Customs **'51 Plymouth Needs Dental work. Any Good Dentists Out There??

I'm really going crazy lately. I am fixated on my Plymouth at the moment. I have a few other projects that are so close to completion but I just can't shake the Plymouth from my brain. I'm in love with the Olds trim rings but don't like the grill and surround.

Here's with the stock grill and the Olds headlight rings;





Well here's where I am at the moment. I have decided to shave the emblems from my hood and while I'm at it I might as well work in the grill.





..and this is something I have thought about for about 5 years. 2 sets of stock upper grill pieces with a set flipped and welded at the joints and polished when finalized with a floater bar;






This is just one idea. I have also thought about a '51 Merc surround, Studebaker style slopes under the headlights or a '55 Plymouth grill.

So i'm just looking for a few ideas or options.



Let 'em fly!




******Knuckles

 

the front looks like a trouts mouth ....needs a slim single spreader bar ..go to the photchop to end all thread and let someone photo chop it im shure you will get lots of feed back..good luck its a sweet ride

 

lorodz......that fish resemblence was my first thought as well.

This guy just has a "sort of floating bar"...........





You might be able to use a 53 grille bar.........

 

Definitely not feeling the two upper portions if kept chrome. Might work if it's molded like on Barris' Aztec but I feeling it's getting later and later and whole car would be taking a new turn. Would about a sectioned '54 Chevy grille inside a molded opening. This one has a chrome opening but could be molded to tone down the head lights.

I got right of the flat spot on the front face of hood, rounded corners and ditched the bull nose all while incorporating a Cole Foster grille.

 

I think keeping the grille opening to a minimum width is going to stop that B*** fish mouth look. If you are looking to use the '52 plymouth grille then it needs to be sectioned so that the ends are between the head lights and not below. The reason that it looks like it's "too busy" is because the chrome ends up taking over the whole front end because the grille opening ends right under the headlights so there is no contrast on the front. It's just a bunch of **** fighting each other for space.

Hence the molded and smaller grille opening idea. Might free up some space and allow for a natural selection as far as the eye goes. Fluid like.....be like water maaaaannnn.

 

What about adding 2 or 4 more teeth to the stock bar, give it a sort of DeSoto grille look? I like the Olds headlights, but I don't know if I'm feeling the grille opening with the extra top pieces.

 

Also keeping the plymouth floater would be cool too but sectioning the width to make it smaller. Make your own surround with 1"-1.5" tubing and throw that floater in there. That'd be cool.

 

1952 Buick grille teeth would look good in there. I agree about the trout mouth thing, it was what first came up for me too.

 

I hate to say it but... It looked better stock... **** am I getting old?

 

would'nt be very unique but desoto teeth dose look good on these.......

 

JJ, thanks for taking the time to photoshop that for me. I really like it. I do agree that the opening should be narrower. I'm not sold on stainless or chrome surround, I just want what is right. The rounded hood corners are a must though. I have a '51 Buick grill also that might look good.

Thanks to all that commented. I appreciate the help.




******Knuckles

 

I think it looks good stock...but it would also look good if you added somemore of those teeth...or mayber even remove the teeth and float the bar in there.

 

I'd be interested in what the 55 Plymouth grill would look like. Nice looking grill, matter of fact I have one hanging on my wall I bought to put in my 52 Ford but someone bought the Ford before I got it in. Preety commen in the day to use a few year newer grill to "modernise" their custom.

 

You know as many times as this is used it still looks good and it keeps it in the family.

 

That does look mighty fine.



******Knuckles

 

The only thing with it is that the teeth look exceptionally tall on that car. Maybe cut them up so you only get the upper portion? And I would like to see the side of the surround loop back to make half circles I think....and smaller like you said.

 

I agree. Those are the early DeSoto teeth, much taller than Heathers '54. The sides of the surround should be half circled. to wrap around the parking lights.

I am by no means saying anything negative about this car. I think it is perfect.




******Knuckles

 

Just my humble opinion but you need to reshape the bottom edge of your hood were the Plymouth name was, it sure made a difference on mine...............................

 

I planned on a whole nose treatment. I have a '51 Buick hood that I thought of grafting the center body lines to my hood or use a '50 Ford shoebox hood. I want to possibly bring the hood out a bit. I feel it lays back too much.




******Knuckles

 

cool car, ive got a 52 ply. and am in need of some decent chromehood, decklid, grill bars,do you know where i can find some??????? thanks for your help,,,,ps,,stay on that ride

 

that looks dam good

 

Try a '60's Imperial grille bar...it sorta has "teeth" but they are a lot smaller than Chevys...

R-

 

Just something right off my head, why dont you just mold in the stock top grille bar and come down the sides with something that matches up. If you use the stock grille , it seems to need the peak in the middle for clearence. You have the oppritunity to make that space at the bottom of your hood into something? Some kind of round tube opening molded in would be good too. Set the stock grille back as far as it would go. If you wrote in to one of those little books back in the day , Barris would probably say, put a 55 Chevy grille in it with the chrome around it.I like the headlight rings. If I think up something crazy and easy by god I will draw it and hijack your thread with it.

 

I'll be interested in seeing what you do. My 49 hood comes out farther, more like a hawks beak, and has a big grill, but I prefer the 48 Plymouth grill to the Dodge. Its a chance to try your hand at metalshaping. It already looks better without the hood trim, and what about using a different bumper with tall bumper guards? Might break up the wide low grill. Ask James D to photoshop it, he's a genius with that.

 

Guys, I really appreciate all the input so far. I would like to try a few different bumpers. I for some reason want to bring the hood way out. Maybe I'm way out of wack on this.


Thanks again,



******Knuckles

 

what about 50 olds?

 

Not big on the '50 Olds but I do like the mid 50's Olds alot.




******Knuckles

 

i plan on cutting the ends off of the floating portion of the grill and casting clear lucite for the turn signal. and getting rid of the stockers.

 

Nice idea mang!




******Knuckles

 

I think a pretty simple yet effective solution would be to lose the park lights, but keep the top bar extending the profile all the way down. following me?

then keep the stock floating bar sans those suitcases for teeth

take the bar and straighten it out side to side.

if you look at it dead on it looks like it breaks in the middle, running down on both sides.

I think it would look great if you cut it in the center and straighten it out.

if all else fails, **** it put a 49,50 merc surround in there.

that **** would look good on a toronado...