Chrome Headlight Ideas
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I’m working on a design for a car with a front fender cutaway similar to the 1961 Cadillac. I have posted a pic of Gene Winfield’s Maybelline for reference.
I need some ideas for a long chrome headlight surround (can). The Caddy’s would work, of course, but are very pricey.
I’m drawing a blank on other similar (and cheaper!) headlights. Ideas appreciated – thanks!
Hello Dave,
Its a bit hard to say since I do not know the brand and year car you are working on. But how about 1957 Mercury Turnpike headlights.
or 1959 Chrysler Imperial headlights.
Enjoy the beauty of Customizing
Sorry, Rik, I was daydreaming.
I need an everyday driver small truck and started thinking about doing a retro-style mild custom.
The soft, rounded lines of the 1994-2004 Chevy S10 always reminded me of the mid-fifties cars, so I grabbed a pic off the internet and started photoshopping.After a simple shave and drop the truck cleaned up nicely. This model is the Xtreme, with all the aero-dams, but I’d probably start with the cleaner base model.
The headlights and grille are easy to remove, leaving a nice space for a custom grille and headlights.The angle of the fender cut reminded me of the ’59 Cad, and that’s when I started daydreaming!
Just after posting, I started thinking about Tats Gotanda’s Buddha Buggy and the 1959 Imperial setup. Then you posted the Imperial shot. That’s one of my favorite grille/headlight combinations, but even rarer than the Cad. Still, you never know what you’ll find at the next swap-meet.
Hello Dave… ok I have to admit that this was not what I had expected you were building.
Personally I think it would be best if you would create the headlights surrounds to fit this pick up. This way you can design them the best way to give you the Retro look, but still fit the modern theme. Possibly create the parts from fiberglass and paint them with the modern chrome paint?I always like to look at design studies from Harry Bradley. Especially his modern style custom cars give great inspiration when it comes to incorporate old themes with new(er) cars.
Enjoy the beauty of Customizing
Thanks, Rik, that’s an excellent suggestion. Harry Bradley has always been one of my favorite designers. I’ve saved every magazine where his work was featured. Bradley has a knack for getting the design language just right in any era.
I thought the S10 might surprise you. Retro customizing on modern vehicles can be dicey. But if you start with the right model and don’t overdo it, the results can be surprisingly good. It’s a matter of enhancing the lines and adding harmonious visual styling cues.
Dave, I really like your idea. I have always liked those Chevy trucks. Perhaps you could mock something up out of scrap yard/building supply/hardware store parts that looks like the Imperial unit, but is to your own design? I’ve seen some people build some pretty creative things out of some weird industrial parts that were great looking and totally unique. That may be an interesting way to go, and would eliminate the repair work on a 50+ year old grill.
Trend Books Custom Cars Annuals
www.trendcustomcars.comI realized I never posted the truck with a grille.
A full-size Imperial grille would probably fill the cavity without the need for the filler piece as shown.
I shrunk it down, maybe made from chrome hardware as Justin suggested.And as I look at that filler with a rectangular intake in the center, I had an idea. Instead if the one central intake, I could substitute two oval intakes, to recall the 1960 Chevy half-ton hood.
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