How much chrome to keep.

[Steve Firebird]

Hey everyone. I am moving my car to a shop next week that should be able to finish up the prep work and get started on painting before too long. Here is my question. I have shaved the door handles locks and gas filler door and removed the emblems. I am trying to decide if I should fill the holes for the chrome wheel well openings and weather or not to install the chrome strip along the bottom of the rockers. I do not plan to reinstall the chrome drip rail moldings. I want a smooth look on this car and wonder if the wheel well moldings and rocker panel chrome will take away from it. My bumpers will stay chrome as well as the window surrounds and rear ¼ window chrome. I plan on painting it one solid color (viper blue) or maybe a two tone blue or blue and silver with no stripes or graphics other than I had the emblems and gills recreated in vinyl which turned out great. I have been looking for pictures of 68 Firebird done in the PT style but not found to many.

[Steve Firebird]

I thought I should tell you its a 68 Firebird also it will have a Super 400 Hood which has a stock look but the scoops are 1.5 inches taller than factory.

[rocketman]

I would go without chrome

[JayR]

I would keep the rocker chrome but ditch the wheelwell chrome. That stuff is just decoration but the rocker chrome is a stylish piece that also protects a little sheetmetal. As for examples of P/T 'Birds, Overhaulin did a 68 so try googling it or going right to their site www.overhaulin.com

[jy211]

why not anodize or powder coat some of the small chrome pieces if you can match the color...not sure if the metal pieces may take it though...

[Speedster]

Hey Steve, haven't talked to you in a while. Sounds like you are moving along on your Bird. There are a few things you discussed that are in this photo - e.g. the Super 400 hood, trim deleted and a PT look. Just figured seeing it may help you out.

[Speedster]

One other thing Steve -
Be prepared to spend a lot of time on the Super 400 hood. The hood is a decent piece but it did not fit on mine very well. Tapered and too wide in the back, and the arch in the hood does not match the fender line. I think there is about 60+ hours into matching the hood correctly. (They had to make a bunch of small slits in the bottom hood supports, de-arch it and then re-fiberglass the supports. The hood hinges also had to have the slots elongated. Just an FYI for you.

[Steve Firebird]

Hey Steve, haven't talked to you in a while. Sounds like you are moving along on your Bird. There are a few things you discussed that are in this photo - e.g. the Super 400 hood, trim deleted and a PT look. Just figured seeing it may help you out.
Wow your concept looks nice I have one of your early drawings as my wall paper looks like I need to update. I really like the clean look of you car. I wish I could see your rendering in Viper blue with the factory bumper/frt end and my rims ( they look like TT2s) and no rear spoiler that would be very close to what I am looking for. Thanks for the pic it makes me think my orignal idea of no wheel well or rocker pannel chome will turn out OK.

[Steve Firebird]

One other thing Steve -
Be prepared to spend a lot of time on the Super 400 hood. The hood is a decent piece but it did not fit on mine very well. Tapered and too wide in the back, and the arch in the hood does not match the fender line. I think there is about 60+ hours into matching the hood correctly. (They had to make a bunch of small slits in the bottom hood supports, de-arch it and then re-fiberglass the supports. The hood hinges also had to have the slots elongated. Just an FYI for you.
I hope by some fluke mine lines up better... $3000.00 (60hrs X $50.00) extra to make the hood fit hood would be hard for me to take after I just paid for 100 hrs to fix all the poor workmanship we found that the last shop did. Well time will tell. I have not hear anyone else comment on the hood having problems but then again I bet most are not looking for th level of fit and fiish you are.

[ironworks]

60 hours that is nothin I just spent about 150 hours on a hood and building the hinges. That is shop record for us. but man it fits good now.


Rodger

[Hdesign]

Why don't you call Kris and ask him to make the changes to Bruce's rendering for you? I mean, this is what designers/artists are used for. I agree with Jason, keep the rocker molding, ditch the wheel opening moldings. Any horizontal element will make the car appear longer, lower and sleeker. Viper blue looks awesome will some chrome accents here and there.

[Roger Poirier]

Here is my question. I have shaved the door handles locks and gas filler door and removed the emblems. I am trying to decide if I should fill the holes for the chrome wheel well openings and weather or not to install the chrome strip along the bottom of the rockers. I do not plan to reinstall the chrome drip rail moldings. I want a smooth look on this car and wonder if the wheel well moldings and rocker panel chrome will take away from it. My bumpers will stay chrome as well as the window surrounds and rear ¼ window chrome. I plan on painting it one solid color (viper blue) or maybe a two tone blue or blue and silver with no stripes or graphics other than I had the emblems and gills recreated in vinyl which turned out great. I have been looking for pictures of 68 Firebird done in the PT style but not found to many.

If you decide not to use the wheel well moldings it will look fine. That was one of the last things they put on my car per my request. Without them it will give the car a meaner look to it. :thumbsup:

As far as the rocker moldings, unless your going to spend big bucks reworking the metal where the rocker panel moldings go, don't do it. The fit and finish was never a priority from the factory in that area. Major bucks to correct it.

It will look fine as you are using your chrome moldings throughtout the windows, plus your front and rear bumper.

R.P.

[Steve Firebird]

I talked it over with the "new" body shop owner today and pretty much desided to go with out the wheel well trim and will wait and see about the rocker moldings. I can put them on later but I do agree with Rodger that they would need some work to look right. They tend to look like someting stuck on as an after thought and do not really flow with the lines of the car. I feel same way I felt about the door handles. I am leaning toward a two tone Viper blue and silver with light blue accent stripe between them but not 100% sure yet. Viper blue on top with silver on the lower part. I think this would make the car seem lower and accent the body lines if we can place the break between the colors right. Some thing like this picture I copied from the Cars by Kris web site It's not exactly what I want but you can get the general idea.

[Steve Firebird]

Why don't you call Kris and ask him to make the changes to Bruce's rendering for you?
I just may have do that since I stole a pic off his site all ready to put on this tread :_paranoid

[Musclerodz]

I talked it over with the "new" body shop owner today and pretty much desided to go with out the wheel well trim and will wait and see about the rocker moldings. I can put them on later but I do agree with Rodger that they would need some work to look right. They tend to look like someting stuck on as an after thought and do not really flow with the lines of the car. I feel same way I felt about the door handles. I am leaning toward a two tone Viper blue and silver with light blue accent stripe between them but not 100% sure yet. Viper blue on top with silver on the lower part. I think this would make the car seem lower and accent the body lines if we can place the break between the colors right. Some thing like this picture I copied from the Cars by Kris web site It's not exactly what I want but you can get the general idea.
Hey that's mine! Your not the first to be influenced by my concept. Nice color combo. If you plan on silver on the bottom, the wheel well and rocker trim will get lost, where if the blue is on the bottom, it will contrast.

Mike

[Steve Firebird]

Hey that's mine! Your not the first to be influenced by my concept. Nice color combo. If you plan on silver on the bottom, the wheel well and rocker trim will get lost, where if the blue is on the bottom, it will contrast.

Mike
If your car is finished I would really like to see some pics of it. I did talk to Larry my body man about putting the blue on the bottom but he said using it on the top will make the car seem lower and I have agreed to let him have his way with the paint he has been building cars for something like 30 years so I am going to trust his judgement. Belive me if he thinks some thing sould be done a certain way he will let me know in a hurry he is not what you would call a YES man. BTW Even though you car kicks butt I really can't give you credit for the influence on the paint lay out. Larry reminded me of one he did a few years ago and we were talking about doing something along the lines of that car. It was based on a car he use to see at the drag strip in the 70s. Your car was the first one I could find that was close to our goal. You know when it come to paint there is nothing that has not been done before things just go in and out of stlye.

[Musclerodz]

My car is no where close to done and will be awhile still. I agree, darker color on top will make it seem lower, so if you put silver on bottom, don't put the lower trim on. Somewhere the is pics of a Firebird that was done dark blue on top and pewter on bottom with an orange pin stripe flame. Very nice car, and was in PHR a couple years ago.

Mike

[Steve Firebird]

My car is no where close to done and will be awhile still. I agree, darker color on top will make it seem lower, so if you put silver on bottom, don't put the lower trim on. Somewhere the is pics of a Firebird that was done dark blue on top and pewter on bottom with an orange pin stripe flame. Very nice car, and was in PHR a couple years ago.

Mike I remember seeing that car now that you mention it. I went out and found it. After seeing it mine will not be much like this one but it does have the same rims. I do not dig the flames or mesh grill treatment and I think a lighter color on the bottom like silver will look better.

[71Nova]

Yea, Chris might just change the colors on his rendering for you. I think he did something like that for one of the Motion Cars.

[Steve Firebird]

I emailed a guy about hiring him to do a photoshop for me but no responcse yet. Anyone got a contact for me. I heard photoshop can be done cheaper. I need to watch the cost this projects budget has gone thru the roof because of a poor choise I made in my original body shop.

[MaxHarvard]

I'm not a big fan of chrome... i like polished or dulled metal better :)

[71Nova]

Steve Firebird
I would have Ben Hermance do the photoshop. He not only has the artist ability but also comes up with creative bad ass details that look awesome.
http://www.hermancedesign.com/