new project 50 chevy .....major chop

well sold off my beloved 67 impala to get the 50s car i have always wanted but i put my trust and money on the internet and the car is in no way the shape i thought looking for ideas here ok this is what i know the car started life as a 1950 2 HARDTOP and it lost its top has a 350/350 in it now and air ride that works other then that it needs everything every part of the car seems to have rust the windshield frame is hacked to the point it needs to go, the floors are just sitting in the car not welded in yet wiring is not finished and needs a lot of body work but the good is its a running and moveable car and the air bags work front and rear i like the way the body is dont havent seen another like this anywhere .....heres my question should i get another car to rob for parts such as windsheild frame, floors, doors, and fenders or keep the frame and roller and get a new body

 

sell it. buy another.

 

from far the car looks great but just about every cut or weld looks like the windshield frame my plan so far was to find another 49-51 chevy and use for parts i need front and rear fenders windshield frame, floors and rockers would like to know what you guys think and also i am new to cars from the 50s did this car have or do they make power steering kits for this car i found a desoto grill and disk brake kit already

 

X2


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Not my style, but I like it. If you like it, work with it.
No need for a second car. Maybe go for a wrap around windscreen (try to limit the resulting dogleg.) You might even be able to fashion a passable, 50's Corvette-ish style fiberglass top that would work despite the fairings.

I would also go for a more sculptured look on the front, saving the DeSoto grille for another project. Maybe something like this, but with a split grille? A bullet nose is another possibility that would work well.

 

Interesting to say the least.

Sounds like its in rough, hacked together shape?
That's the beauty of steel, if it's all fuggerd up you can always stick it back together

If you like what's there, and the "style" it's got, keep at it.

What's stopping you from creating a roadster windshield with no metal at the top?

 

Never thought of the no metal on top but where it was cut down is hacked up to I found a car at the local junk yard in ok shape really has all the glass doors windshield and front and rear fenders so thinking that is going to be my parts car need to find rockers and floors now.......I have thought about keeping the desoto grill for a later project always wanted a merc since I was little might hold on to it for that someday.......anyone know about power steering for these cars like I said never had anything older then the 60s so this is new to me thought about a IFS and put it in there but wasn't sure

 

That poor ole Chevy.

 

that car is boogered up something terrible. if the windshield header is an example of the quality of work done over the whole car I would recommend finding something else.

 

That car looks cool as hell! I think if you like the style then keep it and repair all the shoddy workmanship. And to hell with anyone else's opinion on it!!!!!!

 

I love how the car looks its different not really what I was looking for I am more of a lowered chop the roof guy but man is it going to take some work I see what the guy was going for but he didn't have the skill to finish or was just rushing it I don't know but I am going to try and save it if its possible I don't have to many funds at this point in time I figure its a good year project

 

Keep it and fix up the bad spots!

I really like it, one of a kind!!

Sigge!

 

I'm sorry you sold a car you loved to wind up here and I don't mean to sound like a dick. BUT-I don't get it. The 50s car you "always wanted" was a Chevy with a 350/350 that looked like the Batmobile with Caddy tail lights so you found one online and bought it,only to find rotted and butchered beyond what you expected upon delivery?
If you are more of a "chop guy" then why didn't you search out a worthy unchopped (and hopefully stock) 49-53/54 Chevy(or Olds , Buick, Ford etc) and look over the actual car before pulling the trigger and buying it. They are available and affordable. It just takes awhile to find one so ya gotta be a little patient ..or they appear at unexpected and usually inconvenient times and we find a way for them . (That's just how it goes) Chopping a car well is not easy and there are enough unforseen challenges that comes up with restoring any 50-60 year old car let alone building a good custom without getting into other peoples hack jobs.
Having said that, you now have what ya got and funds are an issue ..so work with it. If nothing else you will get a hell of an education, which is never cheap or easy but always valuable.

 

X2! itll look killer when its painted up. just keep plugging away at it

 

Still not sure if i like the 60's T-bird roadster style cover, but it has potential
it seems like you could at least see what you could do to clean it up with out dropping a lot of money into it. hands on education is always good to have
think about the no top windshield and drive it when it is dry. the top can come later if you decide you really like it.

 

To me it looks like the parts car. That tonneau cover is goofy looking, maybe if you throw that away and put the top from your donor car on it you'd have something. But it might be easier to just roll the chassis under a whole other body shell.

 

Jvk54 I am more of a chop guy but when I saw this car it just stood out to me and had to have it I didn't want a 350/350 combo I have a 396 I have been saving for something it just seemed right that I had a guy that wanted to buy my impala right when I found this car but I am getting the education on buying off the internet the back part of the car where the roof was is actually the roof cut and welded back on and the humps on the back after sanding and cutting I find are off of a set of fenders like the guy cut the top off them and just welded them where there is seems on the top I got the car cheap enough that just the rolling frame is worth with the air ride if I use another body going to try to save this first have something different

 

What does the frame and suspension look like?

 

Hang in there.
Here are some pics to illustrate the wrap-around windscreen I suggested earlier.

 

For further motivation, consider Rick Dore's beautiful Caddy.
(I brought this over from "The Auto Collection" website.)

 

Frame and all is good and mo that windshield is a great idea think I might use it and that caddy is amazing

 

To elaborate on the windshield idea, don't be skert of changing it up a little more LOL

I finally found the picture I was looking for......
To make it MUCH easier, change the windshield to flat glass, build a fresh frame A la roadster style shown before, and drive the snot out of it.

 

Well have the front end off thinking of up grading the brakes at least disk in front has anyone ran one of the master cylinders that are mounted on the frame worried about it dragging since the car sits so low and when I sit it down when parked with the air bags