Wiring-the mere mention of the subject brings chills to the spines of most do-it-yourself rodders. For many, it's part of the sacred trio of chores left to hired guns-paint, upholstery, and wiring. But for those willing to do some research, practice a bit of trial and error, and spend the time and effort required, any of these chores can be (and often are) completed by those of us with at least a modicum of technical know-how.

The 1949-51 Mercury is the quintessential custom car. Thousands of them have gone under the knife in the last five decades, so it's a little surprising to discover how little aftermarket support there is for these beloved 'sleds. It's a particularly disheartening discovery if you happen to be building your own dream Merc.

Like many young lads in the 1950s, Bill Layman fell under the spell of the burgeoning hot rod and custom movement. He may have been hooked harder than most considering his dad's Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, body shop specialized in customs and hot rods. From the time he turned 12 in 1953, Bill spent much of his free time there.

When Chip Foose and Wes Rydell get together on a custom project, step back and watch out. The results are bound to be spectacular.

Whether you're attempting your first build or your 20th, one key to maintaining sanity is finding a balance between what you can afford and the desire to use top-quality parts. Fortunately, the hot rod aftermarket continues to develop quality parts to help us improve our cars, and magazines like Custom Rodder keep the information coming so we can make educated purchases. Better still, the aftermarket remains small enough that hobbyists like us can give manufacturers feedback on what worked and what didn't, and offer suggestions for new options or products. Successful manufactures use such feedback to continually upgrade and expand their product lines. One such manufacturer that has arguably done this well, all while delivering quality and affordability, is Fatman Fabrications.

It's pretty easy to change a vehicle's style. Do a little cutting and welding here, some parts swapping there, and you're bound to make any car look different. Making tasteful and purposeful changes is a bit more challenging, however; it requires talent and restraint to truly enhance a car's design.

Mad Mod GalaxieWe've been pleased to bring you some of Brian Stupski's artwork in our "Stylines" column over the past couple years. You may recall in the January 2006 issue, Brian sketched several versions of a '63 1/2 Ford Galaxie. As always, we thought the images were cool, and apparently Jeff and Jason Allen agreed, because they commissioned Brian to visualize a '63 Galaxie that will be the next project at their shop, J2 Speed & Custom in Omaha, Nebraska.

Small & MightyTuff Stuff Performance Accessories is making engine swaps easier with mini gear-reduction starters for Ford, Olds, and Pontiac engines. Not only are these starters up to 1/3 smaller and 40-percent lighter than stock units, but they allow multi-indexing, meaning the starter can be positioned on its base and rotated to whatever position works best for you. This makes them problem solvers for tight clearance applications. Available in up to 2.6 hp, the starters were developed for high-compression race engines and will spin anything from a 260ci small-block to a 455-incher with ease. They're unaffected by heat, can be ordered in a chrome or black finish, and are made in the USA. For more information, call Tuff Stuff at (800) 331-6562, or visit www.tuffstuffperformance.com.

When Derek Dejonge became the caretaker of his father's mildly customized '50 Olds 88 fastback, he knew he was being handed the keys to a cool ride. What he didn't expect was the crash course in modified suspensions he would receive.

When it comes to choosing a custom car project, it's hard to go wrong with a 1959 model anything. American auto design reached a zenith of bizarre styling that year, fueled by heated competition, aeronautical influences, and the nation's race to space. Fins grew bigger, bodies longer and wider, and ornamentation as intricate as ever, culminating in bold designs that were definitely not for the faint of heart.

It's fair to say Kansas has been good for the Kustom Kemps of America. The organization was formed in Wichita, and that's where its first national event-the Leadsled Street Custom Spectacular-was held more than a quarter-century ago. And while the Leadsled Spectacular would have many homes in many states for the following two decades, the event experienced a significant rebound in 2005 when it returned to Kansas, this time to the city of Salina.

Custom Rodder has profiled many significant car builders and vehicles in this column the past several years. For our finale issue, however, it's only fitting to share the history of the man behind the National Rod & Custom Car Hall of Fame Museum, Darryl Starbird.

Wonder Wagon"I am not a famous guy, but I thought you would be interested in one of my rare rides," writes Stuart Clark, of Chehalis, Washington. Rare, indeed-Chevrolet didn't build a two-door Impala station wagon in 1959, though Stuart's longroof has been decked out in Impala attire. It also wears Indigo Blue and Viper Silver paint, gray tweed upholstery, and 17- and 18-inch American Torq-Thrust wheels. Mechanical updates include power steering, disc brakes, dropped spindles, and a 468ci big-block backed by a TH350. "Just when you think you have seen all Chevy models," Stuart says, "this low, sleek ride comes cruising by and people say, 'Man, where did that come from!'"

'49 Chevy FleetlineLet's get this "Stylines" sendoff started in style with a classy Chevy. The Fleetline has such a nice profile that I left the roof unchopped, though I deleted all the trim except for the top-accentuating beltline brightwork. Up front I inserted a floating '54 Chevy grille flanked by frenched headlights, with the bumper stanchions shortened to provide a 1-inch seam between the body and bumper. The rear fenders are extended and carved out to accept custom taillight lenses-kind of a cross between '56 Buick and '56 Packard-in handmade bezels. Let's spray it a vivid Tahition Red over a silver base to make it glow.

One of the things that makes old customs so unique is each has its own singular saga behind it. As these cars change hands, their individual history begins to fade, and all that's left is the car itself. There are a few occasions, however, when the builder of a '50s custom is reunited with his creation a half-century after he first took torch to metal and can personally relate how he built it. This was one of those times.

So-called "contemporary" customs have gone through many phases in the past two decades, from the "dipped" monochromatic look to the pastel-painted, tweed-interior fad to recent styles with big-inch billet wheels and airbag suspensions. While aspects of each trend linger, we're seeing more traditional influences in today's contemporary customs. Chrome bumpers are again in vogue, as are shiny grilles and polished side trim. Richer colors have made comebacks too, along with softer-looking interiors.

Not all '50s cars were born cool. Sure, some started looking good over the years and others earned their keep as alternatives to the mainstream. A few even endeared themselves as loveable ugly ducklings. Then there's the Kaiser sedan.

Small & Mighty
Tuff Stuff Performance Accessories is making engine swaps easier with mini gear-reduction starters for Ford, Olds, and Pontiac engines. Not only are these starters up to 1/3 smaller and 40-percent lighter than stock units, but they allow multi-indexing, meaning the starter can be positioned on its base and rotated to whatever position works best for you. This makes them problem solvers for tight clearance applications. Available in up to 2.6 hp, the starters were developed for high-compression race engines and will spin anything from a 260ci small-block to a 455-incher with ease. They're unaffected by heat, can be ordered in a chrome or black finish, and are made in the USA. For more information, call Tuff Stuff at (800) 331-6562, or visit www.tuffstuffperformance.com.

Laundry, lawn mowing, taking out the trash, and picking up my room-all things I love not doing. In the grand scheme of things, though, ever since I was old enough to realize that I couldn't care less for those chores, the female role model in my life has constantly reminded me how necessary they are. And as we all know, Mother's always right, right?

As American automakers clamored to turn out new car designs following World War II, a number of prewar construction techniques lingered, particularly on lower-priced makes and models. One was the practice of stamping hoods in two pieces and welding them together in the center. The resulting seams were typically covered by trim, ornaments, and emblems.

A custom tiller with a secretMost of us are well aware that if a determined thief really wants a car, he can figure out a way to get it. Yet we also realize that many car thefts are crimes of opportunity, and if we make it more difficult to steal our cars, we're less likely to loose them. That's the thinking behind most security systems on the market

Any enthusiast who owns the same custom car for a significant length of time is bound to refine it as he goes along. He builds the car, drives it, determines its strengths and weaknesses, and, ideally, makes tweaks to improve it through the years.

Gear Vendors, Inc., manufacturers of the popular UNDER/OVERDRIVE brand of auxiliary transmissions has announced the availability of their new T-10 Manual Transmission kits. Chosen at SEMA as one of the best new Street -Performance products (runner-up), the kits make it possible to adapt a Gear Vendors unit for use on the ever popular T-10 trans. The Gear Vendors UNDER/OVERDRIVE is a 2-speed planetary gearbox that bolts to the vehicle's existing transmission allowing the driver a direct drive (1:1) or overdrive (1:1.286) option in any gear, at any moment. With manual transmission applications such as the T-10, not only does the Gear Vendors add a fifth gear of overdrive to your classic muscle car transmission, its gear splitting capabilities enables you to make full throttle, clutchless shifts into overdrive. Kits are also available for Muncie M20/21/22, Ford Top Loader, and Mopar 833 four speed manual transmissions. If you are tired of being beaten by automatics, this is the solution. You can now have the thrill of driving your muscle car with its authentic, original manual transmission and the added ease and quickness of clutchless shifting as well as increased fuel economy and a more pleasurable highway cruising experience. A race proven winner in CORR, the Paris-Drakar Rally, Baja 1000, Bonneville, and NHRA, all Gear Vendors come with an unconditional 30 day money back guarantee and limited two year warranty for any non-commercial application regardless of horsepower, application, or race usage.

There have been hundreds, perhaps thousands, of different taillights adapted to the quarter-panels of custom '49-51 Mercurys through the years. Some designs are natural fits; others aren't so memorable. Selecting the right style can make or break the appeal of a custom's posterior.

Every project has to start somewhere, and mine usually begin at the bottom-with the suspension and brakes. I'd like to say it's because I approach car projects logically by stripping them down to bare frames and rebuilding them from the ground up, but that's not really the case. I'm not nearly so rational.