I'm getting free taillights!

"K-Roll-PorscheTamer" (k-roll390) 09/26/2017 at 13:21 • Filed to: Everything is chrome in the future!

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The 50th Anniversary lights with the subtly tasteful chrome bezels. They were only offered on the 2015 50th Limited Edition cars and the regular models with the 50th Appearance Pack.

I will always state that 1967-68 was not only the best looking years of the Mustang, but it was the best years for the taillights until 2015. And because I wanted to match the look of those years as closely as possible, I’ve wanted those lights since day one. Unfortunately and obviously, changing out taillights on a new car is stupid if you’re buying them, with the regular and 50th versions costing nearly $2k because LEDs no doubt. So I found someone wanting to remove all chrome traces from their car so we’ll be swapping lights tomorrow afternoon.

Regular lights

Prepare to see the first pictures of a Grabber Blue S550 with 50th taillights!

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 09/26/2017 at 13:25

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If I had my way there would be no chrome in the future.

itschrome > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 09/26/2017 at 13:29

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:( WHAT I EVER DO TO YOU MAN!?!

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 09/26/2017 at 13:32

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Those are hideous

Ssfancyfresh > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 09/26/2017 at 13:32

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I like the louvered quarter glass on these.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 09/26/2017 at 13:34

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I’m gonna agree with Jake and bman here. Chrome has no place on cars newer than 1958

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Ssfancyfresh 09/26/2017 at 13:34

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It is the best louvered glass. I wish that was a standard production piece on all models because it’s stunning and clever.

Nothing > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 09/26/2017 at 13:37

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Golly, I want a fastback Mustang. Congrats on the swap. Looks subtle, not garish chrome at all. I think it adds a finishing touch and breaks up the large swatch of black on the rear.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 09/26/2017 at 13:39

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I disagree and argue that chrome can and does have a place if not overdone. And this is not overdone. Where chrome doesn’t have a place anymore is on wheels, door handles, and auto parts store shelves, because then you get this:

victor > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 09/26/2017 at 13:41

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If all you’re doing is the lights, I think it’ll look nice and subtle. I like!

Mercedes Streeter > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 09/26/2017 at 13:41

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I dig them! I’m not a huge fan of giant sheets of chrome, but I do like little itty bitty chrome accents like that. They can brighten up a car in all the right places (window trim, lights, etc). Do it! :D

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero 09/26/2017 at 14:11

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I have a car that is a ‘63 and all Chromed Up (tm). Fite me

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 09/26/2017 at 14:14

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Chrome contributes to the “sharpness” of sharp edges, and a lack of sharp edges on modern cars is one of the more subtle things that hurts their ability to *stand out*, styling-wise. The more rounded the edges, the fewer shadows, the less clear definition, the more a modern car tends to look “out of focus” when you put it side by side with a classic. One reason that everything kind of *pops* when you go to a classic show.

To Ford’s credit, they’ve done a pretty decent job adding edges back to the Mustang, but there’s only so far you can go before aero and 5mph bumper rules get you.

atfsgeoff > Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) 09/26/2017 at 14:16

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If I had my way there would be no chrome in the future.

But what about on tools??

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 09/26/2017 at 14:51

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Couldn’t have said it better!

Captain of the Enterprise > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 09/26/2017 at 14:53

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I thought your car was a lease?

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Captain of the Enterprise 09/26/2017 at 14:58

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Goodness never! I’ve been trained by my dad to never lease a car. I believe if you want a car bad enough, you’ll buy and keep it for as long as possible, and I will.

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 09/26/2017 at 15:05

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No my taste, but enjoy.

Then you need the pony pack side window chrome and chrome grille...

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Wagon Guy drives a Boostang 09/26/2017 at 15:18

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Let’s not go hog wild now....

If the window trim was available I’d consider it. The grille, not in this lifetime.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 09/26/2017 at 15:30

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This is also where “modern chrome” gets it horribly, horribly wrong. They go “hai guiz let’s put chrome everywhere those old cars had chrome and more” - and then put in featureless features that are blended with the surrounding body (and accenting no lines), and rounded horrible tackiness. No. The feature has to have detail/relief of its own if it’s taking up space, it has to be bright chrome and not semi-bright because the reflective difference matters, and it has to do its own thing. Replacing portions of rounded body work with chrome is supremely stupid.

Here’s a ‘58 Plymouth. Every single thing it does with chrome is *right*:

It snubs the eye away from considering the large “empty” area of the front fender with a callout to old free-standing fenders - the stripe - it calls attention to the rear wheel opening and makes the rear look slim and tall with the detail on the lower doors and rear quarter, the grill (the largest “chrome” piece) is thin-lined, and the edges of the grill opening, roof line, and fins are all edged delicately. Even the styling of the bumper is reserved, though having a lot of brightwork. In a word, perfect.

Here’s a ‘58 Olds. It is beyond gaudy and kind of tasteless. But it *still* doesn’t make modern mistakes. Because the chrome has a purpose, no matter how silly:

The grill is massive and bright, but still serves to accentuate the width of the car. The headlight borders are tacky, but emphasize the more fluid parts of the design and “plump up” the fenders to look bigger. The rear chrome streaks make it look like some kind of cartoon rocketship, but draw attention to the squareness of the body while allowing the “round” idea to sneak back in. The Giant Bumper Of Ham does not have a single flat >6" void of chrome, because IT IS NOT A BODY PANEL.

Basically, everything there was to know about chrome, even as practiced by total hacks, was forgotten some time in the 90s.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 09/26/2017 at 16:14

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What would be an example of a modern car with factory chrome done badly?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 09/26/2017 at 16:26

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Well, the previous gen of Nissan Titan for one:

No edging, fills only, and chrome-as-body-panel. Something of a similar problem with the then-contemporary F-series - overwhelming amounts of brightness with too much flat surface, and rolling that flat surface around contours.

Acuras are an interesting case because while doing some things wrong, they did other things right, and developed their styling in a more-right direction as time went on:

Dodgey, the above “contour/flat surface” problems as well as “bad chrome” in terms of finish, but they got the window and door details right, which evolved to:

*just enough* flat, which is now broken with a detail line and headlining a break in the body, lower vents now with light trimlining, windshield now with trimlining.’

There are some other examples of garishness I can’t think of right now, but the Acura is a good one of how to get *out* of the Bad Chrome phase.

Wagon Guy drives a Boostang > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 09/26/2017 at 22:44

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I’ll stick with my “no more chrome” tactic...

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 09/27/2017 at 10:15

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The previous generation of TSX gets the “Acura Beak” right from a visual standpoint: