Customs How low is two low ??????????

cars have been laying frame way before minitrucks.
you say (KUSTOMS DONT LAY FRAME !!!)
why don't ask bill hines about that!
my 48 chevy is 2 inches off the ground(no juice or bags) and yes it is a kustom.
my 52 chevy lays frame and it has that magic ****on you are talking about and yes its a kustom

 

what he said

 

Next time im at Bills shop I will ask him about that.I dont remember any of Bills cars "Laying frame" yes the were lifted and yes they went VERY low to the ground but I dont remember them sitting on the ground. Yes there were plenty of cars laying frame before mini trucks,look at any of the early lowriders.When I said that, I was talkin more "early Kustoms" period style. I guess with todays idea of a custom "laying frame is almost madatory".

 

i see what you mean about "period kustoms" but who actually builds and drives period kustoms? there are very few out there.

i think the whole mini truck influence is not laying frame but laying the body on the ground or some cars i've seen out there with the rockers cut of so it could sit the doors on the ground.

by the way you have a nice merc!

 

I am one of the few,thats really into the period stuff, a couple of my friends are pretty heavy into the period style but you are right it is VERY FEW almost none.

 

so what makes your car period. to what extend do you take it. are we talking engine trany suspension or just body mods? just wondering

 

Well I am a little over the top with mine as far as having a car just as if it were built back in the day. Body mods of co****, I still run the old flathead with 3 on the tree, no adjustable suspension for me. Believe me , its not always the most practical.

 

True traditional here is just that, everything. Not just looks, that places you into poser territory.
I have noticed that with the huge number of people joining the true reason for this sight is being diluted. My respect goes to the hard core traditional guys.
But like the others have said lets talk about those ****ing ugly 80s looking taillights and how as a group we can make them right (Read gone)
Doc.

 

i ran my 52 chevy with the 6, the inclosed drive, three in the tree and no adjustable suspention for about five years. i here you on the not the most practical. i got tired of it so i juiced it, changed the ****** and rear end, and added some radial skinny whites( as much as i drive those wide whites were putting a big dent in my pocket!)

 

You've got to ask yourself, "what's the point of this?"

 

ive got a 29 sedan with a 3 inch ride height..drive it anywhere no problems...cant even slide your foot underneath it

 

I agree with you here. But, I'm still a believer in a taildragger. Hard to have a taildragger when it is sitting on the frame. I'll admit that certain times I can appreciate a car laying in the gr***. Makes for a kool picture... Plus, I'm not a big fan of rolling some 4 wheel drive looking kustom down the street and then dumping it on the ground when I get to where I am going. There is nothing kooler than seeing a lowered car rolling down the freeway with no rear tires. I figure if Junior Conway could get his shoebox as low as it was without bags or juice, than it is good enough for me. I guess it comes down to preference.

 

When it gets so low that it's beyond the "looks *****in" and into the "look, look . . . look at me" bit.

 

I like them low. But, I like them low with no bags and I want to drive them. On my old truck I can make a fist and just barely get it between the bottom of the front fender and the pavement. Occasionally I hit the pavement, but not that often. And I drive the snot out of my truck (drove it 2800+ miles on the LSRU trip). When I built my truck it was built to have the right look and I think I achieved that. Anyway that's my 2 cents worth.
Later,
****

 

If ya can push a BB down the road, that's just about right.

 

With what?
Later,
****

 

Lol... Betcha can't do that around here The streets around here ****, steep driveway aprons and "dips"(not to mention the occasional speedbump) My non Hamb friendly daily Caprice wagon is dropped 2" all the way around and I have given up trying to get in the driveway with it. Tailpipes and the new reciever hitch keep hitting the street. Never had that problem with my bodydropped pickup though... One good thing about adjustable suspension

I agree though that laying body has it's place but not on early customs. Yeah, seeing a 36 3 window laying the running board is neat but it is not traditional, which is one of the reasons I am on this site. I was unfortunate to be born 30+ years too late so I didn't grow up around these cars when this stuff was starting but I have "lived it" through the stories my dad would and still does tell me and thumbing through his little pages.

Oh, and what is the deal on them lights? Ever think about some 54' Merc lights?

 

I started a "bags are for girls" thread a couple months ago and got flamed so bad I didn't come back for awhile...I still do things like I did in the early 60's, heat/cut springs,,lowering blocks..You drive them like they are or else you own an elevator "Going up?" ,,of course I think we started lowering them to hide the rust


Paul,,an original that has been ruining suspensions for over 50 years.

 

With your bumper ! ! ! !

 

I'm gonna guess tha when you loose that 3" of dolly its not going to move under its own power.

 

I had a neighbor that had a car that he though was so cool . It sat real low . Had to leave it on the street because he couldn't get it into the driveway ! That is just plain stupid **** !
Cars that ride low is one thing , but you have to be SAFE with the chops and how low the car sits !
I love hot rods and kustoms but some of this stuff out there is just not looking to good . All they did was drag the frame and chop the **** out of the top and you can't tell me this is good looking or Kool ! I agree with "Johnnykck" . Too far is too STUPID !
Now as for those tail lights , WTF is that **** ??? Looks like that plastic **** you would buy at the local parts store to stick on your modern pickup . Looks like **** .
As for the picture of you car that looks low , take the car off the rollers that it is sitting on then tell us you can even drive it out of the garage !

YOU ASKED !

 

Not to get off topic here but I know alot of you would give your left nut for that Merc. If the only flaw you can find in that car is the taillights get over it. Thats a killer ride!

 

a bb is ok or maybe a pin head if you can do it do it!!!!! Or better yet go import hunting. Set it low and show this new gen that us old guys with our detroit iron can out run there import.

 

And I believe the taillights were built out of the stock grille...

 

you are correct good eye .

This merc is a 51 and we have decided to build it with mostly 51 body part. The front bumpers and the wrap around dash is from a 51 buick rm

 

I really like that Merc.

 

Too low is DEFINATELY too low.
Its hard to pinpoint exactly when this threshold is crossed, but very easy to spot afterward.
If it looks broken...its too low.
If I need a forklift, 4 jackstands, and 3 blocks of wood, a bottle jack, and two tires, just to fix a shifter linkage on the side of the road...its also too low.

 

And that's a big AMEN from me!

 

Dont get me wrong , im all about a taildragger!!! My merc sits 2 7/8 off the ground in the rear!!! No adjustable suspension at all, If it was good enough for Jerry Quesnel its good enough for me. I just have a hard time calling a car "LOW" when you raise it up to drive. I mean would it be the same if I got to a show unbolted my body and just set it on the ground?? i guess it is the thing to do for a modern custom , im just not to modern of a guy.

 

you can never be to low! i like when frame lays on the ground. as long as you have bags or juice so nothing s****es. if everybody liked the same thing,the world would be boring. i would like my chevelle to be lower in the rear.