''The California Kid'' is a
customized 1934 Ford
three-window coupé
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
built by
Pete Chapouris.
The '34 was on the cover of
''Custom Rod'' in November 1973, along with a similar coupé built by
Jim Jacobs. It attracted the attention of television
producer
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
Howie Horowitz, who wanted it for a
TV movie, "
The California Kid
''The California Kid'' is a 1974 American made-for-television action thriller film directed by Richard T. Heffron and starring Martin Sheen.
Plot
The story takes place in 1958, and involves a town, Clarksberg, with a famous speed trap. Di ...
".
Rod Magazine'' online
(retrieved 17 June 2015)
Chapouris' selection of a classic customizing technique, contrary to the trend at the time, made it perfect for its role in the movie.
The movie earned Chapouris' '34 legendary status, and led to numerous copies being built in the following decades. Today, ''The California Kid'' refers more to the car than the film among rodders and customizers.
Construction
Chapouris, then a member of the Vintage Tin Hot Rod Club, customized a 1934 Ford three-window coupe in a style that, at the time, was at odds with most contemporary enthusiast thinking, and was generally considered "old-fashioned"; "resto-rodding" (a style sympathetic to the car's original design and specification) was in vogue.
The original '34 was completed in black, with a classic style of flame job
A custom car is a passenger vehicle that has been either substantially altered to improve its performance, often by altering or replacing the engine and transmission; made into a personal "styling" statement, using paint work and aftermarket ...
, and 1960s-era Halibrand
Halibrand is an American maker of racing wheels and quick-change rearend housings.
Halibrand started in Culver City, California in 1946. Its first product was a magnesium wheel for Indy cars, as a replacement for the wire wheels then commonplace ...
wheels. The film company added dummy sidepipes, a 'c' channel rear bumper, and replaced the Halibrands with period-correct steel wheels and Ford hubcaps.
References
Sources
Rod Magazine'' online
(retrieved 17 June 2015)
{{DEFAULTSORT:California Kid
Modified vehicles
DIY culture
Automotive styling features
One-off cars
Ford vehicles
1970s cars
Kustom Kulture
Individual cars