Does anyone have (a) picture(s) of a P15 4door with scallops?? Trying to get an idea on how that looks... I've incl. a pic of the car, however, waiting for my new springs to lower it... Greetz and cheers! PlyPals <!-- / message -->
Just my ideas if you like to take them up.I would start them about an inch back from the peak of the bonnet and same on the top of the guard. This will take you back onto the flatter section of the panel and making it an easier place to mask up. Keep the radiuses rounded like the cars shape,i'm picturing them done in an off white ,like creamy colour,to make that defintion of colour contrast and to make it look Old Timey. You need to have the side one on the guard start with the scollap front rolling off the headlight onto the shine line(in the photo) about 3"above the guard moulding.Also one to start on the side of the bonnet shine line(in the photo) This would be my starting point.Mark them two out so the side viual will be impacting first,space the others out where they can land the best. Also I think the cars shape determins that the scollops only run full length of the bonnet and as far as the flat section of the guard will take you,maybe 4'' behind the back of the tyre. May also be cool to slip a smaller scollop on the back spat too. Depends on how decorated you want it to get there are all different styles of scollops,just like flames. I use a Chinograph pencil to draw them on and marking them out. Hope this helps but I didný have any photos.
Looks pretty slick as is to me,but lowering,some cool caps or chrome spoke rims and wide whites would look good.
Way too nice to scallop, tasteful pinstriping would do it! Flipper caps and wide whites to finish it off.
I agree, some scallops over that nice paint is just gonna make it look cheesy, that car is too classy for chheeeese. Lower it get some www and maybe some new caps and rings and your done.
Thank you all for the reactions!! Tony carter: that is a decent manual you wrote down! I'm going to try it with masking tape... But I don't know how it will turn out... Actually, I understand the reactions on skipping the scallops ;-) My thought exactly... but some guys were talking me in with the idea. That's why I took the liberty to ask here... I've never seen a P15 sedan with scallops. flipper caps or even spider caps were my original idea. Maybe even the Buick '41 spears on the fender skirts... saw it a while ago and liked the look of it! The www's... not for now, the tires on it are way to good to get rid of 'em. By the way...the paint looks nicer on picture then in real life... PS: Kreepy, you've got my support!! ;-)
LoneStarMopar is soooo right. There's classy...and then there's cheezy. If you've absostinkinlootly got to have scallops...and it would be such a mistake if you do...do some heavy research on Larry Watson's artistry. Of all the stripers of the period, his is the only style that actually made some of the cars look better. The biggest problem you face is that fat fendered cars like yours were never scalloped back in the day. They just don't have the body lines for it. When scallops were in style, so were new model cars of the 1955 to 1960 range with long, swoopy, flat-sided styling. If you mix your eras by applying a new paint technique on an old body style you have to be very, very, very talented or it will turn out looking cheezy, as Lone Star Mopar pointed out. How about doing some serious homework and sticking to period-appropriate paint techniques like tasteful striping. Your paint may not be perfect, but it's better now than if you have to sand off a whole bunch of cheezy scallops...
Missysdad, glad you talk about period correct. I want this car to be period correct. Unfortunately, I'm pretty new to the scene... Already did some research, but it's sometimes hard to find the right sources. Also not too many (striped/custom/...) P15's are found on the internet/magazines/meetings... It's not like it is an absolute must for me to have the scallops... I just want a period correct mild custom. "Classy", dependable and a bit of pride
I really like scallops, but I have to agree with the "no scallops on this one" crowd. You've got the visor and spots already. Some striping,WWW's, lowering and maybe some better caps, and this car is SET
Perhaps I can help. I am old enough to have been around and active in the custom car scene in the mid- to late-50s. This was a time of rapid change in the hot rod/customs scene. The concept of "retro" had not yet been born, so everything was focused on updating old cars to be more like the new cars. It was also a time of great prosperity in the United States so just about anybody who wanted a new car could have one. So very quickly "old cars", those with fat fenders, became just exactly that, old cars. Nobody wanted them any more so they became valueless, many were junked even though they were still sound and even more became stock cars. But as custom car material, the fat fendered cars were largely ignored once the flat-sided cars came onto the scene. So it makes more sense to focus on the '40s and very early '50s as your "period of correctness", rather than looking to the late '50s and '60s - when scallops were popular - for your styling cues. During the earlier period, more traditional techniques were used. These included lowering, shaving, chopping and rich, single-color paint jobs. Grille swaps, frenched head lights and tail light swaps were also very popular. Wide white wall tires and special hubcaps were universal as narrow whites, chrome reverse wheels and spider caps had not yet been introduced. So, the majority of the advice you've been given on this thread is very appropriate to your goal of building a period-correct mild custom. Mild to moderate lowering using conventional methods (no air bags or hydraulics) is absolutely necessary. Nobody ran stock-height cars. But this also brings up another aspect of "period correctness" that you'll need to deal with: East Coast styling versus West Coast styling. This is no small thing. In a nutshell, East Coast styling consisted of adding bolt-on geegaws while West Coast styling revolved around removing excess trim in favor of clean, smooth lines. Although it had its followers, East Coast styling was not the leader. Clean, smooth West Coast styling was considered far more desireable and got most of the magazine exposure for just that reason. So, if you want to be period correct you'll need to choose between these two diametrically opposed styling trends. If you want East Coast styling on your Plymouth, keep the visor and fender skirts, and add extra antennas, fancy bumper guards, gaudy hubcaps, extra lights, mud flaps and every other form of bolt-on accessory you can find. But don't touch the torch! If you prefer West Coast styling, you would lose the skirts/visor and focus on smoothing the lines of the car by removing trim wherever you can. But no fender skirts or bolt-on accessories. And, West Coast customs tended to be lowered level whereas East Coast style customs tended to be tail-draggers. So, as has been suggested, you'd do well to lower your Plymouth moderately - 3" to 4" or so - so that it sits level, add tasteful factory wheel covers from the 1949 to 1956 range, wide white wall tires and dual exhaust pipes. You can leave the body stock for the time being. Most customs were works-in-progress, but the bodywork was usually left until last, after the car was lowered, dualed and fitted with a classy wheel treatment. I'd encourage you to visit Rikster's photo site here on the HAMB to get a more complete feeling for the custom cars of what is referred to as the "post-war era". He's got a ton of original photos of cars during their construction and after they were completed. You've got a great car to start with. I own a '48 Plymouth coupe myself that I'm very fond of. You can see photos of it in my photo album. Good luck!
I am going to reiterated the general consensus. Big shinny caps, WWW's, a slight drop with a little bit of well placed pin stripping. Give it a little bit of a tail dragger stance and your golden.
Missysdad, that was a nice piece of intersting literature! Especially for a noob like me I'm going to skip the scallop-idea... As I now know there is a reason why I didn't found any "scalloped" P15 pictures... But first things first... Still waiting for my new leaf springs and 3" lowering blocks. 4" blocks in the toolbox, but couldn't use them... due to lack of clearance (with saggy leaf springs). The coil springs are going to be cut. I hope I get everything in time, 'cause Nov. 20th & 21st. there's an idoor meeting I want to attend Didn't want a rush rush paint job... only trying to figure out some options for the winter months. I'm glad I've asked the question here... and even more glad I received answers!! Thanks to all the members who took the time to help me (pro's and con's)!
the blocks are installed and a member of our club did took the liberty for some pinstriping action! I know it aren't the best pictures... but it gives you an idea... Fender skirts and hub caps are not yet in their place... Something for today or tomorrow.
Looking great PlyPals, would love to see some wide whitewalls on it too: my 2c Very jealous, can picture myself driving along Cogels-Osylei and around Zurenborg in it!!
@Chief12: Didn't had the pleasure yet of driving around that area... but it would be an awesome neighbourhood to cruise! Nice to know you have the knowledge of those neat places 'round Antwerp! @both: Thanks for the kind words! ps: WWW's are comming, as soon as these tires are rotten!
Amazing part of a great city and a fantastic country, have been lucky enough to spend a bit of time there on holidays
Shoeboxke, I'll keep my eyes open for you (and your wife :-D )! I dig the shoebox in the back... it's going to be a killer ride (my 2 cents)
Chief012, trust me... the Antwerp beer house is a "must see"! Also 't patersvaetje! :-D I'll show you around then and let you taste some rare Belgian beers!
Sounds great, you Belgians sure know how to make great beers! I looked at the website for patersvaetje, I am sure I would have walked past that place, at least once! Wish now I had gone in,..next time
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