Customized -55's

[Noxnabaker]

I just wonder (& hope too!) that there might be some -55's here with customized fronts, not just with a -53 or -54 front on, but really changed faces to show!
Since I'm working on my own -55 I need stuff to look at & I've googled enough but hoping there might be some here too...? (I know some like the -55's face but I find them way to ugly.)
Maby this isn't the place to hold my breath untill a picture like that shows up?

[StudeRich]

The only way I know of to improve the looks of those chromie things, is Paint the whole Grille, Parking Light Housings and Headlight Rims Body Color!

This one's almost there!

[studegary]

Bob Bourke and other stylists at Loewy Studios also did not want all of the shinny trim on the 1955s. They were told to keep up with Buick and others.
Studebaker lost $30 million then.

[GrumpyOne]

The only way I know of to improve the looks of those chromie things, is Paint the whole Grille, Parking Light Housings and Headlight Rims Body Color!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]80796[/ATTACH] This one's almost there!

I'm giving serious consideration to painting the grille assembly, bumpers, headlight rims and tailight assemblies on the '55 Prez sedan satin grey... A lot cheaper than re-chroming all of it!

[Noxnabaker]

Yeah, I sure think that body colour painted front is loads better than original, but I was just wondering if anyone here have or used to have a more modyfied one + hopefully also a pic of it.

[8E45E]

The only way I know of to improve the looks of those chromie things, is Paint the whole Grille, Parking Light Housings and Headlight Rims Body Color!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]80796[/ATTACH] This one's almost there!

That one does look good painted body color, although I would have masked the bevelled edges around the park lights and left them chrome.

Craig

[daytonadave]

Join this web site. Plenty of creative thinkers there. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/

[JGK 940]

I think this is from a French movie; I probably snagged it off the cars in movies database. Would look better with center grille surround painted IMHO but I like this application of the Mercedes light units.

[Mike Sal]

A few years ago at the Springfield, Mo national, there was a guy there who offered a service of "fake chrome" which was much lower cost than trying to save our pitted center sections (for those of us who prefer the chrome nose). Is anyone familiar with the process or where it's offered?
Mike Sal

[Noxnabaker]

Well to be honest I did actually think this might be a "no" thing here. Anyway, the center piece I already removed years ago when driving in +35c on the autobahn:

Then followed many tryouts keeping as much original steel as possible, here's one of them:

Then I tried this ugly style (A rush thing if Sonja was gonna have to use it while I was playing on our ship):

Then I slanted the sides inwards to fit my feelings better & tried different trix on different sides:

then I came to the conclution that I was gonna have to cut of the ugly down-bended hoodcorners to get where I wanted it, those hoodcorners sure was bad:

That gave me problem with the rod holding the hood open...
So this is where I'm at now:

This was not suposed to be a thread about Josephine's facelift, I just got caried away! & I'm not done yet, I've been welding & cutting off many times now so if a picture turns up that I fancy the style of I might cut away again...
Bring pix if you can & will please!

[Peanut]

This has always been one of the most successful, in my mind.

[Peanut]

Here's another one, for those who have never seen it.

[Noxnabaker]

Now it starts to look like something!
I remember some 58/60 T/bird fronts on them also, real nice fits...

[Noxnabaker]

Found one by google!

One might think it would be easy to fit that on a -55 but there is always the down bended hood corners...

[Xcalibur]

A fish is a fish is a fish...

(yeah, I had two when I was a kid... and hated the fronts)