Iconic Steel: 1951 2-Door Chevy “Carried Away”

In custom car culture, it’s common for our hot rods to never really be finished. Even when (or maybe we should say if) we reach the end of our build plan, something always changes at some point down the road. Either we get new inspiration, something goes wrong with the original build, or the car gets sold, something almost always ends up changing on the car.

There are, however, exceptions to every rule. In this week’s Iconic Steel, we are featuring a car that has had hardly anything at all since it was built in the early 60s. A gentleman named George Wazney initiated the build by taking it to famous Canadian Drag Racer Jack Williams in Vancouver, BC, Canada. The car ended up transferring ownership to Cort Elliott who worked closely with Williams. Elliott provided ideas drawn out on napkins, almost as if it was one of the legendary beginnings of the cliché.

This 1951 Chevy 2 door came to be known by Car Craft Magazine as “Carried Away”. Starting off as being a minor rust repair, things got a little bit….carried away. The back end of the car was tackled first. The rear quarter panels were stretched out and 1956 Packard taillights were blended in. A 1956 Chevy rear bumper was brought in for final touches. Wanting to differ from the rest of the show crown of the day, Elliott opted to leave the car without fender skirts.

The car was driven for a bit before the next stage; the roof was chopped for that classic hot rod look we all know and love. After more time on the road, Williams dug into the balance of the car. The front nose features a rounded hood that blends perfectly into Lincoln headlights. A tub grille was dropped in and a stock front bumper with a riser from an early 50s Chevy finished the front clip.

All the handles and emblems were shaved off. Inside, the car was kept simple. With the addition of ’57 T-bird seats, the interior has been left all original since it was first built in the 60s. That’s the thing about this whole car. The body has zero body filler in it, just as it was originally. More recent years, the washed out paint was sanded and the steel was recoated in a satin black. Maintenance repairs were done, but the car is all-original. The current owner, Terry K. has owned the car since 1973 and has resisted any potential urges to mod the car.

In the mid-60s, this car got coverage in three issues of Car Craft Magazine after winning multiple awards. One of those issues had a full feature on the car, dead center of the book. The car received Top 10 Honors in the Full Custom Coupe Sedan class, as well as several other awards. In January 1964, Car Craft even stated the car has the “finest body work ever seen.”

For more info on “Carried Away”, check out this video by Rick at Old Time Garage.  

About the author

Jake Headlee

Jake's passion started at a young age wrenching on cars with his Dad. Obtaining that glorious driver's license sparked his obsession with grease and horsepower, and the rest is history. Soon, he was a general mechanic and suspension specialist, and currently designs and modifies products for the off-road industry. Jake enjoys rock crawling, desert racing and trail running, and writing in his spare time.
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