Opinion on rearview changes

[jlcustomz]

Figure I'd post this here in the metal section, since it will involve metal work to transform. Been trying to come up with a better looking design for the rear for some time now on my 83 el camino with the 2010 Camaro nose. Think I'm liking my latest concept, which someone did a photoshop pic based on my drawing. will modify my original tail gate with a Cadillac cts-v style license bucket, no more round tail lights. Will reshape the rear of my hand made aluminum bedcover & add 2016 Z-06 vette lights. Then of course finish & paint my custom all steel bumper .
First pic is current view. Tired of the round lights in tailgate & many don't like the look of the large [but functional] 59 chevy inspired bedcover.
2nd pic is the 2016 z-06 vette
Last pic is the photoshop. Does it at least look better than the current look??

 

[Outlaw]

I like the current version better than the photoshop.

 

[MikeS]

I like the Vette rear lights shape and the side louvers look. I agree about not using the round lights as they seem to be out of style now. The initial impression I get with the first and third pictures is a lot of open space that detracts from the overall look of the rear. I love the center exhausts however.

Mike

 

[Bob Heine]

I have really poor photo editing skills but I tried to make the picture look like my free opionion. I like the lights but I'd put them in the tailgate at or near the top. I'd put the license frame in the lower panel rather than the tailgate. Opinions are like assholes -- everyone has one. You should do it the way you like.

Having done something similar to my '72 Corvette, I may be biased....

 

[Bob Heine]

As long as you asked for opinions, I'd suggest 2010 Camaro taillights instead of the Corvette, unless you've got a set already.

The Corvette taillights are just a little too much like those retro Cat Eye Glasses for me.

 

[Chris_Hamilton]

It's your car so do what makes you happy...but you did ask for opinions. First thing I would do is get rid of that bumper and the wing. Looks like something an 18 year old would stick on a Civic. Smooth it off and integrate a smoothed cut down more conventional bumper. Cut and fit it so that it fits flush with the car. Perhaps incorporate the license into the bumper. Or you could go the rolled panel look. Make a more tasteful spoiler out of steel. Something that isn't as big and doesn't look tacked on like your current spoiler. Nascar(older) style rear wing. The Corvette taillights don't really work. To clunky and busy. Less is more.

 

[jlcustomz]

In the past, I did a lot of things without asking any opinions, which sometimes can point out something you can't see. Figured it wouldn't hurt to see what others that do bodywork might think. We all know anyone hardheaded enough to make their own parts will do what they want anyway, but opinions can influence what that will be. Appreciate any photoshop pics also.
Shoulda mentioned that I will be updating the front from a 2010 to a 2016 like look.
Also shoulda mentioned the 59" chevy looking bedcover was mostly built to carry more stuff, which is the purpose of a car/truck. Many people love the 59' side profile in person, even those who weren't feeling it first seeing internet pics. Black customs seem to be like that. And yes it is a cateye retro look. I do drive somewhat of a batmobile..
Though maybe better placed in a picture, most lights in a truck tailgate never really seem to look right. & look just stuck in there. No el camino person liked the last Chip Foose el camino design with 67 Camaro lights in tailgate.
Don't have enough room in the bumper for a plate with the center exhaust, I definitely checked. Thought about a retractable plate, but Xed that idea.
Still deciding for now....

 

[jlcustomz]

I have really poor photo editing skills but I tried to make the picture look like my free opionion. I like the lights but I'd put them in the tailgate at or near the top. I'd put the license frame in the lower panel rather than the tailgate. Opinions are like assholes -- everyone has one. You should do it the way you like.

Having done something similar to my '72 Corvette, I may be biased....

Bob, I think you are very biased on the tailpipe pic. Great minds think alike? I had mine done a few weeks after I saw the first c-7.Also have a stainless surround for mine not shown in pic.

 

[jlcustomz]

I have a part 2 to the rearview look. Been wanting to change the bed side corner profile from the soft rounded corners to a more chiseled looking concave look, similar to the smoothed 69'example in this pic.

 

[Brad J.]

I'm with Chris on this. Less is more for me.

I really like the smoothed 69' in the last picture. It just flows and looks good from all angles.

Since your raised cover and wing is not my taste I can't seem to look around it to envision changes to the taillights. I could get on board with a flush bed cover and then make changes from there.

 

[crashtech]

Personally, I would try to keep the mods clean and minimal. A simple roll pan could be purchased that would be flush with the tailgate and blend right into the bedsides, an exhaust cutout could be fabbed into that. The contour of the bed might lend itself to a '98 Chevy pickup taillamp, but if not, some roll pans can take the old C6 ZL-1 lamp, which doesn't look too bad on those El Caminos, imo. There is something about the round lamps on yours that seems a little off to me, maybe it is the positioning?

 

[jlcustomz]

Here's a couple of other items going on before new paint. making custom fendervents to replace the 79'z-28 vents I added in over 20 years ago. Also making flush mount door handles on the top of the door panels to replace to old clunky gm ones. From a straight on side view, most people will never see them even if I leave them polished stainless.Also a side view to show this is not a normal el camino that would look correct with the same old mods as every other camino. .

 

[jlcustomz]

Well, ordered the c-7 vette lights last week & will drop the height of the cover a little bit.

Doing some changes & smoothing out while I'm at it.

 

[jlcustomz]

Did another revision to my photoshop pic in the first post, this time using more features from the 2016 z-06 vette. Involves a lot more work redoing rear steel bumper, moving & widening tailgate skin to have a different profile to blend better with the vette lights. Notching & profiling top of tailgate skin to go up to vette lights with full uncut bezel this time.Extending sides of bedcorners to have profile similar to smoothed 69 example pictured above, which will blend with corners of 2016 Camaro nose I'm doing up front.

​Also may be able to shorten bedcover height more than pictured.

 

[jlcustomz]

Got another even wilder idea to see if it can work. Might get actual vette rear bumper cover & diffuser, extend the lower portion of the bumper cover between 4 & 12" as needed, modify & mount between handmade side extensions, then shorten & modify the bedcover to fit above the bumpercover.

Bob Heine , think this may be possible?

 

[Bob Heine]

Got another even wilder idea to see if it can work. Might get actual vette rear bumper cover & diffuser, extend the lower portion of the bumper cover between 4 & 12" as needed, modify & mount between handmade side extensions, then shorten & modify the bedcover to fit above the bumpercover.

Bob Heine , think this may be possible?

Everything is possible but I'm probably the wrong person to give advice. My ideas have stretched a quick black lacquer paint job into a 30+ year saga of better ideas through alchemy.

 

[jlcustomz]

Actually I just meant on the look of it. The mechanical aspect of it is either my challenge or nightmare---- pick your word.
​Went & looked at a standard & z-06 vette today to get measurements. Looks like I need to add 4" to the bumper cover in height & remove 5 to 6 " in width.
Now to see if I can come across any slighly damaged used bumper & diffuser parts for a decent price & chop & re plastic weld..

 

[jlcustomz]

Picked up a slightly damaged upper bumper from the recycler today, for $60 bucks, not including the bezels I already have. Hmmmmm



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[jlcustomz]

Picked up a slightly damaged upper bumper from the recycler today, for $60 bucks, not including the bezels I already have. Hmmmmm




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[jlcustomz]

Update, testing out the new forum.
Got my 2016 vette upper bumper partially attached to the 83 el camino. Cut back the rear sheet metal, reshaped it some & made 16 gauge flange plates to attach between inner & outer sheet metal. Used an 8115 type product to glue the outer sheet metal to the flange plate without heat warping issues & mig welded to the inner sheet metal. Cut off the vette rear where needed, made an inner & outer pattern to clamp in place & heated the plastic to bend into a 90* flange. more fine tuning left to do, but fitting.
Reshaping my old custom steel bumper to attach a fiberglass handmade part to look mostly like the new vette part. black painted posterboard patterns seen in pic.

Will make the part into a functioning tailgate later.
I figured just make it look as much like a 2016 z-o6 vette as possible. I'll cut down the 59 chevy tailfin shaped bedcover & shape the rear to look like a wickerbill vette spoiler. The old cover looks worse than ever from the rear over the new vette bumper.