1952 Ford Customline – Trevor’s Treasure
A 1952 Ford Customline is about the last car that comes to mind when envisioning a radical custom – you just don’t see them. In the classic custom car era of the 1950s and ’60s, it was common for customs to evolve over the years. Owners would update their cars to keep up with new trends or as finances allowed for improvements. Trevor Robinson’s rare 1952 Ford Customline followed a similar trajectory, though it all happened nearly a half century after the original custom car heyday.
When Trevor bought the Ford in 2002 it was stock, primer gray, and “kind of a beater,” he said. He used it as a daily driver for a few years, modifying it as time went on. “I changed the suede paint job three times,” he said. He pulled the car apart in 2008 for a comprehensive redo that was finally complete in 2016.
The eight-year build time was partially due to Trevor performing nearly all of the work himself. This included chassis updates like Fatman dropped uprights, a four-link rear suspension, and air springs. A&I Machine in Snohomish, Washington did the machine work on the Flathead V8, but Trevor assembled it himself using Edmunds heads, an Offy dual-carb intake, and Speedway Motors headers. He even built his own custom exhaust with Smithy’s mufflers.
The list of body mods came straight out of the vintage little pages. Mark Anderson helped Trevor chop the top 3.5-inches in front and 4.5-inches in back. “He gave me the push I needed to make the first cut,” Trevor said. “I also got the ’51 Merc back window from him.” Other modifications included extended quarter panels, ’56 Packard taillights, a ’53 DeSoto grille, and ’55 Olds headlight rings. Trevor sectioned the ’55 Pontiac rear bumper before having it and all other chrome plated by American Plating. Mark Akerson polished the stainless to a high luster.
And that gorgeous paint? Trevor did that in his home shop, too, using House of Kolor Candy Apple Red with Pagan Gold scallops, all over a Solar Gold base. Joe Bailon would be proud! The finish pairs perfectly with the 5.60-15 Firestone wide whites and Cadillac hubcaps.
Trevor also gets credit for beautiful red-and-white upholstery. “My friend Paul Reichlin owns Cedardale Upholstery in Mount Vernon and we worked out a trade for some car bodies and cash,” Trevor said. “In return, he taught me how to sew and let me go up to his shop on weekends and work. It took a little over a year to finish the interior. I couldn’t have done it without his help in planning, his patience to teach me, and him doing the complicated sewing that I was too nervous to tackle.”
