Remember When? Just Look What They (We) Did in 1973
 

Can you believe these cars? I can, these are what we grew up with.

http://i55.tinypic.com/axs81.jpg


Flare them, paint them, extend them, and remove the headlights. That is what it all was about.


http://i51.tinypic.com/2hnygk5.jpg

At the top of the right page, the '66 convertible was from Daytona Beach. Glen and Sharon Smith.

Notice all the Ansen Sprint or imitation slotted mags.

http://i51.tinypic.com/otqji1.jpg


How much you want to bet that all of these are restored to all original today and all have their original engines?


http://i54.tinypic.com/4iyont.jpg

Some cool cars. The biggest shame of all this....all the resto-weenies screwed 'em up and restored them the way their little book said they should.:rolleyes:

I remember those cars, sort of. :)
but GTO was my car at the time and had my full attention.

I remember that magazine article. .
I used to get HR, PHR and CC and obviously this was before the internet, read every one cover to cover.

Doug

great memories.....

a friend of mines '64 Corvette that he bought new and then proceeded to have custom painted in the 70's as well as swapping out the motor for a 1970 LT1 and a M22 4 speed. That was when we didnt care about numbers matching, we just wanted to have fun....The car still has the paint job.,

http://images31.fotki.com/v1049/phot...necover-vi.jpg

http://images45.fotki.com/v1237/phot...ynescar-vi.jpg

Click on the link then click on the page like above, then click on it again to read the article....
http://issuu.com/cruisin/docs/julymag

I have that magazine too! The bottom two midyear coupes in the last picture are still some of the most perfect stance and good looking Vette's I've ever seen. Those two pics heavily influenced me way back when.

That was back when Hot Rod did an annual Vette issue?

I agree,,,sadly many of those cars have been *ruined* by restoration probably!

I wish someone made a new radial tire in big sizes that looked like the old *square* shoulder ones back then. The squared off trear looks a LOT better than any modern radial.

JIM

dang, and here I thought I was the only one left who thought of stock corvettes as a blank canvas instead of the finished picture.

Been there, and did that....a lot. A friends body shop used to install the wagon kits, and all kinds of custom stuff, and the flares were just a necessity for bigger tires. It's no different now with all the Eklers ground effects and F40 body kits for C4's and 5's. In 20 years people will be going "I can't believe anyone would do that to these beautiful cars":lol:

Thats what a some of us did back in the 70's
This is a 1965/396 that I built in 1971.:rofl: After I got home from Viet Nam in 1970.
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...9-09-21001.jpg

A 1975 with 1300 miles on it, sold the 65 and I did this.:eek:
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...scan0005-1.jpg

Engine of the 75. I chromed a 62 F.I. unit:crazy: The complete under carriage was finished and chromed:willy:
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...1/scan0015.jpg

I'm younger than the average person here on the forum but yes I remember those mags, and saw lots of personalized corvettes in the early to mid 70s, including the Eckler's hatchback as in Bill's photo, the Eckler's wagon as per Kerrmudgeon, Greenwood body kits, countless flares, ducktails, and tilt noses.

That's why I'm so surprised when a thread (and subsequent piling on) starts up discussing the horror that is the latest e-bay listing du-jour - only to see that it is just another 70s custom that many of us liked 35+ years ago.

:iagree:I'm sure the same people gagging over these cars today have a dusty leisure suit and a Bee-Gees album or two in their closet or attic.

Back in the day....
 

The White (blown) Corvette in the upper left corner of the first photo was recently for sale on Ebay....and it looks just like that....still! I don't know if it sold or not but, I seem to remember the seller wanted a ton of money for it.

I had a set of Ansens....loved them, and the Ribbon type custom paint was all the rage. A painter here in MD named Tom Downey made a fortune with this style...ironically I think he pi$$ed it all away.:rolleyes:

Stay in tune....:thumbs:

Hey - I've got a couple of those magazine issues tucked in a box! :D

Ribbon paint was big. Also popular, at least around these parts, was lace - for a while everybody had to have lace on their hood scoop, or wherever else it looked good.

As for gagging over custom jobs - there are those tastefully done, and there are the far-out versions. There's a big difference, IMHO, between custom paint, headlight relocation, fender flares etc, and putting teeth, Batman effects, and other stuff. And even back when we were doing cars like in those articles, there was the occasional owner who took things too far.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder (or beer-holder). :lol:

Long live modified Vettes!!

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NY Custom Car Show
 

For many years, NY had a custom car show in the late fall at the Coliseum. The show was full of wild cars and bikes. The customs are still very much alive in Cali. I have seen a few shows on Speed of the roadster show. I am not a big fan of customs, but you have to admire the time, imagination and workmanship that goes into them. Jerry

You have to remember, that drugs were a big part of that era as well.

Roger me on the Bee Gees Album (or two) in the closet. Don't have a leisure suit though :thumbs:
Actually some of the artwork on those customs, and other customs of the day were very creative. Even by today's standards some look very handsom. I almost wish there were a section at Bloomington Gold to celebrate the artwork on cars like these. That might actually enhance the value of such customs. As it is, I think there is a stuffy attitude that it's a waste of time/money to customize a vette ...or keep one customized.

Mark G

Mark; Did you know that when Bloomington Gold first started "Bloomington Gold Judging" they had a class for Custom's? J I think custom judging only lasted 2 years.

Check out my avitar pic. Car was built in 1972 - 1973 time frame. 58 Vette with a sectioned nose (owner got it that way). Owner put an LT-1 engine and 4 speed in the car, flaired the fenders, and did a diamond tuck interior.

Car was last seen in Orlando area in 1975 - 1976 time frame. I am trying to find this car. Anyone remember it? Car was at a few Corvette shows in the Winter Park mall during that time frame.

As a teen I used to make the subway trip into Manhattan from Queens and go to that show every year