53 Hudson Kustom

[Kanada Kustoms]

Next project up is this 53 Hudson.  I cut the wedge section a long time ago.  Did the fender alteration recently.  Just took pictures of it now. 

I really like the trim down the side of the car, but think the belt like kinda fights it because it has a different angle and curve.  So I decided to wedge section it in an attempt to improve it. 

 

What's been done:

-It's been wedge sectioned from 0 @ the cowl to 1 1/2 inches at the rear

-I started to remove the traditional headlight area and round it out with plastic sheet and some filing (Panel lines will be cut in to indicate hidden headlights)

-The grill bar has been removed and will be replaced with the 54 Pontiac grill bar from the Foose 48 Cadillac

 

What's to come:

-Finish the other fender to match the driver's side

-Slope the front of the hood slightly to match the new fender top profile

-Fit up the 54 Pontiac grill bar

-Extend the side trim forward, following the wheel well then terminating it at the stock grill surround ends

-Fill the fuel door and come up with some kind of taillights (Most likely modified stock units)

-Lower it to the ground

 

The body cut in half thorough the cowl and above the trim line:

A shot to show the wedge I removed from the body:

The two body halves together.  The top piece is slightly warped as the gaps actually fit up quite tight and will be held in place once glued.  I think it looks much better:

A front shot of the old and new fender treatments.  This may not be to everyone's liking, but I wanted to do something that would set this Hudson apart and decided on this.  You can see I started marking out where I'm going to cut the hood to slope it.  Definitely going to keep the stock grill surround as it's distinctively Hudson:

A 3/4 shot of the new front fender treatment.  I've seen a few cars with this done.  It really streamlines the front end.  You can see I'll need to drop the nose of the hood some to work with the new fender top profile:

Here's the grill I'll be using.  It's the 54 Pontiac unit from the Foose 48 Cadillac.  I'll need to build it up from behind with plastic sheet and shape it so it sits in line with the surrounding grill trim:

I'm using these wheels and tires.  The tires are Modelhaus 170 tires.  I got the wheels off eBay and don't know what kit they're from.  I think they look cool though and will give this Hudson a space-age look:

And lastly a profile shot of how the body will look.  As mentioned before, the top section is a bit warped.  Once held together with glue, the gaps are very tight.  The wheels and tires look cool.  I'm not gonna chop it as I think the roof is in good proportion with the rest of the body.  I'm gonna remove the bumper guards and still have to extend the trim forward.  I reshaped the wheel wells, I was trying to match the fender shape, but the curve at the front of the wheel well is a little too sharp.  I'll be adding some plastic back to it and reshaping it closer to stock:  I hope to get it to sit near this low, with just a bit of space under the rockers.  Gotta fill that fuel door too:

Thanks for looking!

Edited 9 hours ago by Kanada Kustoms

[customline]

This is pretty cool, Jon. I think I'll stick around. 🤓

[Kanada Kustoms]

Not much progress, but a little.

I measured and tried to cut the same angle and location as the other side was cut at. This would be so I could use the joint lines to compare from one side to the other during final shaping to get them to match. It worked ok, I didn't get it exact but was still able to use the joint lines to compare and shape.

You can see a couple of big chunks of plastic glued in place on the passenger's side awaiting shaping. I always add more than I need. Lots to remove!

And some pictures of it shaped and some comparison shots showing side to side symmetry (or as close as I could get...).

And lastly, I had to add some plastic back to the wheel well opening. I originally cut it to try and match the silhouette of the fender but it didn't look right so it is back to stock.

As always... Thanks for looking!

[NOBLNG]

I love this kind of stuff!😎 Your work is very methodical and well thought out. It is amazing how subtle changes like the belt line section that most people (me included) might not notice on the finished model unless it is pointed out, can improve the aesthetics of a vehicle. Thank you Jon for documenting not just what you did, but and how and why you’re doing it.👍😎

[Kanada Kustoms]

6 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

I love this kind of stuff!😎 Your work is very methodical and well thought out. It is amazing how subtle changes like the belt line section that most people (me included) might not notice on the finished model unless it is pointed out, can improve the aesthetics of a vehicle. Thank you Jon for documenting not just what you did, but and how and why you’re doing it.👍😎

It's my pleasure Greg... I just enjoy showing my work.  I like to have a reason for what I'm doing when Kustomizing, otherwise it's just change for the sake of change!  I also like showing how I do stuff, because the magazines and online forums that show how to do stuff are what got me started.  I think everyone learns from each other so showing how I did stuff is my way of contributing to that system/process that was so valuable to me developing the skills I have now. 

Again, thanks for the good words bud... It really keeps me building!

[Chuckyg1]

This is interesting. I'll be following. 

[FoMoCo66]

That wedge section is perfect for this car and very tasteful, looks like somethings been done, but if I didn't know it I couldn't point it out.