panels were cut to shape and mounted in place. The lenses consisted of 1952 DeSoto taillights and 1951 Ford parking lights. Parking light rims from the same model were used to route the exhaust pipes through the panel as well. The car was lowered in the rear by adding 2 1/2" lowering blocks. The front was brought down by adding 2 1/2 blocks under the inner end of the upper A frame and a non-swinging shackle of the same length between the outer end of the lower A frame and spindles. The lost of weight due to the section job raised the car up to its stock ground clearance after the lowering.



Huth's Muffler Co installed the mufflers and the twin pipes. The engine was kept stock. Valley Custom Shop mixed a metallic bronze color especially for this car. After painting it, the car was brought to Floyd Tipton who stitched a completely new interior for it. The headliner and rug floormat were new. It was upholstered in two tone tan and beige. All the window frames were chromed. Dual spotlights were added to ggive the appearance of a lower roof line.[4]



The build took three months to complete and cost Ron $1500. The restyled version of the car became known as The "Monte Carlo".[3] After being completed, the car was first shown at the 1952 Los Angeles Autorama where it won First in Class. February 17-22, 1953 the Monte Carlo was exhibited at the 4th annual National Roadster Show in Oakland. The car won best custom trophy at the show.[5] In 1953 Ron's car was also chosen as "Custom Car of the Year" by the readers of Motor Life Magazine.[6]




Ron planned to drive the car until it collapsed, but fate had other things in mind as the car was involved in a traffic accident in 1957. After the accident Ron felt it was time to part company with his car and build a new kustom instead. Not being able to find a new car that looked so personal and modern as his sectioned Ford and since the trade in price was so low, Ron decided to have Valley Custom Shop do a makeover on his old Ford. Ron had definite ideas with his ride and discussed these with the boys at Valley Custom before they began to restyle it again. The rear bumper was removed and replaced with two chromed cold-rolled nerf bars. The gravel shield was cut away and the rear body line below the deck lid was carried under using 18-gauge sheet metal to hide the running gear. The taillight openings were left alone but Neil widened the leading edges and made new lenses consisting of 1955 Mercury and 1956 Mercury components. These were protected by thin pencil-line nerf bars. A custom made license plate bracket was made and installed on the deck lid as well. In the front, the hood was reshaped to make a lower and longer look for the car. A 1954 Ford nose was fit on the hood and the leading edge was stretched four inches toward the grille. The headlights were extended five inches with 18-inch gauge sheet and fit with 1955 Lincoln chrome liners to create a more modern look. The front bumper and gravel shield were removed. The front body line received the same treatment as the rear and the nerf bars were built in the same design as those in the rear. The oval grille contour was made by forming light-weight tubing. The grille mesh was cut to fit the opening and it was attached by hidden hinge tabs to give it a floating appearance. Parking lights from a 1956 Chevrolet Truck were used on both sides of the grille and the dual spotlights were removed.[3]



A few years after the 1957 makeover, the car was put into storage. In 1970, the car was passed on to Ron's nephew, Gary Rand. The car remained in Gary's possession for the next 35 years, but it was slowly deteriorating. In 2005, after seeing the great restoration job that Steve’s Auto Restoration did on Ralph Jilek's 1940 Ford, Gary contacted Steve Frisbie of Steve’s Auto Restoration in an effort to find a fitting home for his uncle's pride and joy. Steve jumped at the opportunity to own the historic custom and bought the car for himself. Steve has planned to restore the car back to its former glory but has not yet decided what version of the car he will bring back.[2]



In January 2011, The Monte Carlo was shown at the Customs Then and Now gathering at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California.

http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Ron_Dunn%27s_1950_Ford

Magazine Features

Hop Up February 1952
Hot Rod Magazine January 1953
Hop Up February 1953
Rods and Customs May 1953
Hop Up July 1953
Trend Book 109 Custom Cars 1954 Annual
Trend Book 116 Custom Cars 1955 Annual
Trend Book 143 Restyle Your Car
Rod & Custom October 1957
Auto Craftsman December 1957
Rod Builder Annual 1957
Custom Cars January 1958
Hot Rod Magazine May 1958
Custom Cars August 1958
Hot Rod Magazine October 1958
Rod & Custom May 2006
Kustoms Illustrated 8

Crowned as “Custom of the Year” in 1953 by Hop Up magazine, Ron Dunn’s Ford was the styling handiwork of known customizers Neil Emory and Clayton Jensen of Valley Custom Shop located in Burbank, California. Ron Dunn debuted the car in 1952 at the LA Motorama where it won First in Class and then went on to win First Place in the Custom Coupe class at the Oakland Roadster Show in 1953. It has been featured in many publications which touted it as “a study in styling.” Later in 1958 following a re-styling, the car was again recognized in Custom Cars Magazine as one of “The 10 Best” customs.

In late 2005 Steve Frisbie rescued the car from open air storage in a fenced off driveway in Burbank, California where it sat out in the weather for many years under the ownership of Ron’s nephew. During that time the car was partially disassembled and left to the hazards of the elements, though being in Burbank for all those storage years the deterioration was at a minimum. Steve brought the car up to Portland, Oregon where it immediately went into heated dry secure storage awaiting the chance to be restored. Over the years Steve had tried to begin restoration on the famous custom, but as is the case for many shop owners, customer cars always took priority. Finally the time has come. In the process of restoration every magazine article which featured the car will be examined to ensure an accurate restoration back to the exact same configuration that it was when the second customization took place in 1956/1957. Other supporting documents include 19 letters from Ron’s nephew to Steve spanning the time from when the car was acquired by Steve until the passing of Ron’s nephew. There will be literally hundreds of documentation photos taken as the car comes apart to ensure an accurate restoration.

The car was originally customized in 1951 and then suffered a side-swipe type accident resulting in a re-customizing by Valley Custom Shop in 1956/1957. Many opinions regard the first version to be a better example of early fifties styling compared to the second. Therein lies the big question, does the restoration follow the first version or the second version? Steve feels that it would be sacrilegious to dispose of “Valley Custom Shop” sheet metal work, or to hang it on the wall, only to then shape new S.A.R. sheet metal to mimic the first version. Thus Steve has decided to restore the car to the existing version that it is now. Then at a later date acquire a 1950 Ford coupe and build a “clone” of the first version utilizing all of the knowledge and tear down pictures that were gathered during the restoration process. This seems to be the most logical thing to do. And given Steve’s extensive background in concours restorations, the resurrection of the Ron Dunn car will be nothing short of amazing.

Steve is seeking any and all information on this car that anyone can provide to help aid in this restoration process. Everything from pictures to articles to stories about the car will be of great use. You can help be a part of saving the history of this well-known custom. The restoration process is now underway and can be followed on S.A.R.’s website at the “current projects” section.





http://www.customcarchronicle.com/custom-cars/ron-dunn-ford-rest-begins/

Restoration has begun at Steve’s Auto Restorations, Inc. on the 1950 Ford custom coupe once owned by Ron Dunn. The car was rescued by Steve in 2005 from open air storage in a fenced off driveway in Burbank Ca. where it sat out in the weather for many years under the ownership of Ron’s nephew. The car was an Oakland Roadster Show winner in 1953 and has had many magazine articles done on it since its first restyling in 1950 at Valley Custom Shop of Burbank California at the hands of Neil Emory and Clayton Jensen. Under the care of Ron’s nephew the car was partially disassembled and left to the hazards of the elements. Luckily it was in Burbank for all those storage years so deterioration was at a minimal. When Steve purchased the car it was brought up to Portland Oregon where it immediately went into heated dry secure storage awaiting the chance to be restored. That time has now come. In the process of restoration every magazine article featuring the car will be examined to make sure it will be put back into the exact same configuration that it was when the second customization took place in 1956/1957. Those articles along with 19 letters from Ron’s nephew spanning the time from when the car was acquired by Steve until the passing of Ron’s nephew will aid in documentation and accuracy. There are going to be literally hundreds of documentation photos taken as the car comes apart to insure an accurate restoration.



The car was originally customized in 1950 and then was in a side swipe type accident some time after the restyling and was re-customized by Valley Custom Shop in 1956/1957. The first customization was better looking than the second attempt as many opinions have determined. So the big question is does the restoration follow the first version or the second version. Since it is felt that it would be sacrilegious to take off “Valley Custom Shop” sheet metal work and throw it in the garbage can or hang it on the wall, and then make new SAR sheet metal to mimic the first version, it has been decided to restore the car to the existing
version that it is now. Then at a later date acquire a 1950 Ford coupe and build a “clone” of the first version utilizing all of the knowledge and tear down pictures that were gathered during the restoration. This seems to be the most logical thing to do.



I am seeking any and all information on this car that anyone can provide for me to aid in this restoration process. I am looking for everything from pictures to articles to stories about the car. You can be a part of saving the history of this well known custom. You can also follow the restoration process on the website www.realsteel.com in the “current projects” section.



http://www.realsteel.com/projects/1950-ron-dunn-ford-coupe/#gallery

This is a cool 51 Ford Custom with a 4&1/2" Chopped Top, Custom Grill, Nosed and Decked, Door Handles Shaved, Leather Seats, Flame Throwers, 51 Chromed and Rebuilt Flathead, Bored 30 over, Four Barrel Carb., C-4 Transmission, Maverick Rear, Epoxy Flat Paint (not primer). This car is pro. built by a body man of 50 plus years.

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