54 Belair full Kustom

sgtpontiac said:

aren't you...? like this....

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Yes. There also one that runs from the rain gutter to the vent line, that is where they break the 2 tone paint.
I want to kinda duplicate that on the trunk lid also.

It might be easier to just put that on the 54 roof but we want to take some of the hump out of the 54 top so I just thought kill 2 birds kinda thing ya know?

Neverdone said:

I will be watching closely..... I also plan to reshape the front fenders of my 54 and the tails which most will probably kill me for. Like the roof idea but that sounds like a nightmare.

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cool, why would anybody want to kill ya for building a kustom? Reshape'n is what its all about.
What ya planning for tails?
I have 2 sets of Keizer tail lights I would like to sell if you think ya might want to go that way.

This is looking good! (I'm all about the planning phase)

I may be interested in a pair of light, I won't need the housing, I think they would look sick on the back of my 50 Chevy.... plus I have a Kaiser Gauge cluster I'm planning on using already

christcrusader13 said:

This is looking good! (I'm all about the planning phase)

I may be interested in a pair of light, I won't need the housing, I think they would look sick on the back of my 50 Chevy.... plus I have a Kaiser Gauge cluster I'm planning on using already

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If you look close one of the housings is cut down. I did that when I put it on my 52. It gives you a good way to mt the lens and all you need to have in the opening is 2 straps across the inside to mt it then build body around it as you see fit. Also the bulb sockets are there. Here is what I did as a quickie test fit.

cosmic12 said:

If you look close one of the housings is cut down. I did that when I put it on my 52. It gives you a good way to mt the lens and all you need to have in the opening is 2 straps across the inside to mt it then build body around it as you see fit. Also the bulb sockets are there. Here is what I did as a quickie test fit.

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That's what I'm talking about... that looks sweeet![dr

Ah! Now I get it...thanks for dumbing it down a bit for us slow old guys...lol

Not dumbing it down no need for that around here you guys get what I am saying just trying to be a bit more detailed in my explanation.

This might help abit. Had a guy over on the other site photoshop it for me, hes getting there but the rear windshield is still to large. and the 2nd one the scoop got pushed to far back. I gotta admit I am starting to like that big window tough.

That big window is the ticket!

Man, I think I like the smaller rear window. If you extend the steel part of the scoop back, move the chrome trim to the rear then I know it's the small window for me.
Much more customy.

The small window looks more like a custom, the big window looks more like a first-gen Barracuda. Both look good in their own way. I like the smaller window better though.

Another vote for the smaller back glass...

Old Iron said:

Man, I think I like the smaller rear window. If you extend the steel part of the scoop back, move the chrome trim to the rear then I know it's the small window for me.
Much more customy.

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I think that makes it.....JMHO....

We talked a lot about the small vs wrapped around rear window on neverdones Bertha thread.
If you want to use the stock large window for a chop it can and has been done. There is so much "crown" at the rear of those roof's right above the glass that you can get a 3"chop at the front and just move the rear glass forward and into the roof. This will leave you with a wider space between the trunk and the belt line.
Or if you know a great glass cutter they can be cut down as the new repo rear glass is laminated not tempered.
Or you can use lexan and make a new rear window that fits to the opening you have created.
For the smaller window many have used a shoe box Ford rear window or the smaller window from an earlier (50- 51) Chevy.
It's all just a matter of personal preference.......
Torchie.

Personally I like the big window a lot, just gives the car a whole different look but the guy putting up the bucks hates it so that settles that.
We are going to use the stock 54 wrap around window for sure, kinda the reason for using a hard top I guess. The plan so far and as to what I have come up with on measurements we may not have to cut it at all. ( the glass) Doing a 3" cut in front and 3.5 in the rear and doing flush glass front and rear with the fact he wants to remove the belt line hump front and rear gives me a lot of room to play. Time will tell but if my smart stick is correct it might just all work out....... Now! about that 58 roof.........I still haven't got one in my dusty dirty hands., HELP!

I am not an artist by any stretch of the imagination but I have been trying to get a clear direction on where we are going with this before I start cutting.
These are the best ones sofar and was wondering what you guys might think.

The front end is really just to show the 55 Caddy fender sections I have for it and the way I want to suck the bumper back and French the grill into the kinda stock opening.
The other 2 are different rear treatments and the 58 roof..
what do ya think?

Hummm.... not letting me upload pics very well.

One more time

Wholy Crap....

Are you kidding me!!?? You are in fact an artist...those renderings look killer....[cl

Those pictures look fantastic. Can't wait for a build thread for this one

I like the last one best.[cl[P

Thanks guys, they are rough but getting the point across I guess.
Here is the latest side view.
Still haven't had any luck on the roof so I am thinking I will just build one. He is dead set on having flush glass with no trim now anyway so I am thinking with a mid 60's hard to roof and see where it goes.