Looking back

[MercuryMac]

Here's and ad out of an old magazine. It's a reproduction that I found in a hotrod book. I remember this add when it was current. In fact, I bought the fender-skirts [up in the right-hand corner, '56 Ford] from this ad, and I still have them. I painted them salmon pink. In the last picture It is almost proof that the fender-skirts are in the trunk to this very day.

 

[Skip]

I bought a salmon pink 56 Vicky four door in the summer of 1967 for $200. My father wrecked his new Chrysler the next day and, since I was a 19 year old kid in the Air Force, he decided that he needed to borrow my car while his was in the shop. I hitch hiked back to base. After he got his car back, he sold the Vicky. Anyway, the day I got the car, the first thing I did was take the fender skirts off of it and put them on a shelf in the shed. Now they are cool. I have no idea what ever happened to them. I changed my car ownership strategy after that. Looking back its kinda funny in a strange sort of way.

 

[Bamamav]

I’ve never been a big fan of fender skirts but have seen a few cars they look good on. I’ve got a set of factory skirts for my Lincoln but the hold down hardware is all rusted solid. Not planning on running them anyway.

 

[MercuryMac]

I like fender skirts,-----up to a point. I have developed a theory on which cars can look good with skirts and which ones don't. The car should be longer and it has to be lower in the back to be cool with skirts. If your going to try to run skirts on a car that's hanging in the front, you might as well tattoo DORKIE on your forehead. Not many trucks can get away with skirts, except Torchie's last custom, and that's because it was lower in the back.
Skip, I also paid $200 for a pink '56, but it was in 1965.

 

[Torchie]

Thanks for the truck comment, Mac.
That build has vanished like common sense.
Ah yes.....
The skirt debate goes on.
Like wide white wall tires, people seem to either love skirts or hate them.
My 56 Merc Montclair had skirts but it was also a mild custom. And it rode fairly level.
I had one guy on my other build that claimed to not only not like skirts on a truck but also my lack of running boards.
I believe he changed his opinion by the time I was done.
I think that for me it's a build by build thing. It all has to work together.
My current build will NOT be running skirts and will sit pretty much level. The time period I have set for this build puts it into the mid 50's when the "Speed boat" stance was no longer a "had to have" in regards to a custom.
And I'm still having a internal debate as to wether I will put spotlights on the Dodge.
Sometimes they disrupt the flow.
That's one of the great things about a custom.And really the reason people started building them. Individual expression.
My biggest complaint about customs now are that people have lost that idea. The workmanship compared to the old days is 10 x's better but the individuality seems to be getting lost in the shuffle.
JMHO
Torchie

 

[MercuryMac]

I need you to run a few of your sentences together, Torchie.
When you say 'individuality' is important, you are kinda' right, we need that. But, we have a 'Crazy things on E-bay' thread that has mostly 'individuality' specimens, but they aren't saleable, because they don't have over-all flow. You need to put both of your thoughts together. [ddd[ddd
Torchie, you have both of the previously mentioned attributes together, in real life. I was just poking at you for not having them together in your last comment.

 

[Torchie]

Lol Mac.
We’ve all seen those builds that you speak of.
Individuality is no excuse for just plain ugly.
Like I posted. It all has to work together.
Torchie

 

[lazarat]

Here's and ad out of an old magazine. It's a reproduction that I found in a hotrod book. I remember this add when it was current. In fact, I bought the fender-skirts [up in the right-hand corner, '56 Ford] from this ad, and I still have them. I painted them salmon pink. In the last picture It is almost proof that the fender-skirts are in the trunk to this very day.

56 Fords and fender skirts...

My father had the 272 powered 55 Fairlane, black and white 2 door hardtop. Had the dual exhaust. When I was a kid I begged my dad to put skirts on it, chrome exhaust tips and maybe those chrome tailight cover thingys. (I envied my friends parents car, a throaty sounding 56 Chev convertible with skirts etc.)

"I dont want that junk on my car" was his reply.

I have that same ad in an old Rod and Custom magazine.