Larry Grobe’s customized 1946 Ford “Voodoo Idol” more than held its own when he took it to “Auto Exotica” in Highland Park, Ill. Grobe’s car wasn’t just the “token custom” at a ritzy classic car concours — its hard-formed panels echo the craftsmanship of coachbuilt customs.
“Voodoo Idol” is a swoopy coupe that qualifies as a radical traditional custom. In creating “Voodoo Idol,” Grobe — also known as Voodoo Larry — started with a 1946 Ford coupe. He transformed the solid old car into a tribute to legendary lead-slinging Left Coast customizer Gene Winfield. The wild metallic green of “Voodoo Idol” was inspired by that used on Winfield’s “Jade Idol.” So, the “Voodoo Idol” became Voodoo Larry’s personalized rendition of Windfield’s art form. The paint was squirted on with the classic “Winfield fade”; the green gets darker as it traces down the curvaceous bodywork.
“Voodoo Idol” looks wild until it’s compared to Voodoo Larry’s other cars. Then it becomes apparent “Voodoo Idol” is really his version of a sedate, clean-lined custom that is fairly free of graphics or any unnecessary adornments such as those adorning Voodoo Larry’s “Voodoo Psychosis” ’32 Ford coupe and his “Voodoo Kreeper” ’53 Chevy. The look of “Voodoo Idol” brings back memories of the early days of lead sleds when pioneering customizers Sam and George Barris were selling “Barris Kustom grilles” and building tinsel-free cars such as the “Four Foot Ford” and “Snooky.”
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