One of the quintessential mob-cars is the big stinkin' Lincolns from 1961 to 1969. Probably one of the last cars you would consider as hot rod material, the smooth slab-sides of the earlier 1961-65 versions make an excellent starting point for a whack and weld approach to hot rod construction. Having shown you this route to creating slice 'n' dice rod bodies in the January 2006 issue of R&C, I left a couple of examples on the drawing board. With a little help from my computer, I've juiced up one sketch and included my original exploration chicken-scratches to give you a varied-viewed look at this real rod deal.
Lincoln made a lot of these Wixom-wonders, and rusted versions should be plentiful, which means cheap. The basis for our roadster would be a Model A or possibly Deuce frame, with the rear suicide doors mocked in place to get a feel for the size and proportions you're after. Some trimming may be required on the door bottoms depending on the body height and proportions you're after. The short deck is created from sections of the rear quarters, and the same with the front-cut down sections of the front clip and hood. The secret sorcery is in the slab sides which gives you a lot of wiggle room for your stitched-together body sections.
I've varied each sketch a bit to give you some alternatives to how the hood sides are handled, the length of the deck, and various trim and louver ideas. In the profile sketch you get an idea for a top hung on reverse-angle windshield posts with wrapping glass-very Fifties yet in keeping with our representation.
The drawings suggest big diameter Continental-type wheels made from billet aluminum with narrow skins sporting wide whites, but I know that's big-buck and probably not in the budget. As John Buttera used to tell me, "It only takes you a few seconds to draw this stuff, it takes me days to make it!" Boo hoo. You can build it the way you want, the wheels help to sell the Continental look in hot rod form.
Look, I know this is a bit fanciful, but if you're not handy with an English wheel or wondering what you and the crew should do with that rusted hulk you eyed between 6 mile and Hoover, it definitely paints a different picture of that gangsta' barge.