Custom Mopar ????

[Torchie]

Lol. First time I’ve left the house in about a week.
Torchie

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Good photos are hard to find... anyhow, here's my first dirty attempt with the '50 front end...

Original...

Chopped, sectioned, pancaked and somewhat nosed, big center logo and bumper guards removed.

I'm guessing by eye... 1.5" sectioned between the headlights and another 1.5" under the grille....

I'd imagine removing the filler panel and tucking the bumper would make a dramatic difference as well.

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[Torchie]

Now we're talking Dr. [cl
I had a hard time finding a good picture as well .Most were from an angle
I will be frenching the headlights so there won't be any chrome around them.
The only issue I see is that the 50 Grill bolts up to that big a%# center piece so I would have to fabricate that peak some how. Or come up with something to take it's place that's not as bulky.
You also read my mind in regards to the new shape of the hood front. That's perfect.
I may have to share this one with the gang over on the CCC site.
I am looking into possible other front bumpers to get rid of the square Mopar ones. I don't think the 49 Plymouth rippled ones that I like so much will work. They may be too narrow. Most likely a GM product of the same vintage.
I will also be removing that lower piece of chrome on the gravel shield or at least moulding it in and painting it the body color.
Thanks again Crank.....
Torchie

 

[Torchie]

And just to muddy the water a little bit....[ddd
Here is a 50 Plymouth grill that is much cleaner looking and I could probably just cut down to fit. And not have to fabricate SS parts. I would lose the lower bar and and the parking lights and just bring the rest down so that the remaining bar would be centered?
Torchie

 

[kenny c]

Still watching[P[P[P

 

[joedoh]

great shopping! I like how this is realistically styled and done to help visualize the work. [cl[cl

back in the early 2000s guys would get "renders" done of their projects, the only thing that seemed to get finished was the render [S turned out it was easier to spend 50 bucks on the render than 500 hours in the shop. and a lot of guys would try out different front ends or headlights but the photoshop allowed pinching here and slicing there that could never happen in real life.

like I said, you guys are doing it right, torchie with the idea and then the metal work, dr with the visualization. a better team there isnt!

 

[Torchie]

great shopping! I like how this is realistically styled and done to help visualize the work. [cl[cl

back in the early 2000s guys would get "renders" done of their projects, the only thing that seemed to get finished was the render [S turned out it was easier to spend 50 bucks on the render than 500 hours in the shop. and a lot of guys would try out different front ends or headlights but the photoshop allowed pinching here and slicing there that could never happen in real life.

like I said, you guys are doing it right, torchie with the idea and then the metal work, dr with the visualization. a better team there isnt!

lol And the renders usually had a bit of "Artistic License" to them....[ddd
I have been doing stuff like this since I was a kid (If my mom were here she would tell you all about the wagons, pedal cars and bikes I customised), but I always used the "Thumb view." You know. Where the artist stands back and puts their thumb up in front of their project to get scale.[ddd [S
Thanks to modern tech I can use Dr. Crankensteins thumb now..... (Well, I'm not sure that came out right.).
Hopefully he will indulge me one more time and show what it would look like with the 50 Plymouth grill.
His last "rendering' was a big hit over on the Custom Car Chronicle site.
Keep on keeping on....
Torchie

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

I froze my thumb off last week.

Seriously, I like the Plymouth grille for the reasons you mentioned, Torchie. I'll see what I can find...

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[Torchie]

I froze my thumb off last week.

Seriously, I like the Plymouth grille for the reasons you mentioned, Torchie. I'll see what I can find...

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Thanks Dr. I don't know if you can use that pic I posted a couple of posts back.
Torchie

 

[dutch]

I really dig what you did to the dodge above Doc.
The one bar Plymouth grill reminds me of modern dodge grills ...

 

[charliebob]

How about some variation on a 56 Chrysler Windsor grille?

 

[Torchie]

How about some variation on a 56 Chrysler Windsor grille?

I looked at those as well charliebob.(Heck. I don't think there's a grill I haven't looked at.) I even looked at the earlier Windsor "Two Nostril" grills.
Two things. Maybe a bit too tall and it pushes the period of my build back even farther.
When I do this type of builds I always take aim at a certain period of time I'm trying to replicate. I'm trying not to go beyond say 1954 on this as by then the 1949 Dodge would have been a well used car that a younger custom guy could afford to buy and work on.
Now......
Having said that nothing is set in stone at this point (other then the chop and section ) so everything is up for grabs.
Please keep the ideas coming. It's helping me keep the flame burning as well as getting me through this (What seems like a crappy) winter.
Thanks for looking in on me...
Torchie

 

[Old Iron]

[P[P[P

 

[Torchie]

All appointments cancelled so a little shop time this morning..
More MOPAR quirkiness. The front fenders have studs that go thru the cowl and are attached fro inside behind the kick panel.
These studs fit into dimple in the side cowl that have a corresponding raised are on the front fender. When I sectioned the fender it changed the location of the studs not allowing the fender to pull into the cowl as it should. Took care of that.
The door needs to be adjusted outward as well so this will all line up just fine now.
I also started to prep the PS fender for cutting as well...
Time to warm up and have some homemade soup and sour dough bread for lunch. [cl
More later....
Torchie

 

[bob w]

I admire your perserverence, Torchie. Opinion from a non-artistic person who's not a big lover of customs: I think lots of mistakes are made with grilles and tail lights in customs. The fact that you're deliberating a lot tells me you will do a good grille.

 

[Torchie]

I admire your perserverence, Torchie. Opinion from a non-artistic person who's not a big lover of customs: I think lots of mistakes are made with grilles and tail lights in customs. The fact that you're deliberating a lot tells me you will do a good grille.

Thanks bob.....
I don't disagree with you on those points. Especially with some of the "Newer" builds.( No offense to anyone that tackles a custom build of any kind.) Certain things work and that's why people use them over and over. I'm going for something different yet something that makes sense. There not a real long history of Custom Dodges out there. Perhaps more now then before due the better cost of starting with a MOPAR as compared to a Ford or GM. So i'm kind off on my own ( with all of your's and the gang on the CCC site help) as far as what will work, and what won't.
And don't think that I haven't been internet looking at almost as many tail lights as I have grills.[ddd
That will be a 14 page thread for another time.
If your back in Minn. I hope you are staying warm.
Torchie

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

Profile shots are so much easier... anyhow, I found this severely chopped Plymouth with molded headlights. The chop and my half-baked pancake makes it look wider than it will in reality, I'd expect...

The original, complete with devil/clown face (???) and bent bumper...

My hack job, sectioned 3" under the headlights, grille lowered the same 3", bumper "thinned" and raised an inch or so...

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[Torchie]

Thanks Doc.
You did better then me at finding a full front on shot.
Here are the two current contenders.
Let hear your thoughts gang... I bet I know which one wins.[ddd
Torchie

 

[Old Iron]

The single grille bar
[P[P[P

 

[Burgerman]

Agree. Looks nice.
[P