Projects Her 48 Fleetline.

Got both sides whacked off.

 

Damn it's starting to look like a car again, like I always say you can do anything to anything with a sawzall and a welder!
The Caddy bumper was tweeked in the very front where it was cut in half. The section that was taken out took care of most of it but Im still heating and bending to get it all straight.

Right now it is tack welded to the fenders but these tabbs will be welded to the inside of the fenders so the whole thing can unbolt. Or I will say F it and I will end up one peicing the whole thing.













Photoshoped pic. Do I want to open the wheelwell up so it is the same in front of the tire as it is behind it?

 

Looks great..

Didn't know how the Cad would work..movin' it up was excellent.

Maybe less lower profile rubber would fill the well..?

 

Yeah the wheels and tires are ganna go bye bye. Im ganna throw some skirts on the rear and I happen to have some cool hubcaps on the wall that need a car to call home.

 

Yeah..that looks nice..

What are you doing for the grille ? Cad..or ?

 

We're not sure yet. I still have to section the center bar that bolts to the dagmars then we will start playing around with things. It's her car so she has to like it. She already put the axe to the drawer pull knob idea. What would you use?

 

That bumper setup is growing on me the more you do with it. I think I would do the tire swap before deciding what to do with the area behind the bumper (front edge of wheel well). It still may need th filler to look right.

As long as she intends to keep the car for forever and three days the taxi cab motor will be reliable and run cheap enough. I'd stick the 350 under a tarp in the corner to put back in if she ever decides she wants to sell the car though.

I'm at a total loss on the grill. It's going to be hard to get something in there that looks like it belongs there instead of just being stuck in there to take up space. Maybe thinbars like in a 65 Cadillac. I used one of those (cut down) in my 51 merc once and it looked decent.

 

AMAZING. I'm loving every step. 48 Fleetline= a damn fine vehicle.

 

Grille..sort of depends on where you are going with the rest. I personaly think Desotos..Corvette teeth are sorta played out..

The Dagmars are so prominent in might look good with somewhat less strong in the grille...to keep the front from looking heavy. You moved the Bumper up to avoid that I'm guessing..
Maybe a horizontal bar..or
The Cad still has that 57 Chev type vibe..maybe simple like that.
55 Buicks also had the Dagmar looks..simple insert..maybe not so custom though..

54 Merc also had Dags..maybe inset teeth from Monterey ?


Probably need to get an idea soon..

 

Got it all back to one peice. I just need to smoothe out the underside and build the bumper to frame brackets.

 

I know that this is not what would be consitered by alot of people on here a "traditonal build" but then most of the cars on here aren't either and from what I have heard it is split 50-50 on the "love it/hate it" scale. The only reason I keep posting here is for the ones that like what I am doing to this car and want to see more. So if you don't like it and want it to stop you can either get someone to kill the thread and boot me from this site or offer my girlfriend a lage amount of money (or a 49-51 Buick) for it and once the ***le is in your name you can put the dime a dozen 350/350 back in, restore it back to "stock", lean a cry baby up against it next to a sighn telling everyone all about it and you can sit back and talk **** on drummers in burn units.

So with that said we now return to our non traditonal car build...

I got her all turned around so I can mount the motor. Hopefully the next time the tires are on the ground it is rolling out under slanted power. The front end still needs some minor work here and there but it is 99.7% done.
I am going to use stock dakota pick up frame mounts that will be narrowed and bolted to the frame with the stock 73-76 A-body spool motor mounts. The stock chevy ****** crossmember will have to go bye bye tomorrow after work so I can fab up one that will work involving a stock A-body drop out ****** crossmember.

Yes the wheels and tires are getting replaced with some wide whites and Lancer caps!




Im still not decided on what to do here.


Back to square 3. It shouldn't take too long to get the motor/****** mounts done, the pinion angle set and everything in place and level.

 

That Caddy bumper looks ***s on that car! (pun intended!)

I'd love to drive that one! Looks like it is coming along nicely!

 

After looking and looking for a p***enger side slant spool mount a friend of mine gave me the old one off his sisters 72 Scamp. I got home from his place lastnite, cleanned the mount, installed a new insert, and built the driver side mount. As soon as I got home today I made the p***enger side. I used the stock 73 and up A-body motor mounts then cut the arms off the chevy mounts and fabbed up some triangle peices. It goes in pretty good, sits damn near level (it's off by just a hair), the headers clear the driver side just fine, and everything will just unbolt if we or anyone else ever wants to swap motors.

I need to do the final welding on the driver mount and paint them still.



Ran out of wire in the welder half way through this one, damn it!




Here is the arm off the Chevy mount.



It WAS ***s on before everything settled but Im not going to get **** about it.



Im going to set the ****** at 3*-5* down.


Just enough room so I can still drop the oil pan.



Next up is the ****** mount. I would do it tonight but I have to get up at 11:30pm (in 5 hrs) and drive 5 hrs to Spokane, WA and then back to Seattle so I will do it when I get home tomorrow around 12 or 1 pm.
After that I will rebuild the firewall, throw in some gauges, wire it and see if it starts.

 

I was looking for ideas for inbetween the ****ies and I came across this pic. I can't remember if it belongs to someone on here but I am havin g a total brain fart on what the center teeth are out of. I know what they are from but I just can't remember for the life of me. What are they from?

Any more pics of this car?

 

54 DeSoto!!!! It just popped into my head!

 

Damn KILLER car. I don't know which I like best the pictures or your comments. I'm sure your wife will enjoy her car.

 

I think you need to fill in the gap behind the fender in front of the wheel well. But the car is great! Do you run on Red Bull or ar you one of the lucky ones that doesn't need much sleep?

 

Yep, fill the gap behind the bumper...it'll look more finished that way.

I think you need an at***ude adjustment...no one here is going to kick you off this site for posting car stuff...whether it's "custom" stuff or square bodied stuff...nor is anyone going to kill the thread for posting car stuff...the only thing you need to know is there are people that do like what you're doing and there are those that really don't care and prolly won't post on your thread anyway.

Just continue to post and leave the "smart-***" comments out of it...

Personally, I like what you are doing...I first thot the Dagmars would be too m***ive for the car...but they look good now that you've got them fitting...and...here's a suggestion, since you're good with the welding: match the hood/fender opening to the lower bumper, that way you won't have one angle (relatively straight bumper) and the curved hood bottom.

R-

 

Yes lol. I average about 4-5 hrs a nite and it takes forever to fall asleep because Im thinking about what to do next on the 48 or my 53. Im always tired but I forget to do things like eat, sleep and poop when Im working on a car I just kinda zone out.
Not a redbull fan but I like Monster.

 

Looks good all around. If it was me, I'd open up or move that curved section of fender well forward. Not add material to the bumper going back. There is already alot of space between the rear of the tire and the fender well. If you add material to the bumper, the wheel is going to look too close to the bumper. In other words, not centered in the wheel well.

 

That rant was for the car gestapo that seem to post on every other thread on this site telling guys whats wrong with their car and how they should do it.

As for the smart *** comments....yeah thats not ganna stop Ive tried to play nice and it only builds up and then gets worse.

Im going to make a filler for the bottom of the hood that will match the bumper and then one peice the whole front end as soon as I put the sheetmetal back on the car. Right now Im just trying to get it running.

 

Thats what I was thinking. Im going to go with a 15" steel wheel with Lancer caps and wide whites so it will fill the wheel well a little more but it will still be more open in the rear.

 

Slaps head....I coulda had a V8

 

Case in point......


I have a few of those around here. I offered to drop in a 360 but Nikki wanted her beefed slant six and the ***le is in her name so she gets to decide what goes in or on her car. The Caddy bumper was her idea as well I just gave her my "Cars of the fabulous 50's" book and said customize your car.

This one is going in the 53 Merc.

 

Definately fill the gaps behind the bumper. As m***ive as that bumper makes the front look, it would look "dinky" if the m***iveness just ended on the sides. Needs meat there to make it flow.

Give us a good straight on shot of the front of the car so we can photoshop in a few grille ideas for the wifey to ponder. I'm thinking full length verticle teeth... Buick style, but made out of sections of exhaust tubing. [?] Just my opinion

 

keep the build pic's coming dude! sure is nice to view clear pictures that have interesting stuff in them that you can tell WTF they are. glad your close because i can't wait to see this car in person.

 

It will be at Hotrod-a-rama next year for sure and at others before that. It is going to be Nikkis daily driver so it will go all over the place. Hell if your in the Renton/Bellevue area swing by.

Speaking of pics here's 2 more. The alt bracket is done, I made the chevy brakets into mopar brackets. Lets face it mopar electronics ****ed *** even with a cop alternator pluse this one came with the car and it is shiny and we all like shiny things!

 

When I first saw your build, I didn't think the caddy bumper was gonna look that good.
I like the look of it now, it still needs somethin to make it flow better, but I have no suggestions on how you should do it. Except for a buick grill. As far as the motor goes I could care less. as long as it runs and drives. I have a thing for the 48's. And I can't wait to see this one complete. Just keep postin progress pics.

 

No, it's making cars BETTER looking! Not just modifying for the sake of modifying.

Front bumper doesn't fit since it's heavy looking because it's taken twice larger car.

 

Wow you know your right! It is big and ugly and that little slant six wont work either. I should cut it all off and put the stock grill and the 350/350 back in it because no one else has ever done that to a 48 before. What was I thinking? I will never try to do anything different again I would love to pull into a carshow and see 40 other cars that look just like mine that would be great!
I will be sure to consult you and your vast knowledge and expertise on what I should do to my car.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and your not holding the ***le.


By the way cool artwork.