The 53 Buick head lights graphed onto a 49/51 merc is one of of my all time favorites. We have done quite a few of these in the past but have always installed them straight up. This time we decided to do them a little different and give them a very slight twist. We also decided to extended them out to make the fender look a little longer. We extended them out more on the top and less on the bottom to give them a slight forward lean. www.ericksonskustoms.com
IMO the stretch is great but the canter is not. They just look more balanced in that shell completely vertical, sorry, you ask.
Yes they are. We plan to shorten the sides a few inches and also take some or the bend out of them at the same time. www.ericksonskustoms.com
OMG!! They are bitchin'!! There is something real Bad Ass about this Merc!! You've posted so me real nice shiny mercs before but there is something crazy beautiful about this one. The way it sits, the scars, the paint, !! BAD ASS!! Keep it up Rick, very inspiring!!
looks great..from the side profile shot it looks like the line at the top of the fenders and headlights flow nicely with the profile of the hood
Yes I have to agree 53 buicks headlights just look right at home on kustom 49 /51 Mercs. I auctuly like the look of the longer & straight ribbed 54's better but you do not see many of them probally due to the fact they are made of pot metal and require them to be carfully leaded on unlike the stainless steel 53's that can be easily welded to. www.ericksonskustoms.com
i love the buicks on a merc thats what i put on mine too. i hate to say it , but i really dont like them canted. when i was doing mine of course i tried mocking them up that way just to see because im a canted quad freak!! but it just wasnt cutting it they just look crooked.. when i do my next sled it will have canted quads.. your work is top notch though! hope this wasnt an insult... dave
The canted light is kool but it's not "done". Looking at this era Merc it's a slab-sided car for the most part. Taking long front to rear slices (imaginary) of about 6" at a time you're going to get most of the headlight/fender area as is. So what's not done... Hate to fuck with ya but you need to mod the shit outta the fronts of both fenders. Hard to say in words and I can't photochop but let's try. Consider just below what you've already done with the lights. Take that area and taper it in from about 1/3 the distance from the front wheel opening to the 'flat' of the light progressive until you get there (to the light housings). It's going to add interest not usually seen on our beloved Merc kustoms. Canted lights can really be kool as hell but you need to taper a whole bunch more. It's really apparent in pics 2 and 3. Like I said, it's probably gonna fuck with ya, sorry... Oh yeah, with those bumpers, taking that area of the fender in will add even more 'purpose' them.
That's ok I am real good at fucking with myself. Some days i just hate myself. Anyway i think i know what you are trying to say. Already have plans to mod the fender openings out at the top and tapper them in on the lower front edge's simulare to this 51 www.ericksonskustoms.com
Yeah man, that real close to what I'm 'seeing' in the front. I had initially thought the whole forward section of the front fenders (like from 2:00 o'clock down on the pass side wheel) be pulled in to nerly the same angle or 'cant' of the light even showing some tire tread. Then looking at the bumpers I sort of figured they need to be independent of the fender mod. So if the fender was canted in under the light, all the way to the grille opening where a floating grille could get in on the party...fuck I wish I was there man, I can see this better than I can type it. Sheetmetal tunneled under the light, bumper on it's own "supporting" the fender mod, now a new spin on the canted light gig for a Merc. Go for it! You can do it!
i like the slant.. beautiful fabrication!! is there anyone re making those buick headlights?? i have a 55 chevy series 1 that i would like to french some of these in and am having trouble finding someone to part with there headlights for a reasonable cost..
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