Mystery Print Packs

If you're a long-time visitor to my website, or just know us, then you already know how we enjoy the hell out of saving our clients and friends some cash... simply because we love saving some ourselves! From time to time (usually a few times per month), we'll hide a deal someplace on the site... it might be a freet shirt, a sticker, something from one of our pals in the industry, a break on design work and costs... or even a coupon for the online store!

The new "Mystery Print Packs":

How cool is this: 8x10-inch prints normally sell on the site for $12.00/ea. I've decided that a fun way to get more bang for the buck (and handle some Holiday shopping, too!) would be to offer some "package" deals.

Amplifying the "fun" part works like this: You buy a "Mystery Print Pack" for $30, and you get two random 8x10 prints, PLUS a special 8x10-inch print (one not normally offered as an 8x10), AND.... how about this: Every fifth pack sold gets a signed, 19x13-inch print (it'll be a cool one) thrown in! There you have it....

You get a print for 1/2 off PLUS a shot at a limited-edition, signed print (could be a $50. bonus!)... make that a one-in-five shot!

Check it out here!

A History of Speed Parts

"The dry lakes racers opened a door of opportunity," writes Barney Navarro in his forward to Paul D. Smith's book Merchants of Speed, and this hits the nail on the head to be certain.



For anyone interested in tracing hot rodding's roots, all roads lead back to the dry lakes and the men who were interested in one thing: speed. Early on, the Mohave Desert provided a testing ground for anyone seeking to try their hand at that all-American pastime of tinkering. As fast as Detroit could build them, you just knew there would be some guy out there looking to make his car faster or more unique. Naturally, any display of creativity breeds a sense of competition, and with competition, we often find ingenuity and innovation. Such was the case with hot rods, and following World War II and the return home of servicemen who had been exposed to new technology and training, the industry began a period of exponential growth.

Mr. Smith takes a look at twenty six of the original speed parts manufacturers over twenty-two chapters, giving some personal history on each, and digging up the inspiration behind their contributions to the industry. The book was written using the hundreds of hours of interviews conducted, and the voices of the men behind the history really shine through. From humorous anecdotes to sobering looks at tragic wrecks, we are presented with a living history of this truly American industry. We are treated to an ongoing series of innovations, witnessing the evolution of technology, and ever-changing business and manufacturing standards. The pursuit of quality and craftsmanship reaches ever-higher benchmarks as the stories roll on, and the "inside story" of so many parts we now take for granted seem to fill the little gaps that so often appear when one wonders "how'd they come up with that?".

Being born at the close of the musclecar era, so many of the names in this book were, up to reading this volume, just that... names. I was treated to what felt like a first-hand drive through the living history of the sport and industry I grew up loving, and make my living in. The book is a substantial 240 pages, loaded with over 250 images of the men, the parts, and numerous action shots. Truly a must-have for anyone seeking the "behind the scenes" history, and truly priceless for the artists out there who are looking for rare reference photos of parts and accessories.

More than just a history of the speed parts industry, we are invited to share the memories of the "founding fathers": Lou Senter (Ansen Automotive), Tommy Thickstun, Frank Baron, Bob Tattersfield, Nick Brajevich (Braje Equipment), Harvey Crane Je. (Crane Cams), Vic Edelbrok Sr. (Edelbrock), Jack Engle (Engle Racing Cams), Earle Evans (Evans Speed Equipment), Chet Herbert (Herbert Racing Cams), Stu Hilborn (Hilborn Fuel Injection), Howard Johansen (Howards Racing Cams), Ed "Isky" Iskendarian (Iskendarian Racing Cams), Frank McGurk (McGurk Engineering), Barney Navarro (Navarro Racing Equipment), Fred Offenhauser (Offenhauser), Chuck Potvin (Potvin Racing Cams), Mel Scott (Scott Fuel Injection), Al Sharp (Sharp Speed Equipment), Bill and Tom Spalding (Spalding Racing Cams & Ignitions), Wayne Horning and Harry Warner (Wayne Manufacturing), Harry Weber (Weber Racing Cams), Phil Weiand (Weiand Power & Racing), And Dempsey Wilson (Dempsey Wilson Racing Cams).

It's one of those rare multi-purpose books that will occupy equal time in the Studio being cracked open for research, as well as being brought out for some additional inspiration in those late-night bench race sessions.

Merchants of Speed
The Men Who Built America's Performance Industry
by Paul D. Smith
Illustrated. 240 pp.
Motorbooks
$40.00

Grab your copy here, and save almost 35%

Hot rod art

…and prints that really “pop”.

Traditional Lakes Roadster artwork

As we were packing up some prints to ship out the other day, a friend stopped by and began to rave about the color and quality of these pieces. Naturally, I was stoked to hear this, and realized that I’d never really given much thought to it. After all, I see them from loose pencil roughs on paper, right though completion in digital, and all of the post-print work that goes into them, and simply want to deliver a piece that looks good. To me, each piece just has to look “right”. My pal then gave me an idea: Show some of these pieces as they look on paper, complete… ready to ship. So, I snapped a few pics of some pieces, and wanted to share a few examples with you, just to show what kind of quality you’ll receive when ordering one of our prints:

1955 Chevy rendering

Our renderings for example, are delivered on superior quality, acid-free archival paper, and the work itself is created using an 8-color pigment process (UltraChrome K3 by Epson), and all post-print work (airbrush, etc) is created using Createx and House of Kolor products for the truest color matches and best ‘flakes and pearls where needed. I’ve never really promoted these facts, as I assumed that all renderings and prints were created equal, but after receiving a ton of positive feedback, I thought I’d share it here, and hopefully swing anyone thinking about grabbing a print over to the “yeah, I’ll take one” camp!

Just for kicks, here’s an example of the detail I like to throw in, these shots coming from a ‘55 Chevy resto-mod rendering:

1955 Chevy interior drawing

…and yes, you can even read the lettering on all gauges:

1955 Chevy dashboard rendering

That all shown, we’re pretty proud of the finished product, and hope that you will be, too! Even the experimental works have been turning out with a great look:

Automotive fine art

I hope that you like what you see, and that all of the techno-jargon makes sense. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to hit me up, and I’ll get you an answer! Thanks for looking in, and thanks to all who have been collecting my work! Look for more new pieces soon!

…and feel free to browse or grab some hot rod art here!