Projects Quads in a '57 Ford

Haha, awesome story! Thanks for saving the old girl (by that, I mean the Lark!). And it's a hardtop to boot. Nice!

 

Green "Suddenly"? Do you mean Terry Holloway's Watson-painted '57 Plymouth? If so, I couldn't agree more! This version was one of Watson's best...

Couple more grill insert options to confuse the issue...
'59 Merc. All those little oblong components look like they could be rearranged to fit the '57 Ford opening.

'59 Buick. Might need two...

'58 Buick. I suspect this one was the inspiration for all those "Drawer pull" grills. Would 200 little pot metal pieces make the grill too heavy for a drag custom?

 

'58 Buick grilles are only 4 ''squares'' tall, quite heavy since they are pot metal and might require you to build a framework for your '57...don't know if you looked at Dan's Caddy while we were in Spokane, but we had to build a complete framework in order to mount each set of four ''squares'' and stack them. They'd still look good in your Ford...

R-

 

I had an Aunt who passed a couple years back, and she told me many years ago...."once you reach 65, you are no longer responsible for what you say". I didn't pay to much attention then, but now that I'm 70, that is my creed. I've paid my dues, lived an interesting life, and have lots of boring stories.
"SUDDENLY"........ Mopar nuts will remember, maybe, that in 1957 Plymouth used the slogan "Suddenly it's 1960" in their advertising. Wally Parks and Ray Brock put together a Daytona racer based on a new 1957 Savoy 2 dr hdtp. It ran a "new" 400 inch Hemi by Chrysler. Bitch'n car!!! It was called the "Suddenly". A few years back, Wally Parks re-created the Suddenly, based on a 2 dr sedan. I brought this to Ray Brock's attention, and was told, don't go there, he'd already tried. Wally told him it was his old car, and he damn well remembered what it was. Ray also said, If I had a '57 Savoy 2 dr hdtp, I'd make him change it. Big mistake, as I just happened to have access to a really nice hdtp, sans the mill and tranny. I had it sitting in Ray's driveway the next morning. He wasn't thrilled........But a couple months later I received a picture of the new "Suddenly" 2 dr hdtp from Ray, with the inscription, Thanks alot Ray, for my $10K birthday present to myself. That's what it cost to make the change. Notice the racer sitting in the NHRA Museum is the 2 dr hdtp.
See what I mean, old fart, old, but maybe interesting stories.....Stay tuned!!!
And yes, that's the Watson painted '57, and that along with the '59 El Camino are the essence of early Watson masterpieces, at least in my eyes.

 

Okay, time for a bit of an update. I've got the headlights where I want them, not for the rear. Let you mind wander down that dirt road a bit, and imagine how these will look, split, with 4 lamps behind. Also, I snagged a 57/58 Ranchero, wagon, rear bumper, which is the Custom 300 style. I hate the big Fairlane units, and I kinda like the license plate lights. I'm going to install it painted silver for now, and rechrome this winter. I still need ideas on Watson style paint, more than ever, after going to the Winfield/Watson thing down in Mojave.

Something went a little sidewas uploading, so will try on another post....Sorry..

 

Let's try this.......

 

Here's the bumper, all dressed up like a frog!!!!!!

 

don't forget the Edsel tail lights!

 

Hey Birdman, are you thinking of the '58, and just using the outer?? I don't want to have to do any bodywork.......

 

where are those taillight from

 

Hi Bill, If you are asking about the pic above of my '58, they are off a 1959 Pontiac Bonneville. They will have to be cut for the truck opening, but that works well, as they can stand to be about 1/4" longer. I will mount with studs, as they were held on with a bezel, that I"m not using, and wee bullets from Moon on the stud ends. It's not possible to have too many bullets on anything.

 

This is the first time in years that I have looked forward to Winter. I'm old enough that I don't tolerate cold well. But, this Winter is time for paint, and both Larry Watson and I will be smiling. I've got it pretty well figured out with Travis the painter, just how to do the pearl, candy, etc. Hot damn, it's look'n good, if only if my mind. I also have some under the hood stuff to do. Remember, this is a dual purpose custom. People with a sharp eye will see that I have the exhaust protruding in such a way that Bellflowers will be cake walk.

 

Pancake the trunk and use the bezel without cutting it?????

 

Hey Slider, I'd do that, since that's kinda what the square birds are like, cept the bezel is split. I could do a round rod opening to eliminate the bezel, but man, I just spent 400 bucks on chrome. YIKES!!!!!

 

French them in? Not chrome cost there!
Looking REAL good, BTW!

 

The Skyliner used the passenger car bezels with its "pancaked" trunk.

 

in lovin it!

 

Hey guys, I'd never really thought about the pancake deck on the skyliner. I was out looking at the 58 earlier today, and thought about how a deck like the squarebirds would work on my critter. My concern was the bezel split. But, the Skyliner uses split bezels. I still want to use the Bonne lenses, and whaddathink about a frenched housing, using the Pontiac lens and bezel, and a trunk like the squarebird. Hmmmmmmmmmm..... The pic with the black line would be done like the bird. The other would have to be split, and frenched. There is a pic further back that shows the 58 bezel with the Bonne lens split. It would sure be smooth, and not as glitzy with the Pont bezel, not split.

 

Let's try the pictures again.....

 

Comments, please......That Tbird look would be great, I think, but a quite a bit of work.

 

"Does this retractable roof and pancaked trunk make my ass look fat?"

"Well to be honest,... uh, maybe, but that skirt isn't helping, either."

Anyway, I kind of like the squarebird trunk treatment but it seems a long way to go for a pretty subtle effect. Especially if it's just to avoid cutting the Pontiac lights.

Here's a couple Photoshop jpegs for comparison.

 

Wow, now I'm in trouble. I actually like the split, as it makes the entire rear look wider.

 

Also, I do have the '57 Custom 300 bumper, which is narrower than the '58 Fairlane unit. It's almost time to go into the Doc for a new paint job, so I reckon I need to make up my mind. Those pics blow me away.......Thanks!!!!

 

I think the dip in the trunk (Sq bird style) narrows the rear. Go full pancake.

 

I find this to be profoundly righteous. Do something special with the exhaust and done.

 

The pipes now exit behind the rear tires, and down. I did this simply because it was easy, and I can hear it better. I noticed later that it is in just the right spot for "bellflowers". I like to make people say "WTF", and remember, this is a dual purpose critter. It sports a nice 460, and is my club racer. Sooooo, bellflowers would definitely cause a stir......

 

The Fairlane bumper has always looked overweight and awkward to me, agree that the Custom bumper or maybe a pair of split ones.

 

X2 on the full pancake of the decklid. That'd look great

 

I've wondered what this car would look like with the '57 T bird infuenced '58 front bumper. The nose piece on the '57 doghouse has the reverse angle hooking back in sinc with the A-pillars. The '58 bumper ends may need to be lengthened rearward on the '57 Ford.