1953 Lincoln Capri originally owned and restyled by George Barris of Barris Kustoms. After an accident, George's Lincoln was built into the Golden Sahara, a radical show car commissioned by Jim Skonzakes of Dayton, Ohio.
After the accident, the remains of George's Lincoln were used to build the radically restyled Golden Sahara for Jim Skonzakes of Dayton, Ohio. This version featured sloped doors and rear fenders covered with gold-dyed aluminum with a satin finish. The rear end of the car housed a molded-in spare tire cover. The trunk was opened by twisting the license plate. Up front, the Golden Sahara featured a combined headlight, parking light and bumper arrangement.
The interior of the Golden Sahara featured a curved rear seat that was built around a complete refrigeration unit that housed a cocktail bar. Glen Houser and Bob Houser upholstered the car at Carson Top Shop. The interior featured a TV set mounted in the dash, a hi-fi radio mounted below the TV, and a tape recorder installed between the driver and passenger in the front seat. Golden frieze material and white Naugahyde covered the seats, dash, and side panels. A shag rug with two-inch padding made the floor of the car luxuriously soft to the feet. All interior trim were gold-plated. Named “The Golden Sahara,” Jim's Lincoln made its public debut in 1954 at the Petersen Motorama held at the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles.
In 1956 Skonzakes had Indiana customizer Bob Metz and Ohio's Delphos Machine and Tool modify the Golden Sahara further, turning it into the Golden Sahara II. This version featured twin-fins and a bubble top.
Jim put the car in storage in the late 1960s. He owned it until he passed away in 2017, keeping it in storage together with the original Kookie Car.
In 1960, the second iteration of the Golden Sahara won Best Custom and Best Display at the first annual National Champion Custom Car Show.
After buying the Golden Sahara II, Larry Klairmont commisioned Speakeasy Custom & Classics in Chicago to restore it back to its former glory. The restoration was completed in February of 2019.
Soundtrack... You Send Me by "Los Straitjackets"
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