I dig custom cars. Stock ones are nice, too, but I really appreciate tastefully built customized cars.

One of the best car customizers of the last couple decades is East Bay resident Richard Zocci. He has turned out several dozen killer customs since the early 1970s, but I think the latest may be his best. Zocci seems to be in perennial competition with another Bay Area customizing guru, John D'Agostino, to see who can outdo the other one. This time I give the edge to Zocci.

Zocci's latest ride is a heavily modified 1961 Oldsmobile hardtop. The car has the roof from a 1961 Ford Starliner with the rear window grafted on from a late-1960s Chevrolet Camaro. It has the grille from a 1960 Mercury and the headlights with their surrounds from a 1960 Buick, along with fender skirts over the rear wheels, rounded hood corners and a lilac paint job. All of these modifications seem to work together to create a unique look.

I saw D'Agostino's 1961 Oldsmobile convertible a few weeks ago at the Fresno Autorama; it has a chopped windshield, 1959 Imperial grille teeth and mid-1950s taillights set in the rear grille panel above the rear bumper. Very tastefully done but if I had to choose, I'd pick Zocci's Olds hardtop.