HISTORY RECOVERED
July 20, 2023
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
IN THE CLUTCH
Changed the clutch in your drag Honda lately? This has to be one of the worst jobs in all of compact car drag racing. Turbocharged, nitrous-fed Honda engines inflict severe damage on clutches after round upon round of heated competition—even some very good “hot rod” clutches.
SLOWING DOWN A FAST MUSTANG
The Ford Mustang was one of the first cars to offer disc brakes as an option, but they were not a big hit with buyers when they were first introduced. Most buyers were happy to buy a base model with a six-cylinder engine or a slightly improved version with a 289 backed by an automatic transmission. This was the standard Mustang package that most Mustang owners wanted in those days—grocery-chasers that people had no intention of using to sit on the pole of the Indianapolis 500. Aside from the Brickyard, that’s all changed, as standard drum brakes are no longer considered standard fare, and car enthusiasts now know the benefits of full disc brakes. It’s hard to find a car today without them, at least on the front brakes.
Narrowed Rear
When this ʼ54 Chevy truckʼs owner started building it, he wanted it to be fast and to have a nasty appearance. He always liked the Pro Street style, so that is the direction he decided to follow. He started by ordering a custom back half that was narrowed and set up with a narrowed rear differential with coilover shocks, a Panhard bar and ladder bars. In order to complete the back half, the car was delivered to Dream Cars, where the suspension was installed.
Spotlighter
Remembering Gene Winfield
The Custom King Who Never Stopped
The hot rod world just lost a titan—Gene Winfield, a guy who didn’t just customize cars, he straight-up reshaped the scene. Over seven decades of cutting, welding, painting, and innovating, Gene left behind a legacy that won’t ever fade, no matter how many coats of candy paint get sprayed in the future.
Author
The Auto Builder Staff
Photography by Scott Killeen
From Modesto Streets to Custom Shop Royalty
Born and raised in Modesto, California, Gene built his first roadster in high school—while the world was still tangled up in World War II. By ’46, he had Windy’s Custom Shop up and running, launching a career that would take him from street racing to dry lakes, from local hot rod shows to the national stage.
Military Duty and a New Era of Custom Cars
Even when Uncle Sam called him up, Gene kept at it, building a ’41 Ford while stationed in Japan. When he got back stateside in ’51, he opened Winfield’s Custom Shop and started crafting metal into rolling artwork. The hot rod crowd caught on quick—especially when his radical Rod & Custom Dream Truck hit the scene. By the time the Jade Idol debuted in 1960 with his signature fade paint job, Gene had cemented himself as the guy who could push boundaries and make customs look like they were built in the future.
From AMBR Wins to Detroit
Gene didn’t just shape customs—he shaped the entire industry. Three of his cars snagged the “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” title, and his talent caught the eye of Detroit. Ford brought him in for their Custom Car Caravan, and AMT tapped him to run their Speed and Custom Division in Phoenix. That’s where he cooked up full-scale show cars, wild accessories, and even the plastic-bodied Piranha, proving that his creativity had no limits.
Hollywood Called, and Gene Delivered
If you’ve watched TV or hit the movies in the last 60 years, you’ve seen Gene’s work—even if you didn’t know it. He built the Galileo shuttlecraft for Star Trek, rigged up gadget cars for Get Smart and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and turned out 25 future-forward machines for Blade Runner. Oh, and if you remember Back to the Future II, yeah—Winfield had his fingerprints on that one, too.
Never Slowing Down
By the ‘80s, customs were back in full force, and Gene was right there in the thick of it. He started churning out steel and fiberglass parts for classic Fords and Mercurys, even creating full 1949-51 Mercury bodies in glass. And the best part? He didn’t just sit back and watch—he was out there, hands-on, working metal, teaching workshops, and proving that legends don’t retire.
The Man, The Myth, The Legacy
Gene’s list of awards and honors is as long as a Bonneville straightaway. Hall of Fame inductions, lifetime achievement awards, TV appearances—you name it, he earned it. But beyond the trophies and accolades, it was his relentless passion, his twinkling eye, and that signature Winfield fade that made him unforgettable.
This world will never see another Gene Winfield. But every time a young builder picks up a torch, every time a painter lays down a mind-blowing fade job, and every time a custom rolls onto the show floor looking like it’s straight out of the future, his influence lives on.
Rest easy, Gene. You’ll always be the king of cool.
