How to Customize Cars and Rods

George and his brother Sam (1924-1967) were born in Chicago in the 1920s. Barris was three years old when their father sent the brothers to live with an uncle and his wife in Roseville, California following the death of their mother. Both were good students and attended San Juan High School Their aunt Edith encouraged them to take interest in art, drama, music, and design. George was fascinated with model aircraft, and pursued the hobby seriously in his teenage years, winning competitions for his models.
The brothers worked at a restaurant owned by their family, and were given a 1925 Buick for their help. Although it was not in good shape, they swiftly restored it to running condition, and began to experiment with changing its appearance. This became the first Barris Brothers custom car. They sold it at a profit to buy another project vehicle. Before George had graduated from high school, demand for their work was growing, and they had created a club for owners of custom vehicles, called the Kustoms Car Club. This was the first use of the spelling "kustom," which would become associated with Barris.
Sam entered the Navy during World War II, while George moved to Los Angeles. Sam joined him there after being discharged. The two built their "kustom" designs for private buyers, and George also built and raced his own cars briefly. These activities brought them to the attention of the movie industry, and they were soon asked to create cars both for personal use by the studio executives and stars and as props for films, their first being used in 1958's High School Confidential. They also made the acquaintance of Robert E. Petersen, founder of Hot Rod and Motor Trend magazines and, much later, of the Petersen Auto Museum. His car shows further publicized the Barris style, as did the car customizing how-to articles George wrote and Petersen published.