Projects telstar: front end styling ideas. . .

kicking this idea around, , , kinda liking it so far, , , keep in mind this is just a rough mock-up...the bumperettes would need sectioning, splicing, etc,,,but i think it would flow with the grille pretty nicely,,,also considering sinking them into the body a tiny bit on the sides of the fenders, , ,

 

I like the jack stand, but the office chair doesn't really flow with the design.

In all honesty though, the grille and grille ends are neat, but you'd have to have a bumper or a rolled pan underneath them to make it work. Some '56 Ford parking light housings might look cool where your bumper ends are now, they have the same basic shape and a parking light built right in, then maybe some dagmar style bullets where the round parts of the grille are. Just a thought.

 

Nice beginning.

 

lol,,,,,yeah..i need an eames office chair,,,,,
we're on the same page with the other stuff though..
it will definitely be getting a rolled pan..
the grille will be getting dagmars,,,i did toy aropund with using parking lights, but it needs the bullet shape...the headlights will be getting clear bullet shaped covers too,,,,
i like the idea of the 56 ford parklights,,if this doesnt pan out, i may very well go that route,,,,,,

 

Jim, I like what you have mocked up. Will the hood still be a stock shoebpx or a pancaked version ? For this design I feel you need to use a bumper suited to your design. I know it would probalby invole a little nip tuck splice . . . etc , etc.

41 Dave

 

I think those will look pretty good in there once you get them all tidy'd up in there. I especially like how they look in that sedond pic. I thi9nk the sides will need shortened a bit, but you are probably on top of that already.....

....and my old lady drives a Solara. ha ha ha

 

i like the 3rd pic myself, , , you are correct, they need shortening for sure,,,,probably something like 3 inches or so,,,,,i feel like they give the car that "moving while standing still" feel, , , ,

LOL on the solara,,,,customers car being detailed,,,,,

 

Looks good, I think once the bumperettes are trimmed up and pulled closer to the body, and a rolled pan on, it'll look ***s

 

It's kinda sedate.

 

I am diggin the flow, but I think the indicator housings or whatever the hell they are need to go, it take your attention away from the flow.
Check out the rear bumper on a 55 Linc, you will see they have a small recess in the body side, simple and neat.........just how i like my women

 

I think the ends may be a little too chunky. Maybe it's because they protrude in the mock up? For some reason I'm thinking a mildly reworked '56 or '57 Olds bumper/grille would look really natural there.

Maybe that's too easy?

 

It looks good, but IMO it is too tame when compared to the other end of the car.

 

That's my take too.

The front now looks more like a traditional custom - whereas the back is all about 'concept car' modern.
The grill/bumper idea has potential, but the headlights don't look like futuristic concept car material anymore.

Back when you had the hooded headlights idea going...it matched the rest of the concept better.

 

Don't make the bumper ends too small and dainty or it may look too much like an early vette. I really like in this pic, the way the bumper ends sneaks out around the front of the fender without touching, and then travels to the rear.

why you asking us? it is going to be cool as s... without any input

some sort of rolled pan under the bumper.grille?

also, what would it look like without the 2 round openings in the grille, and put more of the same teeth? I like this car

 

this is how the headlights are gonna look,,,

 

I have to agree that it is look a bit too plain and stubby on the front. What about grafting on Stude fenders and headlights like the Liston ford to give it more jet fighter look like the rest of the car?

 

I think a round center piece or oval grille would tie into the styling of the back better, especially with those headlights. The problem becomes how to do that without it looking like a stock '49-50 grille, since they had that round center piece. Maybe look at the Buick LeSabre show car for inspiration?

It's like they said above, from the front it looks like a fairly mild car, and from the cowl back it's a factory concept car.

I'll just throw this out: '50 Stude headlights/fender tips (plus your bullet-shaped clear covers) and a '56 Olds grille surround and the top bar, flipped upside down so the top bar is a bumper, over a rolled pan and the grille tunneled in a bit with a round lip on the top maybe made of tubing welded into the body. Change the grille itself for '58, '59 Buick cut to fit, or mesh with cabinet knobs.

 

more playing around.....58 lincoln quads, , , hoods back on headlights, , ,no bumperettes, , ,will need to make the grille narrower and grille itself, so it fits between the headlights....will need to fab a rolled pan,,,,,,,getting better i think, , , ,

 

Jim, check out a '57 Chrysler (I think the year is correct), or DeSoto front bumper and notice how the corners come around tight and angle up and out, then just sorta thin out...the last pic you just posted reminded me of that bumper...that "style" might make the bumper appear thinner than it really is...

R-

 

further tweaking, , ,narrowed grille shell, narrowed grille, , , beginning to think this grille has to go,,,,,,

 

Yes!

 

i did want to use a 54 buick grille, but it isnt angled enough (too straight across),,i know they are two pieces and i could angle it sharper, but then the ribs would be at a funky angle,,,

i have a cabinet knob grille already floating around in my head (even have the knobs already),,,,i may try that next,,im beginning not to like the looks of this merc grille..

 

I am so glad you said that. I love the quads. Going back to the shoebox headlights just killed it for me. I love the car. I think you are headed in the right direction.

 

i see canted headlights
bumperet cut shorter then head light then same grill suround same thing you got but with a head separating the two
i raely lick the flow you got going on here its just kind of mild to the rest of the car
just a thought
by the way yur kicking some serious *** with this thing !!!!!
keep on keepin on!!!
alex

 

It does'nt get much better than this Buick.
TwoChops

 

Boy, if you could put one of those Kaiser grilles between the '58 Lincoln quads and blend it into the hood so the crown follows down to the grille peak, that would work pretty good and match the feel the rest of the car has. The Kaiser might be too wide, but you could make something easy enough.

I wish I was a better sketch guy, I can picture it in my head and it looks great, if I could I'd draw it up and post it on here.

 

that kaiser grille does have a nice shape to it,,it would work well i think,,i think i may try out my drawer pull idea next and see how that might look,,if it doesn't work, ill give careful consideration to the kaiser, or at least build something that will mimic the shape

 

Looking good Jim! I think quad headlights fit this car much better, and I also think Kevin Lee's Kaizer grille was a great idea. I felt that with the stock headlights and hood the car got a too old look in the front for being a space age designed car. But does the quad hedalights look a little big for the front end? Could canted Kaiser or Buick headlight rings work on the car?

 

Made a quick and rude photoshop of the telstar with a '54 kaiser grille (I had to shorten it some due to the space occupied by the quads). I suggested using canted kaiser or buick headlight rings a few minutes ago, but after seing it in a previous version of this photoshop the kaiser headlights made the car look too much as a kaiser in the front end.