Customs Can a 4 dr look cool as a custom? 1953 Ford mostly..

Four doors make rad kustoms. Look at the old little books in each one there is atleast one four door. Here is my cruiser four doors and all...

 

Riffing on JamesD's excellent rendering, here's a slightly less involved way to elongate the car. I kept James' work on the lower half and added back the stock roof line. But instead of chopping the top, I removed the vent windows front and rear. This lengthens the doghouse visually.

You can always chop it later!


D5301 by DaveTartaglia, on Flickr

Hope you don't mind, James.<label for="rb_iconid_7"></label>

 

Not at all. looks good!

 

Look for a copy of Custom Cars Magazine August 1958.
They ran a multi-page article on customizing tricks for the '52-'54 Ford.

 

Here is my boy's '52 Buick 4dr that I think looks pretty sick!

 

do you realy car what any one eles thinks anyway. Build what you got and drive it daily!

 

I obviously prefer two-doors, but i think four doors look good only if it doesnt look like "oh i have this four-door and i want people to tihnk its a two door."

i tihnk they look best as mild customs with a subtle clean approach. mild shave, hefty lowering, wide whites and hub caps etc.

 

Thanks Mike. Appreciate it!

 

There are some really cool 4Dr's, IMO, but those were cars that were only available as 4Dr's

( the Maserati Quatroporte, Alfa Romeo Guilia, and a couple of others )

When cars were available as 2Dr's and 4Dr's, the 2Dr's are usually a bit cooler.

Same goes for 2Dr Wagons Vs 4Dr Wagons.

But again... thats just my opinion.

 

Just spotted this one from the Kustomrama website:
"Mildly customized a 1952 - 1954 Ford belonging to a member of the DeWitt Roamans Car Club of Dewitt, Iowa."

Can anyone identify the side trim?

 

My question is all else being equal and you find 2 cars a 2dr and a 4dr which one would you take home. the cost of a build about the same for both.

 

Rot'nKustom, that is one sweet looking 4dr!

 

Yes, and the amazing thing is - it only took a few mods to look that way:
Frenched headlight rims, shaved doorhandles, rounded hood corners.
The Plymouth grille is almost a bolt-in, the Old taillights, simple.
The side trim gives length and a unique style.

 

Well, that depends, as all else is rarely equal.

If you are going from rusty-wreck-to-radical-custom-show-winner, get the 2-door. It will have more value in the end - if that's your goal. Yes, most people prefer the looks of the two-door.

But in many cases, a 4-door can make more sense. For some folks, the distinction of coupe versus sedan is negligible. Preferable, even, if you have a family to cart around.

And economically, the sedan may be the better bet. Suppose you start with a nice driver, that only needs some customizing. The buy-in will usually be less, sometimes much less. That's a major consideration for many of us. Yes, the 2-door will sell for more in the end, but net profit (or loss!) percentage may be the same.

There are more 4-doors out there, as there were lots more produced originally. They are often in better shape than a comparable coupe.
Sedans are less likely to have been owned by crazy hot-rodders! <label for="rb_iconid_7"></label>
Fewer problems with out-of-alignment doors, too.

Another advantage to buying a plain-jane car is that there is generally less chrome to remove and fewer holes to fill!

So, a 4-door is the preferred choice for some of us.

 

All depends. When I was buying my 1956 Ford I would have much rather of had a two door version I just couldn't afford it. However what if I had a family? Also I like the four door versions of some cars more. Especially four door hard tops. I would much rather have a four door hardtop '56 Chevy over a two door '56 Chevy, but that's just me. The four door hardtops look better IMO. I wanted to two door my '56, but I had a friend do a photochop of the car as a four door hardtop. I have to say if I had the garage space and the tools I would try and do it. It looked super rad. Also a lot more different than everyone elses two door. Just my 2 cents. Four doors always have there place in the kustom world. There have been lots built since the beginning of kustoms.

Also as far as when some people talk about "money". I don't give a shit about reselling a car. I buy the car for ME not the next guy. You rarely get what you put into them anyways. I have never made money on a car. Except for when I parted one out. I always lost money on them. Even the OT car I did that looked a million times better than when I bought it. I bought my '56 with the intentions of keeping it not making money on it by selling it to some other ass hole. Just my 2 cents. People worry to much about resale. Build the fucking car and enjoy it!

 

I got my 4dr because I had a certain allotted amount of money to spend on my first old ride; something I've wanted since I was a kid. For the money, I couldn't get a 2dr in anywhere near as solid condition as a 4dr, and as I said, it was my first old car so I didn't have the skillset to take care of a car with a bunch of issues.

I have already lowered the front 3 inches with the Aerostar springs and plan some clean mild custom touches in the future. I got an incredibly clean car with all original interior in amazing shape and just turned 68k on the flatty. I love my car, and I'm just fine with 4drs.

 

You pretty much have the same story as me Only mines a '56. I plan on putting some Aerostar springs in this summer.

 

Ive loved 4 doors and always will. Heres a pic of my never ending daily driver project. Soon to be a mild custom once all the dependable/safety stuff gets ironed out!

 

In answer to the question. YES. if anything mordors are more time consuming as you have 2 more doors to cut rust out of ! ;p. Mordors take best to a mild custom treatment,4 door chops rarely work IMO. Mild and Clean for sure.

 

Well Said!!!!

 

Heres a '56 Olds 4 Dr HT that Ive got a soft spot for...first Custom I ever rode in (34 years ago)...

 

They look great chopped! Check out post number 83. Or the Chevy being done right now on the HAMB. Or that one Chevy Brad Masterson did with the hydraulics. If you have someone who knows what they are doing they look great chopped!

 

I have done several... heres one.

 

This is the one, Yer talking about.

 

Heres a Cad I did. 1952 i think. Bill came over and double checked the windshield for me before I cut it. It was welded solid in six days. The customer picked it up and never saw it again.

 

The 4 door and 2 door debate has been broached millions of times with the same results.
As they say there is an ass for every seat. But To answer your question, IMO it would be a NO.

My2sense

 

This Mercury belongs to a friend of mine. I have always thought that this is a cool looking 4 door custom!

 

'53 Ford 4 Door from the 50's, Looks Pretty Nice To Me!!!

 

Yes, I am pretty sure that's it. If it is the one that was flat black sitting out front of the 2010 Fire Party with the front raised high and the ass down low.

 

I get so tired of the same crap if you want to customize a 4 door then just do it. Why do you need some one else s approval. If they dont like your car so what. Opinions are like ass holes and no mater what you build you will hear from the ass holes giving there opinions. And if resale is what your in for sell any thing rod or custom because muscle cars bring the big bucks.