my radical 60 build

[joe231]

looks nice!

[Dinos63]

I dig it looks killer , you must gets some crazy looks when you are driving

[toomanytoyz]

Just Read thru your entire Build & want to say Congrat's on your Vison , It is Inspiring to see such creativity being put Together.............

Signing up for More.............

Rick

[Joey~AP]

How about some step side fenders for inner fender wells?

[original_balzer]

That ^^^^ is a cool idea. I cant wait to se you blend the front fenders and doors. Sweet ride Keep up the good work.

[jonzcustomshop]

That is a cool idea, I am still hashing out the inside of the bed, I wanted to use the chevrolet tailgate letters off one of those new avalanches on the front bed panel, but I found out that they are fiberglass.
I have been taking it easy on the build these last few weeks.

I had eyeballed the bed when I mounted it, and the horizontal body line creeped up about 2 inches higher to the rear, I used a laser level, and cut the rear frame horns and dropped the bed till it was level.
I got one (of the 8 I need to do) bed corner figured out and welded up.

I nhave been doing a bunch of homework trying to figure the best way to do the chop on the roof.

and I am going out later this week to try to find a better drivers fender and hood before I get into welding up the fender blend.

[muddpile]

I found the same problem with my project, the rear of the bed was too high. Once you get it dropped down, they look just SICK with the rear wheel tucked.

As for the top chop, I've seen a few guys sink the roof into the cab sort of. I'm still looking for ideas as well, as I think my Tornado project would look pretty wild with a chop.

[jonzcustomshop]

here is the bed corner, I just used the original cap and then cut and angled it to match the bedside sngle for the rear piece.

then, shots of the cut frame to lower the rear bed, this was easier than re-doing the box and bumper mounts. this lowered the rear of the bed to get the horizontal body line right.

[jonzcustomshop]

the new side profile.
the shots with the hood on.
I will have to use the rear bit of a 60-66 hood to get the straight edge across the back, and the gap is wedge shaped (the 60 cab is a half inch wider than the plymouth), so I will have to cut and fix that.
First I am going to try to find a beter hood to start with, this one had frozen hinges, and somebody shut it anyway, so it is a little bent.

[jonzcustomshop]

here are some shots I have wanted to get.
parked next to my stock 65.
until I did this, I did not realize that this truck is the same length as a lwb truck! Just the cab and wheels are in different spots. the wheelbase on this is 115, compared to the 127 of the lwb.

[Blue'72]

here are some shots I have wanted to get.
parked next to my stock 65.

Hmm, the differences are so subtle, it's hard to distinguish..

I just ran across this and will definitely be keeping up on your progress! I like it!!

[original_balzer]

Did you raise the front of the front fender in the last pics as well or was I seeing an illusion? Before it looked like the fender line dove down in the front compaired to the rest of the upper body line. Looks like it all lines up almost perfect now. Killer project I wish I had half the nerve and talent you do.

[original_balzer]

Oh 2 more things, 1st the wheel openings. I vote you should change the front to match the GM rear, rather than matrching the rear to the chrystler front. Keep it more GM.

2nd, I wonder if you could use a piece of a 60-61 hood for a mild hood scoop? The top of one of the eyebrows, I dunno it just needs something on that hood.

Just my $0.02

[jonzcustomshop]

I think there might be a bit of fish eye to those photos.. and the angle of the drive way plays hell with trying to visualize things.
I haven't changed the front, but it might look different now that the truck sits level, and the bed is down in the back.
I am not fond of the front half of the front wheel openings.
I think the wheel might not be where it should be in the opening,and I don't really like how it comes back in on itself.
I was actually photochopping them this morning!
that hood idea was a solution that I had for my sectioned elcamino, if I couldnt get the hood to clear.

[Slmd92DIME]

Wow man that is some crazy work... mad props for your patience to keep going with it.. Awesome project

[jonzcustomshop]

I went with an old 60's trick for the grille, I raided 2 Ace Hardwares for all thier drawer pulls-twice! They were probably wondering why they sold 60+ of that style of knob in a matter of days.
plymouth had a chrome trim that surounded the original grille and hood that I am going to try and find,and I might put one more row up by the hood, depending on how thick the trim is.

[kdrodworks316]

Lovin the grille Jon! nice work. Hope to get up there soon.

[original_balzer]

Looks cool Im liking the whole project. I could be wrong but I think the hood trim has some sort of chrystler thing on it but they changed so often its hard to say.

Maybe you can change the front a bit to distract from the mopar parts. It just cant be a HIGHLY modified chevy truck with a chrystler front clip, if ya know what I mean. No offence at all and its your build, I dont intend to tell you how to build it. Sometimes I just dont know when to leave well enough alone LOL.

EDIT: just another idea you could add the 4,5,6, hood line, and the bottom of the front to the bottom of the chrystler hood. You would have to add a bit to the openings to match the curve around the headlights. I couldnt do it very well with MS paint but heres the rough idea anyway.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

That grill is sweet. show car style all the way

[original_balzer]

Plymouth! sorry dunno why im stuck on chrystler I guess its all mopar no matter how you it

rock on dont mind me im just passin through

[Alan's Classic]

Keep up the good work Jon. "Git-R-Done"

[jonzcustomshop]

I had thought of putting the center of the 62-6 hood on there, and maybe just extending the bottom lip of the hood to meet the grille...
the front pan will get extended all the way across to match that 59 bumper as well.
I also have an idea for changing up the headlight rings for kind of a frenched look.
...saw a NOS 61 plymouth headlight ring (1) sell for $204.00 on ebay, so there is no way I am finding/keeping te original ones!
actually, I got a bit of sticker shock looking for 61 plymouth parts that I needed: $94 for a set of park light housings and lenses, and $180.00 for a pair of the chrome trim that runs around the edge of the fender!
Crazy money.. and then I see 3 or 4 grilles sell in the $20.00-$30.00 range! the part I don't need...

[kdrodworks316]

I am on the lookout for plymouth parts Jon. I will see what I can dig up down here for you.

[jonzcustomshop]

well, I am getting started.......
here is a teaser shot of the upcoming chop.


I am taking lots of pics of this process, so hopefully if anybody else wants to chop an early truck they can see how to do it.

All I have been able to find so far is pics of "done" chops, but not the process.

[kdrodworks316]

I really need to get up there and see this