Customs A little progress on my Chevy...New Quarters and Lights

I've been pretty wrapped up working on other cars, my house, and life in general,,,I did make some time here and there to work on my Chevy. I'd always planned on custom tail lights, but when a friend called me up and told me about this '52 he was parting out, I got an idea. I love the extended quarters and '49/50 Ford lights on the Ernst Chevy, but I didn't plan on running a conti-kit and I thought without it, they wouldn't work. So I decided to go a little more subtle...

Chopped off the original quarters...






Grafted the '52 quarters on....it took a while to work out the right amount to extend 'em and where to cut so they'd flow when attached...




I came up with this little trick...used the outside of the original quarters on the inside, opposite side of the new quarters so the the contour matched up.



You can see where the lines are of the original and the new quarters. I still had to make pieces to fill between the quarter and the tail pan...




On to the tail lights. I still get scared when I do shit like this...




That's better...



Of course I cut the entire piece out of the quarter for the windsplit, but I waited until I started tacking in the new pieces so that it wouldn't twist. A little hammer and dolly work was needed to everything to line up nicely.


With the light...I still haven't figured out how far I want them inset...






And finally the inside windsplit. I felt bad using another pair for this little piece, but the shoebox I got 'em from was through!



I actually got that cut out last night and the new piece tacked in, but my girlfriend took the camera with her when she went out of town. You get the idea.


Oh yeah, I flush mounted my headlights a little while back...



That's it for now...I'm hoping to get the other side finished this weekend, then I'll mold the splashpan and fit the new bumper.

I have to give a HUGE thanks to Rikster for all of his great advice and help planning these mods and the ones for the rest of the car. His site's a godsend when it comes to studying early customs.



Bryan

 

Nice

 

nice work, but what tire are you running??!! those are sick!

 

Wow man you got big balls . Looks cool

 

Thanks Bryan for the motivation.....Im ready to step it up now.....
As soon as I get my balls out of my wifes purse!...Lookin' good...

 

I love to see home built rides ! Like ware your going with this. And nice mocking up.

 

Haha...just tell everyone they're too big for you to carry by yourself.

Goodyear 6.70-15's.

Bryan

 

very nice... slick metal work.

Keep us posted on the progress!

 

it must be the camera angle then, it looks like its all whitewall...more than 3"?

regardless, you got skills with the metalwork, farther than i would go anyways! looks good.

 

great job ..

 

sweet-nice fab work!

 

Bryan,

As usual your work looks awsome! Can you give me some info on how you you did your headlights? Did you use your stock rings? I was planning on using my stock ones and just mounting the bucket on the inside. Todd

 

thats really coming out nice..how did you get it to sit that low?

 

come do my quarters next

nice work my man.

 

Bryan:

My thought is that if you are going to use the chrome rings around the light, don't inset them at all, have the chrome ring right on the edge of the surround.

BB

 

Beautiful work. Thanks for the pics!

 

Bryan

As always, you seem to nail it and take it to the next level. Your work is an inspiration.......Thxs

 

Thanks guys.

Drag'n...they're 4" whites.

Yep, used the stock rings. I got some good tips from some threads here, they might be in the tech archives...I'll PM ya.

Thanks Jim...your builds get me motivated to cut shit up!

I used an MII in the front and notched and 4-linked the rear. Not traditional, of course, but it's hidden and there aren't many other options to get low and keep a nice ride.

Trade ya for a chop?

Kind of what I was thinking, to match the headlights. Like this?




I'll be running a pair of bubble lenses that I bought from Winfield at Santa Maria. I'm going to use some round stock to smooth the edge of the tail light opening too.

Bryan

 

great work, that looks super smooth. ballsy task. I'll second the comment on the tires.

 

that looks alright i quess. p.s. i fucking hate you sometimes.

 

Damn man that looks great. You're doing an awesome job. My hero.

 

Looks awesome!

 

Thats the first time I've seen '49/'50 Ford lights on a Chevy and they look Bloody marvellous!

 

you done good.

 

Hey Bryan,

It's not like ya need to be told at this date, but that's some killer kustom
metal work you're doing to that 'bowtie'!

(Quote) on to the tail lights, I still get scared when I do shit like this-

It's the pioneers who take the arrows! Jus'about anyone can build a kustom by playing it safe and doing what's been done before. Even when
building a clone, you're assured of popular acclaim if ya only follow the
original dna and blueprint. It's when guys put it all out there and build
that which hasen't been built before that real kustoms are born.
That's what I see going down here!

Swankey Devils C.C.

"Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"

 

Man,,,that is one hell of a compliment. Thank you! I spent a lot of time studying what the early customizers put together on these Chevy's and similar bodied cars in an attempt to understand how they got the sum of parts to work so well as a whole. There's obviously a lot of Barris influence on the rear of my car, and the front may take some styling cues from Cerny, but I want some of my own on the car too.

Glendale...did I tell you that second set of windsplits were in a yard not too far from your house? A whopping $10 for the pair.

XOXOXO

Bryan

 

Your a ruler Bry, I am very impressed!

 

wow... looks good. what did you end up using for your rotten tailpan?

is there a chop in your future?

 

"Yep, used the stock rings. I got some good tips from some threads here, they might be in the tech archives...I'll PM ya."


I'm also interested in how you did the headlights. Any chance you could PM me or do a tech on it?

Great work BTW. Waaaay more than I'm even capable of thinking up, let alone doing.

 

I like it!