sadfasadfasfdHidden in Northern AZ, we found Ken Bettencourt’s ’50 Ford Conservative Custom, which is kool and has the look of a traditional custom you see in masses at a few events such as West Coast Kustoms in Santa Maria, CA; the Kustom Kemps of America Lead Sled Spectacular in Salina, KS; and now HotRod-ARama, happening in Prescott in May ’26. Don’t look for billet mobiles, as some of these events are not the norm, LOL. These are old-school venues with a strong interest in traditional hot rods and the fabulous customs of our youth. Yes, some of the icons of our industry are part of this culture—Gene Winfield, Big Daddy Roth, Blackie Gejeian, George Barris, Chip Foose, Art Himsl, and Ian Roussel, to name a few.
The world of custom cars has evolved over the years. This author, many moons ago, competed in International Show Car Association (ISCA) events such as World of Wheels, got to meet many of the icons of our culture, and caught the custom car affliction. It was great for us, and we still have some of the iron from those long-gone days. Today, it’s “Ya Gotta Drive ’Em!”
So, what is a custom car? Did you know there are levels of customs: Conservative, Mild, Semi, Full, and Radical? According to ISCA, this is based on the number of modifications: Conservative (0–3 mods), Mild (4–6 mods), Semi (7–10 mods), Full, and over 10 mods is Radical. The Radical class must include one of the following: chopping, channeling, or sectioning.
Ken’s ’50 still runs the flat motor—239 ci, about 100 hp—pretty much stock under the hood, which is kool in the custom culture world. He did upgrade to a 12-volt system. To cope with the warmer Arizona days, LOL, he installed an aluminum radiator. Power gets to the rear wheels via a Ford 3-speed transmission with overdrive, of course, to get it up to freeway speeds, especially with the 4.11 rear gears. The chassis is mostly stock, rolling on 6.70-15 tires (bet you haven’t heard that in a while), with disc brakes up front and drums in the rear.
The interior is gray vinyl, with upgraded gauges below the dash to keep the flat motor in a safe driving range. The headliner is gray vinyl, along with the door panels. This unit is a 4-door, which is kool—especially when you have lots of folks riding with you. It’s a pain to keep moving the seat to let folks out of the back seat, plus you can carry things and get them out easily. The older this author gets, the more we appreciate 4-door sedans.
Now let’s talk custom features. The hood was louvered by Old Anvil Speed Shop for that kool ’50s look. Ken took this ride to Octane Art of Seligman for a kool custom paint job that screams the ’50s. The team at Octane Art of Seligman, AZ—Matthew Aultman and J’Anna Ireland—are the wizards behind this kool custom paint and body. The luscious pink, rose base is PPG base coat/clear coat. The kool graphics were done by Matthew Aultman behind the gun. Oldschool black lace was shot over a silver base, outlined with graphic lines and lots of stripes and graphics. The pinstriping is spot-on for a kool kustom, done by Viking. Lots of magenta candy and accents in all the right places—definitely an old-school custom that fits the mold. The team at Octane Art handled the body and paint work, body mods, final detail, cut, and polish. If you want to see more of their work, go to www.octaneartaz.com.
Look for Ken out there in this kool custom, but he’s got his eye on a Model A—it’s coming. He’s been in the culture since high school, with no end in sight. Keep on cruising!
