Highly Customized "Chopped" Hot Rod with Fitted One "Carson" Piece Soft Top

Description

See on Bring a Trailer Auction Site Now!  https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1951-chevrolet-chopped-custom-hot-rod-convertible/ 

1951 Chevrolet Bel Air Hardtop/ Convertible Vin.#6JKE36258.

https://youtu.be/D1JKh73-RvA walk around

Started life as a hardtop and has been Highly customized and is now a convertible with a lift off Carson Top, Full custom body work and interior and upgraded to a Performance built Chevy 350 with an Automatic. 

Highly Modified Custom Hot Rod 

Not your average Hot Rod as the Paintwork was completed by a highly renowned artist and the Interior was completed by a highly regarded specialist who has also done work and many famous award-winning cars.  Started life as a Hardtop and now a Convertible – Custom Hot Rod with an unbelievable amount of custom Fabrication and Body Work!

This Incredible Custom 50’s Hot Rod Convertible won awards every time it was taken out to a show. It has not been seen in the public eye in over a decade (since 2014)

True No expenses spared Hot Rod  top talents who contributed to this amazing ride

• Paintwork done by One of the most famous car pinstripe specialist of all time is Kenny "Von Dutch" Howard, the father of modern pinstriping   famous for his "cat scratches" signature design
  • The "Von Dutch Style": It solidified his reputation for using unpredictable, organic shapes (like teardrops, diamonds, and jagged claw-like lines) that only came together as a cohesive masterpiece at the very end of the process
• Upholstery work done by Tim Norman 
  • A renowned Seattle-area artisan known for custom automotive upholstery and classic car restorations rather than standard furniture repair He is highly regarded in the Pacific Northwest custom car community, most famous for his award-winning 1:1 clone of the legendary "Madame FiFi '56 Chevrolet
• Soft Top 
  • Incredible transformation from a Hardtop to this “Chopped Top” includes a Custom “Carson Top”  which  is a custom, non-folding, removable hardtop covered in padded vinyl or canvas. . Invented by Glen Houser at the legendary Carson Top Shop in Los Angeles in 1935, they provide hot rods and custom cars with a sleek, aerodynamic, chop-top look without the maintenance of traditional folding soft tops.
  • Unlike standard automotive soft tops, which are collapsible and use fabric over jointed bows, Carson tops are built with a rigid skeleton of metal tubing or wood. This frame is shaped to the car's body, layered with wire mesh (like chicken wire), padded with cotton or foam, and upholstered with smooth canvas or vinyl.
  • This Top was made by the Legendary Glen Houser  son Bob Houser who took over the shop in 1969 (having worked under his father since 1948)  Glen’s Father took over from the founder Amos Carson(who started the business in 1927).

The Build

• Ground up Nut and Bolt Restoration
  • This was stripped bare down to the frame and completely rebuilt
  • New Fuel Tank, All new Suspension and Steering Components
  • Custom Front End Modernized Steering 
  • Upgraded Front Disc Brakes 
  • Custom Exhaust
• Amazing Peal Paintwork and “Cat Scratch” Pinstriping work 
  • Completed by Von Dutch
• Custom “Carson” Soft Top
  • Included customized underside with complete upholstery by Tim Norman
  • Custom Pieces for the Soft Top include the custom fitted Tonneau Snap ring and custom fitted Soft Top Tonneau Cover 
• Staring life as a 1951 Chevrolet Bel Air Hard Top, this was customized into a “Chopped Top” Convertible with a great deal of specialized work performed by top fabricators.
• The changed Body Lines don’t stop there…
  • “Peaked” hood (removal of trim and smoothed lines)
  • Frenched in Headlights
  • Custom Grill fitting and Custom-made Grill
  • Smoothed line front Valance rounded into the fenders making a sweeping smooth body line
  • Custom Fabrication of Fender lines, “Radiused” front and rear
    • Rear Fender Skirts custom made 
  • Side moldings removed and custom Side Trim piece created
  • Trunk Lid smoothed and trim removed
  • Custom Frenched In Taillights
  • Custom Tail Pipe Flat Trumpets
  • Kelsey Wire Wheels with Period Correct Radial Whitewalls (Brand new)
  • Gas Tank Fuel Filler Removed from exterior body line and relocated to inside the trunk
• Interior
  • Custom Two Tone Paintwork to carry over the exterior paintwork with Red and White accenting on the dash and doors
  • Custom painted Trim with matching paint
  • Full Custom Upholstery work by Tim Norman 
    • Custom Front Seats with White Capped Tops and Rear Seat featuring 50s style “V Crown” pattern) accent in White in Pleated Pattern
    • Custom Door Panels to match
    • Detailed stitchwork on dash components
    • Custom made Floor Mats (red with White Piping)
  • Custom Tilt Steering Column 
  • Rare Period Correct 1950 “ford Crestliner” Steering wheel with functional Horn Ring
  • Custom Dash Instrumentation Panel with Modern VDO Guage setup which includes Tachometer
  • Power Windows (disguised to look like old school factory crank handles)
  • Custom Stereo – Completely hidden connected and controlled by Bluetooth
  • Functional Exterior Headlamps mounted on the sides of the Front Windshield
• Customized Engine Bay 
  • Performance Built Shevy 350 with Mild Cam Performance Intake and Edelbrock 4 barrel Carburetor with electric choke and Period Correct Edelbrock finned valve covers
  • Performance upgraded Mallory Distributor and High energy ignition system
  • Power Steering
  • Oversized Radiator
  • Chrome High output Alternator and high-volume water pump
  • Headers and dual exhaust
  • Smoothed Sides, custom front face section with added venting for cooling  and steel braided lines 
  • Hidden Brake Master Cylinder Unit (for a cleaner look)
  • Front Turn Signals tucked in behind the Front Grill
• Modern Remote Keyfob for Door and Trunk Locks
• Trunk Highly customized to complete the top quality build
  • Full custom trunk with fall upholstered fitted components
    • Custom Tire Cover
    • Battery Box
    • Upholstered inner fender wheel wells
    • Custom carpet with piping edges
    • Back Seat liner with embossed raised edge v pattern
    • Hidden Gas Tak Fuel Filler 
  • Added Hidden Manual Trunk Release (in case battery dies)
    • Battery Relocated to the Trunk