Just thot you'd like to see my kustom...it's a 48 Cadillac fastback, which is similar to your Fleetline, altho I don't like the look of a chopped fastback I believe they look more streamlined unchopped. Anyway, I used a '50 Buick grille and a pair of 1955 Caddy Dagmars. 1954 Caddy Dagmars are quite a bit smaller. Also please note I built a pan below the Dagmars and grille and I didn't use the chromed cross bar as I think the grille looks better ''floating..." I think the '56 Buick taillights would add too much m*** to the rearend of your Fleetline and destroy the streamlined look...choose a smaller taillight... If you'll study my kustom, you'll see there are quite a few kustom mods on the vehicle Should you have questions, shoot me a PM. R-
WOW, what a project, great work so far!! Those taillights look so tall sitting on the back of you vehicle, but each to their own. I wonder how you are going to blend them in so they don't look like a stick on. Keep up the good work.
I had considered them when I first started this adventure. While I like the look, I like the buick lights too. I suppose if the buick fins don't work, I could always go the packard route.
I have a 51 Fleetline I'm getting ready to start a build thread on, and I love what you're doing. As for the taillights, it's your car and you need to make it yours. I think your vision has potential and I can't wait to see it. I'm taking notes, keep going
There’s a lot of ways you could use those tail lights even though yeah they are big. Either way I’m Excited to see your back on it!
Thank you Tim! That's what I have pictured in my mind, hopefully I can make it turn out looking good! I think with the chop and those tail fins, she's going to look fast sitting still.
They are natural on 53 and 54. The trunk lid helps with proportions. Everyone has to do there own thing. I experimented with this idea.
It has been a year, and I really haven't done much to my car from January until November. I have made some progress on the car recently. I have been working on filling in the areas of the roof where the top was chopped, welding back the pillars and starting to work on the interior structure. Just for giggles, and since the weather is mild this weekend and I finally am over the Flu, I cut the quarter panels off the Buick rear end, and removed the bumper for later use. I then removed the bumper and filler panel on the Fleetline and mocked a fender up just to get a feel for the look. It looks about like I imagined, and this might be altered still from here.
If you decide against the tail lights I would be interested in buying them. I might still go that way on my 54 .
I have two sets, one needs re-chromed, but you are more than welcome to them if you are interested. Let me know and I will get some pics for you
Did not achieve a whole lot this weekend, but I did make a little progress. I mocked up one of the bel air headlight rings I acquired through Austin Kays, and some fender repair panels I got aftermarket. I was going to build the eyebrows, but decided the panels were cheaper than my labor to make them, so here we are. I really like the look on the front of the car. Thank you, Austin for the idea on the front of this car. I mainly worked on structure on the interior, but did work on the lip around the trunk area to reshape the opening. I also placed the trunk lid in place to get an idea where to cut it apart to shrink it down.
Looking good! I remember when we found those headlight rings a billion years ago. Looks better on the car than on the shelf!
Packard tails but id imagine a similar finished look. On a 51 that was built between 1959 and 1963. Figured it'd be relevant
Also.....if you need any stock replacement parts I found a guy last week the other side of KC with a hoard of fleetlines lol
Well, I have been absent as of late, but the fleetline project has marched on slowly. I began shrinking the trunk lid on the car, found a 1950 Buick bumper to use, and last weekend Austin Kays came down and we removed the back gl*** and the package tray between the rear seat and rear gl***. The original, in case no one knows, curves up from the back seat to meet the back gl***. Of course with 4 inches removed from the roof, it no longer fits and is in the wrong shape. I will eventually build a new one and mount the trunk hinges back to the car at a later date.
I definitely saw what others were saying about the taillights being too high in that first "set them on there and look" picture. I also thought dropping them down behind the bumper or cutting off the bottom portion would fit way better. Of course im late to the party as usual it seems you got there on your own with via Tim with the rendering and now this mockup I can really see it taking shape. The looks is getting better and better IMO. Following along now to see where you take it the rest of the way. Keep pressing on man.
The Jalopy Journal
