The sign in the show display says it is a rare combination of modern age technology with 1950’s Golden Age design and spirit. It is the 1956 Plymouth Custom Convertible brought to the 2015 Detroit Autorama by Gil and Janet Losi of Murrieta, California. It was entered in the Radical Custom Convertible category.
Our Cars On Line.com Facebook fans voted for this car as their choice for the Ridler Award for 2015. It received 598 “Likes” as our Facebook followers showed they disagreed with the Detroit Autorama judges. Sorry, Chip.
The ’56 Belvedere is built on a custom chassis with a late model 6.1L Hemi engine. Look at the photos and you’ll see Curtis/Foose wheels, Axalta paint, Advanced Plating custom chrome and a Gabe Lopez interior. The build was completed by Steve Cook Creations. This 1956 Plymouth Custom Convertible was notified it has been judged to be qualified to compete for the Ridler Award and has been included in the exclusive Great 8. That is a heady place to be for any custom car.
At Steve Cook’s shop they build customs the way they have been built for decades. Steve told us that he always tries to keep the essential lines of the original classic intact. In this case, there is no doubt that you are looking at a ’56 Belvedere. But every body panel is reworked not only to make it better than factory stock but to create an art form of the original. You’ll notice there are no panel gaps in the body, every panel and rocker fits seamlessly and straight.
The paint was a special blend done by Cook. He told us how he mixed three candy colors and two pearls, but we don’t want to repeat his method here because he said it was not done the way they teach it in paint school. In fact, he said it was kind of a mistake. He does things by eye. Suffice it to say it is a one-off color that will never be duplicated. But the result is amazing.
The wheels were made by Mike Curtis and have the center cap design from the original Belvedere. These wheels are gorgeous and one-off.
Be sure to lick on the photos below to view a larger version:
Click here to link back to the 2015 Detroit Autorama news feed.
Nice! Great paint job! Well done! You should be proud of this car
You should have won the Hot August Nights in Reno last week. The Bubble top was nice but there 4441 of them out there. You have got one of a kind. The first year for fins (Copy Cat 57 Chevy)
I voted for you to be First but then I was not a judge in Reno. I was sitting in my Florida Room watching on cable TV.
Better Luck next time.
Tim
Yes, This is an amazing car. It was entered into a local car show in Solvang Ca. this weekend, Wheels and Windmills. What I don’t get is why a high caliber cars owner is interested in competing with locals and garage built cars. Seems to me like going fishing in a trout farm. It’s hard to be on a budget and working on a car in your garage on the weekends and then having to be judged along with a car that is world class, costing many $100,000 to complete, with unlimited build funds available.