New Ride in the Stable... Custom I Guess

Just purchased this based off 53 Fleetwood...

This is a Co-op effort between buddy of mine and I...

Will post in Cars turned to trucks/fins and Caddy Cruisers later....

Plans for drivetrain unknown...

Plans for bed will be modified in rear square area..

Plans for rear window to be determined...

Purchased pics and then redition thanks to James D

 

That has the potential to be truly Bad Ass! Good luck with the project.

 

very cool if done right, and judging by the photoshop its going to be cool. If I remember correctly thier was a nice studibaker in hot rod deluxe? with a simullar concept.

 

Back window and roof section to a 59 El Camino would be cool.

 

Thanks for the compliments... The rear window perplexes me a bit too... I'll have to figure it out...

I do love the looks of El Camino... Flat top look... will have to play abit..

Supposedly the 331 was in running order when pulled 10 yrs ago and stored indoors, transmission stored outdoors, don't know shape of it...

All trim should be there and in good shape, bumpers need replating... OUCH

All glass good...

 

Much potential - keep us informed!

 

looks like a old flower car from a funeral home to me ????

 

It does look like a flower car. Do know any of the history?

 

Not yet, but it's a cut down Fleetwood and not flower car... We can see the differences in it... I'll know more in a day or so, when I pick it up...

 

that's EXACTLY what i was gonna suggest,,,,,,
cool project,,,

 

A cheaper alternative may be the back window and frame from a 59 or 60 chevy 4 door hardtop. It's a very similar rear window, although a little deeper / longer on the sides. I say cheaper because the elky window is a one off piece, and I don't think it's reproduced.

 

pretty cool! keep us updated

 

Damn nice find.

 

That's going to look damn fine when finished.....
I was thinking maybe a long roof rear windo out of a 57/59 ford wagon or
out of a Gm of simlar years????.

 

Photoshopped with top and rear window changed.
TwoChops

 

That is pretty damn sweet there...

Thanks for the compliments all and we're definitely jumping right on this one and will keep informed...

 

Old cads make one good looking truck. See a few several years ago and there a rare breed. Got to see this one finished please!

 

I like the roof change, but,,,,
Need to lean the back end of the bed forward, and maybe put some chrome strips on it like the Nomad.

 

what about grafting a roof from a handyman wagon. Im sure you could find one relatively cheap. Ithink theres a thread on these cadillac wagons..

 

Just an opinion mind you...but I think you should shorten the bed...it stick far to far past the taillights...suck it in a bit...and lean it forward more, ala a Nomad tailgate...that alone would make the El Co rear window fit more...

You might also want to consider a '60's station wagon tailgate upper for the rear window...

R-

Here's my Caddy build: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=329070&highlight=the+best+55+caddy+build

 

This looks better than I thought it would!
My $.02; The cab just looks a little small. Add a little more( 8-10") then 'ya could wear a big hat...and have a little room behind the seat!

 

Keep the ideas coming...

Like em, giving me ideas...

The bed will definitely be shortened and curved, that much we know...

Cab I don't think I'll try and lengthen although I'd like to, too much body work already done, that I'm not good at...

Roof line will most probably get something, lots of room at top of bed to work with, we do like the flat top look even though it was late 50's...

Always wanted wagon, but this is too close to being cool truck to try and convert now...

Please keep sending the ideas though and thanks for the comments... can't wait to get started...

 

And for a fist full of dollars more.
TwoChops

 

Got it moved from the owners house... stored at friends for a week or so til I get time to go and get it... few more pics to add... can't wait to get started...

 

maybe sloping the bedsides to mimic the body line that disappears into the fender would look good. Kind of removes that box jetting out back. Im not talkin like a full out roll to the pan style bed, just a nice graceful curve that takes like 4 inchs off the height at the tailgate.

Edit: Wish i still had photoshop on this computer...

 

The hardest part of a car to pickup conversion is always the rear window/roof treatment and the design of the tail end of the box.
I'm pretty much in favor of a forward slanted gate made from a station wagon tailgate which would allow you to round the bed corners ala a bathtub.
The 59-50 flattop sedan roof and window sounds pretty interesting. What was done there just doesn't do the concept any justice at all, a lot of work and sculpting for nothing.
Have a great time and make a great truck.

 

That has a lot of potential. It wouldn't take a lot to really clean up the bed and make it nice with the proper tail gate. One of the coolest things I saw was the top window from a 58 chevy wagon used for the rear window on a conversion. The window also opened like on the wagon.

 

Been thinking about possible solutions for this. As you may have noticed in the car into truck thread, I'm currently making a custom out of a '58 flower car and have an affinity for making these flow. As yours sits, the rear cab looks horrid - no offense. Body appears in great shape and you have a wonderful platform for an impressive hauling sled. Please don't cut corners and have this come out looking half-assed.

'59-'60 El Camino roof swap is off kilter for a couple reasons. Too new, as mentioned (which can work if the rest of the '53 was turned into an early '60s custom). Too short and too angular also.

Additional depth provided from a '59-'60 GM 4D HT shortened roof swap would aesthetically balance better but it would suck up too much of that short bed space. Still, too angular and doesn't match the '53s gracefully flowing lines.

Then turned to '52-'54 GM wagons in Photoshop. Although the lines flow better, their "C" pillars are too wide to become your "B" pillar - again back to the diminishing bed issue.

Next step was early '50s Caddy based professional cars - limo style hearses specifically, with glass all the way around. Superior is the only one that would work speaking from a glass perspective. The lines flow better than using a graft from a wagon. Still too wide and your bed suffers...

Process of elimination leaves me believing that the *best* solution is an early '50s GM truck cab graft. Width should line right up. The lines look much better than what you have currently. You don't sacrifice more bed space. 2" trimmed off the bottom should come close to matching your roof line. If the crown doesn't match, you could use the skin to the windshield with relief cuts as needed. Food for thought:



This is one of the more interesting HAMB projects currently. Really looking forward to following your '53 build!

 

nice score

 

subscribe. good luck with this one - it's a keeper

the truck roof looks right to me too. Just another vote for that direction - and I'm one who usually likes funk more than the next guy. Looks like you'll be collecting a few roof sections to try out