Custom Car Highlights: Dave Nostrands 41 Ford Convertible.

Custom Car Highlights with Stutz

In my line of work, I have the opportunity to meet lots of interesting people. This summer I had my 54 Buick sitting outside our family's store. It was the first time in several years that I had driven the car since a long awaited engine swap. Most people that saw the car called it anything but what it is. "That a '55 Chevy?" or "Nice ratrod" crap of that nature. However, one customer hit the nail on the head and said, "that looks like whats left of a '54 Buick". I didn't take the "whats left" part to heart, because after chatting for a minute with the customer I was pleased to find I was talking to a real car guy. Dave (the customer's name) was a very nice, clean cut guy. You wouldn't expect him to be someone who was in the custom car scene at it's infancy, but he was. Dave was a young man in the early fifties, living in the Seattle area. His car was a mild custom '41 Ford Convertible. He told me some great stories, but the best part was he brought down the only pictures he has of his car. Nosed and decked, chrome dash, pontiac taillights, single spotlight, the car was truely a clean custom in its day. Dave told me that the paint was a burgundy, the color of wine, done in 17 coats of hand rubbed lacquer. In a story he told, he visited the famous Barris Custom shop and spoke with George and Sam Barris, who told Dave that they couldn't replicate the paint, it was just too nice. He sold the car in the mid fifties, and the Ford's fate is unknown to date. He told me that the guy he sold it too had damaged the car in a short time with lacquer thinner, as well as crashing into road barriers. The only time Dave saw it later in life, was outside of an auto parts store. It was in primer and appeared to be in the process of being rebuild by a "pimple faced kid". He told the kid that it was a nice looking auto he has there, and the kid said thanks, "it took alot to get it to this point". Amazing to think what became of such a beautiful and rare car.

This is the only "color" photo left of the car.