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Customs Glamor shots of my chopped '53 Chevy

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by atomickustom, Oct 24, 2012.

  1. atomickustom
    Joined: Aug 30, 2005
    Posts: 3,409

    atomickustom
    Member

    So this is why I try to remember not to drool too much over the cars I see in magazines - cars look better in photos than they do in person!
    My brother-in-law is really into photography all the sudden, so I asked him to take a few shots of my '53. This is what he came up with. He photo shopped out the giant bugs splattered all over my hood!
    The photos are so nice I wanted to show them here (and make one my avatar!) Anyone who has seen my car in person knows it is not as swanky as it looks in these photos, but I'm still enjoying looking at them.
     

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  2. Who are you kidding? Your car looks plenty nice in person! :) Great pics, good job!!
     
  3. straykatkustoms
    Joined: Oct 30, 2001
    Posts: 22,307

    straykatkustoms
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Kool pics, I've always loved your Chevy. Its a good example of a mild chop.
    I wouldn't be surprised if it shows up in a magazine some day.

    Happy Trails, Mick
     
  4. atomickustom
    Joined: Aug 30, 2005
    Posts: 3,409

    atomickustom
    Member

    Thanks, guys! Both of your opinions mean a lot to me. But this really was my "learning" car and the next one ('51 Chevy coupe) is going to be the "really nice" one.

    Dave, since reading your "undorkifying" thread I put the wide whites on this car and changed out the hubcaps, dropped the rear end another inch, got rid of the amber bulbs in the running lights, replaced my dorky door panels with nice '50s style ones, took the shaded plexi license plate cover off of the front, replaced the repro headlight trim rings with real merc ones (different curve to them), and a couple other things I'm forgetting now. Thanks for making me realize that just because a part of the car is "done" doesn't mean it can't be RE-done!

    Mick, I appreciate your compliments as well. Since the ONLY place I take the car is your show in Dewey, I think that one photo this summer will be my 15 minutes in the spotlight.

    Speaking of Dewey, I've already reserved my hotel room for Friday AND Saturday night. This year I'm doing it right - no more rushing off. It is my once-a-year car splurge and the only time I spend away from the family these days. Thanks for running it every year.
     

  5. Looks mighty fine to me.
     
  6. I've seen your car at a show or two around here.....it looks nice.
     
  7. poorboy
    Joined: Feb 8, 2003
    Posts: 1,467

    poorboy
    Member

    looks great! let's see some pics with the recent changes showing!
     
  8. jwl53
    Joined: Aug 25, 2008
    Posts: 183

    jwl53
    Member
    from So cal

    Looks good to me!!!


    Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
     
  9. atomickustom
    Joined: Aug 30, 2005
    Posts: 3,409

    atomickustom
    Member

    Thanks!
    These pics are with the changes. This older photo (10 years ago or so?) shows some of the "before."
     

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  10. Jalopy Joker
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 31,177

    Jalopy Joker
    Member

    nice ride - to be picky, for future glam pics try to find a backround that is not so dark, with a dark car. or, add more front light to help eliminate shadows. have fun.
     
  11. BOWTIE BROWN
    Joined: Mar 30, 2010
    Posts: 3,252

    BOWTIE BROWN
    Member

    Looks good from where iam sitting.Also seen the beast.
     
  12. b-bob
    Joined: Nov 4, 2008
    Posts: 1,097

    b-bob
    Member

    I like the restraint from not over doing it. Clean looking car.
     
  13. willymakeit
    Joined: Apr 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,326

    willymakeit
    Member

    Maybe you'll bring it to the Steak and Shake in Spfld. or the cruie in in Nixa. Nice car. Anything in Joplinto come and see cars at?
     
  14. straykatkustoms
    Joined: Oct 30, 2001
    Posts: 22,307

    straykatkustoms
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    If my memory is correct, isnt this the first car that you have chopped? If its not
    true don't correct me because it's a kool story.
     
  15. atomickustom
    Joined: Aug 30, 2005
    Posts: 3,409

    atomickustom
    Member

    First time for EVERYTHING: first car I ever chopped, first time I ever frenched headlights or taillights (hence the shrinking/cracking fiberglass on my taillights), first time I ever used a MIG welder, first time I ever did any kind of bodywork at all other than rust repair, first time I ever swapped suspensions, etc., etc.. I had a lot of experience with rust repair growing up in the rust belt (NE Ohio) with no money for nice cars and a love of old ones, but I'd never actually modified one before this.
    Hell, it was even the first time I'd ever held a sawzall! (Bought the saw and welder at Sears on a Monday, made a cart for the welder to learn how to use it on Tuesday, and cut the roof off my car and into pieces later that same week!)

    Don't get me wrong, fellas: I LIKE my car and generally it came out pretty good, I'm just saying that these photos make it look nicer than it really is. Good photos can do that!

    (And I agree about it being too dark, but my bro-in-law insisted that near-dark and cloudy conditions were ideal to photograph a dark object? Personally I expected to do it in late-evening sun but he wanted cloudy and shade. What do I know?)
     
  16. Nailhead Brooklyn
    Joined: Jul 31, 2012
    Posts: 567

    Nailhead Brooklyn
    Member

    Looks good to me, she's got some sassy lines...
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2012
  17. Well Dave, that any one gets anything useful from my stuff (other than a good laugh at how many times I can do things over) is humbling. Very few get each build "right" the first time and are usually fine tuning it as they go along. The fact that you ended up with such a cool car right out of the bucket as a first custom build with all the work you did is fantastic. Tweaking the look over time is just part of the fun...or at least that's what I keep telling myself. LOL
     
  18. Model A Gomez
    Joined: Aug 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,695

    Model A Gomez
    Member

    Nice chop, glad to see one that isn't chopped too much.
     
  19. atomickustom
    Joined: Aug 30, 2005
    Posts: 3,409

    atomickustom
    Member

    I appreciate the compliments, Dave, but you've done more work to your car than a lot of people do when the "build" a car in the first place.

    It was my first-ever kustom build, but I spent a lot of time staring at pictures in books and magazines before I did anything. If only the HAMB had existed (or I'd heard of it) when I started!
    Now that the wide whites are on there I stare at it a lot. I cannot believe how that one change altered the car for me.
     
  20. atomickustom
    Joined: Aug 30, 2005
    Posts: 3,409

    atomickustom
    Member

    Thanks! I'm 6'3" so I wasn't willing to go much lower. I could have taken out another inch but even now I hit my head if I'm not careful.
     
  21. Dave, I found this thread and I must say I'm even more impressed with your '53 than I was when I saw your avatar. I have a soft spot for the early '50s Chevs and Pontiacs and yours is looking real good! How often are you asked 'when will it get shiney?'? :eek: :eek: ;) :D

    Dave
     
  22. yetiskustoms
    Joined: May 22, 2009
    Posts: 1,932

    yetiskustoms
    Member

    looks good to me.....
     
  23. Flop
    Joined: Jun 8, 2006
    Posts: 3,886

    Flop
    Member

    car looks awesome . nice chop man!!
     
  24. GREASER815
    Joined: Dec 2, 2008
    Posts: 973

    GREASER815
    Member

    That is a nice looking car. I like that it is a real world car and is not laying on its rockers on your driveway with the front wheels looking like you have about 12" of negative camber.
     
  25. richie rebel
    Joined: Oct 8, 2007
    Posts: 1,184

    richie rebel
    Member

  26. lawman
    Joined: Sep 19, 2006
    Posts: 2,665

    lawman
    Member

    Looks very very nice !!!!
     
  27. atomickustom
    Joined: Aug 30, 2005
    Posts: 3,409

    atomickustom
    Member

    Many thanks to all of you for your positive comments. You are making me feel all warm inside!
     
  28. atomickustom
    Joined: Aug 30, 2005
    Posts: 3,409

    atomickustom
    Member

    That means a lot coming from you, Dave! Thanks.

    People used to ask me all the time "what color are you going to paint it?" I would say "flat black." But I haven't heard that lately. I guess the flat black thing became so common that people take it for granted.

    If this car were my One True Love I'd sort it out a bit more, replace the original chrome and paint it shiny but I already have a '51 coupe - which IS my all-time favorite - in pieces all over my shop and so the '53 is about as nice as it's going to get because I'm pouring all my love and greatly improved knowledge and skill into that baby!
     
  29. brut4s
    Joined: Sep 19, 2011
    Posts: 58

    brut4s
    Member

    Looks good! How much did you chop it?
     
  30. DJLATIN
    Joined: Sep 16, 2010
    Posts: 612

    DJLATIN
    Member

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