Pic request, custom front ends 67-68

[GreyHoundSteve]

I used the search feature and looked at all the grill threads but i didnt see anyone with anything custom done to the headlights.

I have a 67 with a billet insert and i dont like it. I think i just dont care for the looks of the stock headlights. I have seen one member here who made a "phantom" grill that covered the headlights and the entire front opening and i think thats the coolest ive seen so far. I asked him about it and he said he had to fabricate the grill from a 72 phantom which is probably the direction im heading but was curous if anyone has seen anything else that would have a similar effect?

I have also thought about fabricating an entire new grill insert with custom headlights and was wondering if anyone has seen or done something similar? If so please post some pics.

[sneakysnake]

Theres allways the 80's look.

[sneakysnake]

http://www.customgrills.com/jwechevy3.htm

[GreyHoundSteve]

Thanks to those who posted pics, keep them coming.

I thought about possibly using the 80's style headlights behind a full phantom because i think squared headlights would look a little better with the look im going for.

Also, does anyone have any pictures or know where i can find a front roll pan with the intigrated fog lights that will fit a 67?

Im in the middle of building a new instument cluster unlike one ive ever seen. Im going to be changing every guage, switch and indicator light over to a more modern look. I will be sure to post pictures when im done (which may be awhile since guages are so pricey). I started off with using a piece of bosa wood for the besel but now ive found some really cool laminates that i can mold to any shape i like and so i might redo the besel in the laminate because i could make a matching glovebox door and door panel inserts out of the same material and i think that would look pretty cool.

[BOSS]

Sounds like you have some great ideas.You can get the bumper you are looking for at one of the board venders like gmc pauls,and tim christian,and Ricks,and others.......James

[GreyHoundSteve]

Originally Posted by BOSS

Sounds like you have some great ideas.You can get the bumper you are looking for at one of the board venders like gmc pauls,and tim christian,and Ricks,and others.......James

cool thanks, the catalogs should be in the mail.

Also, does anyone know where i can find a full phantom grill for a 67 front end? Ive seen pics of this silver shaved stepside here and it looks amazing.

[raggedjim]

How bout this. I never could fifure out lights for it, but I like that it keeps the 68 look...
Rg

[GreyHoundSteve]

ragg, thanks for posting the pic, its not my bag but i love new ideas so keep them coming. Im NOT looking to retain a factory look .... im actually looking for anything but. My interior is going to be absolutely wild and i'd like my extrerior not to be too far off the mark.

[raggedjim]

How bout the RS option?

[GreyHoundSteve]

Thats a little closer to what i was thinking but again .... im going for a more modern look so a ss retro look wouldnt look right for me.

I really wish i knew a place i could get a full phanton for it. Or at least a place that had detailed intructions on how to cut a larger grill down to fit.

[dinnut]

post a pic of your frontend as it is. there are plenty of ways to improve the frontend you may have not thought of. do you have a chrome bumper? chrome headlight bezels? those 2 by them selves would look great!

[GreyHoundSteve]

Originally Posted by dinnut

post a pic of your frontend as it is. there are plenty of ways to improve the frontend you may have not thought of. do you have a chrome bumper? chrome headlight bezels? those 2 by them selves would look great!

I have the chrome headlight bezels and a chrome bumper and a "ghetto billet grill insert" the po had made.
My truck is about 30 miles away so i cant snap any photos of it right now but here is a link to the auction i fould it on and you can see the front end here.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

[GreyHoundSteve]

What i initially wanted to do (and would still like to if i can find them) is to have a FULL phantom grill like the one on that silver truck and then a steel roll pan welded into the fenders with built in fog lights into the roll pan but i have been unable to find anyone who builds or sells the roll pan or the grill i want.

[sneakysnake]

Originally Posted by raggedjim

How bout this. I never could fifure out lights for it, but I like that it keeps the 68 look...
Rg

I think you could get a pair of 88' to look pretty good in that grill.

[hotrodtroy]

How's this. I know it's older than what you are looking for, but here ya go.

[GreyHoundSteve]

lol.... that one above is great.

What im thinking about doing (still havent measured anything, just an idea) is buying a phantom for a late model s10 and extending the fiberglass grill holder to fit inside the 67 front end. Unfortunately i dont know anyone with an s10 and havent had time to go to a place that sells these grills yet but im hoping that mods to the s10 phantom will work. It also gave me another idea while i was looking online, i think im going to try to cut out a spot in the roll pan for a mini billet insert (probably use a chunk of my curent grill) and tuck some fog lights behind it.

Does anyone know of hand if my idea about using an s10 phantom might work. I know some pretty good fiberglass guys and it wouldnt take them any time at all to add a little fg to make it fit if the dimensions arent too screwy. Anyone here have an s10 they can measure the grill on for me?

[shortymac83]

IMO, the frontend on 67-68 C10's is the best frontend of the 67-72 series. Why mess with perfection? What I'm planning on doing with mine is a totally stock rebuild, but I'm going to change it up a bit as far as paint. Mine came with the painted front accessories (no chrome), and it was originally a red body with white trim. When I redo it, the body will be a very dark blue (I can't remember the name, but it was availible on jeep cherokees in the early 90's...midnight blue metallic?) or a GM color called Dark Royal Blue Metallic availible on all oldsmobile models in 1983 (color code L27) and the trim will all be dark grey (similar to Medium Sand Gray Firemist on toronado's and 98's - code L87). You can play around with it a bit by just using the stock stuff and changing up the paint and such.

BTW, that last pic, and the one where the grilles are extended all the way across is butt ugly.

[Bill72BB]

This is the best that I can do ,Just some paint and art work .

[GreyHoundSteve]

Originally Posted by shortymac83

IMO, the frontend on 67-68 C10's is the best frontend of the 67-72 series. Why mess with perfection? What I'm planning on doing with mine is a totally stock rebuild, but I'm going to change it up a bit as far as paint. Mine came with the painted front accessories (no chrome), and it was originally a red body with white trim. When I redo it, the body will be a very dark blue (I can't remember the name, but it was availible on jeep cherokees in the early 90's...midnight blue metallic?) or a GM color called Dark Royal Blue Metallic availible on all oldsmobile models in 1983 (color code L27) and the trim will all be dark grey (similar to Medium Sand Gray Firemist on toronado's and 98's - code L87). You can play around with it a bit by just using the stock stuff and changing up the paint and such.

BTW, that last pic, and the one where the grilles are extended all the way across is butt ugly.

There seems to be two types of guys around here; those that would like to return their trucks to perfect factory condition and those who want to take a 40 year old design and put their own stamp on it. The reason i bought an old truck is because you have the freedom to do whatever you want with it with very few limitations.
I agree that ALOT of the mods custom builders do are butt ugly and i'd even dare to say that the majority of people who venture into customs end up with a worse design than the original but then you see a truck that someone did right and its a true thing of beuty, a work of art if you will.

I look at it like this. Anyone whose taken a few painting lessons a duplicate what another artist has already done but it takes a different kind of person to venture into uncharted teritory and see what they can do on their own.

I think alot of it is youth vs age. Older guys buy these trucks and restor them to factory because it brings back the good old days while young guys like to take an old truck and bring it up to speed with todays modern advances.

Im a younger guy myself and i want a truck that is identifieable as a CUSTOM that reflects the owners personality and not that of whoever was designeing trucks for gm back in the 60's.

Its really just one of those "matter of opinion" things.

[shortymac83]

I"m 19. I don't want to "put my stamp" on it because then nobody else would probably like what I'm going to do with it and I couldn't sell it for half the money that I put in it. Aside from the paint, it's going to stay stone stock. If I had my choice, I'd drop it, put 19" chrome 5 spokes on it, use jeep 4.0L efi on the 250 and build it to make about 1hp/ci, leave in the 3 on the tree and put a GV overdrive unit on it, paint it jet black with an oldsmobile gold engine and a black interior with tuck 'n roll leather bench seat, 6 speaker AM/FM/XM/CD stereo, power everything and 4.11's in the back end. As it sits now, it's going to remain totally stock except new paint and 3.08's in the rearend.

[GreyHoundSteve]

Originally Posted by shortymac83

I"m 19. I don't want to "put my stamp" on it because then nobody else would probably like what I'm going to do with it and I couldn't sell it for half the money that I put in it. Aside from the paint, it's going to stay stone stock. If I had my choice, I'd drop it, put 19" chrome 5 spokes on it, use jeep 4.0L efi on the 250 and build it to make about 1hp/ci, leave in the 3 on the tree and put a GV overdrive unit on it, paint it jet black with an oldsmobile gold engine and a black interior with tuck 'n roll leather bench seat, 6 speaker AM/FM/XM/CD stereo, power everything and 4.11's in the back end. As it sits now, it's going to remain totally stock except new paint and 3.08's in the rearend.

There you have it. You should NEVER buy a vehichle as an investment because youll ALWAYS LOSE. If your into making money then buy real estate or something that should apreciate because motor vehicles never do.

I bought my truck with the intention of using it as a fuctional vehicle but also making it fun to drive. I lease a "bone stock" car and when my lease expires i'll lease another bone stock car and drive the wheels off it until its time for another and so on.

My truck is for me. Im not building it so that anyone will offer me more money for it because i have NO intention of ever selling it. Ive bough many sports cars thoughout my years and ive lost money on ALL of them but they were fun to drive. I have a wife and daughter now and a 3rd sports car does my family little good but a truck is useful when needed and since i have the freedom to modify it as i see fit its also going to be fun to drive when im done.

Looking back over all the cars ive owned my 94 Supra TT was my favorite. I bought the car used in 99 for $29,500 (which was a steal back then). I put another $12,000 into that car and it got to a point where i didnt feel comfortable driving it on the street anymore so i bought a second car because my Supra was so low and so fast. After the car sat in my garage for 5 months only being driven 3 or 4 times i decided that i should sell it and move on. I ended up selling it for $27,000. I told myself then that i would never dump that kind of money into a car again.

These trucks are great because you can build them on a budget and you dont have to be a rocket scientist to do most of the work yourself. Emmisions arent a concern and space isnt either. They are like blank canvases to me and if no one wants to buy my truck when im done then GOOD because that means maybe there wont be as many people interested in stealing it.

[raggedjim]

Awww, Shorty hurt my feelings... some people think butts aren't ugly!

I also like the 1968 front end and, believe me, my truck isn't stock by any means. If Steve wants a full phantom grill it's fine by me...

[TheJanitor]

hey raggedjim howcome those two trucks are in the same place, have the samething written on the windshield, and have a dent in bumper in the same spot. can u say fake. :p BUSTED
the RS really isn't a bad idea though... lol.
just wanted to point out jims awsome copy and paste skills

[shortymac83]

Don't get me wrong, I think it's cool that you're doing this. I'm not redoing the truck as an investment. Do you think I'd keep the straight six/3spd if that was the case? I wanted this truck, because it's different. Every time you go to a car show, you see these trucks either stone stock or customized to the full extent with the obligatory 350 or 400 chevy motor and an automatic tranny, and every option possible (and some not possible). Why should I follow the crowd? This is why mine is going to be a bit different, it's customized in that the paint scheme will be different, the wood will be varnished instead of painted like the factory, the seat will be leather tuck 'n roll and everything is going to be updated, but still look more or less stock (I'd like to bore the engine .030, 4bbl intake with headers, etc). Do I think it'd be cool to have a customized to the max truck that doesn't even look like a 67 anymore? not really. I bought a 67 because I like the looks of the 67's. If I wanted something else, I'd have bought something else. This is how it's done, imo. I'm not doing it as an investment, like I said, but it's inevitable that I'm probably going to sell it someday. Why build a one-off oddball that I won't be able to sell when the time comes? BTW, if I wanted a V8, this thing would get an olds 330. yeah, that's right. an OLDS 330.

As an aside, why do you lease new cars? You pay $300 a month for a few years, then have to give the car back. they don't even let you have the car that you've paid off for them to sell as a used car. Why not just buy one, and do the monthly payment thing? THen it's like a lease in that you pay it off little by little, but in the end you have a car that you can either keep or sell for some collateral.

[luckydog]

Hate to jack the thread, but since we're on this subject, can I get a pic of a 67/68 grille head on like raggedjims? Oh yea preferably with a roll pan? Thanks.