BARRIS KUSTOM CITY BLOG: Some Barris Cars Had Bad Luck! Part 2

By far one of my favorite Kustom trucks is the The Rod and Custom Dream Truck. It began with a 1950 Chevrolet 1/2 ton truck originally owned by Spencer Murray of Glendale, California. Spence bought the car after he went to work for Hop Up Magazine as he needed another set of wheels in addition to the Von Dutch striped 1954 Chevrolet hardtop that he and his wife shared. The car would eventually be known as "The Dream Truck", and was designed by Lynn Wineland following suggestions from more than 2500 Rod & Custom magazine readers. It all started in Rod & Custom September 1953 where The Dream Truck was presented as a rolling laboratory that readers could help develop.
The "Dream Truck" made its rounds to all the great Kustomizers of the time.. Including Curly Davis of Davis Custom Shop in Burbank, Gene Winfield of Winfield’s Custom Shop in Modesto, Bob Hirohata, Dean Jeffries, Larry Watson, Bob Metz, And of Course Barris Kustoms added quad headlights, scoops to the roof and hood, and front and rear grille openings formed by molding together 1957 Stude baker front pans. After Bob Metz had fit the car with new rear fenders and fins, George Barris painted it bright white with scallops. The car was later painted metallic lime gold with a fresh burgundy red scallop design by Larry Watson.

In 1958 The Dream Truck was nominated as one of 28 "Top Customs of the Year" in Motor Life July 1958. October 21, 1958, on the way to the 4th annual international Motor Sports Show in Des Moines, Iowa, the Dream Truck was Wrecked. The truck that was hauling the Dream Truck blew a tire, causing both pickups to land upside down in the roadside ditch. The car was sent back to California, where George displayed the wrecked version on car shows. Repairs of the truck after the accident was estimated at $3500 plus paint, so the remains were sold. Soon after the truck's near demise, the engine and transmission were sold, and separated from the rest of the car. The wheels and tires were stolen, and the 1956 Chevrolet Corvette steering wheel and assorted dash gauges disposed of.

Info and images from www.kustomrama.com

1950 Chevrolet 1/2 ton truck that had a long road of Kustomizing ahead of it..

Photo provided by Richard "Fuzzy" Fuerholze

First Version

Second Version

Third Version

Forth and Final Version Before the Accident

Then the truck towing the Dream Truck blew a tire and flipped

After the crash George displayed the wrecked remains of the car

After this the the Car was sold off for 1000.00

Bruce Glasscook found the Dream truck in a shed near Stockton, California in 1971. The owner refused to sell it, and it took Bruce 8 years of begging before he was able to buy the car in 1979.
Bruce hired Carl Green and Wesley Jones of Bartlesville, Oklahoma to take on the major job
of restoring smashed up truck. The restoration is top notch and was finished and hit the show circuit and is now part of the Kurt Mc Cormic Collection.