In the late 1950s and through the early to mid-1960s, car customizing became Kar Kustomizing. The era where artists and creative minds blended with hot rods and mechanical ability. This was the period where Ed Roth, The Barris Brothers, Dean Jeffries, pinstriper Kenny “Von Dutch” Howard, Bill Cushenberry, and Darryl Starbird reigned supreme. Not only were the kustom builds creative but this was the era when the kustomizers were the most productive.

We generally see what was the fruit of that era at museums and high end car shows, but rarely do we find people talking about the wild kustoms that came out of that magical time. The names and photos come up from time to time on social media, but no one really builds these creative kustoms anymore … or do they?

Paul Koch of Homestead, Florida, did. Starting with a Model T Ford, Koch added his own touches to create a vision that he had for an eye-popping kustom that he wanted to call “The Demon.”

The build was based on what he had originally purchased, the 1923 Model T with a small-block Chevy 350 and TH400 transmission. According to Koch, “The solid steel frame, engine, suspension, and transmission were all in good condition” when he bought the car. He has no future plans to upgrade the engine or drivetrain at this time.

When pushed, he said the car was finished. He’s owned it for over two years and put 18 months into the build. All of the work on the kustom was done exclusively by Koch. Currently he drives the beast every weekend or so, mostly to car shows where he has won his fair share of awards, including two from Cobra Joe Productions, two others from benefit car shows, and two from Moose Lodge car shows.

Koch is not a car owner that is overly dedicated to one specific brand. He owns two other show cars but neither of them get the attention that the Demon creates. Created to be a “Tribute to veterans and the general struggles of life,” Koch used these concerns as motivation for the build.

The car has been in its current state for just over a month, and currently on the show tour where it sees about 4 shows a month. Koch said he loves everything about the car. The way that it looks, the way that it drives, and the way it feels. He should, all of the bodywork, and most of the electrical were done with his own hands. He installed a new radiator, alternator, the gas tanks, and did all the wiring to support those upgrades.

For the interior, he fashioned the skeletal shifter, and the instrument cluster, which includes gauges for gas, voltage, temperature, the speedometer and tachometer. There is also a smoke generator to add to the demonic effects.

Koch’s Demon is equipped with front disc and rear drum brakes. The 10-bolt rear end is supported by rear coilovers while the front is a leaf spring and shock setup. The 15 x 6 Cragar rims on the front and 15 x 14 on the rear are wrapped in Mickey Thompson tires.

All-in-all, the Demon really captures an earlier time when custom fabrication and wild designs meant something. Before buying “custom parts” off the shelf dictated what made a kustom car. Kudos to Koch for resurrecting a dying art form. Long live the Demon.