Sultans C.C. '62 Chrysler

Castaic lake (North LA) THIS WEEKEND!!

1956 Packard Predictor

Another one I really like.. this time a show car that might have very well done a good job for the then dying Packard (remember the name Packard died in 62 but stopped in 58) This one is called the Predictor... Done under Bill Schmidt's leadership, style done by Richard Teague.. (this is one of the un-sung heroes of car design) for after Packard died he later went to Chrysler then AMC (American Motors corp) and was the design director of all their cars, the Gremlin, AMXs, Pacer and the JEEP as we know it now.


The Predictor had a 300-hp Packard engine and has electronic push button Ultramatic transmission, electric trunk (like Lincolns now!) reversible cushions leather on one side fabric on the other.. the panels above the doors slide into the roof over the doors to ease getting in and out.. and could be left open for ventilation like T tops on a Trans Am years later.


That rear window (Backlight as designers call it) was retractable. It was built by none other then Ghia of Turin (the same ones from Karmann-Ghia VWs and Ghia is now part of the Ford family) This car would have been a HUGE influence on the cars of Packard had the company survived.


The cars styling was a bit different and hard to say if it might have had the same problems as the Ford Edsel with the Vertical grille which is suppose to give the cars that "classical " look of the 20s and 30s but which was really out of the norm for the 50s and most didn't care for that... the shape is VERY similar to the Edsels "industrial espionage"? nah.. just designers thinking like they do.. that upright vertical is classical and just happen to be by chance that both cars looked a bit alike. the back window though WAS to influence the '58 Continental though! and a few other styling exercise cars at FORD during that! time.


I even like the color.. this is a car though that for ME at least is much better styling and taste for it's size then the 59 caddy monster of the same time.. and this car also reflected much more of cars to come.. as the lean squared body and conservative use of chrome was pointing RIGHT TO THE ' 60s...lean, clean and nice...

-Mark (loti.com)

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Cold Shot - George's BADASS '59

Mark's Chevy

Must Buy

Kustomland: The Custom Car Photography of James Potter, 1955-1959 is a book written by car designer Thom Taylor. The first edition of the book was published June 15, 2008, and features pictures taken by professional freelance photographer James Potter in the fifties. In this photographic history of that time and place, Thom Taylor presents the best of Potter’s collection depicting the cars of “Kustomland.” Two- and four-page features on two-dozen renowned customs from mild to radical feature not only Potter’s exemplary work, but brief capsule histories of the cars and their owners and captions detailing the cars’ features. Taylor also includes features on legendary custom painter Larry Watson and the Renegades car club, as well as a biography of Potter and a historic overview of Kustomland and the areas it encompassed (Bellflower, Whittier, Downey etc)

Must have for any enthusiast!!!

Featured Cars include:

Pete Angress' 1952 Ford
Hersh Conway's 1949 Ford
Floyd DeBore's 1958 Pontiac
Jerry Devoto's 1957 Ford
Jim Doss' 1958 Chevrolet
Ron Dulin's 1956 Plymouth
Jerry Feigner's 1955 Chevrolet
Jim Jackson's 1956 Chevrolet
Jack James' 1957 Buick
Al Lazarus' 1955 Chevrolet
Carol Lewis' 1956 Chevrolet
Larry Mammini's 1955 Ford
George Mitobe's 1957 Ford
Harry Okuda's 1957 Dodge
Paul Richards' 1950 Ford
Jim Shiery's 1957 Oldsmobile
Gary Simpson's 1958 Buick
Paul Sobeck's 1950 Ford
Duane Steck's 1954 Chevrolet
Larry Watson's 1950 Chevrolet
Larry Watson's 1957 Cadillac
Larry Watson's 1958 Ford
Larry Watson's 1959 Cadillac

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Reversed

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