Greg Myers Posted July 10, 2018 Author Share Posted July 10, 2018 10 minutes ago, Oldcarfan27 said: Imagine a young kid today trying to afford a Tesla or a Porsche. But instead starting with a 10 year old Subaru or Honda - same perspective. and adding all the bits and pieces to make it LOOK like a Tesla or a Porsche. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldcarfan27 Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 11 hours ago, Mike999 said: I'm racking my brain trying to remember an old magazine article, where a guy drove a heavily customized '40 Ford for a few days... I know there was a famous article back then, dealing with the Hirohata Merc, and a new Caddy engine and then driving it across the country to an east coast car show and back. Quite a bit longer than a couple days and he enjoyed the drive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Bartrop Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 There's one abstract sculptor I really like, and that's Constatin Brancusi. He worked at the beginning of the 20th century, and it was very much about reducing forms to their essentials, but his craftsmanship was impeccable, and every line was exactly where it should be. In a nutshell, everything we like about a good car design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete J. Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 2 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said: That's not fair, the owner's of those custom cars were older teenagers and young guys fresh back from the war. New cars were a luxury in the late 40s and early 50s, until mass production made them cheap a few years later. These guys only had access to cheap old Fords and run down pre-war cars. It's not like they could AFFORD a new Cadillac or expensive luxury car, they had to made the best with what they had and they did start out trying to make an old Ford look like a Caddy or Packard. Sometimes making them look better! Imagine a young kid today trying to afford a Tesla or a Porsche. But instead starting with a 10 year old Subaru or Honda - same perspective. That sort of stuff has been going on for a very long time and still is. How many Porsche 356s are actually VW's with fiberglass bodies. Same with Cobra kit cars and a ton of other stuff. Some people just like to get their hands dirty and see what they can create. Whoa, that is just like model building. 'magin dat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Anderson Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 I've watched this thread from day one, finally I'll offer my opinion, my assessment, from the viewpoint of turning 74 yrs old this week, so I think I can comment safely and honestly, about cars and pickups I saw when I was 14, or about the time that the Rod & Custom Dream Truck made its debut: For starters, just as factory-built cars reflected the times, and the public tastes of the year(s) of their creation, so did custom cars. Bear in mind, virtually every customized car or pickup truck was done by, or for, someone who knew what they wanted, knew what their dream vehicle would be, could be. Even factory-styled and hand-built "dream cars" reflected the tastes, even the actual dreams of real people, who lived in a different time, a different era, and who had perhaps even markedly different tastes. It can be so easy, in this day and age of supposedly sanitary, timeless styling. Even the legendary 1950 General Motors LeSabre dream car today, to many (including me) appears so obese, so almost "gorpy" in appearance, and yet I'd love to have a really accurate kit of that one (I have the Mint 1/24 scale diecast). For as much as many of model car builders almost "revere" the '58 Edsel, many people, when the Edsel was unveiled, saw it as just a Mercury sucking a lemon. But in the end, as my college roommate (Class of 1970) from West Virginia liked to say "Everyone to their own taste, said the old lady as she french-kissed her cow". Art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Haigwood Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 2 hours ago, Art Anderson said: I've watched this thread from day one, finally I'll offer my opinion, my assessment, from the viewpoint of turning 74 yrs old this week, so I think I can comment safely and honestly, about cars and pickups I saw when I was 14, or about the time that the Rod & Custom Dream Truck made its debut: For starters, just as factory-built cars reflected the times, and the public tastes of the year(s) of their creation, so did custom cars. Bear in mind, virtually every customized car or pickup truck was done by, or for, someone who knew what they wanted, knew what their dream vehicle would be, could be. Even factory-styled and hand-built "dream cars" reflected the tastes, even the actual dreams of real people, who lived in a different time, a different era, and who had perhaps even markedly different tastes. It can be so easy, in this day and age of supposedly sanitary, timeless styling. Even the legendary 1950 General Motors LeSabre dream car today, to many (including me) appears so obese, so almost "gorpy" in appearance, and yet I'd love to have a really accurate kit of that one (I have the Mint 1/24 scale diecast). For as much as many of model car builders almost "revere" the '58 Edsel, many people, when the Edsel was unveiled, saw it as just a Mercury sucking a lemon. But in the end, as my college roommate (Class of 1970) from West Virginia liked to say "Everyone to their own taste, said the old lady as she french-kissed her cow". Art On that I can agree. Maybe my remark was based on the fact That I like the 48 Ford styling and think the 48 Chevy/Olds/Caddy?etc are ugly. Looking thru the pics on Kustomrama, I a tendency to prefer the ones that look different not the ones made to look like another car. No matter the outcome you have to appreciate the work and time and imagination that went into any custom. All babies are loved by their mothers. you have to respect that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaxenro Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the greatest artists and architects of his, or any, generation. He also tried his hand at car design Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtx6970 Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 I agree with you. But in all honesty I can say the same thing about Rat Rods and / or most street rods for that matter. Its different strokes for different folks . Be kind of boring if we all liked the same thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 9 minutes ago, jaxenro said: Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the greatest artists and architects of his, or any, generation. He also tried his hand at car design FLW tried designing a gas station. There's a replica of it in my area. The guy at the museum housing the station explained how it all worked. First thing FLW did was to put fuel storage tanks ON THE ROOF, so gravity would "pump" the gas into the cars. Of course, if the fill nozzle (which he also designed) failed, then the gas in the storage tank would just keep coming out, and onto the ground. How do you get the gas from the in-ground main tank into the roof tank(s)? Why, you use something heavier than gasoline to push the gas up there...in this case, water. Yeah, let's dump water into the tank on top of the gasoline. It's not enough to have the roof tanks made of copper, shining brightly in the sun to warm up all of that watered-down gasoline. So, what do we put inside the building itself? Not one, but TWO fireplaces. He then floated the idea to the oil company, and they were actually looking for a design to standardize their stations. Trouble was, he wanted them to convert all of their stations and pay a royalty per station. The royalty per station was more than the company intended to spend building each station. The museum also has a fuel truck painted with the new logo he designed for them. Even when the truck is standing still, you have to squint to read the logo. FLW designed a number of buildings in Buffalo...not many still stand, but a couple do. I went on a tour of one of them years ago...ugly, uncomfortable-looking furniture all around. I'm convinced FLW's "thing" was "how ugly and impractical can I make something, and still find some new-money sucker gullible enough to build it?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaxenro Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 I think his car is just God awful. I mean a two door town car made from a Lincoln coupe with half opera windows? Personally I am definitely a Palladian but some of his house designs are brilliant. What he wasn't was afraid to try new and different. It didn't always work but when it did it really did and when it didn't the same. Even his failures were epic but they weren't boring. Nothing was just OK it was either brilliant or a disaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldcarfan27 Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 (edited) 7 hours ago, jaxenro said: Frank Lloyd Wright was one of the greatest artists and architects of his, or any, generation. He also tried his hand at car design I don't know why this ? Reminds me of this ? Maybe it's the roof and the port hole! Edited July 11, 2018 by Oldcarfan27 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete J. Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 2 hours ago, Oldcarfan27 said: I don't know why this ? Reminds me of this ? Maybe it's the roof and the port hole! Nope, she doesn't look at all like Frank Lloyd Wright. He wasn't a blonde! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldcarfan27 Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 1 minute ago, Pete J. said: Nope, she doesn't look at all like Frank Lloyd Wright. He wasn't a blonde! Yeah, but I'll bet he'd have sold a LOT more houses if he did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean-lloyd Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 Yeah...Falling Water would have been much more elegant and desirable with that model as the real estate agent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaxenro Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 Frank was known for his women almost as much as his work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 "Falling Water", better known as "Rising Mildew" by people who are familiar with it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete J. Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 What FLW did was change home architecture forever. Although his designs could be controversial, he created the "Prairie" style house which didn't exist before that. That was the first ranch style house that is so common today. His interiors were also a cohesive blend of his style. You can walk into one of his houses that is original and know that is is his. I personally like his stylings. Interiors are craftsman style taken to an much higher level. I love the use of natural woods and colors found in nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake45 Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 8 hours ago, Pete J. said: Nope, she doesn't look at all like Frank Lloyd Wright. He wasn't a blonde! That's K. C. Winkler. She did a lot of showcar photos in the '80s and maybe '90s. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935241/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Myers Posted July 11, 2018 Author Share Posted July 11, 2018 back on track ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 Wright designed this Porsche showroom for Max Hoffman in the 1950s... And noted industrial designer Raymond Loewy ('53 Studebaker and Avanti) designed another custom Lincoln: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldTrucker Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 Even into the 60's it was amazing the custom work that came out of back of the house garages. Guys using dad's or grandpa's retired hand me down cars and making them their own mostly with junkyard parts. Most barely had tools enough to take one apart and few had a welder so for that they would head down to Billy Bob's Welding Shop and the guy would do it up for them sometimes with time payments, traded parts or let them pay with labor! I even remember guys(and have done it myself) working off parts from a junkyard. It wasn't that they were trying to make the old Ford into another more expensive brand but rather they liked the grill or other trim and envisioned how it would look on their own car and then set out to make it work! Whether or not you or I thought it looked good or bad was not even a thought as they were looking to please themselves! As has been said, they are in a form an artist and their ideas are their artistic impression of how they think it maybe should have been! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaxenro Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 Then you get cars like this which are just art Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtx6970 Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 21 minutes ago, jaxenro said: Then you get cars like this which are just art Oh my, OH MY. Head lights could be just a touch smaller. otherwise wrap it up. I ll drive the snot out of that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Roberto Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 38 minutes ago, jaxenro said: Then you get cars like this which are just art How do you change the tires if you get a flat? No windshield wipers? No bumpers? Yeah it looks nice but completely impractical in real life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarheelRick Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 On 7/9/2018 at 6:02 PM, Greg Myers said: Yep ! I think I may have dated her when I was stationed in Texas. There is something about the nose that rings my chimes. It was a long night at Billy Bob's, if I remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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