Features Can a kustom be kool without skirts?

Amen Tom. Just because you're building a traditional kustom doesn't mean you lose your creativity and copy what already has been done. Kustoms are works of art and its kool to try new ideas. If it doesn't work its only metal, you can always try something else.

 

No skirts on my 53 project.

 

Tom
You just gave me a little to think about, I noticed that you only skirted the cars with wide whites. In my mind there are wheel and tire treatments that don't seem to fly with skirts. Pinners for one, or Astros with or without pinners. They just are not from the right era by my way of thinking. They just don't look right with skirts.

The top rendition of the Lincoln for me, at least the stance that it has, needs to be skirted to look finished.

I have discovered over the years that sometimes it is just the car that says skirts or no skirts. I bought a Buick Lesabre once ( a '61) cheap with the sole purpose of building a street brawler out of it. I had everything saved up, 2x4, headers, bigs n littles on steelies (the fronts were pinners).

The car was a stock looking car with skirts and dual antennas when I got it. I pulled one skirt and walked around it several times. The skirt went back on, I dumped it and pin stripped it, then had one of my Mexican friends stitch me up some rolls'n'pleats and that was the way that it stayed.

It would have made a good street brawler, but it had its own personality before I ever owned it.

 

YES - they can be totally Bitchin without skirts - Like the Roy Dunn, Valley Custom built 50 Ford - both versions
End of conversation

 

No skirts on my mercury:

 

Mick, you may end up putting airbags on your Merc. Then you'll really be confused. But again you can change your daily. I bet you'll keep the skirts after all.

 

^^^ Agreed... that is one fantastic looking car. I could stare at it for hours, always an inspiration!

 

Skirts on a custom , yes please , lowerd suspension with a speedboat stance , shaved body , chopped top and Appletons , thats what I dream of ! You need to build what you like , try both with and without , stand back and look , what look do you dream of , if you dont like them sell them to someone that wants to build a pre53 traditional custom cause they will look awesome ! my two cents ......
Wolf

 

Yeah ... I know it's an old thread, but apparently it's been resurrected ...
Seems like it's running about two to one against skirts on customs on this thread ...
Personally, I think it depends on the particular vehicle being discussed. My Jet, for instance, came STOCK from the factory with 'em, and I'm not going to argue with Frank Kurtis's original design ... Well, except for chopping the Carson top those three inches that it definitely needed ...

 

I like the look better on ...my Son disagrees. Soon as it comes back from the trim shop they’ll be back on. Beauty is still in the eye of the beholder.


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Personal opinion. Mine is that chopped, lowered mid 30s to early 50s cars look far better with skirts. Moonglow below as an example.

As fins got bigger, skirts generally started to look out of place.

 

100% agreed. IMHO


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I think it's against the law to have a Custom without Skirts, I read that somewhere!! Didn't I ???

 

I don't think cars or men should be wearing skirts.

 

I think Mercs are just fine without skirts. I think they tend to add to the bulbous look.

 

I'm open to skirted and skirtless customs. Having no skirts just makes it a little more difficult to categorize for me. I refer to some unskirted customs as hybrids...part Hotrod/Custom. I am also a firm believer that events without a mix of Hotrods and Customs are short of complete.

Old threads never die...

​

 

I'm going skirtless for the hotrod look with my Merc.
Here it is pre-lowering -

I was inspired by these -

 

I like this one.

 

Kustoms do not have rear wheels.

 

for real my favorite shoebox been working on one ia1/25 th scale version love this !! skirts are for girls LOL

 

Without a doubt they can be cool without fender skirts!

 

For my taste I like I prefer the look of the Grapevine without hubcaps and skirts.

 

I knew you in High School.......it wouldn’t have helped


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This. 100%.

IMHO, the biggest factor in determining whether or not skirts look appropriate is stance. If the back end is down, then skirts. If the back end is up, no skirts. If the car sits high, no skirts. For those latter statements, the idea is to cover the tire, so if the car is high in the back and a substantial portion of the tire sticks out, it defeats the purpose. But covering the wheel gives the car a longer, lower look, and virtually every car pictured on this thread (with few exceptions) looks better with skirts.

 

No hubcaps makes the Grapevine look unfinished.

 

Can a kustom be kool without skirts?

Sure they can but they can also enhance the look.

Now a 1937 Lincoln Zephyr coupe looks like crap without them. HRP

 

by wicarnut posted Jun 24, 2016 at 11:01 AM

Purchased a set, decided to not install as the few Merc's I see, always have them, same deal with painted bumpers, they have grown on me, bought this Merc, because it was not chopped, makes it different, like ME.

 

With custom cars:
A tail dragger needs skirts.....an early look.
One with a rake, no skirts.....a later look.
When they sit level.....owners choice

But.....most custom car builders liked to break rules!

 

lol.


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Read the thread. With or with out is cool. Chrome reverse w/spiders on www’s on your ride, StrayKat...well that’s Way Cool! In the words of the big rig guy’s “keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down.” Roll em easy, an that’s ultra Kool. Later


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