I need help picking a style for my car!!!

[littledeucecoupe427]

Thanks to flatlandman's talents with Photoshop I have a concept of what I want my car to look like. It started out as a 1962 Chevy Biscayne 4 door post sedan and now it is something else entirely. The only question I have now is what style I should do it in. Should I throw on some primer and a ton of pin stripes or sea weed flames. Should I go the full show car route with 'flake or maybe fogged paint. Or something else? I don't know I am at a loss, any suggestions?

[ray]

i'd start with a repop '32 grille shell. then it would at least START to look like a deuce coupe. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[littledeucecoupe427]

lol, but seriously, any ideas?

[TINGLER]

Are you real rich or something? Are you loaded enough to pay someone to chop that thing up the right way? Or are you just gonna break out the sawzall yourself and go to town?

The reason I ask is because the modifications you are talking about are difficult. And that is putting it mildly.

Maybe you got some mad skills that I don't know about. If so, then have at it. If not, leave that car alone and drive it stock. Enjoy it for what it is.
If you don't wanna do that, just give it a shave and put some hydralics on it. Leave it as a four door and leave it unchopped and enjoy driving it.

Now if you got the mad skills. By all means slice and dice it. Chop it and turn it into a 2 door. Definitely change the grill and headlights to something unrecognizeable. If you are gonna go whole hog, go whole hog. Make it into something that can't be recognized as a '62 biscayne. Look at some of the Japanese cars for inspiration. Take out those four doors and replace them with two Loooong doors that fold down at the top. Kinda like a truck tailgate. That would be cool. Paint the outside lime green. Make the inside as furry as possible. I mean, go all out. Push it over the limits of good taste.....

Personally, I am more into Hot Rods and going fast. So if I were you...
I would just drive that car and work on turning that Essex into something MEAN.

These are just my opinions...and I'm NOT you.

JT.

[Tinbender]

You can't pick your own style? Do what YOU like. You really want my opinion? I'd scrap the 4 door and buy a real car. Building a 4 door 62 is a waste of time and money.
Hey, you asked.

[daign]

Flat black, red steelies, a coop devil sticker, and a fat chick in the passenger seat. Maybe a visor? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Keep it as is. Drive.

-Dane

[DrJ]

Do it 40s style with a '46 Cadillac grill and a 48 Lincoln Continental rear end.

If you gotta ask what "style" to do this, you aren't ready to tackle the job.
Don't do ANYTHING to that car other than drive it until you know what you want.

Four Door Kustoms R Punk Rock!

[bradberry00]

i think it is asking for some hydros, a chain steering wheel, monte carlo swivel bucket seats, gold spoke rims, and a huge airbrushing of Jesus smoking a joint on the hood.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

No....Lower it a little and put some flake on the roof and dont touch anything else...

The photoshop looks perdy....but that big ass slab of glass up font could be real fun to cut, not to mention when you cut it wrong it will be real spendy to replace.....if you have the $$$$$$$$$ and or talent go for it!

[40StudeDude]

Lemmee see LDCoop...seems I recall you saying you were about 16...or so...correct? Now that sez to me you ain't got no real world experience...unless you been building cars since you was ten...the stuff you're asking for/looking at IS NOT a weekend project...nor is it a weeks long project...more like months...and then you'll get disinterested, lose site fo your goal and the car (or what's left of it) will get hauled to the junk yard. I appreciate your enthusiasm...take a bit of advice...but start small...jsut do some minor mods...get a feel for it before you break out the sawzall.

Let me show you a photo of six and one half years (yeah, you read that rite)...six and one half YEARS of work...and there were many nites/weekends we simply walked away from it shaking our heads "It'll NEVER get done, IT JUST WILL NEVER get done!!!!"

Any IDEA what kind of car this is???
R-

http://photo.starblvd.net/~40studedude/1-2-5.jpg

[lownslow]

just went back and read your intro. that car is too nice cut up just flake it out put some wheels on it ,lower it and drive the crap out of it......the job you are talkin about doin on it is big even for a seasoned professional let alone a student ...no offense...and for gods sake no flat black .....or sell the car and get what you really want ....because i get the feeling thats not it.....just my opinion......

[TINGLER]

I also think you should take dollar figures into account.

40StudeDude, Give the fella a little insight into some of the dollar figures it takes to do a custom like that.

How much is it gonna cost to just have the top flaked right?

These are questions you will need to ask yourself DeuceCoupe.
Do you have the cash?

On my Fairlane, I spent around $4500. Which is cheap for a hot rod. But it is far from finished and far from pretty.

The money I spent went for stuff like an engine, intake, carb, radiator, brakes, gas tank fix, exhaust, wheels, tires, etc.
I paid $40 for my paint job and probably $100 or more for the metal to fix up the rusted and broken parts underneath.
I spent $600 on two new fenders....
All the work was done by me and me alone. It took a solid 8 months to do and it was a bitch. I didn't even do any trick mods like you are talking about!

I have NO interior. NO heater. NO creature comforts at all.
But the car runs good.

Just some stuff to think about.

JT.

[nor cal nic]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd scrap the 4 door and buy a real car.
Hey, you asked.

[/ QUOTE ]
but, did you see that more door on the 'japan car show' post.that is one of the baddest chops i've seen...
nic

[roadstar]

If you are capable of turning a 4door sedan into a chopped 2door hardtop I don't think you really need our help.

[jdubbya]

Drop it and find some wheels to put on it. I had a 62 Impala wagon, I dropped it with S-10 front coil springs, they worked great. You can pick them up cheap or free, just find someone dropping an s-10 and swipe the stock springs. If you cant afford wheels, the stance alone will make it look cool.

[nor cal nic]

here it is... click the attachement link above...
nic

[mytlo56]

I agree w/ the fellas above on the radical custom treatment. If you've got like 30k to throw at the thing have at it. Those fade-away paint jobs are like 15k, done right.

Cut a leaf or two up front, blocks and a re-arch of the springs in the rear, shaved, nosed, decked.

Paint wise I would do something like Marty did to Christine here:

http://www.northwestcustoms.net/gallery/view.nhtml?profile=gallery&UID=10006

For the record, it's semi-gloss, not primer.

If you have a little more loot, maybe nice metal flake burnt orange or grass green with bass boat flake white scallops, air bags, and radirs. 10 foot flames coming out your pipes have a way of moving you way up the cool scale too.

There's my two cents. It's your car, do as you please with it. Just for the record though, I don't see a damn thing wrong w/ asking the people on this board for advice. Not everyone has an eye for this shit. Admitting you don't and asking for help may save you from billet and a furry interior http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Deuce Roadster]

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif





I suggest changing your screen name to 62 MorDor 235 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif







http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[sedan_dad]

LDC427,
You get on the HAMB and ask folks to think for you and you'll get your balls smacked.
Nothing meant by it ,just a smack of reality.
Happens to all of us.
Mine are still black and blue.The wife thinks they're cool.

[poncho]

hey LDC427 lets see some pics of it as it sits now????then we can think for you!!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[ESnacky6]

I say go for the bullet-hole look...

but use a real gun and real bullets to apply them..!!

[MercMan1951]

I have to applaud the kid's enthusiasm...it's his kind of ambition that keeps the spirit alive...BUT...

I have spent the better part of the last 10 years just accumulating space and tools to do what I want. I paid $140,000 for my house with an oversized garage just to "be able to do what I want to do" to my cars...

I honestly couldn't put a realistic dollar value on all my tools...som needed, some luxuries...but it HAS to be near the $10,000 mark by now...

At 18, I was living with the parentals, thankful for the 1/2 garage (of a 2 car garage) space they allowed me in the summer months to "restore" my Chevelle. I had an air compressor, a few air tools, and a 210 piece set of Craftsman tools. I pulled it off, and 6 years later sold the Chevelle for nearly 5 times what I paid for it. Not including what I spent on it. Anyone can restore a car...take it apart and put it back together again...BUT cut the roof off something, weld it back together and have it all work "right" that's a whole 'nother realm!

I have learned a great deal since then...a great appreciation for kustoms of all kinds...no matter how much "time" you think you have, no matter how may "tools" you think you have, no matter how much "money" you think you have, and no matter how much "skill" you think you have...TRIPLE it. That's what it will take to do what you want in the end. AND...someone, somewhere, has/knows more than you. Take this info and ABSORB it. The HAMB is a great place to start.

But seriously, if you don't have all the tools needed to do what you plan at your disposal, a nice dry place to do the work over the next few months, and money falling out your ass...I'd stick to enjoying the car the way GM made it, save for a few personal "touches" of your own. If you don't, you'll wind up with a half-assed attempt at a car that will wind up in the scrapyard, because people HATE trying to fix other peoples' mistakes. Just my .02....... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[whitewallslick]

Anytime I need a little creative vision, I kill half a bottle of bourborn & soda, keep a notebook nearby, next morning read what notes I scribbled down, usually some pretty cool stuff. It worked for Hemmingway .... WWS

[choprods]

Hey Kid- if you are that young..... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gifI have done a little work on ol cars-I say just take it one step at a time and see where it ends up......Keep knickin away at it at your own pace-ask a lot of questions and respect the advice of anyone who know something you dont.....I still have to ask for advice after all this time- so dont feel funny.sometimes all it takes is a naysayer or a doubter to inspire you to pull off the "impossible"............ http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[TheRev]

hey duece;man i gotta go with a few of the guys.drive the 62 and hack the essex!when lo ridin aint cool nomore there will always be a place to hang with the rod.and duece, if ya need any help or contact suggestions,get in touch.i'm just in white rock and know a lotta folk,good luck. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[FrameDragger]

Ah, Border's Ride...