Ideas for Custom Cars

Ideas upon ideas… Oh, we get lots of those… and while we could write a book about the ideas Brian throws out there each day, we just can’t afford a blanket insurance policy that big. Suffice to say, then, that it made our day when the new Motorbooks Custom Cars Idea Book hit the doorstep…


Alan Mayes (managing editor of Ol’ Skool Rodz and Car Kulture DeLuxe) has thrown down a nifty collection of photos reminiscent of the Motor Life, Car Craft, et.al. specials and columns of the 1950′s and 1960′s highlighting custom car ideas and trends, and packaged them neatly in this 160 page (with, dig this: 536 COLOR images… yes, over 500 color photos!) book. What this amounts to is a great reference piece for the garage or den or studio. Imagine having all of your Google searches for headlight and tail light, top chop, grille and other ideas in one book?

For me, it’s a great lunchtime companion… seriously. A couple of times a week, I take a break to just sit back and eat something, and this book is a tremendously fun way to kill a few minutes, and stretch the brain, car-wise when the mood hits. It’s laid out in an almost intuitive fashion, spanning Pre-War models, the ubiquitous ’49-’51 Mercs, and then on to 1950′s and 1960′s cars, before diving into show rods, trucks and a few late-models. There are even handy sections (a-ha! a pun…) on front and rear end treatments, chassis, paint, trim and more.

While I’d certainly love to see more on show rods, it’s a great overview, and again, collection of custom cars. It certainly works very well to spark your creative side when planning a project, and excels as an overview of popular customizing techniques. This book would be a fantastic primer (pun count: 2) for anyone new to the hobby, and certainly a great quick-reference guide when the inevitable “do you know that car?” conversation pops up.

My only gripe would be with some of the photographs, which seemed sourced rather than shot with the specific intent of being used in a book of this nature. A few more “head-on” shots or closeups would have been great, but overall, the message in each photo (and all are captioned, by the way… which is FANTASTIC) comes across loud and clear, and the clarity of every photo is great. Highly recommended for your reference library, and well worth the cover price.

Speaking of the price, you can scoop up a copy in our bookstore, and save a few bucks, too ($8.50 to be exact)!

Custom Cars IDEA BOOK: Coupes Sedans Pickups
Alan Mayes
Paperback
160 Pages
Illustrated with 536 color images
Motorbooks
Availability: June 8, 2010

Meeting the Mistress

Back in 1980, Len Legere Sr. bought the remains of a ‘71 Javelin from a wrecking yard, and took it from a forgotten mess to the ISCA National Championship. The car had a HUGE impact on me almost twenty years ago, and still brings forth that teenage awe that it did when I first laid eyes on it at the Clutch Artists AutoRama in Buffalo, NY.

The one and only Mistress
Before we get too deep into it, dig on some video caught by my father those many moons ago (pardon the low quality– time has been harsh to the old VHS tapes, and his transfer was decent, but moving it online has degraded it a bit more…).

The car absolutely jumped off of its turntable that March day, and drove deep into my psyche. Here was a modern custom car… a contemporary take on the radical customs I was already obsessed over as a kid, but oh, so much more! That stance was aggressive, and not typical at all of a custom car, it had billet rollers, and those proportions, man!! Chopped and sectioned, and channeled just right over that custom frame… This was a 1:1 version of the models I was building! I can’t begin to count the hours I spent studying the car as it went ’round and ’round that weekend, but know this much: I was taking notes.

Radical Custom AMC Javelin
As a junkyard-trolling individual, I recognized the (then) late-model Monte Carlo headlamps, the Fairmont tail lights… but the specifications were branded into my brain: roof chopped 2.5-inches, body sectioned 3-inches, floors channeled 5-inches. I stood there, imagining the car sitting on the ground… how it would have looked, a whole, what… 40 or so inches tall? Awesome.

How’s the old girl look today? VERY well-preserved indeed. Some pics from this past Summer:

As she looks in 2009

It's what's inside that counts, too...

A modern classic
Anyway, I bring this car up following a week of finishing off a couple of pro-touring style car renderings, and a late night of pondering where that whole movement will go next. After all, custom cars grew to become milder versions of their former selves, save for a few notable examples like we have here, and pro-street became, well, pro-touring… Yet, almost 20 years ago, Len Legere created a car that would easily meld the custom and pro-touring camps, and left an indelible mark on my design sense. Since that day in the Buffalo Convention Center, I’ve worked to add styling cues to my designs that honor that pivotal moment, and have enjoyed the hell out of it all. Here’s hoping you’ll do the same, and thanks, as always, for peeking in….

Naturally, the question remains for my fellow hot rod designers (and those just peeking in, too!) :
How would YOU, as a hot rod designer or artist, update this car to compete once more in the modern day? What changes, if any, would you contemplate? Bonus points for posting up some ideas!

Happy Holidays...

to all of our friends and colleagues! A HUGE thanks to all who supported us this year, and to our "regulars" for the faith in what we do! Nothing beats hearing those words "just do what you do... run with it!". Just know we appreciate it!

With a shaky year now drifting into the past, here's hoping that 2010 brings out some more creativity and a willingness to really "push the envelope". I can't begin to explain what a cool year this was in a few short sentences, but I'll give you a quick summary of the places and people that made it such a killer year. Howzabout a sneaky-peek at the holiday card artwork... your friendly postman is probably carrying yours right now...

Starting in January we hit the GNRS in Pomona, and nailed a double-whammy, launching the Hot Rod Art Book: Masters of Chicken Scratch, which we were stoked to be a part of... Not only does The Hot Rod Art Book contain over 100 pages of beautiful hot rod art from a variety of artists, but it includes tutorials from a past Hot Wheels designer, Dwayne Vance on an instructional CD that shows the complete process from sketch to rendering plus a few extras. The first printing sold out, and the second printing will be in shortly, so if you missd it, grab one when these hit!

That same weekend in January, we debuted Resilience, the '52 Buick we were honored to be a part of with owners Erik and Paul Hansen and builder Tim Strange. The radical Buick received a ton of great press, both here in the US and overseas, as well! As the year rolled by, the mighty Buick cleaned up with some great awards, even capturing the KKOA 777 Custom Crown Award as America's Top Custom...and the prestigious Elden Titus Memorial Design Award... OUTSTANDING!!

While attending the GNRS, Paul and Erik Hansen were kind enough to invite me along to the Hall of Fame Luncheon, which was a once-in-a-lifetime highlight to be certain. We have some video from this all-star gala HERE on the site... Legends like Blackie Gejeian, Mary Slonaker, Dick Bertolucci, Thom Taylor and more... Definitely worth a look.

As the year rolled by, we were chosen to be a part of many great projects, meeting some incredible builders and designers along the way... We were even chosen to pen the 2010 Street Rodder Road Tour car! (see it in this month's Street Rodder Magazine)

This year also saw the first Hot Rod Industry BMX Challenge, which we were honored to create the artwork for. Organized by Tim and Carrie Strange, it was a great event held the weekend of the Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, and attended by many top builders and great folks in the industry. Look for this to continue to grow!

Add to all of this working with Denny and the crew at ProRides on their latest Drag Week monster, the "Sick Seconds" Camaro, which debuted in raw form at the PRI show... Look for this terror to swallow 1320 feet and thousands of miles in the coming year!

While staying thankfully busy, I took on some added responsibility, accepting the role as V.P. at Motorburg, Inc., a position offered to me by one of the founders and a HUGE inspiration in my work, Charlie Smith. The automotive art and design community has some incredible history, and I was brought on to build the community. Starting with a new website, revamped forums and a social network, things are REALLY starting to happen there, with some incredibly talented folks posting articles, tutorials, and just generally sharing tricks, tips and advice on everything from drawing to running a studio. Check it out!

Things just kept picking up, with the Hot Rod Art Book show at GINAC Gallery in Santa Ana, and more drawing and designing...

We began wrapping the year up with the Goodguys Southwest Nationals in Scottsdale, and were once again shown incredible hospitality from Scott and the crew at Billet Specialties... thanks again, guys!!

Speaking of Billet Specialties, dig on the new tees we designed for them to celebrate their 25th year, as well as some great wheels and accessories!

Rounding out the year, the wife and I continued a tradition we began some years back, and instead of exchanging gifts, she grabs a few "Christmas Angels" from the tree at work, and we go about giving a few kids a Christmas to remember... The kids get involved, and it's a great lesson in sharing and giving a hand to someone who may be a bit down. I can't say enough good about the program, and encourage you to take part as well.

And, just a reminder to give back a little if you can, especially to those who need a little cheer this season. Head on over to the Car Design Fetish store and grab a gift that not only supports a great cause, but gives back twelve times a year with some fantastic artwork! This is a great-quality and big calendar, too, at 11x17 with thick card stock and full bleed printing. Very high quality indeed, and with art from guys like Scott Robertson, yours truly, Micah Jones, Raza Bashir, Mark Weaver, Dustin Shedlarski, Wayne Manista, Charlie Smith, Dwayne Vance, Arvind Ramkrishna, and Sangyup Lee, it's a virtual "who's who" of OEM and hot rod design and artistry! Certainly a future collectible.

We're not slowing at all heading into 2010, and hope you'll stick around as it just gets crazier and crazier! Thanks again, and Happy Holidays!

"The forbidden-ness of the place..."

...is what made it "so compelling", Greg Noll once said of his decision to surf Waimea Bay, which, in November of '57 he conquered.

Surfing there was considered a no-no of sorts, stemming from the death of Dickie Cross there in 1943, as well as the sacred ruins in Waimea Canyon, and a house that the locals presumed haunted... All signs of surfing the almost unexplored (at the time) North Shore seemed to have a big red slash through them. But on that fifth day of November, a drive was so great in the mind of one man, that he cast all superstition and fear aside, and rode some waves. He was quickly joined by Harry Church, Bing Copeland, Pat Curren, Mickey Munoz, and Mike Strange... six guys who spent three years trying to draw enough courage to surf there... And once they did, they became legends.

What's any of this have to do with building or designing hot rods?

Plenty.

I get inspiration from a wide range of sources, and always seek to implement the ideas I get from those sources into a design, or piece of art. Mr. Noll is one of the people on my list of great inspirations, as he was a true pioneer in his craft, whether riding waves, or creating the boards to do so. While I could go on for days about his contributions to the surf industry, I'd rather concentrate on those few opening words from this entry...

"The forbidden-ness of the place is what made it so compelling."

Has there ever been a better way to describe the feeling of taking a torch to a car with the intent of creating something unique?! I imagine the late Sam Barris, contemplating the first cuts on his Merc, or his Buick, for that matter... It was a visionary, bold move to drop the lid on either car, and yet, his decisions to do so spawned legend... and countless chopped tops to follow. Decades later, some in the hobby/industry still embrace this pioneering spirit with the battle cry of "dare to be different!", pushing the creative envelope just a bit further each time. It takes a big ol' pair of stones to carve into something different, something not considered mainstream, and really have at it. Of course, it also takes "doing it well" to be successful.

I recently penned a design for Popular Hot Rodding that embodies this approach, taking a relatively forgotten and over-looked car, and just "having at it", bringing in influences from all over the place...


...and it was cathartic, man. "You don't do one of THOSE..." I was told... Which only fueled the fire, as such challenges often will in those with a creative bent. I finished the roughs for the car, and began to think of even more rides off of the beaten path. I'm not saying that drawing this car even compared to riding Wiamea for the first time, but the excitement of taking a direction with it (that I've sat on for years) that is fresh sure packed, metaphorically, anyway, the anticipation of paddling out.

I guess that it all just comes down to finding inspiration in unique places, and then summoning the courage to apply it properly. Not to mention boldly crashing though some previosuly closed doors along the way...

More, as always on my site!

Artist Feature... and FREE WHEELS!

I have an upcoming artist feature in the relatively new Benchrace Magazine, an online publication geared toward the hot rod community, and loaded with absolutely killer feature articles each month, and I'm pretty stoked, as this is really the first online 'zine to include my work.


Weighing in at nine issues (when the new one hits, anyway), the magazine has already nailed some killer content, including stuff from guys like Jim "Jake" Jacobs, Tom Fritz, our good pal Jimmy Smith, Dan Picasso and more! Hell, it's even had the great Reverend Billy Gibbons on the pages! Good times indeed!

Suffice to say, it was cool when Robert threw the idea out there to feature my art... I'm always stoked when anyone takes notice of my stuff, and it was a good experience! As part of the fun, I was asked to offer up a print as part of his monthly prizedrawing, and I've obliged, offering up on of my signed/numbered and limited-edition pieces, the Mahi Mah-T:

Add to that (by golly, it just gets better and better, huh?) the chance to win a free set of wheels, compliments of Real Rodders Wheels, just for subscribing (it's FREE, by the way), and the icing is on the cake:

If you get a chance, check it out... I think you'll enjoy it.

More Maze Madness!

When last we left off, we were discussing the ‘57 Ford aptly named “the Maze” (scroll down to read it, if you missed out on part one… we’ll wait up!). A little digging unearthed some cool stuff, and really fills in some of the voids. The shots I posted of the car lat entry were of the car in its ‘57-to-early-’59 guise, and the query made as to when the front end was changed-up to the split bumper/molded pan…

No answers yet on that… and apparently, this was not the end of the restyling of this radical ride… far from it, in fact! It seems that the car was wrecked sometime before early 1960, received a more radical body transformation, and, ironically, much more subtle paint. The front fenders saw the removal of ten inches from the front, effectively setting the upper headlamps deep in the body. A new grille shell and front pan houses more lights, and a pair of grille bars created from ribbed exhaust pipe (I built models like this as a kid!):

This round of custom work was done by Gene’s Body Shop in San Jose… anyone have info on them, or maybe any other notable customs? (how about Burns Upholstery while we’re asking? I swear, this thing is becoming an obsession! Any help is greatly appreciated.)

The car, in this version, has a style similar to the Trendero, built around ‘61 by Trend Automotive (in Lyons, IL!! See? Great mid-west customs from the early days!):

Anyway, the Maze, by this time, had gold paint, and no longer wore a rear bumper, utilizing a rolled pan and nerfs that shared theor shape with the sloping “beaks” off of the roof scoops and tail lights.

Sadly, it’s another of those great customs that have disappeared. While we may no longer have many of these greats from the age of excess (although, the Trendero lives!!), we have the archives to study them from. Of course, seeking out info on this one car has led me through some amazing territory, and truly whetted my appetite to pen some late fifties/early sixties show customs… anyone up for something truly unique? Drop me a line at the website: www.problemchildkustoms.com…