Choptvan dude, im loving what you doin. That nose too, maybe is too thick but im guessin until all is done its impossible to say. I love the idea of extendin the rear quarters a bit and cant wait to see where this goes. Now show me the Choptvan dude, Please! actually maybe i know the van, you said you are at Ruffrodders, and i remember one from ages ago (2002?). It was green and in a farm-ish lookin place. Do you also have a few jap choppers?
You are right. I was at kkoa and saw the error of my ways. I want to do something custom to the deck lid still but what i dunno? Anyone have suggestions? Or at least, what I should do with the deck lid? The more I look at it the more it pisses me off. I think If the nose was smaller. It looks like a huge BROKEN nose now. Damn it. Sorry for the rant. And sorry to whoever was offended by my words. You guys are right. I was wrong. There I said it. So again... HELP!
OK I have been reading this post, and amazed at what you have done. Instead of looking forever for the right body you saved two cars that would have been crushed. I shake your hand for saving them, even though it took two of them to make one, thay are both still with us as it were... I have a 53 that I am going to start on, so I am all over this post. Great Job! I really liked the Merc that gave you the idea for the nose. But I agree you dont want to copy it to a T, but think what can I do to one make his better for my car. If you rounded the edges I think you would be there. These old fords from 50 to 55 really had no square corners...and I like the scoop idea with the lED lights........ On another note, doing it your way. you have to make it yours, I have a 68 chevy pickup, that I wanted to sucide the doors on. didnt like the kit hinges, so i used the stock one that came with the truck. Why do you care about that, well everyone tolds me I was nuts, wasting my time, use the kit and be done with it. well It took 3 months to work out all the detals and " "engearnearing" but it worked, and no one sees it, until I open the door. trying to use the aftermarket kit hinges, looked like this now using the stock hinges it like like it should, door slip into the body...
That was my post back in April. I'm glad to see that you've decided to re-evaluate the "nose" and perhaps take some of the suggestions which have come your way since then. If it were my car...which, of course, it isn't...I'd replace the deck lid with a stock one, move the tank filler to inside the trunk and smooth the area where the filler used to be. I'd then install a split '55 Pontiac rear bumper and mount the plate between the two bumpers. This has been done many times in the past, but never looses its simple good looks. Hope this helps.
I like what you have done to the rear deck most of these Fords usually have nothing done to them except smoothing,the split bumper idea would allow the lines to flow into it completing the concept.You have done a fantastic job making your ideas come to life,some of the icons in customizing caught crap from folks but laughed all the way to the bank and are now legends,I know myself and many of us in the 52-56 social group can hardly wait to see the finished product.
How about something like this? '55 Pontiac hood trim, stretched and curved over the filler door, which would be hidden under a hinged piece. the Photoshop is pretty crude, but hopefully you see what I mean.
referencing historical precedent, you have a tough job. The '52 to '54 Ford falls kind of in a customizing "no man's land". The classic forties/ early fifties dark, sinister, sleek,custom style had given way in popularity to a brighter, flashier, and gaudier (if you will) style by the time your car was on the lot. A year or two later the full custom style shifted even more dramatically to wilder, and, year by year it seems the "street custom" just kept getting crazier and more and more suited to the arena floor. Mild customs always seem to "work" and truthfully, there were more of them on the streets than the wild stuff seen in the magazines, BUT..... the question seems to be... how do you build a tasteful, full custom, from the "middle years" and pull it off without it looking either like a mild shave or an overblown points-for- mods trophy chaser? in keeping with the "nose" idea you've had in your mind's eye, what about a '59 Pontiac hood center, grafted in, point down, wide end starting at the (third brake light?) scoop already near the top, and the point terminating on the rear pan JUST above the rear bumper? it could be SLIGHTLY exaggerated at the rear pan to follow the original idea, and still be done tastefully enough to pull it off. Don't attach it to the decklid though, it'll look like a big tongue hanging down off the lid. I could even maybe see the scoop relaced with a '58 Ford hood "thing" starting it off. Wrong era still? like I said, tough job. Keep at it, the car will tell you when it's right.
Just found this thread- I don't know how in the hell I managed to miss it. I like a lot of the things that you've done- and the nose idea wasn't bad- but it did strike me immediately that there isn't a sharp angle on the car (I have a '53) and that it did stand out a little. I would bring the nose closer to the body and round it off. Don't copy the photo that you posted- make it your own- but i definitely think that rounding it and fading it into the decklid would help with the flow. Not my car, but you asked for suggestions. Keep up the good work. Oh, in this case, pay no attention to my signature line...
OK. So io have decided to make it smaller first. Round it out more and see how that looks rather than just cut it off and sart over. I hopefully will be able to start that tomorrow. Thanks for the help and advice.
Good idea. If you can, post pics so we can see the progress. If you want to see how it will look before hacking into it I could try to get it to where you want it in Photoshop. Pm me if you are interested.
I do not want it sticking so far off of the deck lid. I am thinkin it is just to big and needs to be shrunk in how far it gets out. Hope that makes sense.
Here ya go- tried to bring it in closer to the body, but I really couldn't figure out how to contour it to the body. I think that it gives you an idea what it will look like. Uploaded with ImageShack.us Uploaded with ImageShack.us
damn. I need to get you a side shot of the car overall. I would like to see what it looks like from the side. I might have to shorten the length of what hangs off of the decklid. Can you do that on this pic? Shorten the length?
Alright, so I love the car. Not big on the green explosion from every door but you said on another thread that might change. I think that a more subtle noose like this would look just as nice but overall I think the one that you put in matches up with the end of the rear fenders to meet the bodyline well. The only thing (and I know I don't have a car but I work on off topic cars (the kinds that have lots of bodyline work (in case you don't get it... tuners))) is at the bottom of the trunk where the 2 parts of the nose meet, it looks like a very subtle v. They come and go at different angles and if they could meet at the same angle it would look stunning. Just my .02 Okay so i saw the photo shopped picture up there and I gotta say, if you can I would make it thinner. It looks real hot. Sorry again. I know I have no car and nothing i can post up here but I am just putting forth an opinion. I do not mean to anger you... *starts crying* please, leave Britney alone...
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