Projects 54 Bel Air Custom Tail Lights

I found these 1988 Cadillac Deville tail light and thought they would look really cool in my '54 Bel Air. What do y'all think?

How the heck to you paste the picture inside the text without having Photobucket or 1 of those other picture sharing sites?

I roughed out the opening and then make pie cuts so that you can fit your lights. I got the pie pieces bent to a rough shape, I tacked the partially closed so that I can use my cutoff wheel and trim the final shape rough opening before I measured and angled the rough framing.

Then I used 1/4" brake lines to make the support frames for the tail light housings (I see why you guys like to use them, they are great for making frames). I measured them against the sides of the Caddy tail light and allowed for 1" overlap so that when I flattened them they would be easier to bend to shape. After I got the correct shape I tacked them in place, 1 more dry fit, and the welded them permanently in place. After you get the frames permanently mount then use your cutoff wheel to shape the metal so that the lens butt exactly up against it. Gently press the pie cuts against the frame to permanently weld the cuts so that the sides are now seamless with the framework. grind down the welds and now you're ready for making the filler panels for the final shape.

Once I get the frames made up I was able to tack on the plates that completed the housing and shaped the metal until the flowed nicely.

 

Umm....nevermind.

 

lmao

 

adios mio!

 

hope your kidding! their flat square lights on a smooth round body. couldn't be any more out of place.

 

Looks great!

Are you going to French in those headlights that are under the car??

Jason

 

oh man

 

That's sad

 

That's funny Actually I decieded to keep the OEM headlights. I love the stainless trim for them.

 

Dude......no.

 

There not that flat. The are actually curved if you look at them from the side profile. From the side they actually have a good profile.

 

You love the stainless trim on the front....yet you like the flat, square, no stainless look on the rear. Your something else man

 

This is a joke right?

 

I understand wheat you're saying but we all like something different.

 

It's a good thing I didn't french in the 1999 Mercedes E Class headlights then!! You guys would have had a BABY!!

 

I make it a rule to never go more than 3-5 years newer than the car that is being kustomized. But I like the look.....on a late 80's Caddy.

 

I dunno man... my initial reaction is hell no, but it's this picture I keep coming back to:



The way you have the metal curving around the top and bottom of the light kinda gives it a tail fin look. I think you might be able to pull it off, but I'm not hard core traditional like these other guys are. Nicely put, if you're having a hard time convincing me, I'm not sure you're asking for opinions in the right place.

 

Holy hell that picture blew up big... site wont let me resize it either. Sorry about that.

 

sorry man. late 80s aesthetics dont go on a bel air period. this is a traditional forum. do some reseach.

 

Thanks for the vision of what I was shooting for. once I get it mudded in and the car in primer I think others will see what I was going for.

 

Where I'm from....Hot Rods have both modern and traditional mods, but kept in the Hot Rod theme and not the Street Rod theme. The cars are mostly original, for the exception of some modern interior touches or modern head lights or tail light (for the execption of a few), but still rock the OE drive train, wide whitewalls and hub caps!

I live in Metro Atlata Georgia....modern cars is all we have to choose from. I would have loved to french in some 1959 Imapala tail light, but cars like that are next to impossible to find in a salvage yard and to purchase a pair of tail light repair panels to cut up doesn't make good financial sense, you know???

 

54 Chevy taillights look great, seems like your customizing for the sake of it. Maybe try some rat rod forum it don't belong here

 

I know what you're saying. I originally wanted to french in some 1959 Imapla tail lights, but they're hard to find and buying a new tail light repair panel to cut up in order to french them is didn't make good financial sense...you know??? Besides I promised my wife that I wouldn't go over $5K on the build on this car. I've done all the work myself so that by the time I get around for the interior and paint done I'll be right there....

 

lots of stuff dosent make finacial sense. there are a lot of cars from 54 through the early 60s that would have made great canidates for the look you were going for. you didnt have to raid the mini trucker bargain bin to customize a car that already came with beautiful tail lights.

 

moon.dog...you're right! They do look great! Especially with the red/clear lenses. Rat Rods aren't really my cup of tea.

 

Man....It's a good thing that I didn't make some custom tail fins and then frenched in some Red LED lights.... y'all would have really cut my nutz off!!

 

Maybe I missed something here........Its your car, you like the lights, so do it ..

 

I think you did miss something..he posted this thread on this traditional hot rod and kustom forum, asking what we thought of it...well, we told him what we think of it, which is not much of anything good...

However, you are right, its his car and he can fuck it up all he wants...

 

I like how the one came out. Good job. Ive seen alot worse. I'm sure I'm going to get blasted for saying that.