i think i agree with this. trying to stay true to the original design. now IF that is not the original design then I would vote for the 56 Buick what does Leland want?
And if anyone else wants to take a whack at it, here's a version with blank taillight areas and a decent bumper...
I pulled some little pages down and will try to scan a few cars in a little while. Just my 2 cents: I would try to nail down exactly WHEN the car would have been finished. You have the luxury of bending the rules a bit because the car was never finished. Personally, in my mind, I would try to cut the car off in 1956 or so. It was pretty easy in 1956 to walk into a car dealer and buy a pair of brand new tailights/ grille/ bumpers/ etc... to use on your Lead Sled. Everything changed so much around 1957.... for one, Detroit started making cars that looked "custom" out of the factory. Before about 1955, most factory cars followed the same "Bubble" shape and rode up high like a truck. Kustom guys chopped, channeled and sectioned cars to make them sleek and low. Detroit followed suit by the end of the 50's. Also, I have to say Packard "Lava lamps" have been done to death. I LOVE them on the right car...but they don't really fit the style of the Kruizer in my opinion. We can't wait to see the video and those pictures!
I think the '56 Buick housings are too bulky, and all the old (and tasteful IMHO) metalwork would be lost. My idea was to use only a '56 Buick (red) lense in the existing hole. Might take some slight mods to the lense and bottom of each opening, as I'd mentioned earlier. All depends on the actual size of both. I love the Packard housings, but you lose the essence of the original intent...not to mention it's expected on a sled. Whatever gets utilized, I hope it can maintain the integrity of the original design. It might be worth making a shape out of wood or bondo and just casting a new lense that is just "right".
You know what would be cool... see if Mr Winfield would put his touch for taillights into the car... His personal trademark to the car... That would be cool...
What a great story. Cabong you definitely have a heart of gold and a love for the sport and history. Great inspiration. Leland is a lucky guy and also we are lucky to have someone still around to give us a great story of there life and passion they had and still have. Keep on posting.
Subscribed!! Get Genes input on the lights. If anyone knows what would have been done back then, it would be him as he was the king of Kustom. Or just leave the ones there now. They look like what would have been. I have every little pages magazine and what I see from back in the day is anything goes!!!
Man!!!! I need a first grader parked next to me for input guidance.... We finally have all the pieces kinda-sorta in place for the front end. The bumper main brackets are actually supporting the bumper. We have the end brackets to complete, but with the bumper in place, it should be easy. We have yet to complete the individual brackets for the grille pieces and the pan support, but again, we're on the downhill run. Then we will blow it apart for chrome, body, and paint. I spent time last night with Leland and his wife going over paint colors, and discussing the many post inputs. I have gone over the mods to front end with Gene, and he liked the idea. Now comes the test. I will email these pics to him today, and hope for a positive response. What a bunch of great responses on taillights. So many sound really good, but again, Gene's input will weigh heavy. I have gone over the ideas with Leland, and I think I know what he likes. We'll see...... I will attempt to load the first interview with Leland today, again. If it doesn't work, I will record using a different medium.
Just use your camera on video and post it on Youtube. Copy the link and paste it on here. Its pretty easy this way. You are doing a fabulous job!!
That overall pic with the grille in place really sells it, looks fantastic! Without the grille, I felt like the hood was too tall and the headlights were out of proportion, but now seeing it all together, it all works, there's nothing about it I don't like. You've done a fantastic job! Any hints on color ideas? Thoughts on chroming the headlight doors? Looks like the upper grille bar could be chromed or painted, I could see it working either way.
That wasn't easy to fit up. Pontiac 'Cutwater' grille looks excellent, nice fit between the parallel on the upper 'lip' and the parking lamp bezels! That '54 Ford bumper blended perfectly... Nice work on the eyeball engineering, and the width adjustment.
We're still thinking a color between maroon and burgandy, in a medium shade of dark. There's a fine line between light enough to be very bright, and dark enough to really accent the chrome and mods. The upper (eyebrow) bar will be molded in and painted, as with the gravel pan (body color) and the headlight bezels painted for starters. I may even buy a set of factory chrome units and modify to fit, just to see how they look. Thanks for the kudos!! Remember, Nick is making this all happen. I could only do it with airplane dope. How's that for a play on words???
What would be totally cool is fly Gene up and paint it as he feels fit but let him know the basic colors. That would be the icing on the cake!!!! Pun intended. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
That looks great, James. C'mon, man, you're MUCH better at image manipulation than I am...you can do the taillights and make 'em look like sumpin' real. --- Sent from the pits of dispair app. Wirelessly, of course.
Thanks for the compliment, but I have no idea of the relative scale of all these lights. It would be really easy to make something look good that would be totally unworkable in reality. That´s why I didn´t get involved. I´d go for some kind of smooth bubble lense, but I don´t know from what car. I´m sure these guys will figure it out, as they´re kicking ass on the front end.
Hey James D.....Great job on the front end PS. I've been wondering what it's gonna look like, now I know. I can't wait to show this to Leland. I know he's gonna dig it too.......Thanks Also, the only proble with the taillight scheme isthat the openings are wide, about 5", which is wider than most lenses, and I'm afraid that any full lens would look too big. The Pontiac lenses were on the right track, but the little chrome trim at the ends, and the flatness just didn't seem to fit. I've bought a bunch of lenses, so a few more won't hurt. I'm going to pick up a set of '54 Buick. I like the idea of a bullet, but not the Cad DP's. The Buicks are bigger diameter, and about half the length. They also have a real nice bezel. Let's see how they look!!!!
I agree with you on the Buford bullets. They ought to sit proud to the recess & look great. If ya dont need the 55 bits... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Something else to throw in the mix are '55 Olds lenses. Might be too big diameter, but they are pointy. --- Sent from the pits of dispair app. Wirelessly, of course.
for the tail lights, keep the existing ones, but put a perforated SS backing behind the lights and black out the recess behind that. It would finish the recess nicely and could have been the sort of thing Gene would have done.
The Jalopy Journal
