Tom Hocker Barris 1940 Ford Restoration Progress
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Some more update photos from John on the rear bumper.
“Bumper needed lots of adjustments…new mounting plates, pass. side exhaust outlet was crooked before, new side mounts, and modified splash pan end to fit the new bumper placement.
Corrected the angle of guards, installed a fresh 49 Chev overrider, and mounted plate/frame. All pieces have the same angle and flow now.”
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I hate to say it but for me this is where a lot of restorations, including this one, lose the plot. Part of what makes these cars what they are is that they were not perfect when built making them perfect now takes away from what these cars were. If you want a perfect car build a new one don’t change the original work so it is better than it was when built or it really isn’t the same car anymore and you are no longer doing a restoration.
I hate to say it but for me this is where a lot of restorations, including this one, lose the plot. Part of what makes these cars what they are is that they were not perfect when built making them perfect now takes away from what these cars were. If you want a perfect car build a new one donāt change the original work so it is better than it was when built or it really isnāt the same car anymore and you are no longer doing a restoration.
There is always a hater for everything. With any restoration with these old customs. The person restoring them is gonna fix any issues to make it better. Those builder could just let it all be and let the cars look like crap. For me I want to see these cars at their best. So I applaud anyone who does a restoration on these old.l customs.
Fantastic work and attention to detail. The comment above about this taking away from the original builder’s work is one that I have always been on the fence about…and probably always will be. I am passionate about both the history of who did what and why they did it in terms of trends, restyling tricks in certain areas or from certain shops, etc. I also really love to see exquisite metalwork and high-quality restorations. This first crossed my mind during the restoration of the Sam Barris Merc by Brizio’s shop. I think Bill Ganahl has even wrote about deciding whether or not to redo the original Barris lead when restoring the car…or maybe he told me…I can’t recall. I believe it depends on the current situation of the car in question at the time of restoration as well as the capabilities and budget of those doing the restoration or having it done.
Consider the “preservation” of the Hirohata Merc compared to the frame-off restoration of the Sam Barris Merc. Yes, it’s super cool to see the original way things were done (albeit rudimentary at times), but it’s also a compliment to the original builder to take their designs or restyling ideas and preserve them with modern quality work. Luckily we have original kustoms still around to see both types. Can’t wait for more updates!
Robert A. Radcliffe III
King KustomsI hate to say it but for me this is where a lot of restorations, including this one, lose the plot. Part of what makes these cars what they are is that they were not perfect when built making them perfect now takes away from what these cars were. If you want a perfect car build a new one donāt change the original work so it is better than it was when built or it really isnāt the same car anymore and you are no longer doing a restoration.
There is always a hater for everything. With any restoration with these old customs. The person restoring them is gonna fix any issues to make it better. Those builder could just let it all be and let the cars look like crap. For me I want to see these cars at their best. So I applaud anyone who does a restoration on these old.l customs.
Fantastic work and attention to detail. The comment above about this taking away from the original builderās work is one that I have always been on the fence aboutā¦and probably always will be. I am passionate about both the history of who did what and why they did it in terms of trends, restyling tricks in certain areas or from certain shops, etc. I also really love to see exquisite metalwork and high-quality restorations. This first crossed my mind during the restoration of the Sam Barris Merc by Brizioās shop. I think Bill Ganahl has even wrote about deciding whether or not to redo the original Barris lead when restoring the carā¦or maybe he told meā¦I canāt recall. I believe it depends on the current situation of the car in question at the time of restoration as well as the capabilities and budget of those doing the restoration or having it done. Consider the āpreservationā of the Hirohata Merc compared to the frame-off restoration of the Sam Barris Merc. Yes, itās super cool to see the original way things were done (albeit rudimentary at times), but itās also a compliment to the original builder to take their designs or restyling ideas and preserve them with modern quality work. Luckily we have original kustoms still around to see both types. Canāt wait for more updates!
Ian Is far from a “hater” In fact, even though he abhorred the lack of running boards on my last custom truck build he still supported what I was doing…..LOL Ā Any way. Lets keep it civil here. There is enough of that nonsense on other sites……Nuff said on that.
Those of us that revere not only customs but consider original ones to be works of art created by masters are always going to be torn when it comes to undoing/redoing/making it better then before. Who wants to be the guy that melts off all the lead that the Barris shop or Valley Custom or Ayala’s shop did? Ā As King said. A lot of it has to do with the condition of the car to start with.
And for what a restoration like this co$$$$ts are you not going to want all the little quirks that weren’t exactly perfect the first time fixed?
Plus weather we admit it or not, we are used to much better quality workmanship now then was the norm back in the day. My current project is a Chris Craft runabout that although not a custom boat, per se, is now considered to be a classic. Built back when”Craftsmen really cared about their work.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. This boat has so many flaws and defects that I have lost count and just by the fact that I am rebuilding/restoring it is going to make it better then it was new.
I guess my point is that as long as the original “vision” doesn’t get too distorted I’m glad to see them being brought back and in some cases brought back better then they were.
I’m still waiting to see the fate of the Golden Sahara as well as the Kookie T as they are 2 prime examples of this debate.
Just my 2 cents….
Torchie
Restoring Historic Customs is always a tricky business.
There are many ways to look at the restoration process, and for each way there is something good and bad to say.
In the case of the Tom Hocker Ford I like to point out that the bumpers and bumper guards on the car are not the original units. Those are long gone, so these have been recreated by a previous shop, and are now updated by John to look more accurate, and or better than what was done before.
Also some of the original Barris body work, including some work that was done on the top, had already been replaced in previous rebuilding of the car.
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I get Ian’s point.
And thank you Rik for the additional information.
I was able to crawl in and under the Barris Merc before the trim went in and can verify that some very rough work was preserved.
I get Ianās point. And thank you Rik for the additional information. I was able to crawl in and under the Barris Merc before the trim went in and can verify that some very rough work was preserved.
Cool Tony !
Not the rough work, but being able to crawl around the car…..:)
Torchie
From what I understand regarding the Tom Hocker ’40 is it has had a VERY rough life. I heard it was wrecked at one time and nearly destroyed. I believe it had even been stolen. I don’t recall all the details, but I am sure a lot of people had their hands on this car, qualified or not. Restoration to original would be pretty tough. The task that has been undertaken here is huge. I applaud the effort, fortitude and commitment this must entail.
Mitch
With the work on the rear bumper mostly completed it is time to get the front bumper done.
The front bumper on the car is the wrong one, so John had to find the right Pontiac unit first…
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Great attention to details. What bumper is on the car now? Looks similar to the Pontiac bumper except for the license plate indention in the center.
Robert A. Radcliffe III
King KustomsGreat attention to details. What bumper is on the car now? Looks similar to the Pontiac bumper except for the license plate indention in the center.
Unsure what was used on the front bumper. The indentation might give it away… but I have not had the time, nor urge to look into it.
This is what John mentioned about it.
“They heavily modified it. Welded a flat section on top, and extended the rear part of bumper guards.“
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From John…
“Some repair work on quarter window inner garnish. Drivers side had a bad fit in the rear corner…edge wasnāt flush with body and was visible through glass. Cut it up, made filler pieces, stitched back together, and fits great now. As you can tell by the light reflections, itās not perfect, but after I block it before chrome, it will be fine. Fairly basic work here, but still takes time and patience.”
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“Fresh cut glass on the Tom Hocker ā40. I got a big sheet from the local glass supplier, made my templates with 1/4ā MDF, trace on glass, then cut it. I prefer to do my glasswork before body & paint, for many reasons. I did the rear glass and v-butted windshield a while back, and did the quarters last week. Next up is door/vent glass.
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