Photo shop me some headlights/win something kool.

And by the way I do think it looks great the way it is. I just got really excited at winning something cool to hang on my wall!

 

oh , and I've heard it all and been beaten up over these lights may times so don't hold back, But what i really want is new fresh ideas that work as well as these but with out all the wow , square headlights , really ? so 70's....

 

This is beyond my computer skills but 58 Edsel pacer lights flipped vertical look promising.

 

I like the square lights (That's rock-solid styling!) but I think the "I like it but..." comes from people perceiving it as a mismatch of styles. I see it being a case of change the lights or change the wheels. Mixing the square lights with such a traditional, early style wheel is what does it. If you switched to something like Raders and blackwalls I don't think there would be as much conflict with the lights. People like to pigeonhole so those reversed rims make them think you're sticking to a 1962-ish theme so they think it needs 1962-ish lights.

Got paint plans?

 

I think the square lights work. Rest of Stud. looks great. Lets see some pictures of the rest of the truck. I have never see 53-54 Buick turned up-sid down????

 

Yea square headlights ain't great, but at least yours look decent. The aero front spoiler doesn't help.



I have a few ideas for this truck but am thinking about going back stock on the headlights. I'll be watching this thread.

 

In the inset portion of the lower pan there will be a chrome bumper ett and bullets in the grill openings. as you found out on your truck if you build a ft. pan it has to have some shape or it really makes the front look way flatter. but it is almost a must as seen on daves purple stude, looks way to high in the front unless the pan is built to take it closer to the ground.

 

i cant photo shop, but what about 1967 mercedes 250 s headlamps?

 

Econoline turned vertically might work.

 

I am real close to taking it back close to stock with some stude car headlights and a custom bumper. They have the marker light but it is much larger than the pickup light with a bigger bezel. You are right about the front of these trucks needing some shape.

I got this truck as it is in a trade deal. The body mods were done by a guy named Jimbo from Hays Ks. He did a lot of custom stuff in the 70's.

I put the truck up for sale but have not sold it so I after cleaning it up I see it's potential and bought some parts for it this week.

 

Is there a particular year range for the parts, that you're wanting to keep within?

 

very well put, and I think you might be on to something that I haven't thought of, but you are right, people do often say mixed eras, mismatched style of truck, I do have some astro's and wires laying around, so maybe I will try them and see how that changes the truck. YOU are absolutly right on the reversed and wide whites tho, i think of them as timeless but most think 62 as you said.

 

NO, as you can tell, I am open to ideas, but I think it is going to have to be earlier then the 70's square thing, most defanatly not the new stuff. no ford taurus, or mini van stuff. I would love to do something like starbird used on the predicta, orange hauler,electra, with the frosted lens, and maybe just adding frosted lens' over these lights with a round unfrosted part for the lights will do the trick......

 

how about a single round 7 inch head light? you know less is more. keep it simple no? thats just my two cents.

 

I am very impressed with this, ... the more I read it the more I get it...it is peoples mind set, that won't let them get over the square lights, because some fag sometime said round cars can't have square lights, but take your pencile an outline the shape of the windshield, now the front end, now turn the picture sideways and out line the whole front fender, now the door. what shape do you get ??? a rectangle, just like the headlights, but it is set in their heads this sucks so that is where we are now. and that is what drives me insain about this truck. And I guess i am saying i don't want the heart break of finishing it and haveing to listen to everyone tell me how the lights ruin the whole f'in truck. that is stupid, un intelligent, but true words. so now what to do, .............

 

I totally get what you're saying about not wanting to live with that kind of feedback. Also, if you enter it in judged shows you'll have to deal with judges who may think like that, too. I just think it looks fresh and original this way compared to re-hashing the Chrysler (or similar) lights.

Try some different wheels, something from the late Kustom era that seemed futuristic at that time. It's easier than changing the lights and you may find a combo that makes it all work right. All that custom bodywork on that year truck with those wheels puts it into a period for people so they judge it on period correctness rather than how well composed the styling is. If you defy the period just enough in a few other places (but still keep it looking and feeling "right") you might be able to take people's heads out of that trap.

Barris used lots of rectangular headlights in the '60s. They weren't sealed beams but the shape has precedent in that era. Your truck looks a lot better than this...

 

My thought was the 67 Mercedes as well with the Euro composite headlights, they look really good to me and are unique.

 

Squar headlights in the 60's where thought to be killer and futureristic but if they must go i still say starbird route

 

Like someone said it might work with the right paint and wheels. Depends what you are going for in the end. There was a swede that built a vw with square headlights that looked alright.

 

Econoline turned.






.

 

Just a thought, why not ditch them all together. Hide the parkers etc recessed into the ends of the grill opening and use motorised panels to hide the lights or go for lazer star lights in the grill openings too.

 

OK, I suck at photoshop but came up w/ a couple of ideas that have a square headlight treatment/housing with round headlights in them. I keep thinking about the Alexander Brothers Venturian.

What about the Avanti II headlights?



Or how about the headlight trim from a '66 Barracuda, '67 Barracuda? You would have to cut them down some, but that doesn't look like it would be too much work for you.

Maybe someone on here can do a quick photoshop with those lights for you.

Like the Stude BTW

 

opps that post was ment for the friday art show lol

 

If you want to go this way then 70's Holden Kingswood or Torana had bezels that might fit right into those holes. There were several different models with different angles and sizes. There is also one that has a square headlight in a chrome bezel.

Also have you considered changing the layout to horizontal? That would match with the grill. One option that has a nice self contained unit that mounts to a relatively flat panel is Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. I don't have photoshop on this computer or I'd mock it up.

I just saw pics of the back of your truck on the Mcphails new truck thread, with the tail being so round I think (IMHO) you might need to do something so the front doesn't look so flat, like having headlights with some "peak" to them (56 Packard-ish) to round the front a little, or maybe to go with something that comes forward at the outside ends, like '67 Pontiac or Plymouth.

 

sorry i don't photoshop. but what if you remove the horizontal divider between the lights, get some expanded aluminum or something similar,and make covers to go over the lights with matching inserts for the grille holes?

 

I dig it.

 

how about '59 Cadillac headlights?

 

Two other concepts, I'm not a photoshopper...