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The master of creative design takes pen to paper for his take on performance cars we wish could someday become reality.
When I first met Steve, he was sequestered for long hours in a small dark room in the back of Bill Carter’s paint shop in Chatsworth, California. Carter was THE guy for cool Funny Car paint schemes in the ’70s and ’80s. Don Prudhomme, Tom McEwen, Tom Hoover, and Joe Pisano all went to Carter for the cutting edge of cool. But before Carter would touch a drop of paint, it was up to Stanford to sketch it up in fine detail.
Between race car renderings, Stanford would turn his sights to other forms of transportation, from muscle cars to hot rods. His artwork has adorned the biggest publications in the country, and car builders still seek him out to give his vision of just how their car could look.
Today, that same creativity still lurks in the frontal lobes of Stanford, who changed venues but not office size, now residing at Pete Santini’s paint shop in Westminster, California. The gears are still turning — and the cool cars still take shape just as they did when I first met Stanford in 1980. We hope you like what you see.
A blend of two of the most iconic Chevy shapes, this ’65 Chevelle has been flowed under the contours of a ’62 Impala roofline including the forever timely bubble top rear glass. Slammed to the ground and dressed with slotted knock offs, this is a car that some custom builder needs to create.
Take a last generation Dodge Charger and stir in a ’69 front and tail and you have this wonderful Mopar. Stanford kept the signature door creases but severely stretched the fastback through to the rear decklid. The quick fill gas cap on the rear left fender is a must.
A huge fan of the AMX, Stanford made something AMC fans only wish was reality. We love the First Gen Corvette style bodywork that wraps the rear deck lid down into the interior of the two seater. Smoothing the hood bumps, replacing the grille, and installing rectangular headlights just makes it look right.
Stanford’s take on what a ’69 Mustang custom would look like . . . and it’s really cool with lots of interesting features. With classic Borrani knock off wire wheels, smoothed grillwork, and Cibie lights, this well-known muscle car has taken on an entirely unique style. The rear taillights are from a ’58 Ford — bet that wasn’t your guess!
A blend of classic Corvette and Ferrari. If Chevrolet were smart, this is what the next evolution of Corvette would be. Key elements include a classic ’63 rear split window and see-through headlight-adorned Stingray nose. The Ferrari 430 taillights work great to enhance the performance feel of the car.
Stanford’s love of Chevelles is evident in this build that could be a “Day Two” new owner’s upgrade. With a subtle perimeter pinstripe added to the blue paint, raised white letter Firestones on chrome Torq Thrust wheels, and topped with a classic hood scoop, this is an awesome everyday cruiser.
