I seem to remember something about this being a factory-style custom. I'd say leave the headlights alone!
The Buick Y job played a significant role in establishing the feel that i wanted to achieve. . . and a love affair with Cord Sportsmans from as early as I can remember. I have lots of other priorities to tidy up, but I appreciate greybeards effort. . . always good to put it out there . Harley Earl said "Go all the way . . .and then come back a little."
at this point, the proportions are so spot on, that you could do either headlight set-up and it will look damn good.
"Harley Earl said "Go all the way . . .and then come back a little." Priceless!! Best quote I have heard in a long time. JT
Relax guys, at this stage of the build I am tending to agree that the signature of the front needs to remain intact. . but it is nice to dream. wish i could line half a dozen up and do a series of customs. Rik came up with several knockout variations. I joked that "we just need a biilionare to get into customs and commision us to build them all." Harley Earl's birthday today. my hat is off to you "Mistearl".
I like both ideas regarding the headlight treatment. The stock design is eloquent in more ways than one. I went on a cruise a few years back where I drove my '37 Chevy pickup and my boss drove his '39 Caddy convertible coupe. On the way home, he followed me up the coast road. Traffic was light and streetlanps few in some stretches. I looked in the rear view mirror and observed the soft yellow globes of the six-volt Caddy lights reflecting off the vertical grille and the waterfall grilles in the fender. It was like a film noir Raymond Chandler movie in the mirror and I almost ran off the road a few times because I couldn't take my eyes off the vision in the mirror. Since that time, I've wondered if the night view was part of the Harley Earl design.
I have to say the headlights look good upright, but a really wide, massive set of Cord style ones would look sharp too. The small circle outlines look way too small and too low. That car is all wrong... you need to invest your time into a Brougham Coupe! ;0) Josh
All this headlight talk is making me light headed. . . Last night I decided to bend the window channel.
I cut 1.6mm stainless and folded it in pan brake to about 70 degrees and then flattened in a press to get the rounded top.
Wait for it. Last piece of parade boot can now be detirmined. I kept it rather fat which really emphasises the roadster style back. Going with low square buckets , no back seat.
I don't have any friends. passenger seat is just so i can rest my ph and wallet somewhere. How do i change my name to LONEWOLFNIGHTRIDER???
Will the tulip panel (parade boot, whatever) be hinged? You're killing me, after I welded the extended tulip panel into the body of the T'bird, I had been tempted to hinge the truck lid at the rear (holes are in the body and deck lid for convert hinges) and do the retractable convert top trick with it. I also have the bows, but not the hinge arms...
I really like your build, because I love that the 60S one of my favorite cars. I can appreciate all your fab. work, like changing the B pillars and splicing the doors side with left to right and front to back. Makes me want to build one my self. What part of the top did you make the prade boot out of? Keep up the good work. I am going to think about this really hard. Thanks Frank
This will be it for a month or so. Going back to Brisbane for Xmas. Gonna have withdrawel symptoms while im away. Last night was another milestone. Foldaway top in action. Works like a bought one.