Projects 53 Cranbrook... Can it be a "LeadSled"?

I have a 1953 Plymouth Cranbrook that my AMAZING wife found and bought for me... She knows what I have always had a passion for... Leadsleads... My three dream cars have always been the Shoebox, Merc, and the 51 Chev...

Since my budget is tight and my eyes are bigger that my check book, I have not been able to find what I truely want...

However, my wife found a car that she thought might be suitable, and I must agree... the pictures and threads that I have looked at have me almost convinced...

Am I overly excited? ...or can a 1953 Cranny be a "LeadSled"?

What do you guys/gals think?

 

Sure.
With time and effort you can definitely make a nice custom out of it.

Here is a little inspiration.
http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Ed_Sloan's_1953_Plymouth

 

Sloan's car was one of the first custom Cranbrooks I laid eyes on... I LOVE what he had done to the car, but I am sadened to hear about the history of it... It's great insperation and thank you for your input...

I really like how he seamed to salvage the rear window... I love the idea of using another rear oval shaped window, but with the resources I have, it's easier for me to use the existing... Not much for custom glass shops where I am from...

 

I keep posting this

 

I'm not a flames guy, but that is fucking bad ass!!!

 

Certainly!
Nice to see a different type of custom out there!

 

Post it up on the photoshop thread. I'd like to see a pic of one sporting a '52 to '54 Chevy front end. I think a Cranbrook would be a nice custom. One of my BIL's favorite cars. (grill & surround. NOT the whole front end... )

 

Not quite sure what your car looks like, this is a google image.
A chop is needed to get the rear of the roof down, the front height is pretty good. The roof has a lot of crown. Bring the roof rear down and use the decklid crown as a guide when setting the profile, the roof line and decklid line need to work together. Get rid of the rear quarter window corner, make it more of a tear drop.

If you want skirts, the rear wheel well lends well to it. No skirts consider raising the rear wheel well to match the front profile. I like the side trim, but think it should be 2 straight spears, eliminate the L shaped rear trim and make it a straight line.

I like the grill and grill opening, the front bumper needs some help, maybe just flipping it over will do it.

 

These cars have so much potential in my opinion and are often over looked. I would say you could execute a very traditional sled with some foresight and planning very easily.

 

"Early sources claims that Barris Kustoms chopped the top 3.5 inches in the front, and 5 in the back. Car Craft February 1958 on the other hand claims that the top was chopped 4 inches up front, and 6 inches in the rear."

Any ideas on which one of these conflicting measurements are actually true on the chop dimensions? I understand it's hard to tell from looking at the pictures, but with some experience someone might know... or have an experienced guess...

 

LOL any turd can be sculpted.

Early '50s MOPARS make good sleds. Just take your time and plan your mods seriously so you don't make an abortion out of it. Remember when it comes to tasteful customs less is more.

Happy days you must have a good woman there.

 

I agree... I am a HUGE fan of "less is more"... I have never done a chop, however I had witnessed the process of two... One turned out fantastic and the other turned out horrific... The one that turned out like crap was on a truck, so I dont really count that as experience...

I'm not scared or intimidated to start cutting up the body because I trust my planning and research... I have some friends that can also help me with the planning and intricacy of the measurements as well... Basically they are there to make sure I dont do something stupid... Which I do at work... Frequnetly...

 

From someone who owns a 53 Cranbrook, I think its perfect! imo

 

Are you talking about the chop on Sloan's Cranny from Barris Kustoms?

 

Pics? Can you load some big ones from the side and front?

 

Kenny,A guy at choppedolds shop is doing a 53 cranbrook kustom but I don't think he is on the hamb!

 

I removed the front clip and have most of the motor torn apart to clean the antiqued grime from the front end of the car so I cannot get any pics... My garage is barely big enought to work on the car, so getting a side profile picture is imposible.

However, It looks just like this... Except for the wheel color it looks EXACTLY like this...


And, this one also...

 

There was a thread on cloning the Ed Sloan Plymouth, but the project seemed to stall.
Maybe you can find some info HERE :http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...lymouth-a-barris-kustom-1953-plymouth.515739/
Being short of funds, you might want to think twice before whacking the roof. The devil is in the details!
Proper stance and wheel/tire combo will take you far.

This un-chopped Plymouth made the cover of Car Craft in 1961...a four door, no less.
I really dig the parking light treatment on this one!




Another cool sled.

 

Herre's a similar vintage Plymouth that was at the Road Rockets Rumble last weekend. Not exactly sure of the year but I thought it was pretty imaginative to graft on the later model Plymouth fins and tail lights. Sorry I didn't get a front end shot of this one.

 

The rear window transition to sail panel needs to be planned out, not much room below the window. Looks like Barris used a different rear window.
As the rear of the roof comes down with the chop, the window has to move up, and you need a gradual transition from sail panel to roof. The car has a hard transition there now.

The brown car with fins looks great, definately makes it look like a later car though.

 

not a 53', but hers my 51 cranbrook


you can see the whole build in my link below

jeff

 

I have seen that car before... and it is a 53 Cranny, also it looks really cool with the custom body work, but the front end has this super obnoxious bumper on the front... The bumper is about three times bigger than the car... But AWESOME metel skills nonetheless...

 

What kills the profile is that ugly bump in the back of the roof. The top wouldn't need to be chopped ( as in a common chop) as it needs the back flattened out. Maybe angle it from the front to the back leaving the windshield height and dropping the back a couple of inches, kind of like a fast back.

 

PnB has it right. Not every car needs a full chop.

 

I also agree with PnB, however, my personal preference is as much chop as I can get away with... I like the chop to be as low as possible while maintaing flowing lines with the rest of the body...

Sloan's car is near perfect...

I came accross this one earlier... and to me the chop is PERFECT... I am really starting to like the absence of the B pillar

 

The Second pic of a 53 is KENNYS FROM N.J.

 

This link may help-

http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Ed_Sloan's_1953_Plymouth

 

I found this using Google-

1953 PLYMOUTH 2 DOOR COUPE WITH A 4 INCH DROP AND A 4 INCH CHOP. HAS A 39 LINCOLN REAR SPLIT WINDOW.

 

Most folks probably think of these Plymouths as being "stodgy" and not having much in the way of their own character. And to a certain degree at least, they're right. These were rather plain looking cars and not particularly stylish in their day.

But this is a great example of taking the time to study the car you're working with, and what makes it unique on its own. The character line running mid-way thru the length of the fender is a good example. Continuing it across the nose of the car and molding it in smoothly is a relatively simple modification. It adds a lot to the car's existing character and detracts nothing.

Also, the chop doesn't look too extreme and appears to be well proportioned. But what really appeals to me is where the C-pillar meets the belt line. At the rear of the quarter windows they left that little "kick-back" toward the front of the car. Another example of keeping one of the Plymouth's few distinctive styling features.

I don't know who built this car but I truly appreciate the time and thought they put into the process and the restraint they showed. To my eye at least, a lot of 50s and 60s customs should have been built using this approach.