Concept 1963 Buick Riviera

Custom rods have evolved over the years from poodle-skirt '50s-inspired kustoms and Pro Street Cadillacs into a mixture of the edgy '50s primer look, the mild-custom '60s look, and high-tech billet machines. There is a whole movement to do it the way "they" did it back in the day. This means scouring swap meets for obsolete speed equipment and unusual "Honest Charley" dress-up goodies. But what's next? Maybe some fresh style inspired by our "kustom kulture" is a good way to go. Check out the following sketches for a new direction. If you need more details, or assistance in designing your next custom rod, check out www.brownautodesign.com.

'63-64 Buick RivieraA 2-inch chop requires the windshield, backlight, and sail panels to be leaned inward to make the proportions right. Losing the wing windows adds complexity, but the outcome is worth it. The front end features '65 Pontiac headlight clusters mounted inside '65 Riv bezels. Grooved acrylic is heated and formed to take the place of the clamshell doors. Stock turn signal lenses are moved outward in place of their grilles. Lose the overrider guards to clean up the bumpers. The grille is billet, but with a more interesting shape. This theme is continued to the cowl vents and the fake vent indentations on the rear quarters. Remove some of the chrome stuff and slam it on the ground. Then coat everything in a funky pearl green. The final touch is a set of finned Buick brake-inspired Wildcats from Barry White's Street Rod Repair Company in 17- and 18-inch sizes. Now how do you get that redline on your tires? (Try Coker Tire!-Ed.)

'65 Chevrolet ImpalaSmooth and clean is the way to go! Many of the factory show cars in the '60s used French Cibie headlights long before we had rectangular units here in the States. For a modern rendition, use some Isuzu Trooper headlights to bookend a billet grille. Surround it all with a handmade piece of trim to tie it together. Use the same format to create the lower grille, blend the lower bumper to the body, and lose the bumper guards. Now this Imp looks really wide! Fill the taillamp holes and replace the lower trim with LED lights similar in shape to a '66. Remove every chrome lump and bump and fill the cowl vent. Side glass from a '69 or '70 might be an alternative to the vent windows. A wild candy red pearl paint job pays homage to the old candy-apple lacquer jobs that are hard to duplicate today. Rolling stock consists of 18- and 20-inch Intro Vista wheels on 35-series rubber.

'62 Ford Galaxie 500 XLWhere do we go next with wild paint? How about candy orange with green tribal ivy flames? Then push the envelope with green-tinted glass and a green interior. Custom velocity stacks curved to fit close together, flush to the hood surface, gives a hint of the wild, injected FE motor below. Modify a '60 Merc grille or build your own concave one out of aluminum. It looks "kustom"and matches the texture of the stock rear insert. Modify some Mercury side trim (good) or make your own out of brass (best). This gives something for the flames to hang on to. Lose the vent window, door handles, badges, etc. to clean it up a little. Then bag it and add 18- and 20-inch Budnik Gasser "fat lip" wheels to give it a bad attitude.