Hey guys - I know this will sound a bit daft of me, and maybe it's totally a"taste " thing, but I'm gonna ask anyway . My Shoebox build style has always been (on a visual standpoint anyway) to be done in a traditional style that a dude back in the day would have done on a budget, with limited wampum to spend (like me , lol) . A mild custom , no chop , nothing over the top - just small touches. I've done several things so far, but I'm a bit torn on how to do my frenched headlights. On one hand, I have a set of '52-'53 Ford headlight bezels , with the stainless inserts that I could cut down and weld on : Or , I could weld on my stock ones with the buckets mounted from behind and call it a day : I've seen it done both ways (as well as those hideous tunneling buckets) , but I'm unsure what would have been done back in the day, by the dude in his driveway. Maybe both ways would be acceptable to keep with "the feel " ? Thoughts or suggestions by the knowledgeable ?
Here's a shot of the rear of my car, to give a feel for that - tail lights frenched old school , no tunneling buckets , welded round bar and housings mounted behind. De-seamed body and filled trunk lid , etc.
I would say either way would be cool, do what you like. Your car is awesome already and you have done a hell of a job building it !!!!!
Hmmm, Sounds like your on the same line of thought I was on when building my Vicky. A lot of what I did was from memories from High School and the Drive way. Some got just a little twist just cause I don't like to just repeat. How do you go wrong with tried and proven methods? Taillights and deck lid, Headlights and Grill/signals. I think your headed the right direction. I just wish I had went ahead and rounded the Hood corners. The Wizzard
Any of them would be correct. If the car was customized before 52, it would have had the round rod, or stock bezel look. If it was a later build, the 52 rings are more appropriate. I guess it depends on the years of the other parts you use, especially the grill.
I kinda like the simplicity of the stock ring welded on , so I'm sorta leaning towards that. It kinda keeps the "normal" shape of the side profile also (not extending it because of the slight tunnel) . If I use the the 52-3 bezels, I'll cut them down a bit too help with that look. As for the grille, I think it's going to stay stock for now (with my aftermarket bullet). The cool bullet grille is sorta what drew me to the Shoebox, so I want to keep that for a while. It's got personality right out of the box. Not sure what "year" I'm going for with the build. A general mid-50's was kinda what I was shooting for.
The good thing about using the stock bezels is that the car lines remain the same. Too often frenched headlights stick out and are out of proportion with the body. The 52 rings should bolt up to the stock fender so remove one of the stock bezels add a 52 ring, compare them and see which you like best.
I always say 52-54 rings on a Shoebox pair of fenders look like Nipples on a Pole dancer. AND, They often point in different directions. The Wizzard
My thinking too , still flows pretty well, as designed . Sometimes headlight buckets look like they were just "stuck on there" . I'll probably take the advice and bolt the 52 rings on and have a look. If I use them, I will probably end up cutting them down, to lessen the odd look . I was thinking the same thing, ha-ha ! Yes, they are .
A bit different look with the 52 pieces, I did on a sectioned 50 Merc. Early_1 013_smaller by chopolds posted May 19, 2014 at 2:53 PM What I did was weld the 52 bucket to the fender, then cut off the housing, and bucket, push them into the fender, until the contours of the fender would flow naturally into the front edge of the 52 housing. Of course it needed filler pieces to make the transition, but it didn't stick out like they usually do.
Best Custom advice I ever remember reading is that a custom should be balanced front to back. I just can't remember who to credit it to...Jeffries, Watson, maybe Winfield. So since you have already frenched the back and there is no chrome bezel anymore, I would use the stock bezel molded in.
Wizzard...How did you achieve the turn signals blending in so well with the Pontiac Cutwater grille??? What are they from? Amazing! (love your frenched headlights, too...)
I like that look. It has the slight tunnel of the 52 rims, but the fender flows nicely. Another thing to consider ... Exactly what I'm after - a nice flow. Yes, they look nice
I,ve frenched in a lot of headlights. I always use 51 ford steel rings, not the cast ones. When you bolt the headlight to the back of the fender it leaves a gap between the glass and the ring. The 51 ring has a half inch recess which will fit the glass perfectly by cutting the outer edge until it is right where you want it to be. Thats what is on my merc, flows great..
Quote; "Best Custom advice I ever remember reading is that a custom should be balanced front to back. I just can't remember who to credit it to...Jeffries, Watson, maybe Winfield." end of Quote I try to live by that no matter who get's the Credit. Most Customs look like they were built in a One car garage. Mike; To get this look I actually Cut the grill in half at center line, then split both side bars on the Crest to forward radius as well extending the over all length. I adjusted the side bar Profile to match the 49 Bezel and changed the pitch so that the Tip of the center point was in line with the Center tip of upper bars and pulled the 49 Bumper back so it also was vertically in line with the upper bar and center point of Grill. Then I clipped off the ends of the bumper so it lined up with the edge of the wheel well opening. The Pontiac grill balances out with the Pontiac rear license plate guard. The Wizzard
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