Cole Foster has been doing top - ledge professional customizing , fabrication , and car construction out of his " Salinas Boyz " shop in Salinas , California , since 1989 , but being a custom car and bicycle detergent builder was n’t his first career choice .
As a teenager , Foster intended to surveil his father , famed retarding force car fabricator / driver Pat Foster , into a career as a Funny Car driver . Fate disallow those program , but the attractively invent , purpose - built drag racing political machine Foster arise up with would forever influence him .
Foster spend the majority of his young acquiring his own fabrication attainment , which he combined with his innate sense of aim to produce some of the country ’s good traditionally style custom cars , motorcycles , and hot rods .
Custom Car Image heading
Foster ’s chopped 1954Chevyhardtop was the first custom that brought him national plaudits . He pulled the car out of a Northern California junkyard in 1988 , then influence on it off and on over the next six class as time and finances allow .
The bod was update with late - modelling components for dependable cruising . The stock stovebolt six was replaced with a Chevy 350 - Criminal Investigation Command V-8 hook to a Turbo 350transmission . A late - model free lance frontsuspensionwas installed , and the rear suspension was swapped for a ' 64 Chevy axle on de - arcuate springs .
The frame was altered for headway and the petrol tank raised to allow for the downhearted position . Hubcaps from a 1951 DeSoto were modified with bullet nerve centre caps .
Foster chopped the top four inch , replace the integral rear portion of the roof with custom - rolled sheetmetal by Don Fretwell . The new condition eliminated the mill " dog - leg " rear pillar plan in favour of an unplowed narrowing incline . The stock " wraparound " rear window was substitute with small unit from a 1950 Plymouth .
A top chop is a difficult and incredibly authoritative modification for a custom because it dictates the vehicle ’s overall profile . Foster arrive this one right .
Foster welded the stock two - piece hood into one piece . He reshaped the grille opening by forge a U - shaped grillwork surround from two 1954 Chevy art object , cut down the stock ' 54 Chevy grille bar to gibe within the young opening . In the mental process , Foster remove the parking - ignitor pods from the grille bar and added four extra tooth . The front gravel pan was mildew in and a breed front bumper was climb in a modest position after its bumper safety were removed .
The headlights were French with 1954Mercurytrim ring . The front wheel scuttle were raise three inches , and the pedigree front fender body grapheme lines were hammered still . All manufactory clipping and handles were removed .
Out back , the stock rear light were French and bubble lenses from Gene Winfield were added . To oppose the front , the rear gravel pan was mould in and the rearward bumper mounted in a lower perspective . Note also that the license plate was curved to cope with the physical body of the rearward bumper .
The car spent some clock time in unornamented metallic element , then fusee , and satin - empurpled ivory as the work build . It was eventually stop with a mystifying midnight - blue pearl paint task by Jesse Cruz . subsequently , Mark Dublia applied subtle scallop accent above the head- and taillights .
The interior receive pearl - snowy tuck - and - roll upholstery with blue pipe . The steering roulette wheel derive from a ' 53 Mercury , and the dash was smoothed and fit with aftermarket gauges in anengine - turned dialog box next to the factoryspeedometer .
The finished Chevy illustrates the philosophies that Foster applies to all of his shop ’s output signal . He strives to avoid clichéd idea and flash - in - the - goat god tendency as he crafts fresh , purposeful design program line that will look as good 30 years from now as they do today .
