I am in the last stages of bodywork mods for the Fleetline before I get it in paint. I have a couple of body mods I am hung up on. (This is a mild early 60's styled 1950 Chevy 2 door Fleetline.) The car has been nosed and decked, frenched in lake pipe tubes, 1 piece Olds windshield, frenched headlights, 1 piece 50 Pontiac bumper., shaved handles,1 piece California bumper, 59 Caddy tail lights. All of the chrome except the beltline trim has been filled , including gravel shields on the fenders. 1st mod I am trying to decide whether to run the beltline trim that goes up and over the windows. Would it look more streamlined with just the beltline horizontal trim? I will run the chrome around the windshield front and rear......... 2nd mod I filled the stock antenna hole and haven't dedcided whether to run a traditional antenna or one of those hidden antennas. Do they work? I kinda like the look without but it would seem tobe more period correct to have one frenched in the rear quarter, maybe facing aft at an angle? Thanks Root
Period correct would have the antenna frenched in (sunk in...???)...but not necessarily angled...when I got my first '57 in in 1960...the thing to do (in the Midwest anyway) was to mount it on the rear passenger quarter...and let it go straight up..however, a "Kustom" would have it sunk in...and I think an "angle" on the Fleetline would have been appropriate... As for the trim...either way would be acceptable...again, in the '60's, if you bought an expensive car (as in: lots of stock chrome), only the hood, trunk emblems and possibly door handles would have been removed...unless it was chopped. R-
I think if all the trim is filled everywhere but the beltline and front and rear glass, it might unbalance it to be around the windows too ... And I've never been a fan of the sunken antenna(s) but thats just my preference. If you like it without one, keep it that way. Are you going to be using the radio? If not and the antenna would just be dead wight with no purpose, I think you should leave it off. When can we see pics of this baby?
Can't help ya with the belt line but not a big fan of the sunken antenna either. Are you gonna drive it in the rain? Does the antenna have a drain hole or fill up with water? But sounds like its gonna be pretty cool. F.O.R.D
Keep the horizontal belt line trim, but ditch the vertical trim. Will look much cleaner and the belt line trim will break up the body nicely without adding too much bling. A frenched antenna, power or non-power, would look great and correct. On your year vehicle, I would keep the antenna vertical. I think the only times the frenched antenna should be angled is when you run dual antennas, and that is typically a later 50's style.
Tunneled antenna (or 2), and use the single beltline trim if doing it tu-tone, but keep the window trim if it's one color. You need it to break up the lines.
if you decide to get rid of the antenna, dakota digitals untenna works very well. have one in our 55. no complaints.
Leave the window trim off no matter what. The antenna I could live with, but personally, I would leave it off also. Like to see some pics- sounds very cool.
Yup need to see some pics, I'd lose the trim around the door tops and just leave the beltline trim. My vote would be for a hidden antenna or hide a CD deck in the glovebox and listen to CDS and iPod but no radio.
Nothing to really see guys. It's still in pieces. Lotsa pieces. I am temporarily installing things like doors etc. to mount the new bearclaw latches etc. But they hafta come back off so I can finish out the door jambs. OK, Here's a pick of it before I started "ruining" it......
I dig the beltline trim and the window trim of the torpedo backs.... the antennas....I would leave off, to me it would clutter a smooth line... fender/door trim/gravel shields would be off as well
All of the chrome including the lower rocker sill chrome has been removed. The beltline and window trim is all that is left at this point. Oh and I am using the Pontiac side spear from a fastback to replace the last section of spear.
I like it better without the trim around the windows, like on Frank's car. But it looks like Frank molded in the drip rails on his. If that trim fits on the drip rail and it is like a u channel you would have to rework the drip rail to look right.
Ron, it's not on the drip rail. It's underneath it. I wanted to mimic a mild custom in the early 60's.....even though it is mild it is taking a lot of work.
No upper window trim and a tunneled antenna on the drivers front fender. I wish I had sunk my antenna in. BB
Roothawg, Lots of good advice here, I see it two ways: 1. Early custom style - leave the window trim, sink the antenna, keep the belt line trim, remove the mud guard. 2. Late custom style - follow what Frank Livingston did to his fleetline, go with the side trim or leave it off like Frank's, use the hidden antenna. Cruiser
Ditto. I mounted my antenna under the dash and it worked OK, but I'm told they work better if they're mounted in the ceiling, between the headliner and the roof. Hope this helps.
I'd keep the window trim....but I'm partial.....I'm keeping mine. I'm hung on the antenna, myself, as well. I've considered the hidden antenna folks are mentioning, but wasn't sure how well it worked. Also remembered seeing a flush outside antenna that retracted flush with the fender and was pretty much hidden when down. I don't remember who made it, but think Pat Ganahl used it on that 53/54 Chevy he built for his cousin in R&C years ago.
OK, I have started filling the upper window trim holes and I am opting for the hidden antenna....so I am pressing on.
I'm not sure why but a frenched or sunken antennae just looks weird to me. I know it might be period correct but I still find it unappealing.
Cool post i have a fleetline aswell And this is a great question to me its all about making a clean smooth statement and one thet YOU like i have lost track of mods of mine cars still in mock up and is a blast to work on every time i step in the garage. Mods are: wells here a few of the noticable ones welded fenders to the body tilt front end opened hood at top pancake style one peice windshiled also a frenched antanea, all trim removed except window trim it just keeps just the right amount of chrome in the right places on these cars narrowed rear 9" 4-link etc. also flipped the bumpers and moved them closer to the body , ok theres just to many but do what feels right to you and enjoy it Later
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