Bob Baker's 1946 Ford Four-Door Sedan

Bob Baker’s Ford as it appeared in Trend Book 143 Restyle Your Car. At the time, it was dressed up with a single spotlight. The car did not run skirts, which gave it a more sporty appearance. Finished in an iridescent lime-gold paint job, the four-door sedan stood out for its molded fenders, nosed hood, and custom-built grille. Photo courtesy of Trend Book.

A rear view of Bob’s Ford shows the molded rear fenders and frenched rear pan created at Barris Kustom Automobiles. The deck was smoothed, and the car featured dual exhaust outlets neatly exiting below the bumper. The overall stance emphasized a clean, flowing look from front to back.

The Barris Kustom Automobiles invoice for Bob’s Ford, dated April 23, 1956. The document details the extensive bodywork performed by Sam Barris, including nosing the hood, filling 56 holes after removing the fender strips, smoothing the deck, frenching the rear pan, and additional custom metalwork. The invoice, preserved in the Robert A. Radcliffe III Collection, confirmed the car as a genuine Barris Kustom. Photo courtesy of Robert A. Radcliffe III.

Another view of the Barris Kustom Automobiles invoice for Bob Baker’s 1946 Ford. Photo courtesy of Robert A. Radcliffe III.

Signed by Sam Barris, the invoice listed $249.00 in labor charges, with a $30.00 payment on account and a remaining balance of $219.00. The document provides rare first-hand evidence of Sam Barris’ craftsmanship on Baker’s four-door sedan. Photo courtesy of Robert A. Radcliffe III.

1946 Ford four-door owned by Bob Barker of Lakewood, California. Bob's car featured a nosed hood, molded fenders, and a grille made in two sections consisting of formed vertical bars. The car was painted an iridescent lime-gold.

Bob Baker’s 1946 Ford is a custom four-door sedan from Lakewood, California. Restyled by Sam Barris at Barris Kustom Automobiles, the Ford is an early example of a full custom sedan that received attention in the 1950s.

The car was initially owned by Bob Baker of Lakewood. During the postwar custom boom, many young enthusiasts looked to Barris Kustom Automobiles in Lynwood for cutting-edge restyling work. Bob brought his sedan to the Barris brothers’ shop, where Sam Barris performed extensive modifications.

According to a surviving Barris Kustom Automobiles invoice dated April 23, 1956, the hood was nosed and smoothed, the fender strips were removed with 56 holes filled, and the deck was smoothed. The park lights were modified, the rear pan was frenched, and the grille was restyled into two formed vertical bar sections. The car also received extensive body smoothing and a custom lime-gold iridescent paint job. The invoice, signed by Sam Barris, itemized the labor costs at $249.00, with a $30.00 payment on account and a remaining balance of $219.00.

Wide whitewall tires and Sombrero hubcaps complemented the lowered stance, giving the sedan a distinctive and modern look. The car was featured in Trend Book 143 Restyle Your Car. At the time, it was dressed up with a single Spotlight. It did not run skirts, giving the car a more sporty appearance.

While most customs of the period were coupes and convertibles, Bob Baker’s four-door sedan stood out for its clean execution and high-quality Barris workmanship. The surviving invoice discovered by Robert A. Radcliffe III and Jason Bickford in July of 2025 confirms Sam Barris’s involvement, providing important documentation of Barris Kustom Automobiles’ work during this period.

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Trend Book 143 Restyle Your Car