Desert Sunset: The Sakuragi Brothers’ 1952 Chevrolet Styleline
2016 RodzDeluxe Winner – 1952 Chevrolet Styleline
Words: Anna Marco; Photos: Mike Basso, Model: Kelly
This beautiful Winfield fade paint job is just like a desert sunset.
Modesto Century Toppers
In 1946, Charlie Bell and his friends formed a car club in Modesto, California. Gene Winfield was elected the first club president in 1947 of the newly formed Modesto Century Toppers because most of the members were bringing their cars to his shop for custom work anyway and several of the group were participating in dry lakes events via the Valley Timing Association. Early club meetings were held at Gene’s shop and their club jackets were green and white with a black top hat logo on back (some guys wore those hats while zipping around in their hot rods). The Century Toppers hosted their first car show in 1949 at a Ford dealership. Al Slonaker, founder of the 1950 Oakland Roadster Show (now Grand National Roadster Show) attended their event to pick cars for his first show.
Metal Master
Gene Winfield is a metal master with a stellar career spanning 70 years. He is hailed as one of the kings of kustomizers for his pioneering and iconic custom car builds. A Winfield fade paint job alone is legendary. His first car was built at age 15; it was a homebuilt 1929 Ford Model A coupe, hopped-up so he could street race it. It sported dual antennas, foxtails, wig-wag taillights, and Gene’s first paint job, in blue. A taxi wrecked that car so he acquired a 1931 Ford Model A roadster next.
Today, after countless projects, Gene still claims that building cars makes him young.
Desert Sunset
The Sakuragi Brothers and Gene Winfield share the common bond of a love for custom cars. Yoshi and Kyohei Sakuragi helm the Century Toppers Modesto in Japan, and own several Winfield customs. As proprietors of Wheels Unlimited, they are active advocates of the custom car movement in Japan.
In 2009, they were stalking this ’52 Chevy on eBay to purchase it for a customer. In 2014, the client gave up the car for marriage and family responsibilities, so the Sakuragi Brothers took over, quickly shipping it to Winfield for his metal magic. The end result is a glowing vehicle sporting Winfield’s famed fade in a gold blend of candies and pearl. Extensive modifications include a 5” chop, frenched 1952 Merc headlights, Winfield’s custom stainless side pipes and 1957 Mercury Turnpike cruiser skirts. The grille sports 1959 T-Bird teeth supporting a 1957 Chevy grille bar. Winfield grafted in a 1950 Mercury hood and a one-piece 1950 Olds windshield replaced the two-piece Chevy one.
Inside, a 1958 Biscayne steering wheel, a 1960 Impala instrument panel dress up the interior, along with four T-Bird buckets covered in white vinyl by Bob Divine.
Air bags support the Mustang II front and 4-link rear suspensions. Power is the reliable Chevy 350/Turbo 350 combo.
This California customized Chevy quickly cruised into the night with a back seat full of trophies from the Grand National Roadster Show, the Sacramento Autorama and our own 2016 Rodz Deluxe Award at the West Coast Kustoms Cruisin’ Nationals. A Winfield custom is the only way to roll.
See: www.kustomwheel.com or Winfield Rod & Custom (661) 824-4728.
TECH SHEET
Owner: Wheels Unlimited/Yoshi & Kyohei Sakuragi
Location: Japan
Vehicle: 1952 Chevrolet Styleline
Builder: Gene Winfield
Chop: 5”
Other Body Modifications: 1952 Ford front fender flares, welded 1950 Mercury hood, 1955 Pontiac bumpers, stainless side pipes, 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser skirts
Grille: 1957 Chevy bar, 1959 T-Bird teeth, custom center w/V emblem
Paint: House of Kolor gold blend
Painter: Gene Winfield
Engine: Chevy 350
Transmission: Turbo 350 w/Trans-Go shift kit
Intake & Carb: Weiand intake/Edelbrock 600 CFM 4-bbl.
Ignition: Pertronix
Exhaust: Sanderson headers
Rear End: S10 10-bolt w/limited slip
Suspension: F- Mustang II w/air bags; R- 4-link w/air bags
Brakes: F- Disc; R- Drum
Wheels: 15×5 Coker steel
Tires: 6.70-15 Coker/Firestone WWW
Seats: (4) T-Bird buckets w/custom console
Upholstery: White vinyl
Upholsterer: Bob Divine
Dashboard: 1960 Impala
Steering Column: ididit chrome tilt
Steering Wheel: 1958 Chevy Biscayne
Windshield: 1950 Oldsmobile
Headlights: Frenched 1952 Mercury
Taillights: Winfield custom 1941 Studebaker bubble
Club Affiliation: Century Toppers