Inspired by Ed Roth, Plowboy and Racerdad

Looking good! I really like James D's photoshop.

 

Thats exactly the sort of thing I had in mind.

 

Wow, this has been a busy morning for you guys! All of the above posts came in before 8AM! So were you ALL up the entire night?! Ha

Takin' it from the top, 'Slider' it was great fun to have you and 'Charlie Echs' come help finish Al's truck and get him back on the road! It sounds like you all had a fun time at the Palouse gathering! You're welcome anytime I'm out there ...

Richard D, I do appreciate the 'look' you proposed you, it's just not where I'm going with this particular build. It's supposed to be more of a drivable 'show car' kind of look. What you've described to me is more of a drag-strip car/borderline gasser, (if the stance were different).

Wfritchen, Ha! Don't kid yourself, I certainly don't 'walk on water' not even close ...
Although I do find some things easier than others, like metalwork/fabrication, some of the build process is not my favorite.
Oddly enough, I actually enjoy the paint-prep stage more than the mechanical stage! How weird is that?!

Exwestracer, Hmmm I heard James D's comment about the car needing a hood ornament of some kind. Now, here YOU are posting the same kind of thing! OK, you've shown a 'Scott's injector hat', I could very easily make something like that. Height-wise there's no room for the injector itself, so it's a good thing I don't have one and nobodies offering one! Ha
However, just so you know, I've been thinking about the aircleaner housing that is already on this engine. I may have to do something 'Radical' with it. Since the body is tapering down in front I've rapidly run out of engine compartment room! The radiator is probably going to have to be leaned back substantially just to fit under the hood!
I'm not a big fan of tall 'mailbox' lookin' air intakes on the street. There's too many obstacles just waitin' to jump in front of your car as it is! I don't want my vision impaired.
That said, forward tapering sheetmetal would allow an air-intake of some description that tapered from lo-profile in the back to something with more area toward the front. I'm thinking, kind of a twin-snorkle effect. I could double the air intake while keeping the profile quite low. It would have to attach after the hood is closed, due to the bulky nature of something like this. Remember the late '60's early '70's hoods from the muscle car era? This could be like that, except the ducting would be exposed/above the hood.
Hmmm, I like it!

Plowboy, yes the Hamb in general is 'Blessed' to have someone of James D's talents. Not to mention his willingness to share his vision of the descriptions given. His insights are truely valuable and I'm sure he's been insturmental to keeping several build threads alive with his participation.

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

 

Exwestracer, Sorry, I thought I'd covered all of the posts and I missed one of yours! The 'dual headlights on pods' thing is actually a really good idea! It may not look right when I do a mockup but now I have to try that one out!
I've always had the perspective that the car needed 'canted' headlights. Right now the only way that canted lights would fit was if they were mounted outbound/raised vertically of the current locations. This arrangement would also leave more of the original grille width intact.
I'd planned on scratch building the light shrouds out of aluminum sheet and using the original design as my inspiration for a highly modified version. The original headlight shrouds were polished aluminum, so mine would have to be too.

The polished aluminum look is what I'd probably do with the above discussed fresh-air intake idea. I think that would really look cool mounted on top of, (not directly in contact with) the original hood.

Fellow Hamb'rs, these are all really good thoughts and I appreciate your invaluable input! Thanks for your continued interest!

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

 

Maybe the headlights off of an old Imperial??

 

BTW, this build makes me think the Surfite and Crucifier had a lovechild!! Or the R&C Dream Car. I DIG IT!

 

Keep the creative updates flowing. Very much enjoying this thread Steelsmith.

If you decide Imperial headlights may work, drop me a line. I'll pull 'em off this parts car.

 

I´m all for the headlights in pods idea. Maybe hanging down.

Another PS job for you with a flat plate replacing the valence and your flat(ish) hood scoops. What do you think?

 

Hey you Texas guys are on the same page! Those imperial 'pod' lights are really distinctive and installed in the right build would 'make' the entire front end of the car.
Original Patina, If you don't mind I will keep in mind that you do have a set that you would be willing to part with ... I have other future builds, one in particular that could use a set of those! Could you PM me with details as to what you'd need to have for them?

I'm thinking for my current build I'll stick with the intention of doing a metalshaped shroud/'headlight door'. I'll know more after doing a mockup of what I'd like to use and see if it still makes sense. I may also have to add some level of shape, (exagerate the original body contours) to the fronts of the front fenders, kind of like the old 'fade-away' pontoon fenders of the late '40's. The polished aluminum metalshaped shroud would be a bolt-on piece much like the original shrouds, just redesigned/expanded upon.

Again, this front-end discussion is highly speculative at this time since I haven't done a mockup of any kind!

Thanks for the thoughts!

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

 

For eye-candy sake, the Crucifier:







the Dream Rod:

 

Hi James D! You are closer with the grille style this time! The split wishbones and cross tie-rod would come up into the valance during articulation, so I don't think there will be a valance at all. If there is one, I think is would have to continue the rolled under look of the grille bars, but as a solid polished sheet of aluminum, much like a rolled-pan effect. It would have to start as a continuation of the grille, not as a forward addition like the valances shown. The outside areas/ends of the rolled pan would also have to taper/roll in at the bottom this would be for clearance of the split wishbones.

I could see the canted lights working in this shape if the canting followed the 'downward and toward the inside' of the very tip of the front fenders., just scoot the outside headlight about 1/3 to 1/2 the diameter of the light itself beyond where the current body curve is, then angle the 2nd, (inside lights) down and in following the lines on the front fenders. The additional width created by the outbound headlight being moved further out is where I'd use the 'fade-away' technique to blend back into the original body shape. It would be very subtle and might take the entire length of the fender to smoothly blend.
I do like the scooped effect you have applied to the underside of the headlights you have photoshopped. Something similar may be needed to incorporate the lower/inside lights of the rolled pan in my version.

The twin hood scoops is sorta like I'd envisioned. The way I see it, I will probably run out of underhood room for the original aircleaner housing. That means it would have to come through the hood to some extent, less in the back and more in the front. I could either enclose the entire aircleaner inside of a sheetmetal shroud of some description or use an exposed shroud that doesn't actually attach to the hood itself, more like a 'shaker' hood scoop, a la 'TransAm'. Maybe twin shakers turned backwards?! I dunno ..., there's not a lot of width to the hood when you get to the end of the hood.

Thanks for your continued participation!

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

 

White brothers! What year are those pictures of Crucifier from? Early '70's?! That is truely a unique build! Waaay cool, thanks for sharing!

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

 

The 'Dream Rod' featured in a recent issue of R&C, I find both inspiring and jarring at the same time! My personal need for balance/symmetry flinches at the asymmetrical design, but there is also something that draws me to it.
Not sure what that is all about, but I like it, in a masochistic sort of way! ha

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

 

Some sort of OEM scoop or hood blister would be cool.

Hit the local Pull-a-part to see what is available.

 

If you give me some time, I can bombard this thread all sorts of canted headlight pics, I just have to scan and edit.

 

OK. Here are some pics to get the gears spinning. As always, double-click to make them larger.

 

White Brothers, the top right example on picture two, is close to what I had in mind. I would use a different shroud, but the angle is close.

Thank you for sharing!

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

 

Hood scoop ideas, I'm open to suggestions. I just have a general idea of what I want, nothing specific ...
What'cha got?!

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

 

White brothers, your posting of canted headlights has spawned a little different idea from the standard canted look. I'm going to play with the staggered/canted combination and see what I come up with. By staggered I mean depth-wise, with the two upper/outboard lights being further back on the fenders than the twin lower lights ...

As I said earlier, just speculatin' here, so don't take any of this too serious, ...yet! ha

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

 

Just had a thought on the hood scoop idea ... early 'Sting-ray'? That wouldn't look too bad and could be Kustom tailored to suit my needs ...?

Again, just thinking out loud ...

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

 

Dan,
IMO, it just seems like it would be cool for the scoop to have a crisp edge and some taper at the bottom to echo that fender line. That is such a beautiful shape that I see it everywhere I look on the car. Plus, that Scott scoop has "60s show car" written all over it... Hahaha

 

'57 T-bird

 

'66 T-Bird

 

'64 'Vette

 

I think that the hood need's to have some shape and shouldn't be flat. I kind of like the 67 corvette center bubble if you will but I am not sure on the actual scope. maybe if you could do the center bubble with a t-bird scoop? Just thinking ourside the box if you will....

 

By the way I have to say I really like the build and have to say keep up all the good work.

 

There are so many varieties of hood scoop/blister etc. I think I will back-burner this particular part of the design and just let the ideas keep coming in ...
It's not like I HAVE to have, the right idea RIGHT now. There's a lot of other stuff that still needs to be done, that I'm sure will inspire the right shape when it's needed. So much interplays with the hood scoop, the windshield/roof line, the grille/fender fronts. I think it'll come to me as I start to finalize some of the other areas of the body.

Meanwhile one of you may post something that triggers the right idea! Who knows?!

Dan Stevens
dba, Steelsmith

 

Keep thinking about these back tires on your project:

 

Just foolin' 'round.. drew this last night..

I like the reverse angle roof idea. Crease roof like '64 Impala- possible in aluminium.

 

Wow! Spoggie - thats a great piece of work. Excellent idea with the side windows too - the roof really works like this.