NOT NEW BUT NEW TO ME CHOPPED 53 CHEVY HARDTOP(pics)

GM should have built them that way!

 

You're right, but then everyone would have one That is one sweet Chevy

 

Another vote for the Appletons. I like the chop on that car.

 

YEah mikey! car rules! im likin the ideas of the spots and caps. has an awesome chop, your not supposed to make these cars or any other car's roof look like a skateboard ramp

 

Sweet ride I would love to own it.

 

very nice ride, i would do a one piece bumper, only cause i love the looks. drive it!

 

awesome car man, done very tastefully, and definatly a kick ass addition to the jersey arsenal...

 

Nice car...no make that beautiful car.

Now with that said....If I may suggest no on the appleton spots. From a design standpoint, I have never understood why anything other than a police car would have them. Here's why-people spend hundreds of hours removing all the hiccups, frenching headlights, shaving door handles, nosing and decking a body, and then people go and put two HUGE hiccups right back on the body in the form of two warts right up there for all to see. I'm sure I am in the minority here (and about to get flamed), and I know they are 'traditional', but IMHO they have always looked like a mistake-like something else that needs to be wacked right off the body asap because they totally disrupt the elegance of the lines flowing from the hood to the A-post, and the lines from the Windshield to the side windows....your eye is trying to follow some elegant lines and WHAMMO, there's this big wart in the way...

Okay it's like this...in my humble opinion, and in my eyes, appleton spots are an 'accessory' that go on an 'accessorized' car. You own a Kustom, you don't need Accessories...In the 30's, 40s and 50's if you could not afford a 'Kustom' car, people would build an 'Accessorized' car....in short, all the crap you could bolt or screw onto a relatively stock car that you picked up at the local Western Auto, or whatever your local auto parts store had that was shiny and attention grabbing....For example the Ayala Brothers had a business called 'House of Chrome' to sell shiny accessories to guys who simply could not afford one of their kustoms. Don't get me wrong some of those accessories yes indeed do go onto their kustoms, but not many. because that kind of stuff is gaudy, and a clean kustom such as yours is not gaudy. Again, IMHO a clean kustom such as yours is so well done that it looks like a factory dreamcar, a factory Motorama car, not some Pep-Boys Special.....Ganahl has written on this several times-there is a world of difference between an 'accessorized car' and a 'Kustom car'...Your car is a kustom-it's chopped, nosed, decked, frenched lights, different grille etc. and it's beauuuuuuuutiful, subtle and yes, even elegant-the feller that built it could build me a car any day, he has great taste, and so do you...

Before you start drilling and running wires, ponder this...if the feller that did such a beautiful job building the car didn't put 'em on...maybe he had a reason...that car has such nice lines, why spoil those nice lines with a couple of big shiny warts for all to see? But Hey...it's your car, and it's your decision...have fun with it...but please consider mocking it up before your start drilling...look at it in mock-up form for a week or so, then decide...I think you'll agree, the spots will absolutely mess up the lines of your car...here, I've mocked it for you....maybe you likee, maybe you don't but in my eye, the warts are a big design no-no.

Last thought-I've never seen a kustom designed by Harry Bradley with Appleton Spots on it...if you don't know who Harry Bradley is...check with Rik Hoving, he has some excellent examples of the maestro's work.

BEFORE (elegant, clean)



AFTER (hey, where'd these warts come from?)



LEAVE THE WARTS OFF...please?

 

I gotta agree with Weaverville....IMHO, I wouldn't change the look of the wheels either....but she's not my car....I'm sure you'll have fun, she's a beauty.....

 

Put your Fiestas on it and some fender skirts and you'll have one of the sharpest kustoms around.

 

Weaverville is right. Spots do interrupt the flow of a car and does go against shaving, nosing, decking, etc. BUT this is an east coast kustom. Its alot more common these for cars to have spots, lakes, and conti kits. Thats just how it is and Mikey understands that.

If you've heard of the Ayala bros. and Harry Bradley, perhaps you've heard of the Barris bros? Hirohata Merc maybe? That has Appletons, does that make it gaudy and not a dreamcar?

Not trying to start an arguement, just showing the other side.

 

Love that car

 

I must of saw you or the past owner trying to merge on 80 ( i think) In the poring rain.

Was driving home from vactioning main, had to slam on the brakes!!

Great catch

 

Not a bad car to have at age 20, i'm 30 and i don't even have something that nice!

 

haha when was this? mite of been me lol

thanks for the compliments and for now its staying as is, i some other stuff to do b4 i worry about the details, like get my 59impala back on the road...

 

Nice car, you should enjoy that one for quite a while.

 

Beautiful car!!! I like it with the 57 Caddy caps...

 

It looks good, just don't make the mistake of tearing it apart. Enjoy driving it.

 

I love 53's! You're 20? Your doing well my man...

 

No argument-I agree with you, many great landmark kustoms have appleton spots, yes indeed they sure do...and they should be removed as soon as possible.

That's my opinion and you have yours and they are both valid for differing reasons. For me, I do not like the look of spots on a car because I think they look like an unnecessary, visually disruptive hiccup put back on the body after someone has spent hundreds of hours smoothing out the body to make a car's design-lines look more elegant. As for landmark kustoms having spots? I do not subscribe to the idea that I have to like or accept every single execution on a landmark kustom as 'the gospel' of how it has to be done, or that every landmark kustom is 'perfect' No they're not, in design we live by the mantra that everything can be improved upon...If I may be so bold, that is the very nature of kustomizing-to be an individual and as an individual with a considered opinion and strong design aesthetic, I simply do not like the look of spots.

No argument here just opinions, albeit strong opinions!!...now as for the Hirohata Merc...No the car is not gaudy by any means; it absolutely beautiful and a true landmark of Kustom Design, a true classic!!...but once again, as an individual who thinks for himself and does not feel bound by history to retain every element in a car's design execution-if I don't like something I change it-simple as that-if we are all running around afraid to change something or afraid to give one's opinion on a subject, be that position controversial or not, well then we might as just as well give up on the idea of liberty and 'the pursuit of happiness' let alone the idea of kustomizing...Heck, I fully encourage Fatty McGuire (Mike?) to change the car, make it HIS OWN...however he wishes, personalize it, individualize it, change it-Kustomize it...I just don't like spots that's all.

This is Rodding, this is Kustomizing, this is not Pebble Beach, this is not the AACA, this is America- if you don't like something change it. If someone doesn't like your changes, then they can do as they wish on their car and be an individual too. Again, that's my opinion... some folks like appleton spots on kustoms, I simply do not. No 'argument' just opinions.

Now one more thing....try this before and after shot of the aforementioned Hirohata Merc with and without spots.

Before...With Spots




...and AFTER; Without Spots



I think it looks much cleaner and much more elegant without those big ugly chromed warts dangling off of the A-pillar. They look like an afterthought, not like a 'Design Element'. If you don't agree that's fine-we can agree to disagree agreeably!!

 

I agree........

 

the 53 rules..im mikeys brother..i rode shotgun the way home from Conn..rides pretty sweet.about the spotlights, i can go either way on the chevy, but on the hirohata..i believe mercs and shoeboxes have the most perfect A pillars for spotlights and i think they need spotlights...the chevy on the otherhand has such a thin a pillar the spotlight location could look like a "forced" afterthought, but i dont know..and if you believe spots are gaudy thats alright, because I seem to like alot of gaudy customs..i think the hubcaps will make the car...and if it were mine i'd somehow splurge for pleated seats, but thats me..

chris

 

Great car with the right look, but you'll allways find small details to change to make it your own. Don't need to make any major changes!

 

Very well put and like I said, I do agree with you. BUT I still like the Hirohata with spots!! Haha! Agree to disagree I guess. I think they look right on that car and it looks like its missing something without them. Maybe its because I'm so used to seeing it with them on that it looks empty without. I don't know. Whatever the case, back to the topic at hand.

 

It was last saturday, some time around 2-4pm.

 

Hey Mike,
I'm glad the car is in good hands,hope it treats you as good as it did me!
few pics before it left me...

 

i got a bunch of pics of that car at the alter boys show at ralphs diner. that car is perfect and one of the nicest 53's that i've seen on the east coast.

 

The Colonel kicks ass!!!

I have my own story about that car.......right ledsled53?