Projects anyone got any ideas? for a 1941 pontiac?

i just bought this 1941 pontiac fastback a couple of weeks ago and now it's headed out to sweden.
i am looking forward to digging into this project and build a real smooth taildragger out of it. anyone got any ideas or inspiring pics to get me headed in the right way?

 

Nice starting point for a custom.

Personally, I would keep all the trim, bumpers, grill as original because there are really not very many Pontiac versions of that body style running around, so even though it is stock... the grill, bumpers and trim will be something that most people have never seen before and therefore will "look" custom even though it is not.

The Pontiac trim is so excessive that it really adds to the design, I think, and is really nicely done with the extra reveal lines and such.

I would just lower it, clean off some of the smaller/unecessary trim put tailights into the bumper guards and leave the rest alone.

Although, hooded headlights might look cool on that design.

 

these are natural lowriders in my eye... i know i know... wrong board

 

Hope they're sending you that cool hood prop rod laying on the bumper!!! That's a real traditional accessory for those cars.

Keep the trim, and slam it.

 

There are a couple threads for Buicks of the same time frame. You should check them out since they are basically the same overall car.

 

i think i'm gonna keep the front end pretty much stock, and build a new rear bumper and fit it into the back, with the tailights in it.
also i am thinking about extending the front fenders onto the doors. dunno yet, but really like that look.
really would like to do something with the headlights, but don't think that's what i am looking for. was thinking about putting a pair of mercedes headlight like on this one:
http://www.tjsamericanhotrods.com/images/200803/1952Rambler2DoorWagonNashtalgia/FrontLeft.jpg
and of course, airrides.

 

Godammit!!! don't even think of ruining that beautiful car with f'ing mercedes headlights!

 

allright, got any tips of ways to find them? (i'm pretty new to this, so i can't find anything)
=)
thanx btw

 

i figured that was the response i would get, sorry man, but i've seen a couple of nice customs with that kind of headlights, like it man. =)
but not sure yet. i have to think long and hard about it before i go and put mercedes parts on my car, that's for sure.

 

Nothing screams "I am a jack***" louder than putting modern style headlights into an old car.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

 

I'd lower it level all the way around till the tops of the front WWs hit the top of the fender opening and drive it ***-is...

Think early push-tow car... Not over the top just low and stylish with some shiney paint. Like it just rolled off the ***embly line, and some Hot Rodder bought it to drag his roadster to the lakes, lowered it and had at it...

I agree with Cleatus... Keep the chrome.

 

Looks pretty damn good as it is. But if ya gotta change it, looks like the ideal starting point for a firme pachuco bomb.

 

AAAAHHHH!

Seriously, you might be on the wrong board.

 

haha.
harsh words, but i can definetly agree to a certain point. but i really don't like the headlights..
and check this 46 buick with mercedes headlight, how can you hate on that? =)
http://www.algonet.se/~farytale/Bilder/elmiamonter.JPG
that's the car that got me thinking..

 

I wouldn't do to much to that but drive it. A ball joint conversion isn't too bad or get the scarebird disc brakes if you don't mind losing the 16"'s . Lowering would help also. It looks like mine is that a 2627 ? Streamliner six sedan coupe. If you ever decide not to use the trim let me know.

 

Don't take it the wrong way> I know you said you are new to this and that is fine. And I agree that the original headlights could use a makeover, but modern headlights are NOT the answer. PLEASE, PLEASE believe that. And yes, BOTH examples of mercedes headlights that you posted look like *** and I won't be the last person to tell you that.
I mean that in the kindest possible way.
Look at maybe adding 55-56 chevy headlights/& surrounding hoods or pretty much ANYTHING other than the direction you are thinking.

 

sounds about rght, yeah. it's six cylinder one so it should be.
will do. you got one too?

 

I've had mine a few years, it needs alot more work than yours. IMO I would leave the headlights alone, drive it for what it is and don't risk the chance of forking it up .

 

i really don't want modern lights either, but i liked to leaning gl***. will rethink this though, maybe try and find a better solution that don't involve the nazis. =D
but then i really need some inspiration for the headlights, anyone got a good pic of some nice looking lights?

 

57 lincoln buckets would look cool grafted into those fenders, but youd have to change the grill to use em. or maybe some teardrop shaped zephyr lights... as much ias i hate to admit it, i think those benz lights do look good on that buck... not so muck on the nash though

 

The "Buick" looks like a Gold Chainer Special.............. Some one charged some one a LOT of money to hang new parts on an old car. To hell with what the result is. That car has ZERO balance or style.

 

my first idea was to put the front fenders with the extensions on the doors from a 42' pontiac on there and rebuild the grille.

 

yeah, i'll have to look into those zephyr lights, late 30's models looks killer.

 

youd be hard pressed to find any, but graham sharknose lights could be made to look awesome in there. bad picture but its the best i could find

 

looked those up, but they are square right? that wonät do it for me. iam gonna go on a junkyard hunt around the states for a couple of weeks in january, will try and find somthing nice then.

 

Now you're talking.

Sorry to start off sounding like a ****, after all you just came here asking for ideas, but when I read your initial post and saw your quote: "i am looking forward to digging into this project and build a real smooth taildragger out of it." Then I looked at the photos and saw the unique lines that car has (the nice line running around the top outer edges of the fenders, for instance), I started thinking about how that really could be a very tasty taildragger indeed. So I checked back into your post later-on only to find that your plan was to modernize it with styling trends that are 60 years past those of the rest of the car.

All I am saying is - wait - until you get the car in your hands, spend some time with it, think about the overall design behind it and spend some time looking at options of headlights that were available - roughly - during the same time period that matches the style of the rest of the car, because IF you were to put modern style headlights on it, that ONE modification alone would forever render it NOT a taildragger, which is what you said you wanted to build.

Modern headlights would make that car a streetrod. Not a taildragger. Maybe a "modern custom", but not a taildragger. You may as well put giant aluminum hoops on for wheels. Maybe that is your plan, I do not know.

Maybe you have your terms mixed up and you really do prefer a modern car. But then, why not just go out and buy one? Why try to make one out of an OLD car?

Blending styling from such different eras is seldom, seldom pulled off well. And even then...

That is a very cool old car and looks to be pretty complete, and that alone, lends itself to being able to achieve a much higher level of a custom rather than to consider rushing into drastic and garish modifications like the mercedes lights.

Get the car in your hands and put some thought into it and I'm sure you'll come up with something that you will be much more proud of in the long run.

 

41 caddy bezels would look pretty nice on that car,,they would probably practically bolt on, and the lines would line up with the fender creases,,,

lowered with single bar flippers,,WIDE whites 4" at least,,,,,,,,,taildragger stance with 41 buick skirts..,,,shaved handles,,,,,,,,seafoam green,,,,,,yeah,,,seafoam green,,hahaha,,would look killer on that body style......interior in dark/light green, chromed garnish mouldings

oh yeah,,,,and take all those fruity bumper guards off....

 

nice car. like was said, please just spend some time figuring out what you want to do and make it look cl***y and do that car justice. those mercedes lights do look like ***.

 

cleatus is RIGHT ON on this, please take your time and live with the car for a while, and stay on the HAMB and learn as much as you can. Too often new guys take nice cars and ruin them following a trend that quickly fades. Traditional cars never go out of style, and that car is a pretty rare one. I'd just lower it, drive it, and study it. It needs no radical changes, it's already very unique, I'll bet you'll never see another one like it at any show you attend.

 

no problem cleatus, sometimes you need to hear stuff like that. =D
this is the overall style i like, and sort of an inspiration for what i would like to achive, but at the same time i want to build a neverbefore seen custom out of it. basically i want to work this baby hard, i am pretty new to this game, but i don't like to do things half-***ed.
even standing at the sides of cars like this i want it to stand out. but of course in a good way, not by having modern pieces on it that will piss people off.