Ford Custom side gold trim, is it just me or is it absolutely hideous?

Custom300Madman · 2012-01-30 18:20

I dislike the factory gold trim on my inherited four door 1957 ford custom 300. I think it's gaudy and tacky. I would much rather have the square holes welded up flush on the front fender and doors, and maybe something just like a one piece strip of chrome on the quarter panel (right above the wheel well).

-Keith

RICH MUISE · 2012-01-30 19:44

"Hideous"...have to smite you for that one...LOL The inserts are a classic look for the fifties era.To be perfectly honest I'm not that crazy about them either. Another option to consider is leaving the chrome and just deleting the inserts. There should be some examples in the models area at www.1957ford.com. If I remember corectly, I think 57agin's custom 300 is going to receive a special paint tratment in the insert area. Most guys that I've noticed that delete the inserts are doing it on a one-tone paint job and just have the color in the insert area the same. If those inserts are in good shape, they are saleable...don't discard them.
Rich

512Fairlane · 2012-01-30 20:17

I'm not a big fan of the gold inserts either although with some color combinations they don't look bad. I've seen some two tone cars that leave the area inside the chrome the same as the hood color (usually white). I think we may go that route.

suede57ford · 2012-01-30 22:20

I had an original custom 300 2dr sedan that only had the single(no gold) spear down the side. It was also a 312 car as well. I let it go to scrap as I did not have a place to keep it and it had the roof caved in from kids. I still have the doors, but wish I had the forsite to save the data plate,

I am not a huge fan of the gold on the 300, but I still appreciate the '57 ford look no matter what body style. The Fairlane 500 cars seem to look ok with it though.

57redwhitered · 2012-01-30 22:46

You have to remember that 1957 was a time when your car made a statement and chrome, stainless and two tone paint was what it was all about. 1957 Fords had and still do have class that was was created with the chrome, stainless and colors. You could tell a 57 ford from every other make at at least a 1/4 mile, try doing that today. The gold insert is part of the heritage that made it different from every other make.

Custom300Madman · 2012-01-30 23:21

Are they reproducing the trim?

57redwhitered · 2012-01-30 23:38

Try www.burtonantiqueautoparts.com.

Custom300Madman · 2012-01-31 00:25

Quote from: 57redwhitered on 2012-01-30 23:38
Try www.burtonantiqueautoparts.com.

Great site thanks 57redwhitered!

62galxe · 2012-01-31 05:25

I can come over and take the front trim off your hands. mine is a little tweaked.

F570RD · 2012-01-31 09:17

It's You!I don't like four doors.

Custom300Madman · 2012-01-31 11:29

@62, what wouldmbe the best way to fill those square holes in?

JPotter57 · 2012-01-31 13:05

Weld them, not bondo, not brazing...MIG or TIG the holes closed.

JimNolan · 2012-01-31 14:16

Custom300Madman,
I am one of those guys that prefer the 300 over the other model customs. I'm just like the people in 1957 to present. What set the models apart was trim, paint and accessories. Usually a car with more trim, two tone paint jobs and more options cost more. Always have, always will. Those gold anodized inserts that you dislike aren't even reproduced with the exact pattern. They cost about $600 if you're restoring a car and anyone that knows the difference in patterns can tell a repop. If you take them off your car be careful with them. There is someone out there that would pay good money for them and be very grateful to you for letting them go. Jim PS These parts are precious to someone that restores cars. Case in point. I think it was Lou that had good faceplates for the Heater and Town and Country Radio. He wanted a song for them but no one wanted them at the time. Since I have an extra Town and Country Radio he sent them to me for the cost of shipping best I remember. He wasn't looking to make money on them. He was looking to preserve them for someone that might need them. Parts are precious when they don't make them anymore.

Custom300Madman · 2012-01-31 16:19

@Jimnolan, the extra door in the trunk has perfect gold trim also.

Zapato · 2012-01-31 16:51

I'm not a big fan of the gold trim myself. It doesn't work well with some color combinations. But i wouldn't call it hideous. My perspective is that the trim and the number designation was purely a marketing decision. Throw some extra trim call it a 300 and bang you net a few extra bucks on each car sold. And at the same you create, for lack of a better term, a blue collar Fairlane. Personally I prefer the no frills look of the plain old Custom. And even crazier the no back seat business coupe is my Holy Grail and luckily enough for me its now in my possession. In 57 Ford for the first time brought out 2 different lines Fairlane and Custom. The Fairlane was created as extra room was needed to store the retractable hardtop. So for a few years the Fairlane was the flagship at Ford. Didn't last long as the Galaxie soon took over the large car spot and fairlane became midsize and the newly introduced Falcon filled in as the compact model. And from then on Dearborn finally had something to offer every buying segment. What we have probably overlooked is in those days one could literally order anything they wanted in any model. So in 1957 a custom could literally be optioned out to an equal level as a Fairlane. And if the factory didn't want to dealers were willing to install those options. Not really unusual to find Customs with lots of features or Fairlanes with radio or heater deletes.

Zap-

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Ford Custom side gold trim, is it just me or is it absolutely hideous?

F570RD