Joe Edd Ray's 1950 Buick Sedanette - XM105

1950 Buick Sedanette owned by Joe Edd Ray of Shelbyville, Indiana. Known as the "XM105," Ray's Buick was restyled by Bob Metz. Ray was an upholsterer, and he did all the interiors for Bob.

A construction photo of the car from The Joe Edd Ray Collection. The most eye-catching feature of the car was the outward slanted tail fins. The exhaust tips were routed through modified Ford taillights. Photo courtesy of Lexi Ray.

Another construction photo of the car from The Joe Edd Ray Collection. Metz sectioned the body on Ray's Buick 5 inches before the top was chopped 3 inches. Photo courtesy of Lexi Ray.

The build is starting to take shape. Photo from The Joe Edd Ray Collection, courtesy of Lexi Ray.

A photo of Bob Metz with the Buick. Photo from The Joe Edd Ray Collection, courtesy of Lexi Ray.

A photo of Joe with the Buick. Photo from The Joe Edd Ray Collection, courtesy of Lexi Ray.

A newspaper clipping that shows Joe with his Buick after he had won two awards with the car in Washington, D.C.. Photo courtesy of Todd Ray.

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Photo from The Joe Edd Ray Collection, courtesy of Lexi Ray.

A photo of the MX105 taken at the 1957 Norwalk Motorcade at Excelsior High School in Norwalk, California. Photo from The Bob Stephenson Photo Collection.

Brandon Graham's brother Hugh "Red" Green rode out to California with Ray, and he told his brother that they were the kings of the drive-ins. Photo from The Ina Mae Overman Photo Collection.

Photo from the Barry Mazza collection.

A photo of the Buick from The Joe Edd Ray Collection. Photo courtesy of Lexi Ray.

Photo from The Joe Edd Ray Collection, courtesy of Lexi Ray.

The Buick as it appeared in Motor Life July 1958.

Lost and Found - Bob Metz - 1950 Buick

1950 Buick Sedanette owned by Joe Edd Ray of Shelbyville, Indiana. Known as the "XM105," Ray's Buick was restyled by Bob Metz. Ray was an upholsterer, and he did all the interiors for Bob.

Chopped and Sectioned by Metz

Metz sectioned the body on Ray's Buick 5 inches before the top was chopped 3 inches. The entire front end assembly including the cowl and windshield were thrown away. The door posts were removed, and a 1955 Buick top and windshield were crafted on to the narrower 1950 Buick body. The most eye-catching feature of the car was the outward slanted tail fins. The exhaust tips were routed through modified Ford taillights. Up front, Plymouth front fender sections were grafted to the Buick fenders. Two halves of a 1935 Chevrolet grille were mounted horizontally. By lowering the chassis 6 inches, the overall height of the car was 4 1/2 feet.

Custom Car of the Year

In 1957 the XM105 was chosen as "Custom Car of the Year" by the readers of Motor Life Magazine.

The Time Machine

The "XM105" was used in the 1960 movie production of H. G. Wells classic The Time Machine. Click here to see the movie.

Lost! Do You Know Where the XM105 is Today?

Brandon Graham believes Joe traded the car for an Austin Healey. In 2016 Joe Edd Ray's son, Todd told Kustomrama that he had heard that the car was somewhere near St. Louis. Todd has been searching for his dad's old custom for years, so if anyone knows what happened to it, please get in touch with Kustomrama at [1].

Related Movies

Video - Bob Metz' 1950 Buick

Magazine Features

Rod & Custom October 1956
Trend Book 143 Restyle Your Car
Car Speed and Style February 1958
Motor Life July 1958