A Standout at the Paso Robles Custom Show

We were strolling through one of the largest custom shows in the country last summer in Paso Robles, California, enjoying the captivating sights. There were hundreds of remarkable customs with wild design changes and intricate paintwork. While we were walking though the park, where most of the customizers like to show off their cruisers, we came across one that stopped us cold in our tracks. It looked like a radical custom roadster.

A Custom with Mysterious Origins

Our first thought was to try to figure out which make and model the custom started out as. Generally, there are enough clues that can enable you to determine the origin of a custom. This one, though, was so radically modified, yet nicely done, that it was particularly difficult to pinpoint exactly what vehicle the customizer started with. The custom had all the right proportions, and it flowed gracefully from front to rear.

Meeting the Builder Behind the Car

While we were gazing at the beautiful custom roadster, Dean Bryant, an old friend of ours, walked up and asked if we liked his latest ride. We told him we thought the custom was awesome, and then we had to ask, “What did you start out with?” He told us it was a Ford, Merc and Caddy, ’53, ’54, ’55 and ’56, which certainly was an unusually vague description. Of course, when we learned who built the custom, it was totally understandable why the car was so well crafted and looked so good. Bryant owns a shop called Elegant Customs in Santa Clarita, California, and has built some of the finest customs in the country.

Built in Just Four Months

We immediately thought that, considering the complexity of this custom, it must have been a work in progress for quite some time. We were immediately surprised, and impressed, when Bryant told us he built it in four months.

Power and Chassis Details

It’s hard to believe, but this radical roadster started life as a ’56 Ford, and the original chassis was upgraded and modified with airbag suspension all the way around. Power for the custom features a reworked 312ci Thunderbird engine, which has been balanced and clearanced. Performance improvements include a Holley intake manifold and a 650cfm Holley carburetor. The valve covers are original chrome units. The 275hp Y-block was hooked to a ’56 Ford overdrive automatic transmission.

Bodywork That Defines the Build

The real magic of this far-out machine is its fantastic bodywork, the creative engineering, as well as Bryant’s eye for what looks good and fits well together. Bryant and his talented crew (Harlan, Hugh, Sammy, Art and Jerry) massaged the body to turn it into a rolling work of art. Every square inch of the body was reworked with some fine styling cues. The front features frenched headlights with Cadillac-style eyebrows ending in a bodyline that flows back and forms large side scoops on either side. The rear fenders have been extended considerably and flow into custom frenched taillights. The elegant look of the custom comes from the use of a ’56 Cadillac front bumper with large Dagmars and a custom grille, plus a ’53 Cadillac rear bumper with two small bullets. The most unusual part of the custom are the half-doors that open about 4 inches below the top bodyline. After the body was sliced and diced and welded back together, it was painstakingly smoothed and final-prepped for paint. With some help from Bryant, Art Himsl mixed the House of Kolor urethane and applied 15 shades of fade-away pearl-green paint with custom flames.

Interior Craftsmanship and Finishing Touches

The body was turned into a roadster, so the interior features two handcrafted bucket seats with a custom-made center console. Jerry Noone in Palmdale, California, stitched the beautiful suede interior. The custom-crafted dash was covered with leather and features Stewart Warner gauges. If you look closely, you’ll see flames stitched into the interior door panels to mimic the flames on the outside. Cool cruising sounds emanate from a high-end Sony stereo system with a CD player. The wild banjo-style steering wheel was custom crafted by Bryant.

A Vision Fully Realized

Bryant had just completed the custom when we saw it at Paso Robles, and we were glad for him that it was such an immediate hit. Bryant certainly had a vision and a dream when he built this elegant cruiser. It is also fortunate for us that he has the talent to achieve his lofty goals—of course, with a little help from his talented friends. Ford, Merc or Caddy, the mixing of the three resulted in a successful project.