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Posted (edited)

That's crazy! I do remember Goodyear making tires in different colors during the seventies and Don Garlits ran orange front tires on his first rear engined car for a period of time. Didn't catch on with the public.

Edited by oldscool
  • Like 1
Posted
8 hours ago, JollySipper said:

Barris had a lot of "flair" didn't he? :P

By "flair", if you mean lack of taste, then YES!

It's funny, the car actually came about because of a car accident. While towing another custom car, the stock '53 Lincoln Capri Barris was driving was involved in a rear end collision with a truck and it wiped out the roof and driver side of the car. Making lemonade out of lemons, he ended up using the wreck as the basis for the "Golden Sahara".

I kinda think the wrecked Lincoln looked better, but it wasn't my money. He was paid 25k in 1953 dollars to build it, so somebody liked it!

And no, the glowing tires weren't on it then.

GoldenSaharaLincolnCrash-vi.jpg.974f9486634f223501c2ce2e1f49d75c.jpg

From the rear with the top half cut off.

GoldenSaharaInProgress02-vi.jpg.6e6e5b39a2f3d0a58bf2e49433bc9acb.jpg

  • Like 1
Posted
10 minutes ago, Oldcarfan27 said:

It's funny, the car actually came about because of a car accident. While towing another custom car, the stock '53 Lincoln Capri Barris was driving was involved in a rear end collision with a truck and it wiped out the roof and driver side of the car. Making lemonade out of lemons, he ended up using the wreck as the basis for the "Golden Sahara".

I didn't know that about the build..... That's interesting, and probably how a lot of extreme kustoms came about.

This car isn't QUITE as bad as the Golden Sahara, but is clearly inspired by it. It's Voodoo Larry's "Voodoo Sahara"........

612720037_voodoosahara.jpg.4ada02130b86ca2c7ce7c3e5c8e55cf2.jpg

It started out as a Kaiser, I believe....

  • Haha 1
Posted
7 minutes ago, JollySipper said:

I didn't know that about the build..... That's interesting, and probably how a lot of extreme kustoms came about.

Cool, I'm glad someone gleaned something interesting from my little trivia lesson. ?

Posted

I'd say the Golden Sahara is no worse than the wild customs of the '70s, including show rods.  It was of its era.  It was a show car.  Those are supposed to be wild.  ?

I don't see anything wrong with glowing tires.  I'd like to see them in person.

 

The Golden Sahara has a fascinating history, with its various revisions over the years.  It had many innovating features.

That said, I think I prefer Golden Sahara I, which seems a little cleaner and less fussy.  Apparently Liberace wanted to buy it.  ?

 

This video includes a brief history of the illuminated tires. 

 

  • Confused 1
Posted (edited)
7 hours ago, Brian Austin said:

I'd say the Golden Sahara is no worse than the wild customs of the '70s, including show rods.  It was of its era.  It was a show car.  Those are supposed to be wild. 

I would have to disagree.

"Wild" or "outrageous" show cars can be built while still demonstrating good design and taste. There are lots of them.

The Golden Sahara exhibits neither.

It's an apparently random collection of disjointed, unrelated elements and gaudy ornamentation...kinda like what we see from some mainstream OEMs lately.

EDIT: All that negativity aside, I still like the thing for its unabashedly horrible over-the-top-ness.  :D

I agree the first iteration is cleaner, and hangs together much better as an all-of-a-part piece of work.

Jim Street Golden Sahara I - Custom Car ChronicleCustom ...

Edited by Ace-Garageguy
CLARITY
  • Confused 1
Posted

That’s gotta be the automotive equivalent of a 12-year-old girl mutilating a pair of jeans with a Bedazzler.  There was talent in that family but it only reached one brother IMO.

Posted

There was talent in both Brothers. 

Sam as a Designer, George as a Promoter. Just too bad that Sam didn't outlive George......

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