Thanks for the comments! It's funny, but I have never heard anyone refer to a tailfin as a 'wing' until just a couple of months ago. But nearly everyone that sees this car is calling the fins, 'wings.' I don't quite know what to make of that.
Add me as another vote to keep the wheels that are on it. They are perfect for it. Classy but unmistakably hot rod.
Being the 'jet age' of automotive design, I suppose either term is appropriate. Jets have wings, rockets have fins..Probably nothing to be concerned about.
Those front wheel mouldings are factory parts. The rears were some generic aluminum ones that I crudely mangled and snipped and bent and screwed into the openings. Not my proudest moment! They're not on the car right now, because the folks that polished all my stainless wouldn't let me put them back on without working them over! A quick update. I just could not bring myself to install the suspended vinyl headliner, so I asked my 'seat guy' to stop by and see if he could also be my 'headliner guy.' No problem he said! So I watched his crew get it knocked out in three hours with the right tools and know-how, while I handed them screwdrivers and quietly thanked God in Heaven that I didn't try to do that job myself. He also brought the rear seats by this week. They look great! He's working on the front swivel seats now. This weekend I'll be finishing up the windlace and jute, and maybe give the carpet a shot. And of course I'm dragging my ass on the door panels, so I better try to get them done too! Would be nice to have it nearly wrapped up in time for the chrome to show up, which should be just about any day now.
Man that thing is looking primo! Oh and in case you want to add another to your stable; this popped up on the Austin Craigslist the other day. https://austin.craigslist.org/cto/d/austin-1957-chrysler-windsor-super-rare/6845129310.html
Man, the last thing I need is another junky old Mopar! That would be a great project for someone though - and I have some parts they will need!
Alright, time for another update... The carpet is in the car and I finished up the door panels. Man that's a lot of work. No wonder interiors are so expensive! Since I have no idea what I'm doing, it's a miracle they turned out as nice as they did. You professionals would laugh at all the sloppy cuts and head scratching we did to figure out how to get a thick piece of carpet to go over a transmission tunnel. Hopefully the materials hold up pretty well because I have no desire to do this again! (although that Trinidad carpet I have is haunting me...) And the chrome came back! Of course it took a little longer than they originally said, but I kind of always assumed that would be the case so I planned around it. Plus they did an outstanding job, so the wait was worth it! A few weeks ago, the guy upholstering the seats brought out the back seat. It looked great! But then I didn't hear from him for a while, and it turns out he was in a car accident. He is fine now, but knows that this car needs to be on the road asap. So he and his guys are busting their ass on my front swivel seats and they look absolutely incredible. He's supposed to get me the center console, front arm rests, and visors back today. To give you an idea of what he had to do, this is what I gave him to start with! Anyway, I have a lot to do to prep the car for the trip down to the LSRU on Thursday, so that's gonna be about it for story time until we get back. If you see the car in Austin, give me a shout! Thanks to all my friends and family that helped me with this thing, and pointed out when I was about to do something really stupid - like consider putting an automatic in it. Concourse Trim and Backyard Custom Upholstery (both in Fort Worth TX) went above and beyond to make this car really special; and while this post isn't an advertisement per se, I'm happy to give references for them. And of course a huge bunch of thanks to my dad for coaching, and helping, and DOING on this car, it would not have been possible without you!
What a gorgeous body...and it's perfectly set off by the black. Wheels, tires and interior are spot on....Love it!
Beautiful. I would put small hubcaps on the chrome wheels, but that's just me. You deserve to be very proud!
The Jalopy Journal
