Dr Daves 80s Photo Collection
DR DAVES 80S PHOTO COLLECTION
David Aka “Dr. Dave” has started to share his 1980’s and 1990’s Custom Car Photo Collection on the Custom Car Photo Archive. This article shows a small collection.
David, (Aka Dr. Dave) has been into Custom Cars for as long as he remembers. Together with his father he has visited many custom car shows since the early 1980’s. The team always carried their trusty camera with them to capture the cars they liked the most. Recently Dave has started to scan his huge collection of photos and is going to share them with us on the Custom Car Photo Archive. This way everybody can enjoy these photos.
Photos from an important era in the history of Custom Cars. The Customs were just starting to come back for a long hibernation. And many cars captured by Dave and his father have caused quite a stir among young car lovers who first learned about Custom Cars in the 1980’s… including this author.
Dave’s photos take me back in time when I had a few US car magazines with some of these cars features or just small photos of some car show event features. A trip into memory lane, when hours were spend with the Mike Key lead Sleads book and Hot Rod Magazine’s Custom Cars studying all those photos of magical 80’s custom cars.
[box_light]This article shows just a few of the many photos Dave has taken at the KKOA Hangin’ Dice Nats in Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1987. The complete 1987 folder is on the CCPA now. Dave’s whole collection will be shared on the Custom Car Photo Archive in the next couple of weeks/month when Dave gets around to scan the rest.
Be sure to check back on the Custom Car Photo Archive regularly for new updates.[/box_light]
Jack Walker and Doug Thompson teamed up to recreate the Hirohata Mercury. Doug did an amazing job on the car and Jack took it to all the shows in the 80’s and 90’s to keep the people happy.
Bob Johnson’s “Sweeter than Wine” 1940 Mercury convertible. Seen his without the bubble top skirts.
Nice 60’s style 1956 Dodge with California rake and great backdrop.
David Wolk 1950 Mercury
Ray Goulart’s 1950 Oldsmobile. I think the car was owned by Kurt McCormick when this photo was taken.
We rarely see the 1951 Lincoln done as a full custom. This one with had a heavy chop and DeSoto grille and bumpers.
Talented body-man, Gary Howard brought his 1952 Ford to the Arkansas show.
Good looking mild custom 1954 Oldsmobile.
This 46-48 Ford I remember very clearly from the Mike Key “lead Sleds” book. It had a few photos of this car including one from the interior showing the swivel seats. The Lincoln taillights are a nice touch.
Typical sight for the late 1980’s Coca Cola trailer and bright flamed 1956 Ford mild custom.
Nice mild 1959 ElCamino, with Mercury grille, full length lake-pipes wide whites on chrome plated revere rims.
Thank you David for sharing these and all the other photos from your Collection.
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Another nice series developing here.. Thanks Dave! I really wish I had had the foresight to carry a camera to some of the events around here back in the day. Good for you for documenting these things.
The opening image caught my eye for a number of reasons, not the least of which were the scallops. I’ve liked to see them on various cars, but always wondered why some would paint the “speed lines” backwards sometimes. The yellow coupe here is a tad “busy” for my liking, but it works somehow and I think it is partly due to the single direction of the scallops. (Minnie rant – sorry).
Keep them coming Dr. Dave!
Dave
Thanks as well DR Dave.
Great to see cars from that time period.
Another great addition to CCC
Torchie.
Doug Thompson is still living.
He is still living? THat would be really great.
I keep reading and hearing that he passed a way a few years ago?
That ’51 Lincoln belonged (belongs?) to Lee, one of the original (I think) members of the Beatniks car club. I don’t know his last name, but it was a nice car. I remember seeing it with ’57 Cad caps that were a little more fitting.
Thanks to Dr. Dave for taking the time to scan all of these in, and Rik for putting them up. Please keep going with them, it’s great to see this stuff! Thanks again!
Cool pictures, it’s always a treat to view some cool old customs. The reason you see so few Lincoln customs is the front sheet medal just isn’t as well designed as it’s little brother the Mercury. You can do so much more with the Merc then the Linc.
CRUISER
I was blessed to have such a great show so close to home. I nearly flipped when I walked onto the grounds that first year and saw Jack’s Hirohata clone. At first I had no idea it was a clone and was just beside myself that the Hirohata had been found and was here in Arkansas. Later discovered it was a clone and the real car wouldn’t be “found” for several more years yet. Dave Wolk’s Merc (the mint one 4 pics down) inspired me that a guy my age could have a cool Merc. They seemed so far out of reach. It would be nearly 30 years before I got one of my own, though. 🙂 Glad to share all the pics….seems a waste for them to just be sitting here all to myself. LOL
Ft. Smith was always a great show. I ran with a large group of guys from Kansas City area (KC Kustoms car club), but I usually traveled by myself and would meet up with them at show. I love the adventure of the travel and rarely take the same route twice. The roads in southern Missouri and Arkansas are very twisty and hilly. It made for a fun trip. My Merc drove and handled great, it had a late model engine but I still had 4 wheel drum brakes. I pushed the car to its performance limits more than once. One trip in the Arkansas hills my brakes got so hot I barely stopped before going off the edge into a deep ravine. I had to sit for about 3 hours on the side of the road letting my brakes cool.