Cool Collection – Bill Whetstone’s Collection of Classic-Style Rods and Customs
If you’re wondering how to amass a car collection as cool as Bill Whetstone’s enviable selection of customs and hot rods showcased on these pages, one answer is to start young.
Of course, there’s much more to it than that, but it’s true that Bill, who is now 82, had his first custom car when he was just 17. It was a black ’52 Ford convertible. After that he bought a black ’56 Chevy convertible with a factory 265c.i. V8, dual four-barrel carburetors, and a three-speed, which was quickly customized with a Cal Custom tube grille, Moon wheel covers, and lakes pipes. Stan Yee later leaded the hood, trunk, and doors and Bill had the top bows chopped and a mail-slot rear window added. Detroit-area painter Paul Hatton add a wild flame job and pinstriping to complete this custom.
This trio of ’40 coupes is sure to get any early hot rod fan excited. The Polo Green beauty was built for Vern Luce in the ’80s by noted hot rod builder Bob Bauder; Bill purchased it in 2019 and had had it repainted. The tan one (the color is technically Folkstone Gray) was built by Jerry Eckholdt of St. Louis, Missouri, using a ’65 Buick 425c.i. Nailhead for power. Bill has owned the dark blue ’40 the longest – since 1997. Chrome steel wheels with ’50 Mercury hubcaps and Diamondback wide whitewalls have helped it log more than 50,000 miles.
Bill’s next custom was a ’60 Ford Starliner, which he bought new in December 1959 and drove from Detroit to California to get the white rolled-and-pleated interior done. In April of 1960 he dropped the Ford off at the famed Alexander Brothers custom shop and by December they had finished the “Adonis,” a trendsetting creation that would take Best Custom at the 1961 Detroit Autorama – the first one held at Cobo Hall. It went on to grace the cover of three magazines and was featured in 12 magazines in total, in addition to touring all over the country for indoor shows.
Bill has had this ’40 Ford convertible since 1999. It’s got a ’55 DeSoto Hemi with four Stromberg 97 carburetors, a ’40 transmission with Zephyr gears, and a flattened rear crossmember and C-notched frame to achieve the tail-dragging stance.
As was the custom for custom cars in that era, the Adonis was regularly updated with new modifications and fresh paint over the next couple of seasons. Some of those updates came with design assistance from Budd “the Kat” Anderson of AMT models. The Ford continued to be shown and win awards until Bill sold it in April of 1963 at a show in Washington D.C.
Bill always wanted a ’56 F100 and found this one in Arizona in 2002. The truck was used on a ranch and was parked in 1973 with only 27,000 miles. It was brought out of storage in the ’80s, repainted, and equipped with a ’68 Pontiac 400c.i. V8 and TH400 transmission. The truck wound up at a Porche dealership where the owner had the shop redo the truck using a Volare front suspension, black paint, and Halibrand wheels.
With growing a business and family, Bill got away from the car scene until 1989, when his son Matt came home from high school and asked Bill if he would like to restore an old car. A few weeks later Bill bought a ’66 Mustang coupe. He got the bug again, and three years later he had 12 Mustangs. Soon the buying and selling started with a variety of Mustangs, muscle cars, and sports cars.
Bill bought this ’32 Ford roadster in 2005 but little was known at the time about its history. He later learned it was built by former L.A. Roadsters president and 1961 Bakersfield Top Fuel Eliminator Bill Stecker, who put more than 100,000 miles on the car during his ownership. Its powered by a 289 Ford with a C4 transmission. Bill added the whitewalls and chrome steel wheels with ’55 Ford hubcaps.
Bill purchased this ’50 Chevy from longtime friend (and first Ridler Award winner) Al Bergler. It’s Moonlight Yellow with custom buckskin-colored upholstery and a 235c.i. Chevy six cylinder with a three-speed manual transmission.
In the mid-’90s Bill decided to get back to his roots. He sold off the muscle and sports cars and started buying hot rods and customs. He has owned over 80 cars since 1989 and has had nearly 30 cars in the Detroit Autorama over the last 20 years. One of his biggest honors was being inducted into the Detroit Autorama Circle of Champions on his 80th Birthday.
Bill’s 34 Ford cabriolet has been a hot rod most of its life. It ran at California’s Half Moon Bay dragstrip in the ’50s with a Hemi engine. Charlie Summeral built the car in the ’70s in its current configuration with a chopped and padded top, full fenders, and a 350/350 combo. Bill freshened it up in 2015 with new paint, ’57 Corvette hubcaps, tobacco-colored upholstery, and a Limeworks steering column with a Crestliner wheel.
Bill’s current collection includes more than a dozen vehicles, each of which would appeal to nearly any discerning traditional hot rodder. There’s a Deuce roadster, a ’34 Ford Cabriolet, several ’40 Fords, a ’51 Merc, and a couple of classic Ford pickups.
Proving that life can come full-circle, Bill’s stable also includes a clone of the Adonis, the ’60 Ford that became a custom star 60 years ago. The original was eventually destroyed, and in 1999 Bill purchased another Starliner to build a clone. He didn’t realize that at the same time John Schliecher of St. Paul, Minnesota, was starting on his own Adonis clone. John eventually contacted Bill and it was decided there was no need for two clones; Bill helped John with his. The car came out exactly as the original in every detail, from the candy wild cherry paint to the beautiful pearl white tuck and roll interior. It premiered at the 50th Detroit Autorama. The car changed hands a few times before Bill bought it in 2017. He showed it at the 2018 Detroit Autorama, the same year he was inducted into the Circle of Champions. Later that year the car won Coolest Custom at the Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio.
A centerpiece of Bill’s collection is this clone of the “Adonis,” the famous custom ’60 Ford Starliner Bill had built by Detroit’s Alexander Brothers back in 1960. John Schliecher had this clone built two decades ago, with input from Bill. It came out exactly like the original, from the candy wild cherry paint to the beautiful pearl white interior. Bill bought the car in 2017.
Bill had bought a ’60 Starliner to build an Adonis clone before learning another clone was in progress, so he gave this Starliner to his 14-year-old grandson Chris, who built a mild custom with shaved trim and suede paint. It was freshened up in 2018 with new paint and wide whitewalls wrapped around Astro Supreme wheels.
Bill’s most recent purchase is a ’36 Packard three-window coupe running a 383c.i. Chevy stroker V8, 700R4 automatic, and all the bells and whistles. He will be making some changes to the car to give it what he calls the “Whetstone look.” Between working 60-70 hours a week and playing with old cars, he doesn’t have time to grow old!
This ’51 Mercury was acquired in trade for a ’32 Ford stake truck. Custom touches include a ’49 Merc grille shell, ’55 DeSoto grille, frenched headlights, and twin sunken antennas in the rear quarter panel. Gray leather upholstery and Cadillac hubcaps finish it off nicely.
Photos by Chris Herod
