What's your current project?

We had a long talk with management a couple weeks ago about "mainstream" cars, and I had to wonder what exactly is a "mainstream" car? Sure, ’55-57 Chevys fit into that category, but what about ’58-64 Impalas? And ’49-51 Fords and Mercurys?

I've always felt like Custom Rodder readers dig cars that are a little outside the mainstream — what do you guys think?  

Personally, I've always enjoyed the cars thast fall slightly outside of the "mainstream"... Then again, by nature, I think that fans of custom cars in general fall slightly outside of the "mainstream".
As far as choosing a particular car that's not considered popular or mainstream, I love Studebaker's, any Dodge product from the Exner era... One-year cars like the '58 GM units (particularly the Buick, as it has so much potential, just from a "de-chroming" standpoint)...
I enjoy the use of non-mainstream parts on mainstream cars, as well (this may be a whole new topic unto itself!), as it offers a ton of bang-for-the-buck visual impact...
Just my $.02.  

As you can probably figure out I have a 1962 Buick Skylark. It is white with black interior and the original 215 V8. I would love to turn it into an early sixties custom. I've had the car a little over a year now and I'm just doing the work on it a little at a time. I love the cars that are a little left of center from everything else on the road. Believe me it takes alot more work to turn a '62 Skylark into a "custom" than it does a '55 Chevy.  

Currently working on my old Merc.  '51 chopped 4dr, setting on a '79 cougar frame. I have 105k on the odometer and alot of kool memories.  Working on it and driving it slows things down but I having fun and I can't stop.

 Also working on a '60 Impala 4dr hardtop with a '60 Merc grill, '59 Bonneville taillights.  This will be a pure '60s Kustom.

 Currently my daily drivers is '92 Caprice wagon that is black and all SS'd up. After a couple of months, this will be my son's first car. Waiting on me is a '96 Roadmaster woody wagon. Lowered it the other day and then I'm going to work on the wheels.  

I love to see new ideas using the  mainstream cars, but believe Kool is not always mainstream.

Happy Trails,

Mick  

My current project is a 1967 Impala SS.  I'm not quite sure that it falls into the "custom" category of cars that I normally see in your mag, however, I get lots of ideas from your mag, and that's what my car will become a cool custom cruizer.  I have a 350/330 GM Crate.  I just got it back from the shop a few months back after having a Dakota Digital Dash installed, along with all new wiring and new floor pans and some dynamat for the floors for now....phase 2 of the project will come early next year.  I got it back in time to attend the GoodGuys 1st annual in Nashville.  

I obviously like cars out of the mainstream as I rarely see Impalas later than '64 at shows.  

I have to say I also like the forgotten riches that lie in the off the mainstream autos. They are a little more of a challange but thats the fun of building something you don't see all the time. I have a 63 Comet 2 door hardtop custom and a 54 chevy lead sled and parts for these are not the easiest to find but tramping thru swap meets to find the right part or having to custom fabricate parts is the real fun of it all.