Padded Top

Before becoming a world-famous artist, Vincent Lawrence Garrison was just a young car enthusiast growing up in San Diego, California. Born in Detroit in 1923, Larry’s family split their time between Michigan and California, but by the late 1930s, they had settled on the West Coast, right as custom cars were taking off. A skilled painter and designer, Larry worked for Coca-Cola painting billboards by hand while still in high school. In 1941, he put his artistic talents to use on his first custom, a sleek 1936 Ford Cabriolet. He gave it a 1939 Ford front end, shaved the running boards, and added a chopped and padded top. Finishing touches included fender skirts, flipper hubcaps, and ripple bumpers. Photo courtesy of Paul Garrison.

Bill Henderson's 1939 Mercury Convertible of Los Angeles, California. Bill bought the Merc when he was 14 years old. In the mid to late 1940s he worked for Barris Kustoms, and they taught him how to customize cars, while he was working on the Merc. Bill was a friend with Bill Gaylord, and he used to talk about the car having a padded top by Gaylord's Kustom Shop.

Benny Furtado's 1948 Ford Convertible. This early Gene Winfield custom showcases his emerging style before he became a household name. Built at Windy's Custom Shop, Gene's humble operation in a chicken coop behind his mother’s house at 1309 Figaro Avenue in Modesto, California, Furtado's Ford was one of his first customer builds. Benny, a dairyman, bought the car new and drove it stock for a year before bringing it to Gene for a chop in 1949. The roof was lowered, the rear fenders were molded, and a padded Carson-style top from Hall Upholstery completed the look. To drop it even further, Gene C-notched the frame, and later, a 1948 Cadillac grille was installed. This Ford stands as an early example of Winfield's craftsmanship before he became one of the most innovative and respected customizers of his era. Photo courtesy of Orvel "Speed" Reichert.

Marcia Campbell's 1949 Chevrolet Convertible of Los Angeles, California. In the male-dominated world of custom cars, Marcia Campbell was a rare and inspiring figure. Passionate about Customs, she drove her brand-new 1949 Chevrolet convertible straight from the dealership to Barris Kustoms for a full transformation. The result was a stunning example of late-1940s custom style, with leadwork, a chopped top, and a signature Padded Top by Gaylord. By the time her Chevy graced the cover of Motor Trend December 1950, Marcia had already moved on, trading the one-year-old custom for Carl Abajian's 1942 Ford coupe. The techniques perfected in the 1940s laid the foundation for the golden age of Kustoms in the 1950s. With radical designs, bolder ideas, and more builders pushing boundaries, the next decade would take the scene to new heights—but it all started with pioneers like Marcia and the craftsmen who turned molten lead into rolling works of art.

Tom Piantkoski's 1948 Mercury Convertible of New Jersey. Tom bought the car in California in the early 1950s. By then the top had been chopped 5 1/2 inches, and the car had been fitted with a padded top by Carson Top Shop.

Edward Meritai's 1950 Ford of East Paterson, New Jersey. Restyled by Monego's Body Shop, the build was completed in 1958 featuring a white vinyl removable top.

George Egan's 1950 Ford Convertible of New Jersey. George was a member of the Drivin Deuces car club. Known as "The Apollo," the second iteration of Egan's Ford was restyled in the 1960s. It ran a chopped wraparound windshield and a padded top.

Kalle Jonasson's 1939 Mercury Convertible of Costa Mesa, California. Originally restyled in the 1940s or the 1950s. An earlier iteration of Kalle's Mercury was supposedly spotted in Lynwood, California in 1958. By 1963, it had been repainted in Green Metalflake, and an old photo shows it sitting at a car dealership in San Diego. Kalle bought the car in May of 1978 and spent two years restoring it, giving it his own look.

Custom Cars Featuring Padded Tops

Lawrence Garrison's 1936 Ford Convertible
Bill Henderson's 1939 Mercury Convertible
Kalle Jonasson's 1939 Mercury Convertible
Benny Furtado's 1948 Ford Convertible
Tom Piantkoski's 1948 Mercury Convertible
Marcia Campbell's 1949 Chevrolet Convertible
Edward Meritai's 1950 Ford
George Egan's 1950 Ford Convertible - The Apollo