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Shortening a Kustoms Appearance?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by nooch, Mar 7, 2005.

  1. nooch
    Joined: Aug 8, 2004
    Posts: 132

    nooch
    Member

    Howdy

    I have a four-door 54 Pontiac convert that I'm currently kustomizing. The thing looks like a damn whale and the distance between front and rear wheels seems very long. I know that lake-pipes make a ride look lower and longer - what kind of kustom tricks help a car look shorter and chunkier? For example, dump tube or 3/4 lakes instead of full lake pipes. Are there any ideas - photos would really help. thanks
     
  2. I cant tell much from your no pics -description......I would imagine the 4 dr windshield would have to be shortened in height or it would look much worse, if left stock height.

    also if you are not using the longer two door doors on it ,that would efectively make it look [longer] by using the shorter 4 dr doors.,I mean.......
     
  3. nooch
    Joined: Aug 8, 2004
    Posts: 132

    nooch
    Member

    Howdy
    yeah sorry - hear are some shots, taken on a camera phone so you'll have to excuse the quality.
    nooch
     
  4. 40StudeDude
    Joined: Sep 19, 2002
    Posts: 9,562

    40StudeDude
    Member

    I thot the whole idea of kustomizing a car was to make it look longer, smoother and lower...I think you're the first guy I've ever found that wants a "chunkier" appearence...strange, but to each his own.

    If you want shorter, simply remove the rear doors and all the offending metal therein...that'll certainly shorten it...and it'll definitely be "chunkier".

    R-
     
  5. cleatus
    Joined: Mar 1, 2002
    Posts: 2,277

    cleatus
    Member
    from Sacramento

    I like it.

    Never tried to make something look shorter before - usually the other way around.

    Maybe you have a thing for short & fat?

    Are you talking "shorter" l e n g t h w i s e -or- HEIGHTWISE?

    Maybe vertical stripes will make it look fat.
     
  6. Customs should be like a lady's legs.....llllooonnngggg and smmooooothh;) not short and chunky:eek:
     
  7. 122wagon
    Joined: Mar 21, 2004
    Posts: 532

    122wagon
    Member
    from nowhere

    i think the cure is some long lake pipes, and a two door conversion. but thats just me. it seems to me that on more-doors, all the extra body splits seem to make the slab section seem longer for some reason.
     
  8. nooch
    Joined: Aug 8, 2004
    Posts: 132

    nooch
    Member

    Howdy

    Yeah thats right man! It just looks like the doors section is really long length-wise and the front and rear bumper sections seem unusually short (not good photos to illustrate). The problem is there's a bracing running between the door pillars and behind the front seat (a results of reinforcing for the roof being lobbed off before I got it) so I can't two-door it easily or move the front seat back to balance the appearance.
    Normally I'm a low and long man but something about this ride is erking me. I was thinking pinstripe white flames just at the front to break up the black and small pipes behind the front wheels to draw the eye forward. Its got a real lean in it at the moment so hopefully when I airbag and slam it she wont look so bad. And definitely have to chop that windscreen down.
    nooch
     
  9. Unkl Ian
    Joined: Mar 29, 2001
    Posts: 13,509

    Unkl Ian

    Paint it like a Zebra.
    Horizontal lines will make it look longer,vertical lines will make it look shorter.
     
  10. haring
    Joined: Aug 20, 2001
    Posts: 2,335

    haring
    Member

    Sell it. It will look shorter as the new owner drives it down the road.

    Seriously, "shorter and chunkier"? You're just kidding, right?

    You could gain some inspiration from these:

    [​IMG]
     
  11. nooch
    Joined: Aug 8, 2004
    Posts: 132

    nooch
    Member

    Howdy
    I think my 'chunkier' line has been taken out of context (though they build us boys chunky where it counts - down under :)) I just meant that the curves need to be better defined along the car. Some scallops or full length flames would help that but as has been said horizontal lines make it look loooonnnger.
    nooch
     
  12. Gasserfreak
    Joined: Aug 31, 2004
    Posts: 1,347

    Gasserfreak
    Member
    from Yuma, AZ

    Hey, I like the idea, Reminds me of an older lady I new(I think everybody in our apartments new her:D) when I was a teen. She always said long and thin just goes in, but short and fat is where its at.
    Drew
     
  13. Chevy
    Joined: Mar 13, 2002
    Posts: 94

    Chevy
    Member

    Hey Nooch,
    Cool car, I saw it for sale a while ago. Don't know why you want to shorten it, but, maybe some trim down the sides might do it for you.
    What running gear you got in it? I got a 2 door hardtop of one of these. Have you got any parts you wanna sell to me? (brakedrums, bumpers, grill????)
    Chevy.....
     
  14. Noname38
    Joined: Nov 24, 2001
    Posts: 369

    Noname38
    Member

    forget what I said I'm an idiot.... just looked like it had been a 4dr before
     
  15. Noname38
    Joined: Nov 24, 2001
    Posts: 369

    Noname38
    Member

    **** I guess you did convert from 4dr to 2dr... its exactly why it dont look right.... the shorter 4dr front doors throw everything off
     
  16. KoppaK
    Joined: Dec 21, 2004
    Posts: 1,517

    KoppaK
    Member

    Try some horizontal lines, side trim should help take eyes away from the vertical, also extending rear deck forward and rear seat etc will make front doors look more appropriate, those pontiacs have quite a stubby trunk anyway.
     

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