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History Skirts on 53/54 Chevy/Pontiac Custom?

Discussion in 'Traditional Customs' started by coupe33, Dec 21, 2016.

  1. coupe33
    Joined: Nov 23, 2004
    Posts: 663

    coupe33
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I was interested in mid 50's customs. When I see them on this forum if they have skirts they are stock style. Growing up in the 50's and early 60's the cars had eithor Bubble or cruiser skirts. Anybody have pictures of these years with other than stock skirts? Is my memory skewed?
     
  2. flynbrian48
    Joined: Mar 10, 2008
    Posts: 8,220

    flynbrian48
    Member

    Pontiacs have a factory lip on the rear fender for skirts. Our '51... n_a-2.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2016
    Corvette Fever, dan31 and Chavezk21 like this.
  3. coupe33
    Joined: Nov 23, 2004
    Posts: 663

    coupe33
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Thanks but as I said stock. What about 53/54 Chevy.
     
  4. 'Mo
    Joined: Sep 26, 2007
    Posts: 7,432

    'Mo
    Member

    Generally speaking, cruisers and bubble skirts have always been an exception on these models, though regional differences play a small (but insignificant) role.
    Cruiser skirts seemed to proliferate on North East customs, and bubble skirts in the Midwest (thanks largely to Jimmy Jones, of Detroit), so it comes as no surprise to see you are from Maine. Even so, vintage documentation will show few examples. You can verify this by visiting the excellent custom archives of both Rik Hoving:http://public.fotki.com/Rikster/
    and Kustomrama:http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=1953_Chevrolet

    Photographic documentation was largely West Coast based, but there were several East Coast "Little Pages" publications, where you'll find 90% of the extended rear fenders, Connie kits, and cruiser skirted customs.

    One example that I do recall was the "Golden Penny", with its bubble skirts. (Not surprisingly a Midwest car.)
    Pics of the finished version are hard to find, but it was pretty wild!

    [​IMG]

    Dave Jenkins' beautiful Fleetline is a bit older, but also sports some (gennie) Jimmy Jones bubbles. (Again, a Midwest car.)

    [​IMG]

    Further examples will be the exception, rather then the rule.

    Coincidentally, this beautiful Chevy recently appeared on another thread. What interested me most was the lipped skirts, a definite departure from the norm for these cars, newly built or vintage!

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2016

  5. The "lipped" fender skirts were known as "flared" skirts.
    Foxcraft was the fender skirt company that made flared skirts, their business had to be booming, back then.
     
  6. 'Mo
    Joined: Sep 26, 2007
    Posts: 7,432

    'Mo
    Member

    I had a pair of Foxcraft's ('51 Buick) on my Shoebox Ford. Plans are to graft the flare onto my Avatar '49 Chevy skirts. :)
     
  7. coupe33
    Joined: Nov 23, 2004
    Posts: 663

    coupe33
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Thanks MO the pictures cleared some of the cobwebs
     
  8. Or find some '49 Flared skirts ?
     
  9. Mr Lucky
    Joined: Jun 15, 2010
    Posts: 54

    Mr Lucky
    Member

    [​IMG] Fox Craft style
     
  10. 54delray
    Joined: Dec 18, 2004
    Posts: 1,699

    54delray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Fremont NE

    Hey Coupe33, Not sure what GM was thinking when the designed the skirts for 53/54 Chevy? You've seen the stock ones and they totally ruin any line at the bottom of the car. I'm running Foxcraft on my Chevy. They do not fit up in the wheelwell, rather, over the sheet metal. It gets rid of the wheelwell line when viewed in profile, and the bottom has a nice flared lip, instead of a squared-off edge. I'll post some pics when I get my scanner back in my office.

    Bill
     
  11. Helo-tech
    Joined: Aug 27, 2016
    Posts: 16

    Helo-tech

    take a look at my '54 Chieftain, has factory skirts that follow the fender contours ---it my Avitar
     
  12. Here is my 53 Club Coupe
     

    Attached Files:

  13. Ruben Cruz
    Joined: Jan 22, 2015
    Posts: 94

    Ruben Cruz

    Them are some ugly ass skirts
     
    Hnstray likes this.
  14. Corvette Fever
    Joined: Feb 18, 2014
    Posts: 142

    Corvette Fever
    Member
    from Michigan

    There was at one time a guy in the Detroit area named "Logan" that custom made skirts out of the roof skin on junked cars. At one time a pair were worth big bucks.


    Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  15. Hnstray
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 12,355

    Hnstray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Quincy, IL

    The white '53/'54 Chevy in post #4 also has the front fender wheel openings flared.....nice touch altering the front fender to match the skirts being used..............

    IMO, the bubble skirts are totally unsuited to the rear fender shapes of '49/'54 Chevy and Pontiac and other such pontoon rear fenders. Both Bubble skirts and Cruiser skirts were introduced in the late '50s when slab sided styling was the common shape. But I fully understand that is a subjective opinion and views may vary.

    Ray
     
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2017
  16. coupe33
    Joined: Nov 23, 2004
    Posts: 663

    coupe33
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Every body has an opinion! I did have a pair of skirts lined up but the guy seems to have changed his mind. I have the stock skirts for my Poncho. I am really looking for cruisers and bubbles and will buy some glass skirts and fit them to see which way I will go.
    I think the skirts on the club coupe look good.
     

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