Projects My 1957 Lincoln Premiere "Sunsation" Build

I discussed this same issue (chopping a car with curved front glass) at length with Mark Wojcik (Chopolds on the HAMB). He built a pretty heavily whacked Olds with a chopped 57 Olds roof, and his theory is that you can't chop a curved glass car much more than 2" or so of vertical drop with the stock windshield. What you can do is start to lay the glass back and simultaneously cut off a bit of the top edge, but mostly the sides so the glass will lean back. But cut too much and the glass will pull out of the channel and there will be a gap. This was what Mark hypothesized was the reason for the trim Barris added to the sides of the windshield on the Kopper Kart. The truck had been chopped too much to make the glass fit so they had to hide the gap. But nowadays, even if the factory glass can't fit, you could make a template and there are companies that will make a custom piece of curved glass for you. Expensive, but will get the job done and done right. Awesome car.

 

Thank you!
In fact the glass is going to be a challenge for sure. Needles to say, I know a few good glass people and I have one of the best in the business close to me, Tony Gomes of Tri-Valley Auto Glass, in Livermore, Ca. Tony helped with the actual chop of the car and has a good idea on what it'll take and we've been in conversations recently to get it underway and taken care of sooner, rather than later. I'll keep you guys posted. In the meantime I'll post some pics of how the car sits now.

 

Well! That is the money question.. lol. However, I do have a good buddy of mine, Tony Gomes of Tri-Valley Auto taking a look at this. He's familiar with the car, the chop and the process to get the glass done. Hopefully soon we'll see this take place. Stay tuned.

 

What's happening citizens of Kustomsville?!!! Little by little been chipping away at "Sunsation" had a few set backs, but she's well and on her way to completion. With the help of a great friend James Williams and Darryl we're making progress towards getting her fit for the next phase. Here are some pics for everyone to enjoy... The road to Kustomsville continues... Keep it Humble and keep it Kustom!!!

 

That's got the right look.

 

I've fallen in love with the car. Can't wait to start my own thanks to you. Get er done.

James Williams

 

Anytime brother. I'm glad the other Lincoln went to a great home and stays in my Kustom Family!!! You too brother, get 'er done!

 

Slow progress is better than no progress... Sunsation’s coming along and finally making forward movement... BIG thanks to my good friend James Williams and Darrell for all the help I’ve recieved from you both these last few months to get Sunsation going. Both are class acts!!! Without you two, my car would still be a sitting duck lol. Let’s keep moving towards Kustomsville. Now for Jeff Spence at Kustoms by Spence to do what’s next on phase 2. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Keep it humble and keep it kustom!!! HFFH

 

I didn't visit the H.A.M.B. for a long time so I missed this beautiful Lincoln. I was pretty dissapointed that all the pictures are being held hostage. Any chance you could repost a photo of what it looked like at the start?
Absolutely Gorgeous!
We still run the 317Y block in our 54.

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Best put a skid plate on the fuel tank.I know the roads are a lot better in Cali but still the danger of scraping bottom is high.Car looks great!

 

What’s up citizens of Kustomsville?! So as with the previous post, the progress is in full effect with Sunsation, slowly but consistently for the time being. The new update to get her closer to the vision is the badass factory option swivel seats. I had already fabricated a set of swivel brackets and was thinking of adapting them to hold a pair of TBird seats but still I was looking for more of a timeless kustamization so when I saw the opportunity to grab these seats I did. For the record, I had to buy the entire car just to cannibalize the seats out of it and sell te car afterwards haha!!! Anywho, the progress continues, the glass should hopefully be done by end of March and the road to Kustomsville is well on its way to make the Santa Maria West Coast Kustoms Trek! Keep it humble and keep it kustom!!!

 

Btw, I know glass is going to be a challenge and my glass person, Bernie of Bernie’s Custom Glasss knows this first hand. Not only is th glass cutting a challenge but finding the windshield and back window gaskets are an impossibility to find. I got lucky and found one of two windshield gaskets supposedly in the whole country, but the back glass gasket is an impossiblity to find, none are in existence supposedly. So what do you do when something doesn’t exist, you make and kustomize one. Thanks to the great thinking of Jeff Spence and Dave Hitchinson, who’s doing up another 57 Premiere I owned and sold to my friend James Williams, they made something that will work. This is the the rough draft of the gasket. Keep it humble and keep it kustom.

 

Nice nice nice

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You parted a '60 Dodge to get those seats? You butcher!

Glad to see more progress!

 

Mark II Enterprises has front and rear glass weather-strip for 56 and 57 Lincoln, not just the Mark II.
Windshield Item# XXBO032, back glass Item #XXBO034. They have a lot of other parts, including door and window weather-stripping you may find useful. They're in Apple Valley, CA. I've heard good and bad things about Jack, the owner, but I've called and spoken to him and he seemed okay.

 

Well, the road to Kustomsville continues for “Sunsation”. To me the gauge cluster on the 56-57 Lincoln Premieres and Capris was put there as a poorly executed afterthought and does not look like it belongs. So, the next Kustom touch is the dash. Out of my two top options, I feel the ‘61 Plymouth pod looks organic, and at home; not to mention it looks space age and futuristic as hell. Which makes it the more fitting for the buiLd. Jeff at Kustoms by Spence is doing me the honors of making the mods and adaptations... stay tuned for more to come... What are your thoughts?... Keep it humble and keep it Kustom... HFFH

 

I always liked the Lincoln dash but I guess that isn't custom. It's your car and I like what you have done so far, keep at.

 

Thanks my man... I appreciate your feedback.

 

First comment, been liking everything I've seen so far, but I think I'd drop that gauge cluster down an inch or two into the dash somehow. And maybe a different steering wheel? I'm kinda seeing one of those 'square' Mopar wheels to go with the dash....

 

Yes sink it into the dash and fill the seams.

 

It's definitely going to be dropped down, this is the rough idea. As for the wheel, I had one and it's up in the air if I do a square wheel or not. Although I'm a huge fan of them.

 

Definitely going to be sunk down a bit, this is the rough idea.

 

If you lose the stock steering wheel I have a good home for it.

 

Yes I think the 60 or 61 Plymouths had a squared off steering wheel.

 

I too would gladly find a good home for your stock steering wheel.

 

That thing is going to be so cool and somewhat unique as those Premiers are not common!

 

The Aero Square steering wheel was offered both in 60 and 61, but they look completely different from one another.

 

Sweet 57 El Capo


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With your rear glass they used too make the rear glass out of plexiglass in
Chopped customs like mine back then



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It would be awesome and probly cheaper if I had this option... The good thing for me is that, I actually have retained the full size rear window. It's only been laid down into the roof crown. If you look at one of the pictures on my thread on page 6 or page 5 you can see the actual window on the car. BTW, that's what I'm getting done next; the windshield cut and the back glass installed.