Design question, 55 wagon

Here's the deal: this wagon belongs to my wife, and I'm supposed to be building it for her and guiding her along. Its got a nice hot 350 and the stance is close. I'm looking for paint advice, wheel suggestions and someone to suggest a front bumper...

Lets hear your ideas, any photoshopping is appreciated.

Our plans are this-Red Flake roof, black wheels with spider caps, and maybe wide whites. The bumper is a source of debate right now.

What is staying is the stance, and the grill. I will be adding the marker light covers.

Thanks

 

What would be wrong with the stock bumper ??????

 

I'd go with reverse chromes, no caps, and a shaved one piece 55 bumper with no guards and call it good.

Nice car.

 

Not a huge fan of wide whites on tri-5's ,but i think the chrome reverse would look cool ,as would Radirs ,or Torque Thrust D's. Definatly needs the stock front bumper back on it (unless it was a Gasser) .I'd loose the lake pipes and and do a different grill .Im not a big fan of a stock 55 grill either .I have seen 55's with a 53 Chevy grills in the 55 grill opening and it looks cool ...

 

I would run a stock grill,and bumper,leave the paint as is,and put some front sig. lite lenses on it,small flat caps on the wheels,or 5 spoke american's, man i love that car!

 

Another vote for the stock bumper. I think chrome reverse wheels or thorque thrusts would be killer and I wouldn't touch the paint at all.
I think getting rid of the lake pipes would be good as well as getting some park lamp lenses in place.

Great Car!!
Bobby

 

Stock bumper,Chrome reverse wheels and narrow white walls.
What color is the interior? If you do the roof in red flake,is there red in the interior to go with it?
If the interior is all black,I'd switch it out to Black vinyl with red piping or Black vinyl with red flake vinyl inserts.
If you keep it all black,pinstriping will add a lot without being over the top.

 

Red would be too distracting. Heavy SILVER flake roof, bumper back on. Just say NO to wide whites on tri 5s. Radirs or chrome reverse wheels...perhaps a thin white wall.

But what the fuck do I know? I've known you for over 20 years Jack, that's what. Just listen to your old pal...

 

It's sort of a collage of designs; monochromatic paint with the grille surround painted the car color, the "Vette style" grille and lakes pipes like a custom, late model rally style wheels and wide tires. What "style" does she prefer? Too many different styles going on at once to me, but I tend to prefer stockish appearence with nice wheels/tires. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

stock shaved bumper and radir wheels

 

I like it like it is already!

Some Radirs rims ,no whites ,no side pipes,

Stock turn sig covers,and smooth front bumper......

You want to sell the spreader bar on the front?

PM me and let me know.....

 

Just my two cents but I would like to see a 55 Pontiac rear bumper on the front less the tie bar with a license plate between,re-chrome the grille surround and use a simple bar(tube) grille,clean off the hood with about 6 rows of louvers,a couple of small chrome bullets in the centers of the park lights,chrome reversed with spiders,all black with some very subtle ivory pinstriping(not much;maybe hood and lower tailgate;NOT dash)and a set of 55 Pontiac rear bumpers and wagon taillights.Oh yes(and I know I'll get flak for this)a set of teardrop spots.Also;leave the lake pipes on,they go with the scenario I just layed out.

 

This is my favorite 55 wagon here on the board. Although its a Nomad yours would look good set up like this and use whatever paint scheme that floats your boat.

This belongs to laid55....So much for sticking to your design rules..lol.

 

Stock bumper, shaved and tucked up close. I like the grill insert but it looks wrong with the painted surround. Lose the lakers, chrome reverse, polished 5 spokes or painted rims with chrome lug nuts. I REALLY like the rear wheel openings done to match the front on the Nomad wagon above, don't know how much body work you want to do that straight arrow body though. Down in front just a little and up just a touch in the back. Chrome Roof rack. (I dunno about the red flaked roof, looks a little too "trendy" to me, but, there's no accounting for taste.) Now, you're done! Beautiful car, beautiful wife. You done good!

 

cool ride man! but what does the wife like? after all its her car right? looks like you have gotten some excellent suggestions on a bitchin car !

 

as you can see by my avatar, im definitely a fan of radirs and big whites.but for yours, how bout supremes with skinny whites? stock bumper would be OK, keep the vette grill, and lose the lakes.depending on your interior, flake the roof with something a little more original than red, go out of the box on that, maybe with some scallopes to match the roof.also, get chrome grille trim. it will make the vette grille pop a little better. good luck!

 

Chopt55bc.............That is the most bad ass Nomad I have seen in you're avatar.

 

I'd stay with your plan but maybe the 1 1/2 inch w/w's and some pinstriping Gary

 

Another option is '55 Pontiac front bumper/grille.

 

For what it's worth... I tend to be a minimalist kind of guy, so I'd put the front end back to stone stock, loose the lakes pipes and go with unpolished American Torque Thrust "D" wheels with blackwall radials...with just a touch of big 'n' little tire stagger. Oh...and no trendy paint, just a clean one-color - like black, maybe.

Just my $.02

 

Insert key, drive!! That fucker is perfect as is, worry about butchering it later.-MIKE

 

Stock bumper, grille and chromed surrounds.
If you stay with the custom grille, shave the bumber guards and nose the hood (hood bird and emblem go).

Lose the lake pipes.
Keep it BLACK and run unpolished American 5 spokes or Centerlines.BLACK 55'S LOOK BAD ASS WITH CENTERLINES!

 

its not a nomad. just a plain ol wagon. thanks for the props!

 

I say insert the lovely lady behind the steering wheel and drive
until bored. Then you can make changes.
The red roof does sound cool!

 

Is that yours ? I posted something about it in another thread a few months back after I saw it in Roll & Pleats. I think it absolutely kicks ass. Send me some pics !!! Or, sell it to me (I wish) !

 

I agree with flh4speed. the hell with these guys. if its her car then go with what she likes. Besides you'll get a lot more loving that way.

 

stock front bumper, leave that grill, flake the roof, wide whites on radir wheels. not sure about the lake pipes. good luck. shave that hood!!!

 

Grill can stay,chrome surround it a must,also stock bumper,shaved and smoothed with no guards is optional !

 

You need to do whatever floats your boat(or hers rather). That is a great looking wagon. I may be biased though; I'm building a '57 150 2 door wagon. You got a great looking ride with potential to go a few different directions with. Whatever you do, follow the K.I.S.S. principle and get out and enjoy it!


Jay

 

Lakes Pipes are 'kustom' items...the Vette grille is also a 'kustom' item...Ralley wheels, to me, always said 'street machine' and late '60's...so, in essence, the '55 is giving off mixed signals (too many eras mixed). White walls, (any color on the rim except black), flipper type hubcaps (or chromes and moons) go with a 'kustom' look....as does some metalflakes....not coarse metalflake however.

As for the paint, red is too passe...meaning it's been done to death...do something a woman would like (it is her car after all, right...???)...if she's the one that likes the red, then so be it.

As for the front bumper...back when kustoms ruled the streets, it was hard for someone without too much body work experience to change a bumper (and brackets), get it to fit and look correct...and to keep it simple these days, simply find a stocker...smooth it off, chrome it and put it back on.

That's a nice looking wagon without gooking it all up...

R-