Kustom Styles 1949-53 1952 Chevy Coupe Project
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A little while ago I got an email from Tobias Binsch (Toby) from Germany.
Toby is building a really sweet 1952 Chevy and is looking for some more input to get his ’52 Chevy Coupe in that just perfect period look as if it could have been done when the car was brand new in 1952-53. So the style would be based around late 40’s early 1950’s Customs.
Toby will be adding some more info and photos on his project, and plans to keep us updated, and ask many question along the way. Since this will be an very interesting period perfect project I figured I create a new thread for it, instead of adding it to the In Progress Customs Thread.
Here is Toby’s initial email after which I suggested to start a thread here on the CCC to get some more people’s suggestions.
“Hello, I am Toby from Germany and I am a big fan of your site. I am currently building a 52 Chevy Sport coupe full kustom (see pics) and during progress I decided more and more to do it in the early kustom style around late 40s till 53. I studied a lot of threads and story’s on your site and was wondering if you could maybe write an article about period correct kustom styles,… For example the right colors, spotlights (112 or 552, which ones which year?) , relocated antennas (when did they begin to French antennas,..) stance, when did pinstripes begin, when did scoops begin, also the early kustoms had more chrome on bumpers (horns, overriders,..), what about interior?, dash knobs, popular hubcaps (beside Cadillac Sombreros),… Do you think you could write something about that? It would be awesome. And I believe a lot of guys would like it too. Thank you and greetings from Germany”
Enjoy the beauty of Customizing
Hi, im Toby. I bought the Chevy (1952 Styleline Special Sport Coupe) in August 2017 in a rough shape because I wanted to start from scratch to built my dream kustom. I was searching for a business or hardtop coupe because I like them the most. It is my first full kustom and frame off restoration. I had a 56 Mercury HT Coupe before which I modified to a mild custom but I always wanted to have a chopped full custom. So I started right after I bought it and after a while it was time to let my mercury go to afford my dream. During progress and getting deeper and deeper in the kustom world I figured out that it is the early 50s style that I like the most. Like the Larry Ernst or the Dan Landon chevy for example. Nothing too radikal and with a great stance, not laying Frame,… Hope you guys like my Project and maybe you got some good Infos, pictures of period correct 1949-52 chevys or info about Kustom do’es and don’ts of this era in general.
Here’s my chevy when I bought it, and started to take it apart
- First thing after repairing the floors was to convert to open driveshaft, 4 linked it, 3″ notch and I bought a rebuilt 53 blue flame inline 6 and a th350 tranny which I dressed up a little bit later
Then i deleted the gas door, made 1 piece hood, added scoops on the rear fenders (just like the Larry Ernst Chevy in 53) bought some skirts and frenched the antenna, which I deleted later because I didn’t like it and it would be not period correct for a kustom built in 53, right?
After a few more things (nosed, decked, deleted door handles,..) i brought the car to Tristan Kustomizing in Holland to Chop the Top and a few other things which i couldn’t do myself, like frenching 52 kaiser tail lights, extend the skirts flush style, paint the dash and firewall
I was really impressed when I got it back. Chopped 3″ inches in the front, 4″ in the back. Slanted b pillars and rounded door corners, just how I wanted it. And with the painted dash and firewall it looks fantastic and it was time to begin putting all back together.
PS : I decided to keep the dip rails because I live in rainy Germany and not in sunny South California. Most of the early California kustom deleted the dip rails right? Guess in some things I have to do a compromise?
Latest things I have done was adding a 53 chevy grill surround i welded to the body, also 53 grillbar (which i still need to V), rounded hood corners and frenched headlights 52-54 ford/mercury style
Love it! Perfect chop, and the 53 grille shell is a natural fit to the 50-52. You’ve done a heap of research! Please keep us updated.
Agree with Larry.
You are doing just fine with out our input so far. Good to see that you didn’t over chop it
I never was a big fan of the “Sunken “antenna look. I think that was more of a mid to late 50’s thing when pretty much all the cars started to come with Radios. I’m sure Rik could give us a better idea when that custom trend took hold.
Keep the post coming…..
Torchie
I agree with Larry and Torchie…
Very well done, and very period looking already with beautiful balanced and stylish body work.
I’m also with Torchie on the Sunken Antenna look. I have never really done in detail research on it so far. But as far as what I have seen is that the sunken antenna came in the mid to later part of the 1950’s. Bill Hines of course being a big motivator for that. The fact that you see it on so many early 50’s styled Customs today has a lot to do with the the revival of the Custom Car from the 1980’s. A lot of those Customs were styled with early 50’s ideas, mixed with some later styles, including lakes pipes, an overload of pinstriping and the sunken antenna’s. Making a lot of people think that the sunken antenna’s really belonged on early 50’s Customs.
To me personally they look like a hole in a perfectly shaped body, taking away from the beautiful lines of the car. A carefully located regular antenna or even a hidden antenna will look better in my opinion.
As for the drip rails, yes on a lot of the early customs from the 1940’s and 1950’s created in sunny California they shaved them. The weather had something to do with it, but I have also heard several stories that they shaved them just because it was easier and quicker to get it to look right. I love the looks of shaved drip rails, but a well done chop with drip rails looks just as good, and there are plenty of samples from early 1950’s chopped customs that had the drip rails in place… even on California cars. So that is absolutely not an issue on your Chevy.
Enjoy the beauty of Customizing
Thanks for your input. You are right with the antennas Rik, it is the same as I thought when I looked at my car with the frenched antenna. It just looked like a hole in my beautiful fender, that don’t belongs there. Maybe I will put the original back on. Or relocate it to the right fender, I have to think about it. I also thought maybe put it on the splash pan on the rear bumper, but not sure about that.
What do you guys think about my choice of color? It’s called Inca gold metallic and is a Chrysler color. Want to paint the whole car like that
As has been said already, I think your car looks great and you are on the right track for an early 50’s style custom. Don’t think you need much help from us! BUT, I am pleased you decided to share your car and it’s customizing here with us!
I love the color and feel it fits the car and styling. These days antennas are barely needed with all the music options we have with modern tech. I agree, a sunken antenna is a distraction from an otherwise smooth flowing line. Which is what this is all about really. If you want to keep an antenna, one “traditional” option I have seen in old magazines, was to mount it hidden under a running board or rocker out of sight. Although it may not function quite as well.
Thanks for keeping us in the loop!
Mitch
I love that color.
Not too different to what I’m planning for my 49 Dodge custom.
The color I’m using is from 1957 and was used by the Johnson outboard motor Company on the 1957 Javelin outboards.
Here is a couple of pics from the ones I restored a few years back.
Perhaps not as metallic as yours. But color is really hard to tell from pictures and a computer moniter. Plus you can see the difference in the way they look under outdoor light vs indoor light.
Torchie
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