Photoshop Request for my '54 Ford...

Ok vatos I need a favor, por favor.

I've pretty much got my mind made up on how my car will look when it's "done". Which really isn't far from how it looks now, I don't think, or is it? This is where you all come in.

I'm working on the 302 V8 swap as we speak, and prepping the car for bodywork & some new suede black paint before the Round-Up in Austin this April. So anything I see here might help strike an idea before it goes in for paint or whatever.

I'm really just wondering how it'd look with different things done to it. So use your imagination & photoshop magic.

I like simplicity. Bling ain't my thing. The only reason I'm thinking of going with a fresh coat of flat black is because I'm lazy, and I think if I have a nice paint job, I'll constantly be worried about scratches and ****. And I drive my cars, ALOT. so... you get the idea. But if it looks right, **** it.

To help in what I'm sorta looking for is a list of some of the things I've considered doing to the car, just not sure how it'd look. Of course, this is up to ya'll, so do whatever you want...

-different wheels/caps (style, color, etc)
-chopped top (still considering, just scared)
-scallops (nothing excessive)
-grille mods (teeth, floating, whatever)
-a real paint job (clean, simple)
-flaked roof (goes with above)
-flames (not a big fan of them, unless they're done right)
-trim (it's trimless, maybe just trim would look cool, hell i dunno)

Here's an angled view & a side view of the car in it's current state. Well, not current, but close enough... The FUGLY tube grille that I didnt make has been modified since the pic, and is now sunk into the grille opening & trimmed so it looks better.

 

Dude, I can't help with a photochop, but I dig what you got so far...
We better not park too close at the Round Up.
G.

 

I think we should park next to eachother at the Round Up! I dig your ride...cleannnnnn.

 

Thanks! I agree.
It's a '52, but close enuf.
I don't have a good shot of it and right now, I can't move it.
I found some of those mini trim rings for the wheels and have taken off the bumper guards and all trim except for the side panels.
Once I get the motor back together I plan to shoot it with some fresh black.
I have a lot of body work to do but not before the round up.


G.

 

not worth a damn with grafix, but here's an idea of a 2-3" chop...

T

lemme know how ya turn it out,,, i am s***ching my '54 back together as we speak,,, might even be a driver before i die

T

 

chopped and new wheels....

 

Just my opinion but I like these cars with the stock roof height. Someone talked me out of choppin' mine.

 

The plan for my 52 Mordor. late corvair bumper is the same angle as the grill surround above it. I'll also be replacing the 1/4 trim with Merc teeth, and '55 Olds headlight rings are on their way.


Flipping colors, cuz it hasn't been decided what the bottom half will be.

 

Something like this!

 

The 2-tone is killer!

 

That Ford looks VERY good !!! I like it a lot.Great plan !

 

here it is with a tomohawk chop and on the ground!

 

Thanks for the good work guys! I'm tempted to chop the top, but I really like the stock roof height. If I do chop it...it may be further down the road, just too much work load right now.

Buzzard, is that your car? What trim is on the car? Looks great, but I'm moving to Austin, so I can't rip off that look, haha!

Also, for you 52-54 Ford guys...what bumper options do we have? I'd like something a bit more bulky, or something with smooth lines. Mounting isn't a problem, but fitment is. Just wondering if anyone has swapped bumpers with something else.

 

Here is mine with a photochop, I'm with Chris I like them better unchopped.

 

Grille different trim and caps

 

ron,

are those a set of cal custom tail lites on your ford?

 

Not a photoshop but here's a nice one. I usually think that a lot of cars should be left unchopped, but 52-54 sedans imo benefits from a chop if its done right. Like this...

 

That is a neat grill is it hand made? I can't photo shop anything but I like the tri five Fords here is mine.

 

Yes they are the old Cal Custom Rocket Lite kits. They had chrome bezels that bolt to the car and the Olds lenses fit in them. I sandblasted them and welded them to the car and filled them. You can do the same with the stock bezels but they leave a small gap between the lens and the bezel.

 

QUOTE]
I wish! That's "Little Tramp", Gary Howard's car. She's got '55 Pontiac side trim. And I'm sure you wouldn't be the first to borrow a couple of ideas from Gary.

Seeing as that I think Ron's and G. Howard's are my favorite 52-54 Fords, I vote no chop.

Ron posted some real good pictures as he built his. Maybe they are archived somewhere for you to see them.[/QUOTE]

Buzzard
Thanks Gary's is about as good as they get imo. I have pix of the grille build somewhere on a disc. But here is what Lowsprings posted awhile back pretty much the same thing I did and very nice.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42385&highlight=floating+grille

 

Can anyone do some photoshop work on my car? These replies are great, but seeing other peoples cars isn't the same.

I spent a few hours at my buddies custom paint & body shop yesterday. One of the Kontinentals has a Mercury getting a nice flat black job there.

Anyhow, my friend, the owner of the shop, wants to paint my car a suede color. However, I can't think of a color that would look good on my car. And when I think of a flat color, I think of scallops or flaked roofs, or something that stands out.

I'm replacing the clutch in the car, then it's going to the paint shop. So if anyone with the skills can play with the pics at the top of this thread with some color ideas, scallop/roof/flame/whatever ideas...please please do.

thanks

 

I have an old Custom Cars magazine from '58 where they had ideas for 52-54 Fords and one used a bullet running light available back than that kinda looked like a flattened out 53-54 Buick.

I don't have my scanner hooked up, but I photochopped this pic to show you their suggestion for it.

A bezel with a shallower angle than the Buicks would make it look good if the end of the fender were extended only about 6".

The rear quarter would have to be extended A LOT to use the Buick lenses. I have a set of them and in order to get the engle on the bezel to look right, the extension would have the end of the tailight about 8" past the bumper. I used a cardboard template and no matter what I did, it always looked like a zit on a ***.

 

Who's your buddy and where is his shop?

Is the Merc black and red '55?

 

I hope he don't mind, but this is slacker_53's car that I took shots of in '04


http://photobucket.com/albums/v347/wrench_head/53%20Ford%20Victoria%20Custom/


My favorite 52-54 I've seen in person yet. Still stock enough to not look goofy to me. And I prefer the stock roof height, but that's because I hate not being able to see out easy...

 

4t64rd...I dig that photoshop...I've got the '55 Olds taillamps now...and I'm planning on sinking them into the rear about 1.5", adding chrome bullets on each side, and painting the end of ***ty black. I think it'll look good.

buzzard... My friend's shop is Southern Customs Paint & Body here in Corpus Christi. I think the Merc is a '53 or '54? And Sean(fatluckys) said the owners name was Jeff...I think? Anyway, the exterior paint is done, just needs striping, interior paint & re***embly and it looks killer. I'd post some pics, but I don't wanna spoil it if he's trying to keep it under wraps before the roundup.

luke...thanks for that link, good pics.

Here's a photoshop (MS Paint, haha) that I did on my car. I don't know how to draw, and I don't know how to do scallops right, but you get the idea.

Chopped, Dropped even more, & scalloped...

And for buzzard...a pic of the Merc in the paint shop BEFORE paint....just dont wanna give anything away...

 

Gotcha, I wasn't sure if it was Jeff's or his wife Katie's.

 

...hey, that's my car!

 

Here is a concept I brushed up for a Hamber a while a go.

Its a 54 done up as a typical Watson / late fifties semikustom.

-Wheels are painted black with Dodge Lancer caps.
-Its nosed, decked and shaved all over..
-A scoop with some teeth in the quarterpanel.
-Lakespipes (preferably functioning) and some Cal custom-style spots are added.
-Its otherwise lowered, but unchopped.
-Taillights are Olds.
-Paintjob is gloss black with gold scallops and goldflake-top.
-I think the grillebar is supposed to be the stock bar with some stuff removed.

I know it has a "nice" paintjob, but otherwise the rest is small stuff.

 

OK -- Here's my take:
No chop - but I did do some work on the top. I filled in the back panel where the rear window wraps around. You will need to find a small, flat back window
to put there. This gives a simple but more formal, elegant look.

I removed the drip rail to give the roof a more curved look, too. Also removed the hight peep-mirror to keep the line smooth. I would put a rearview back in the stock location, though.

Added slightly bigger white walls with small caps. I like old, Packard-style wire wheels, for some restrained flash, but that might be too much for you.

Lastly, I would add some chrome down low in '57 DeSoto style with a contrasting color in the inset. Makes the car look lower and lets you play around with colors until you find something you like.

I didn't have a good photo of the DeSoto chrome to copy onto your car, but I have included a pic of a '55 Chevy with it in the same place so you get the idea. What do you think?

Dave