For the most part, custom cars are a thing of beauty. This latest example offered up by RK Motorsports Charlotte is no exception to that rule. This beastly hunk of metal before you is a 1950 Chevrolet->ke199 Deluxe coupe that is fully restored and customized to within an inch of its life.

Front to tail, side to side, on the inside and under the hood have all been touched one way or another with the help of numerous custom car shops and custom fabricators. And it all seems to come together is absolute harmony, making a stunning looking piece.

One thing that we know is that a custom car may also be very deceiving, as some people “customize” their cars to hide severe flaws, or the customization itself is severely flawed. The question begging to be answered is whether this 1950 Chevy Deluxe is the real deal or just another poorly thrown together custom rod that looks good from far away.

Click past the jump to read our full review and find out.

Exterior

Despite its extreme appearance, this custom rod actually did begin its life as a regular old 1950 Deluxe; it is not a kit car or custom fabrication. The first thing you’ll notice as you approach this custom rig is that it boasts a set of headlights borrowed from a Mercedes and a custom fabricated front grille. You will also notice that the metal, body-colored bumper hugs the base of the front fascia wonderfully.

As you move rearward, you will encounter a fully customized hood, which is borrowed from a Saturn, though RKM does not let us know which Saturn. This is no stock hood either, as it is heavily modified and massaged to give the front of this 1950 Deluxe some added character.

Believe it or not, the roofline and front and rear glass is all from a Dodge neon of all cars. Giving this coupe a very clean finish is the fact that all of the trim and door handles have been shaved off.

The rear end of this car clearly gives the stunning nature of the front end a run for its money. The small and non-distracting taillights help anyone looking at it top not be able to sit and stare for a bit. Much like the front bumper, the rear bumper carefully hugs the rear of the car. Added touches to this s

Every single square inch of the Deluxe’s body was massaged and rounded to the point that it is nearly not recognizable as a 1950 Deluxe. The body is draped in two tone paint that has PPG Chianti Red on the top and Lamborghini orange on the bottom half. Various airbrush stripes along the body help break up the monotony and tie the two contrasting colors together.

Interior

The interior is a fully custom job performed by Street Seats in New Port Richey, FL. The seats were taken from a Pontiac Fiero, then covered with beige leather. In fact every single soft component in the car is wrapped in the same beige leather. In addition to the beige leather, you also get body color accents throughout the interior, giving it a special touch. You can pilot this vehicle via is leather-wrapped Coddington steering wheel.

Mounted in the dash are a set of Dolphin gauges that allow you to see all of the pertinent information quickly. When you look up, you’ll notice that this custom rod also boasts a suede headliner. The door panels are completely custom fabricated and boast both leather and body color. Keeping you entertained, if the car isn’t enough, is a JVC sound system.

Engine and Drivetrain

What good is all of this flashiness is there wasn’t a little oomph to go along with it? Well, there’s no need to be concerned with this custom Chevy Deluxe, as it boasts a 502 cubic-inch Chevy big block from Street & Performance. Straight out of the crate, this engine produced over 500 horsepower. Since then this engine has had a roller cam set, and aftermarket intake manifold, installed giving this 502 engine in the range of 600 to 650 horsepower. The top of the engine boasts a custom engine cover and a paintjob worthy of tons of attention.

Bolted up to this monstrous engine is a TH400 3-speed transmission, which is polished to a mirror-like shine, with a B&M Torque converter. This transmission pushes the power to a polished Mark Williams rear end. Also installed is the Smart Shift system, which rids the interior of the gear shifter in favor of digital buttons to select gears.

Suspension and Handling

The rear suspension uses a 4-bar system and up front you have a full-chrome tubular arm independent suspension. On each corner you will find an Air Ride Tech Shockwaves. The steering system is the typical ran-and-pinion system seen on most cars today. The brakes use Baer Discs, which bring this massive sled to a halt quickly.

Also on each corner, you will find a set of 18- x 8-inch (front) and 22- by 10-inch (rear). Boyd Coddingham wheels. These wheels are then wrapped to perfection in what we assume to be ultra-high-performance rubber.

Pricing

Now comes the fun part, pricing. Well, on a custom car like this with no others like it, you can rest assured that you are going to pay a hefty premium. Having said that, the $249,900 price tag on this custom Deluxe seem relatively reasonable.

Conclusion

If you have an extra $249K lying around and you really want this type of car, more power to you. This car is 100 percent original and perfectly customized. With the combination of classic styling with modern touches make this car an absolute must have. Ah, if only we had that kind of scratch lying around.