Photo Essay: George Barris Kustom Kars in North Hollywood

David Lee Roth

I was saddened recently to learn that Kustom Kar legend George Barris had passed away.  Having been a huge fan of his work since I could walk, when I first moved into the neighborhood, I was thrilled when I found out his shop was a mile or two from my house.  Kind of like moving into a new neighborhood and finding out that you’re living down the street from The Rolling Stones.  I used to drop by Barris’ shop whenever I had out-of-town visitors and he was such a nice guy.  He’d let me in and let me sit in some of the cars, take pictures, and just chat with me.  If I’d have known then that one day I’d be posting my words here, I’d have interviewed him.

Fortunately, our own fabulous Nikki Kreuzer had written a story on Barris back in 2013.  You can read about it here: George Barris – Happy 88th Birthday