Projects Ideas for customizing 59 Ford front end

Face it, the 59 Ford front end is a special kind of ugly. Has anyone done or seen some decent enhancements? I've searched here and google and not seen much. Pics would be greatly appreciated.

 

It could be worse....

 

I hope we get some good responses. The factory customized it so much, its hard to imagine what else could be done

 

This one was for sale on the HAMB. The drawer-pull grille is especially nice.

 

That 2-door looks ood with the galaxy trim and birds on the rear end with small caps.
But i like it

 

You can't go wrong with a tube grill in your 59.

 

I think the grill in the red and white wagon is a 59 Buick.

 

It does look very much like a Buick grille, but was described in the ad as custom made of drawer knobs.
Here is a link to the ad.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1959-ford-country-sedan-wagon-kustom.997240/

 

Nicely done whatever it is.

 

Good responses, thank you. I was hoping to see some custom fabrication work around the headlights and a swapped front bumper. The rest of the car is pretty bad ass, just an awkward face lol.

 

Polishing and detailing the stock grill will do wonders.... and some tribar or Lucas headlights are a very nice custom touch. Bumper swap? The most common one is a '57 Desoto, but how about '58 Edsel split front bumpers with a small 'roll pan' filler between them?

 

I'm going to touch up the black in mine and see how I like it. There is someone selling tube grilles on evilBay for about $469.

 

Simply painting the headlight doors body color completely changes the look on this '59, giving a clean, custom appearance.



As for the bumper, why not see if someone on the Photoshop thread can help you out, perhaps with a '59 Buick bumper?

 

A bumper without those torpedo tube parking lights would help a great deal.
I'm interested in this because I have one and have yet to come up with anything I like.
So far its nosing the hood and a plain ol tube grill.

 

Thank you. The Customs I remember from the 60s were all about removing chrome and smoothing the car so I was kind of on the fence about adding the Galaxie trim and skirts but I do like it. The birds had to go for that smooth look. My son liked them so I left them on while he drove the car to college in another state but since I am driving it now, I took them off. I like the idea of cutting the fins off and adding more metal to elevate the fins maybe 4 inches. Got Fins? Exaggerate them, right? It wont be like Bill Hines Bat but will give that Custom look without being excessive.

Lets see more Custom ideas for this car

 

Hamber Tuck's Ranchero with DeSoto parts. Best looking '59 Ford front ever.

 

yep

 

You could take some styling cues from the '59 Bird and come up with something pretty snazzy.

 

The upper moustache trim and even the grille itself tie the front of the car together. The stock grille supports the splash panel. I like the Desoto treatment above which probably eliminates the splash panel.

 

@Phillips yes that Desoto set up is real nice. @'Mo I see what you mean, the painted bezel looks good.

 

themoose over at the Photoshop thread was nice enough to piece these together from Buick and Ford pictures I provided (plus his own tube grille). I'm sure he would have done better on his own, but Hey, he's working for free!
(As do all the Photoshop wizards. Kudo, Guys!)

 

I really like the '57 DeSoto bumper on there but those bumpers are extremely hard to find in good condition.

How about a Packard Clipper front bumper? They're clean and straight and have neat Dagmar bullets like a Cadillac. I think it looks pretty good.

 

This one has the lower front fender bumps smoothed out. I like the big opening but think a different grill might suit it better. I also think that eliminating the front bumper and flipping another upper lip so that it would have the trim all the way around the opening might look good.

 

I have to be honest, I don't dig this front end treatment at all. The opening looks disproportionately large, the grill choice isn't really well suited for this car and looks too tall in the opening, and the narrow bumper looks too thin and light to properly balance the "weight" of the front end. Pass.

 

Looks Rambleresque....

 

very much.

Neat thread, interesting to see how difficult it is to make some cars look good!

 

It really is. There is a very fine line between sucks, OK, nice, very good and superb.

 

1959 Canadian-built Meteor front end??

 

Ya 59s are tough, i when i went to ccr this 59 was there thought it had some neat touchs
, View attachment 3258338 View attachment 3258338

 

I like the smoothed out fender bumps and the low bumper.