Continue this wave
1984 Dodge Aries
Media library
15 photos
Original Build Studies
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Ladies of WBS Gallery
1 imageWave Photography
2 imagesSocial Gallery
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Story
Jetstream Bel Air takes the sacred ’49 Merc silhouette and drags it through two very real chapters of American car culture: postwar show-rod excess and the early-2000s West Coast chrome-and-billet era. The body is pushed hard—trapezoidal, stepped front boxes and a massive rear swell—yet the lines stay disciplined, like a factory sketch that got out of hand in the best way.
Under neon, the satin navy reads deep and heavy while the pearlescent flake and wide white pinstripe do the talking. The polished scoop flange, billet arch trims, and flush rectangular exhaust exits aren’t add-ons—they’re the build’s punctuation marks, designed to catch light from every angle in a parking-lot spotlight.
Blueprint
The Whitepaper Room
Inspect drawing ↗Open blueprint study →Collectible Poster
Collector's Edition
Inspect poster ↗Technical dossier
Fictional engineering concept
Platform
1949 Mercury Eight
Powertrain concept
Front-mounted V8 restomod swap with modern EFI and coil-near-plug ignition
Twin intercoolers packaged behind the grille with sealed ducting to manage charge temps at low speed
High-capacity aluminum radiator and shrouded electric fans for idle-heavy show conditions
Free-flow exhaust routed to rear roll-pan dual rectangular exits with heat shielding near flare louvers
Aero package
Cowl-induction scoop with chamfered vent edges for clean separation and heat extraction
Ducted front-mount intercooler airflow through grille to twin under-hood side vents (380mm x 130mm)
Polished aluminum ducktail (95mm high, 900mm wide) blended into the tailgate panel
Roll-pan diffuser-style undercut around dual rectangular exhaust exits for smoother rear wake
Chassis & stance
1949 Mercury Eight
Wheels & tires
Front: 20x9 forged HRE RS2, 255/35R20
Rear: 20x10.5 forged HRE RS2, 315/35R20
Track increase: +185mm front, +200mm rear to properly fill the widebody
Lowered ~45mm on coilovers with progressive-rate springs tuned for show stance and street compliance
Fabrication notes
Widebody built as welded steel extensions with internal bracing; billet trims act as removable edge caps and service points
Stepped flare geometry jigged side-to-side to keep chamfer lines level under low-angle lighting
Intercooler and vent ducting formed as sealed aluminum plenums to prevent heat soak into the engine bay
Rear roll pan and exhaust exits built as a single assembly to maintain tight gaps and consistent reflections
Keep exploring
Different origins. Sacred Cars
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454
Midnight Rally Reaper
Continue the exhibitionRestomod ReveriesGather ’round, gearheads and widebody worshippers!Build 2 of 6↗