Jack Stewart was from Canton Ohio, and was stationed as Airman Second Class of the USA Air Force in California where he got in contact with custom cars. Jack knew exactly what he wanted, his dream car would be based on a Oldsmobile 88. Spending his day’s Daydreaming and making sketches of his future custom and looking for the perfect car to start with…

Jack Stewart came across an Olds 88 which he bought and he started to look for the best customizers to handle the project. But he soon found out that shop owners can have a mind of there own and the ideas which Jack had for his dream custom would soon written off and replaced by the shop owners ideas. But at the third customizers shop Jack found what he was looking for. Valley customs was putting the finishing touch on Ron Dunn’s sectioned ’50 Ford coupe, and Jack was so much impressed with the workmanship but above all the fact that the sectioned body looked so good. In his daydreams Jack had seen his own custom as a sleeker and narrower body than original. But he later settled for a chopped top since he thought the sectioning could not be done or would be impractical.

Ron Dunn’s 50 Ford was the first sectioned custom Jack had ever seen. And this car made him turn back to his original ideas. But now Jack had a chopped and sectioned custom in his mind. Jack had a long meeting with Neil and Clayton about the ideas he had for his dream custom. Both shop owners listened carefully and made notes asked questions and some rough price quotes where made. One thing Jack was still not sure about was how far he should go designing the custom, and how much would be left to the customizers. Neil, Clayton and Jack game to an agreement that the base design was left to Jack. His original sketches and the new once made by Valley Customs had made up for the overall design and as adviced by Valley’s Customs it would not incorporate a chopped top as Jack had suggested in the beginning and the sectioning was after a lot of debating determent to be 4 inches. Details like how much radius for the new grille lip, the extend of head and taillight frenching – you name it – all detailing would be left to the craftsman’s eyes of Neil and Clayton.

Body sectioning is the first thing Valley Customs will tackle on Jack’s car. On each body panel the most outward point was determent using a plumb line hold vertical alongside the body was used for this process. These points where taken at several horizontal positions from front to rear of the car. And the points where connected with a pencil line. Two inches where measured on each side of this line to mark the four inches to be removed. This method explains the at first rather strange position of sections removed on the body in the pictures you can see here. Power cutters and hack saws where used in the sectioning process. After making sure the sectioning was even all around the body was dropped and tack welded in a few spots.

Then the long process of tack welding, spot welding and hammer welding could begin.

The main body panels where handled first then the front fenders where sectioned (off the body) and reattached once sectioned. Later the wheel openings where radiused with the new opening higher in the fender. The lip on the new opening was hand hammered. Next came the doors and last came the rear fenders which where reshaped at the same time. At this point the body was also shaved of all its “extra” chrome and solenoids where installed for the door and trunk openings. The rear portion of the fenders was raised to get in line with trunk and prepared for the custom made taillights which would sit at the same angle of the rear of the trunk, all according the instructions of Jack.

Jack had been inspired by the airplanes he flew and saw during his military service and wanted to incorporate some of the feel. His instructions for the head- and taillights had been to make them look like they are sitting inside air-scoops. For the taillights some heavy sheet metal was cut to shape after some full scale sketches where made. Using these shapes (dies) round tube was bent over them to create the taillight hole shapes. These shaped tubes where tacked to the rear fenders at the same angle as the rear of the trunk and later metal worked and eventually leaded into the rest of the fender. ’47 Studebaker taillights where selected since their width was absolutely perfect for the new taillight shape and those where incorporated. The angled recess metal plates where first drawn on paper. A lot of careful math was used to make sure the filler piece would fit perfectly. Then measurements where made to mark the places where the holes could be drilled. Jack wanted the taillights and headlights to sit into perforated chrome plated sheets. Three pieces of cut to size metal where tack welded together and then the holes where drilled one by one. The bottom two where used on the car the top one was saved at the shop. The end result is absolutely stunning jet-plane inspired head and taillights.

Jack also wanted to have some functional air scoops in the rear fenders. So cutouts where made and using the same styling elements as the taillights (and headlights) perforated chromed metal plates where inserted into the new opening. The fender skirts where also created by Valley Customs. They where first cut out of cardboard to make sure the shape was right, then transferred to metal sheet. Which had its ends folded over sharply to create a fine finish. Staying with the rear end of the car Jack wanted to regain the stock rear bumper, but wanted it lighter, more elegant. So Valley Customs removed the center portion and bumper guards and replaced the center section with a recessed custom made center to which the license plate later could be placed. The bumper ends where the cuts where made to remove the center where filled and on both sides small lights where added to light the license plate at night. Since the taillights where frenched quite deep into the fenders, they would not be visible from the side like on any factory stock taillight assembly. Neil solved this by adding small round lights frenched in the sides of the bumper ends. Another modification, which looks more like factory styling ideas than at customizing.

At the front of the car a complete new grille bumper design was made. Round tubing was bent to create the basic grille opening shape. And decided was that not rear grille was going to be used but the original but smoothed bumper was placed higher so it would fit centered in the new grille opening. The grille opening lip would follow the end pieces of the bumper where it wraps around to fenders which nicely integrates the two. Shaped sheet metal was used to fill the new opening to direct the air to the engine. Everything at the front was metal finished where it could and fine tuned with lead.

The holes for the new repositioned side trim where drilled and then the body was ready for primer and paint.

Neil mixed up several shades of lacquer in which he mixed metallic powder to lighten the color, and together with Jack they choose the best color for the custom.

Floyd Tipton did the upholstery in a beige/yellow and off white tuck & roll leatherette. And after a little over three month of working on the Oldsmobile Valley customs did the final assembly on the trend setting custom and it was ready to drive home with Jack to Canton Ohio.  

After a enjoying the custom for several years Jack sold the car to John Zagray who had Kurkle’s body shop do an “update” on the car The rear fenders where reshaped and ’57 Plymouth taillights replaced the Valley Custom units. New side trim and grille pieces where added along with new hubcaps. Luckily the rest of the Valley customs body work  was left alone. The custom was recently completely restored into its first Valley Customs condition by Gene Blackford at his Red Lacquer Room body shop and made his debute at the Glenmore Country Club Concours in Canton Ohio in 2005.