At the hands of a true craftsman, seemingly un-relatable components can be made to blend perfectly together as though they were designed to straight from the beginning. Rick Dore of RD Kustoms built such a vehicle as his second automotive custom and came out of the gate sprinting.

Starting life as a 1953 Buick Super Riviera Hardtop, Dore turned “Breathless” into an award winning show stopper. With the help of Bill Reasoner, multitudes of modifications were made. The back end of the custom was treated with a 1951 deck lid that blends down into hand-built taillights. A faired-in Plymouth rear bumper blends in as if it all rolled off the factory assembly line together.

The front sheet metal received an equal amount of care as well. Iconic Packard “bullets” were strategically placed into the front bumper, portholes were filled and all door handles and emblems were shaved for a clean and smooth appearance. The upper edge of the Buick grille was faired in as well as the headlights which also each have a billet surround. The car’s hood was nosed and filled to finish off the look.

The original hardtop was ditched in favor of a cushioned and removable Carson top that sits atop a chopped window frame. Inside, the car is decked out with Chevrolet Monte Carlo swivel buckets wrapped in pearl leather with purple highlights. Handmade panels, a custom rear seat, and a custom full length center round out the top notch interior.

Under the hood, nestled in a fully chromed engine bay,  a GM 350ci mill turns out 350 horsepower. An automatic transmission makes for easy cruising on the Chevy Nova independent front suspension and live rear straight axle. The Coker white walls are wrapped around chrome smoothie wheels.

Breathless was aptly named for many reasons. Sprayed in a custom mixed House Of Kolor black purple and lavender that was primed with a black base, it’s easy to get lost in the gorgeous sheet metal as if it were a black hole, taking your breath straight from your lungs.

Breathless, by Rick Dore was featured in its first show in 1995 at the Oakland Roadster Show and took “First in Class”. The second show, the Sacramento Autorama, Dore’s creation was named “Worlds Most Beautiful Custom.” Check out more details on this iconic ride at www.kustomrama.com.