Hey Boy's and Girls, Well here is the new project I will be working on for the next few years..... I plan to turn it into a late fiftys era custom. Let me know your thoughts and suggestions. -Jason
Looks nice. Hopefully the metal under the paint is as nice as the paint looks, and you should have a really solid start. While it may upset some people, I think starting with a cherry/properly restored stock vehicle is the best way to build a custom. Now being almost finished with my last patch pannel on my car, I really hate rust, and next time I will start with a car that has little or none. The first p*** with the DA on that nice paint is going to feel weird, but what the hell, strip her down, and chop her up.
This is a board for traditional hot rods and customs, not restored stockers. Stock is boring. There is already a thread about the possibilities of customs dying (I dont think they are though), and evertime someone discourages someones plans to take on a full custom project, another possibly history setting custom dies. Anyone can buy or restore a car to stock, but it takes a real artist/craftsman to chop one up, and put it back together and create a work of art, and an expression of themself. IMO no stock car is "too nice" for its owner to make the decision to take the sawzaw to it.
Very nice car.......perfect start of a nice mild custom.... Personally, I'd start by removing the visor and the chrome trim along the bottom and rear 1/4 panels....keep the front fender trim....lose the front and rear emblems....shave the bumpers...lower suspension a few inches.... Later on maybe find a one piece Olds windshield.....
Thanks for the comments! It is all metal, I was really surpised to find a northeast car this solid. And I agree with most of you out their, a solid body is a great place to start. However my plans are, lower it as much as possible w/o air ride or hydros. I want it to be as it would have been in 1958-1962. Fenton split manifild w/ steel packs, dual carbs, maybe dress the engine a little.... As for the body, when the time comes I plan to remove the front gravel sheilds, rocker trim, gas filler trim, side window trim, nose and deck it, peak the hood... basically like the 54' I built a few years back that "dat Dirty Rat" bought off of me.... miss that car bad. Anyway I plan to learn from past mistakes and keep this one(for a while at least). -jason
lower it straight away shave it over christmas respray it any colour you like (not matt black, please?!) drive it like you stole it
I think when it comes time to paint it, I will repaint the same color as the body, but not a black roof.... maybe black scallops. -jason
i say screw leaving it alone. slam it, chop it, section the trunk, nose it, deck it, french the taillights into the bumper, section the body, put some olds headlight rings on it or vw type 3 rings(frenched obviously) hollywood flipper caps, cruizer skirts, one piece bumper up front with no bumper gaurds, side scoops on the back fenders.
I like 49-54 Chevies...but I just LOVE the 52 Chevies!!! You've got an EXCELLENT starting point there...I'd keep it simple and clean. Stance, rolling stock, a few subtle custom touches and a perfect one or two color paint job. Painted steelies with the thin ribbed trim rings and caps, wide whites...custom interior....COOL!!!
wow...that is nice. i agree probably too nice to change up. I had a 49 caddy that was too stock for me to kustom out. I sold it to an old couple in palm springs where it resides today. <O</O <O</O I then bought this because I felt like something was being saved vs destroyed.<O</O <O</O <O</O <O</O However, it is your car do what you want with it and have fun.<O</O
i have always wanted to build one of them cars. i would drop in a fuelie 283 engine; three speed manual on the colummn; wide whites, fiesta caps; lake pipes and low. total 1950s!
just lower it,,if my 51 was that nice to begin with,,i would never even thought of chopping and shaving it,,,i would drop it down on the ground though! oh well,your car
Well I got to say, their are a lot of great suggestions out their. A few people have made me stop to think about messing around with a clean original car.....
I love customs, but I wouldn't touch that car, aside from maybe a lowering, dual exhaust and a hidden stereo. I can appreciate the desire to start with a clean body for sure, way less work that way. However, if I was going to build a full-on custom, I would start with a solid but unrestored car. No sense in undoing what someone already did well. I like to feel like I'm fixing something, not just changing it.
ok,,,i thought about it,,,if your 52 looks as nice as it does in the pics,,i will trade you this straight ACROSS,,,,,and save you a bunch of trouble and every body will be happy,,,you come with your trailer,,, http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=199143
That's your project car??? So what are you going to do with it? Clean the windshield, check the oil and fill it with gas and go for a ride? Looks like it needs very little, unless it don't run. Can't hear the engine, so I guess that could be it. Otherwise it looks real nice.
I just saw this car last night and it IS nice! A few small area's sledbuilder showed me that need just a little tlc, but this is probably the first early chevy i've seen that hasn't been molested...he even has the original dealer paperwork and other original do***ents for it! Unreal ****!! It's a damn nice car.. I wouldn't cut it up myself, but a nice lowering job (which should be done by the end of the weekend from what he said) and some slight dechroming and he mentioned to me...twice pipes and a couple more carbs and it's a perfect cruiser that would probably even satisfy the guy's who wanna cut **** up..It's just that cool of a car that it dosn't require being hacked to be cool.. Tony
O.k., this will probably get deleted but.... I have had a few people inquire about the car and tell not to *%&# !& up so if anybody is that serious about it message me.... I might sell it for a more suitable project to cut up. -Jason *** you guys got me thinkin about the fact that it has survived 55 years with out being messed up.
What a waste of a caddilac.I never thougt of customizing as destroying a car.The better shape a car is in to start, the less time/money will be spent just catching up.That chevy is a great start for a cool custom.
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