Design Exercise

[jaxenro]

Just kicking an idea around to Revell's 32 Ford 3 window coupe

 

I lengthened the hood and trunk and chopped the top in this photo

 

Thoughts?

[cobraman]

I prefer the stock one but yours is pretty cool too !

[Snake45]

You're getting in the neighborhood of an idea I've been kicking around for a couple decades now: A phantom "32 Mustang."

[Psychographic]

You asked, so I'll give you my $.02. IMO, extending the front and rear is not an improvement in any way, the chop even makes it worse and  I do like chopped 32's. The 32 Ford's overall shape and lines were perfect right out of the factory, even now in 2017 the factory design looks great. As I've said numerous time, if we all had the same tastes, the world would be a boring place.

Edited January 21, 2017 by Psychographic

[PARTSMARTY]

I prefer the original but that is also very very cool-for sure !!!

[Dodge Driver]

You asked, so I'll give you my $.02. IMO, extending the front and rear is not an improvement in any way, the chop even makes it worse and  I do like chopped 32's. The 32 Ford's overall shape and lines were perfect right out of the factory, even now in 2017 the factory design looks great. As I've said numerous time, if we all had the same tastes, the world would be a boring place.

David,

 I'd be interested in knowing what exactly looks wrong to you in the concept. I don't find the design off-putting at all. Does your more experienced eye see something I don't ? Or is it just a matter of taste?

[astroracer]

David,

 I'd be interested in knowing what exactly looks wrong to you in the concept. I don't find the design off-putting at all. Does your more experienced eye see something I don't ? Or is it just a matter of taste?

What you are changing, in your photo shopped pic, are the "proportions" of the car. It's not that it's bad or your idea isn't valid but it throws off the proportions and makes the car look "funny". Stretching the front is similar to the mid 30's Mercedes-Benz 500K. If you compare that car to your rendering you will notice the cross-section is much lower which helps lengthen the car and draw your eye away from the tall grill and short top that grabs all of your attention in your pic.

90% of a good design is getting the proportions correct. If you take the grille and top down 6 or 8 inches it will look better.

Mark

Edited January 21, 2017 by astroracer

[Psychographic]

It's just a matter of taste. I think you could extend the front and leave the back stock. The extended rear really kills it for me.

 

I think the long hood of and short rear look of the 35 Mercedes looks good. The shapes of the two are very similar. I think extending the front fenders on the 32 might help also. They seem to hang out a bit further than the Ford, also I think filling them in behind the wheels helps a lot.

 

Edited January 21, 2017 by Psychographic

[jaxenro]

This was a quickie I agree the proportions need to be played with

tge thought behind it?

in the 30's a longer hood essentially meant power. Straight 8's, V-16's, etc. needed the room. I added the additional trunk to balance it but I agree like the Mercedes it doesn't necessarily need it

the chopped to is to make the cab area look longer without stretching it but I think it needs additional work

i had I mind a Duesenberg Judkins coupe as a sort of inspiration 

 

and please pick it apart if you don't like it no hard feelings on my part

[Dodge Driver]

What you are changing, in your photo shopped pic, are the "proportions" of the car. It's not that it's bad or your idea isn't valid but it throws off the proportions and makes the car look "funny". Stretching the front is similar to the mid 30's Mercedes-Benz 500K. If you compare that car to your rendering you will notice the cross-section is much lower which helps lengthen the car and draw your eye away from the tall grill and short top that grabs all of your attention in your pic.

90% of a good design is getting the proportions correct. If you take the grille and top down 6 or 8 inches it will look better.

Mark

It's just a matter of taste. I think you could extend the front and leave the back stock. The extended rear really kills it for me.

 

I think the long hood of and short rear looks of the  35 Mercedes looks good. The shapes of the two are very similar.

 

I think I get it. The lengthened version appears chunky and not sleek through the middle. The short roof adds to the chunky appearance. To get off point some, that front wheel is throwing me off, making it hard for me to take in the total image. Looks wrong to me.

[Dodge Driver]

This was a quickie I agree the proportions need to be played with

tge thought behind it?

in the 30's a longer hood essentially meant power. Straight 8's, V-16's, etc. needed the room. I added the additional trunk to balance it but I agree like the Mercedes it doesn't necessarily need it

the chopped to is to make the cab area look longer without stretching it but I think it needs additional work

i had I mind a Duesenberg Judkins coupe as a sort of inspiration 

 

and please pick it apart if you don't like it no hard feelings on my part

I generally like what you did. I'm using the difference of opinion as a learning experience on aesthetics and proportion. Hope you don't mind my jumping in,

[jaxenro]

I generally like what you did. I'm using the difference of opinion as a learning experience on aesthetics and proportion. Hope you don't mind my jumping in,

I wanted people to jump in. 

The exercise is to lengthen the hood to imply more power and then change the rest of the proportions to match do it looks "right" without doing radical bodywork or a complete redesign something that may not be possible but fun in photoshop 

[jaxenro]

Judkins Coupe

[Ace-Garageguy]

Overall I like what you've done, and understand the reasoning behind it.

But the '32 Ford is very close to perfect as is, as David already mentioned, and it's hard to improve on something that's so 'right' to begin with.

Also as previously mentioned, proportion and line are absolutely critical to get right, no matter how many reworks it takes.

One important thing to remember when doing re-design work is that subtle, sometimes VERY subtle changes can be the difference between the initial reaction being "wow !!!" and "hmmmmmm....".

Something to remember on this particular restyle is that the '32 Ford is a much smaller car overall than the "classics" your design echoes, so widening it would really need to be done to get the 3/4 view proportions to work well.

Specifically, it looks to me as though the radiator shell could benefit from being dropped maybe a 1/2 inch or so, as the hood line appears to be climbing towards the front of the car on the rework. This is an effect of the p-shopping, but needs to be addressed.

And raising the front fenders a bit to accommodate a larger diameter front tire would be good. It's too small visually even on the original photograph, and it seems to be overpowered by the additional visual mass of the lengthened front end.

Also, the centerline of the front wheel could stand to be moved forward a tick, as it appears to be too far to the rear relative to the arch of the fender line.

Otherwise, as I said, I like your work here. Something like a classic Jag DOHC inline six would be perfect for it.

I'd also leave the chop as you have it. It becomes a quite 'formal' looking roof in your version, and introduces some visual tension into the design, which tends to make it more interesting than if it were even slightly higher.

For my own re-design work, I'll often spend many hours with 3-dimensional models tweaking the proportions and lines, sometimes only a matter of a few thousandths of an inch (working in 1/25 scale) and moving all around the project, photographing from every angle, and analyzing the photos on the computer screen, before I get something I'm really happy with.

 

Edited January 21, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[bobthehobbyguy]

Interesting idea. However the amount you've chopped the top hurts it in my opinion. I would like to see the top chopped less. That might help it.

[jaxenro]

So let's try this. I lengthened the hood to fit my mythical V-16 but left everything from the firewall back alone. Ignoring the goofy front fenders what changes, if any, would you make to offset the additional length?

I actually like the shorter trunk area I think it enhances the "power" image I was going for

[jaxenro]

Although I do think some chop helps with the long and lean look

[Ace-Garageguy]

I much prefer your original modified version.

 

Edited January 21, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[Xingu]

I like the idea, but in all the photos all I am drawn to is the windshield area. I think it would need to be laid back some. I think a mild chop works. I also do not like the opening behind the front wheel. Not sure how to effectively fix that, but I feel the opening is out of proportion to the rest of the car.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

[keyser]

If you look at the Judkins, a favorite of mine BTW, the rear is low between top of RF and deck. Cowl pretty thick on the Deuce as well.

I think it'd be easier "Deucifying" a 28 Lincoln Roadster (AMT/MPC, common, cheap). It was Judkins, was basis for Lee Baker's master of the Duesy above for Art Anderson ages ago. Same scale, and gives you template. 

You could mod Deuce fenders, use 2 32's and a Lincoln. 

Here's 30 Judkins Lincoln coupe for comparo. Bottom pic is what Lincoln roadster depicts. Easier to graft bits than chop, lengthen, section perhaps. 

Found a nice pic of J137 not over-restored. Maroon resto has way too much chrome, not all high end cars came with whitewalls. This has look of a rod in some ways, and a great looking car no matter what level of restoration

 

Edited January 21, 2017 by keyser
J137

[Ace-Garageguy]

Another thing to consider...outstanding designs are RARELY (if ever) the work of committees. The BEST design work is always largely the work of one man, or one styling team leader who has strong ideas and a clear vision.

Group-input results usually end up something like this.    

 Even teams of "professional designers" often squeeze out turds...     

Amateur efforts where there's no design experience or taste usually run to this...  

 

[unclescott58]

Edsel Ford had a lot to do with the styling of pre-war Fords. And in my opinion, Edsel had a pretty good eye for styling. The '32 Fords had the right poportions from the way they were overall designed. It takes more than lengthening or shortening certain parts of a car to make them look right. The Duseneberg Judkins coupe is more than just the long Dueseberg hood. The other proportions had to be right. Again in my opinion, there were more than a few coach built cars, including some on Dueseberg chassis, that were not very good looking at all. And there have been some modifications to regular cars like the '32 Ford that have not worked well either. In particular I think that chopping the top on a '32 Ford and making it look right is a very particular art.

Back to coach built cars like the Duesenbergs, some of the best looking bodies put on their chassis were designed and built by Murphy out of California. Bohman & Schwarz some of the worst. But you know what they say about opinions. Like belly buttons, everybody has one. And there were clients out there who like the work of Bohman & Schwarz. So, I guess in long run, do you like the designs for the '32 Ford you've come up with? And if you do. That's okay. But remember, I still reserve the right to disagree. And that doesn't make you wrong. Or me right. We just see things in a different light.

Scott

 

[jaxenro]

What's the saying? A camel is a horse a horse designed by a committee ?

Notice how some like the chop, some don't. Some like the longer trunk, some don't. At the end it all comes down to personal preference 

i wasn't trying to to copy the Judkins just I had it in the back of my mind. It is a completely different car

i like the 32 Ford but to me the stock outline doesn't say power. To me in the 1930's a long hood said power because you needed to cover a long engine. 

 

[bobthehobbyguy]

The newer version with the slight chop looks better. In my opinion the original chop ruined the proportions.  

[Chuck Most]

The original chop would work better if the body and hood sides were sectioned by about the same amount as the chop, I think. Other than that, I like it. Would be nice to see someone do more of a custom '32 than just another hot rod... not that there's anything wrong with just another '32 Ford hot rod, but a little variation never hurt. 

A stock '32 Ford is a good enough looking car, but still kind of a glorified buckboard buggy with fenders. The idea of giving one more of a "coachbuilt" look is interesting.