Projects 57 Belvedere 4 Door Gone Mad

A larger opening on an egg crate grille is fwd look mopar all the way or may be a honeycomb?

 

Racrdad, yes there is a wide range of skills/experience on the 3 metalshaping sites I mentioned. I believe that there a few metalshapers in the Austin area of Texas, probably a few more scattered around, It's a large state! Ha
If you get a chance, connect up with someone local or at least in the same state as you, for a little networking about metalshaping. I think if you do some research, buy some books/training videos and get some hands on instruction you'll be surprised at what can be accomplished with minimal investment.
I'm looking forward to see what you come up with!

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

 

i'g go with some variation of the horizontal bars... it'll make the observers eye see the car as being lower from the front

 

none of them really seem in tune with the rest of the car

 

haha fury jim is great... heres 1/8 of his real cars!!! 46 in all i believe.

 

Well, hell, no wonder he was upset...He has cornered the market on the finned Mopars!

 

Decided to get a start on a windshield frame. Didnt really find anything from another car that stuck me as a windshield frame that fit the look of the car so I whipped one up just to see what I could do for it. Started with some 1.5 x .5 rectangular tube, pulled a compound curve into a piece with my $30 swap meet bender. I left it plenty long so I could trim it to fit the width once it was bent.


Still needs little tweaking here to curve smoothly. Some more time with the bender ended up providing a good curve.


Cut some pieces for the side posts, angle cut the bottom and the sides and tacked them together



Starting to look like something now. I did end up shortening the side posts about another inch. I bent another compund curved piece for the top of the frame to match the bottom but it just didnt look right to me. So I bent another piece to match the curve back but left it straight across the top and here is where I ended up. (Also just traded for a 3 in 1 machine so I can actually roll some stuff and shear some smaller sheetmetal pieces. Not the greatest sheetmetal tool but way better than not having one)





Still have work to do on it and decide how I am going to insert the Lexan into it but so far I am happy with the look.

 

I like this project a lot. Just my 2 cents, I think that windshield would look better with the top corners changed from 90 degrees to curves to match the curves of firewall and grill. I wish I could photoshop so I could put a picture with what I'm trying to suggest.

 

Very cool.

 

I'm just a newbie.. but if I were building this, and it isn't going to have any doors like yours appear to be, I wouldn't put just a flat piece of Lexan on it. I'd put a little wrap-around windshield, kind of like what Chip Foose did with his Thunderbird (which, by the way.. I absolutely dislike. Don't hold that opinion against me).

I'm trying to think of a good size as to how far back I'd put the glass, but so far, nothing's popping off the top of my head. I'd say maybe a little further back than a stock '55 chevy glass would. But definitely not as high and a little more round. Does anyone know what I'm talking about, or have a better example that would fit my description?

Again, just my 2 cents. No disrespect! Keep up the good work!!

 

'57 didn't have a V, it had a little thing that's supposed to look like a sailboat. '58 V grille ornaments are actually kind of hard to find.

I like where this is going, the windshield frame looks good.

 

What a great project. Looks better everytime you update your thread....

 

i hope i got your idea, DavidL, about the window frame

 

I like this.

 

maybe just a wing window on the side for support...you could angle it back as far as would look good. Maybe even 'swoop' it to match the rear fender...swooping..

 

As for the grille, how about cutting the backspacing off a Supreme wheel and mount that in the grille opening?
Add's a bit of a 'Custom-theme' perhaps in line with the car's appearance... And it protects your radiator against huge rocks

 

Great job Russian. That is exactly what I was trying to explain.

 

glad i can help

 

SAILBOAT??!! That's a ship!

The grille emblem for '58 V8 Plymouths is hard to find, but the fender "V" is similar and much easier to find since it was also used on 57s.

 

The Mayflower, you know, Plymouth Rock & all that.

 

speaking of that....you could use the original center brake light, with the Mayflower on it, from a 46-8 Plym for a 3rd brake light on the trunk lid.

 

Sweet! I want one!! I'd go with rounded corners on that windsheild frame though (maybe vent windows too)... not sure on a grille insert though....

 

Russian,
I think you nailed the windshield frame, now we just need to talk Doug into re-doing it!

 

The round top window frame is a good look. Laminated safety plate glass is the only legal material for a windshield for a street driven car. Since the windshield is flat this should be no problem.
Once you get a nice solid windshield frame mounting system figured out you're one more giant step toward having that beauty out and on the road.

I like your dual headlamp setup but think the thick trim ring setup is a little heavy for that little car, maybe stock slender chrome retainer rings and bulbs peeking out of a panel in nice slightly recessed coves mounted to sides of the nose cone would be little more fitting?

 

russian, awesome windshield design

 

I just show what others can only say in words

 

Well not much progress but I have changed the windshield frame. MGB to the rescue. Still some work to mate it to the cowl but I think it will work well. Proportions are good, width is good, its a real windshield and that is really good.

 

Oh yeah, as seen in the background I aquired a Pexto stomp shear and not seen in the background also a TennSmith brake. Thanks to Rob (robleticia on the HAMB) for checking them out for me since he has the knowledge to make sure they were in good working order before I bought them. Trying to step up my game with some better tools for fabrication. Anybody got a 36 inch or longer slip roll they want to sell at a reasonable price?

 

Windshield is PERFECT!!! My opinion of the grille- maybe you could cut the front off of the original hood and try to make something work. It might look good to scale down what the original grille looked like.

 

Yep, that's the right windshield.