Kustom Styles 1949-53 1952 Chevy Coupe Project
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This color is really nice too. And for sure similar. Do you have pics of your dodge?
This color is really nice too. And for sure similar. Do you have pics of your dodge?
Tobias.
Here is a link to my build on the CCC
Started out with a bit of a junker.lol
Long ways away from paint and stalled at the moment. Dealing with life issues.
Torchie
Nice project Torchie. A lot of work ? Looking forward to see more
My new upholstered interior. Can’t wait to install it.
Love the color, fits the period perfect. Love the color on the dash with the white accents.
Same goes for the interior. Beautiful colors.
Enjoy the beauty of Customizing
Spotlights: For a kustom built in 53 the Appleton 552 would be correct right? I think im not able to afford a pair so I might end up with a pair of the Kustom Kraft Dummys. But they say that they are more like the 112’s. Is there a big difference in the shape of the cone? When I look on pictures they look pretty much the same, except for the handles.
- If i mount the dummys, they should go on the a pillar right above the beltline moulding, hope there is enough space. And face towards the hood right? I’ve seen a lot of spotlights that where on the wrong place and look stupid.
My 2 cents.
I believe you are correct for the most part about the handles being different. Perhaps one of the Appleton Experts on here will weigh in.
I like my spots to be down lower to the cowl then some people . I’ve seen some mounted up really high and to me they don’t look right.
In using true spotlights with the interior handle some of the postitioning has to do with clearance. But with the dummy’s you don’t have to deal with that. BUT…. Make sure they clear the rear corners of the hood so you can open it.
When you get them, enlist the help of a friend to hold them in place, then stand back and look at them. If you don’t like it, have the helper move them up of down.
It’s all about what looks good to the eye.
Torchie
Yes you are right I also don’t like it when they are mounted too high. I will check clearance and the right place with a friend. Thank you.
The Hubcaps im gonna use
Tobias, HERE is an CCC-thread about installing Appleton Spotlights the right way. This is mostly about using the real deal, with the handles, but most of it will apply to the right looking Kustom Kraft spots as well. I agree with Torchie that they should be mounted as low as possible, with the glass of the spotlights just a cm. or so from the hood. (I have even seen some people actually add transparent kitchen cabinet door stoppers to the center of the glass to prevent the spotlight glass from hitting and damaging the paint on the hood while driving… IKEA)
Another key element is to make the handle (in your case an optical handle) as horizontal as possible for the best position on the A-pillar.
The Olds hubcaps will look very good.
Wolf Christiansson and Per Webb are two friends who I consider true Appleton Spotlight historians. They know about everything there is to know about these historic Custom Car accessories. Some of the different shaped cones were used on the different type of spotlights in the 1940’s and 50’s. Which always makes it hard to identify the lights. The handles do tell a lot I have seen the Kustom Kraft or Mooneyes spotlights being used on a lot of cars, and they do look very good. Perhaps somebody should reproduce the actual metal handle to go with these “dummy” spotlights. I know the plastic part is being reproduced by several people.
Enjoy the beauty of Customizing
Thanks for info Rik
Hi Tobias !
When mounting Appleton spotlights you need to eyeball the custom car icons of the era , bring out as many pictures of the old customs relevant to your car as possible , Dan Landons icon custom Chevrolet is something to study :
Carl Abajans -49 Chevrolet is another icon custom Chevrolet , see the Appleton spotlight coming out of the A-pillar close to horizontal :
https://public.fotki.com/Rikster/11_car_photos/beautiful_custom_cars/barris-1/carl_abajian_49/
In this picture the inside could be seen , the angle of the handle inbetween the dash and steeringwheel is allowing the hand to pass between the steering wheel and Appleton handle give and general idea what the angle back and fourth you should aim for :
To get the right angle of the spotlight housing the dummy arm is the way , be sure to use the right bracket for the right side and vise versa , that can easely be determine by holding the spotlight in the angle the pictures from the above custom chevys show , flipping the bracket up and down left to right until you find the closest fit that still probably require some grinding to make fit perfectly , if fitted too low on the A-pillar the spotlight housing will point backwards abit due to glass hitting the hood skin and too high the spotlight housing will point too far forward , looking at most pictures of custom 112 and 552 Appletons the lens is quite close to the hood and with the spotlight housing pointing slightly forward and some bit more outwards , now the perfect position on the A-pillar that gives that angle position and at the same time allow the handle to end up in that ideal position on the inside not shaving your knuckles when you steer the car is someting that you have to take good care of finding , maybe having a friend that is very patient carfully holding the spotlight in various positions until you find that perfect angle to nail the position of the first side , I usually always start with the passenger side since that is not the side I will enter and can use for trying out stuff , lol , the second side needs to be measured meticulessly and mirrored . This is not easy , take your time , good luck with your assembly !
Wolf
Thank you for Info Wolf. The last picture of the Carl abajian chevy is great to see how horizontal the arm is.
Your car will look great Torchie. Like it a lot.
Yes the Oldsmobile caps are really nice. I thought about Cadillac Sombreros but they are very expensive and maybe a little to old for mine, then I was thinking about 53 Cadillac, but also expensive and don’t know how they will fit my chevy rims. Then i found this nice pair of NOS Oldsmobile caps on ebay and it was a really cheap and great deal.
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