SoCal Cube with Cues from VW Bus

It’s green and creme and low. Oh, and it has a sliding rag top, crank-out style windshield (power-operated on my concept) to mimic the old VW busses… rear door has additional swing-out glass panel, all to complement the open-air approach. The sliding rag could even be replaced by a full glass roof (with water drop-look pattern etched in!) for more exposure to the paparazzi. As it sits, the sliding rag would be power-operated, and close when the key is moved over 20 feet away.

The remaining custom touches are pretty minimal, but include a grill filler panel to smooth the lines out, louvers in the front fender (right-side only to play-up the asymmetrical design of the Cube in general), and small “nerf-ettes” (small nerf bar-inspired trim pieces) at the fascia corners to give a slight “retro” touch and visually extend the new chrome grille bar in the lower opening. This also assists in making the car look a bit lower and wider yet!

Slammed stance over classic 5-spoke wheels sets the laid-back cruiser tone. The theme here is California sun and fun, and opens up a world of aftermarket accessory possibilities, like bamboo roof racks, the sliding rag top, window kits, lowering kits, interior seating options (waterproof and beach-ready seat covers, etc), grille inserts, trim add-ons and more. My hope is to inspire hot rod-minded folks to grasp just how big of a blank slate these are for customizing, and that you can think well outside of the “tuner” look on the Cube.

Get this cube and the crazy “Surfite” concept at Problem Child Kustoms

Ed “Big Daddy” Roth Inspired Nissan Cube

This past Saturday, our good friend Pikesan had organized a pre-release cruise featuring 10 (yes, ten) of the new Nissan Cube’s, and it was a blast. We hit a couple of area dealerships, then hit the road to the Pavilions in Scottsdale (great Saturday cruise spot for those of you planning to hit Goodguys Southwest Nationals in November).

The impressive lineup of geometric people movers grabbed a ton of attention on the freeways then, suffice to say, the lineup was a smash at the cruise. Nissan even brought along a GT-R (more on Godzilla later… words fail me yet) and the unreleased Infiniti G37 convertible just to round out the playing field.

My first reaction when seeing a Cube a couple of years back (don’t forget, these have been around overseas since ‘98) was “not too sure about that”. Don’t get me wrong, I was impressed as all get-out that anyone could pack that much room into such a small-looking package, but the look was odd to me.

Fast-forward ten years, and my how things have changed. My first moment sitting in the Cube was a wild time… Headroom galore, great sight lines, and enough legroom for even my lanky appendages. The dash is minimalist, but laid out in a tremendously intuitive way, and all controls are easily understandable and useful. Too cool indeed.

The ride was incredibly comfortable, stable, responsive and above all, QUIET. It was that last fact that kept me stunned. The Cube is damn quiet on both highway and city pavement, and just felt “right” somehow. Aside from the constant stares from other drivers (which, as a hot rodder is alright by me any day), I have to say, I’m giving this little machine SERIOUS thought from both the modification potential as well as daily-driver mule standpoint.

Design-wise, I have to say the Cube has me hooked. If you know me, then you know my love for asymmetrical design, and that rear window treatment NAILS it. A wrap-around side glass on the passenger side meets a thick pillar on the left, and it (again) just feels “right”. Couple this with tall slab-like side panels, rounded corners all over, and a very trick windshield shape (oh, you’ll be seeing this on a few designs of mine to come), and we’re getting someplace.

But oh that tail light… It was an instant love-fest for me. I have about thirty cars I want to use that in, and it’s not coincidental that I like it so much when it shares a similarity to a certain Thunderbird production run. It just says “custom car” all over (hell, even the headliner is sculpted already!)… and I dig the Cube for that immensely. It’s light years beyond my first thoughts on the Scion xB, and flat-out makes me WANT it. Where the xB looked initially like some ice cream truck’s genetically-deprived third cousin on its first trek into the big city, the Cube looks tremendously comfortable and confident in its skin, and the seating position keeps it all looking like a personal vehicle, and not the aforementioned treat delivery vessel.

Naturally, I began sketching ideas for these Cube’s as soon as I laid eyes on them, and one idea kept knocking on my brain…

The “Surfite” of one, Ed Roth has always ranked as a top ten custom car in my book, not only because it’s so damn original, but it’s also surf-oriented, and as you know, I love me some surf ANYTHING. And man… the little Cube not only calls out for a “lifestyle vehicle” treatment, but as a surf wagon??! Oh YES!

Taking cues from Mr. Roth’s Lilliputian land rover, I plugged in classic hot rod and So-Cal VW styling cues, and attempted to honor the master “hisself” (as he’d say) with a modern take on the little Surfite. Pop-out side glass? Check. Asymmetrical tail light treatment? Check. Aggressive stance? Checkity-check. Custom trim and mild re-work all over? Double checkity-check. Take a very unusual car and make it even more personal/unique? Check, check, checkity-check check!

It’s useful, like the swing-out rear glass and flip-up side windows, to the small step built into the rear fascia, and, well… it just looks COOL. I dig it, and hope you do, too… And if so, holler at me, and I’ll continue finishing what I’ve started in the sketch book, and show off an entire series, perhaps. (editor note, please feed the animal – leave a comment)

As an Alexander Brothers fan, I’ve always enjoyed a certain “quirky/futuristic” aesthetic when it comes to a kustom, and that taste is finding it’s way into the artwork in a huge way. Think “Deora meets the modern day”, and you’re getting warm. Throw in some healthy Ed Roth influence, and by golly, we’re getting there. Top it with some Winfield and Cushenbury asymmetrical appeal, and man, it just gets wilder by the second!

It’s been literally years since any new car has trapped my attention like this, and I’m stoked about it… Hope you are, too.  Stay tuned as I play with a bunch of combinations and styles on this cool ride from Nissan… You know, maybe that Rubik guy was on to something after all…

Barrett Jackson Auction – 1980’s Reject Camaro

Have you ever gone through your closet to find some clothes that make you say, DAMN!  I never wore that, did I?  I think the same is true for cars, especially custom cars that were built in the 80’s.

At some point, did the designers take a step back and go, “Really?  Is that cool?”  I wonder cause this is an example of just about everything that’s wrong with 80’s custom paint.

The only redeeming quality about this car is the LT5 tucked under the hood.  As a 1988 Camaro, this is a combo that never was and that’s probably why with this car, like every other car offered by GM, they read a long a boring disclaimer stating that basically that as far as GM is concerned, these cars don’t exist.

So if you can, look past the glowing neon yellow wheels and matching neon yellow seating surface and dig that sliding seal fading to upside down shoe graphics done in, you guessed it, neon yellow and *gulp* purple.  Adios 80’s!

What do you think?  Please leave a comment below!

Look for many more and much less nauseating shots from Barret Jackson.  Feel free to give Swanee a friendly nudge in the next couple days to get working on the hundreds of shots he took.

Stories to be told:

• Hurst Limited Edition Viper
• Out there rides for sale at Barret Jackson
• 1954 Kaiser Darrin from her in Scottsdale crosses the block
• Deals or not?  Cars I thought were a steal
• Killer 29 Sedan that’s 80’s Nostalgia?
• Barris Kustom 40 Ford Deluxe heading to Georgia
• Pontiac Club de Mer Recreation – Steal of the Auction?

Please check back in!

World’s First: 3D custom car illustration

You saw it here first. My man Brian Stupski from Problem Child Kustoms took an already slick illustration of a slammed down 1953 Ford and went 3D! Three Dimensions!

Click on the image to make it full size, then pull out your red and blue 3D glasses and have a look.

Too cool and perfect timing for October spooky-ness. I keep waiting for Frankenstein (no, not my ex-wife) or the Wolfman to jump out from behind a tree.

Brian told me he’s working on another 3D image to go with this one. It’s one thing to spin out the slick and highly detailed hot rod designs, but breaking the mold like this is truly something to watch for.

Keep tabs on PCK Studio and his innovative style at Problemchildkustoms.com

PCK’s Shine-Runner – Dream Car in Rod & Custom

Friends sometimes make it easy on ya. Here’s one of those times. Dig this hot rod art from Brian Stupski, my buddy from G-town (Gilbert, Arizona, but it’s really not that hip).

I’ve said before that making new friends in the hot rod and custom world is one of the coolest parts of making and running MyRideisMe.com. Brian from Problem Child Kustoms Studio is tops on the cool list of new friends.

Never mind that Brian’s crapped out more knowledge about cars, especially historically significant hot rods and customs, then I have to this day, but on top of that, the man’s got skills! Skill in design. You don’t simply get a “pretty picture” you get a design, the whole DESIGN! Want to know the part number of the Air Ride setup you’ll need? He’s got it. Want to know the offset of those new 18’s and 19’s you’ll be running? He knows. That’s the detail you get when hooking up with a professional designer.

So check out the December 2008 issue of Rod and Custom, page 8-9. That’s Brian’s Shine-Runner 500. That came out of his head and was done for the mag. Somebody should build that!

It’s a 1953 Ford with all the right mods running a 427 Cammer motor.

Case in point about Brian’s wisdom (or maybe sickness?): The big 427 sports a Potvin blower. What’s a Potvin blower? AND… where the hell did you get the idea to stick it out the front grill opening?

(I had to check… here’s some info about front mount Potvin Blowers over at the Metalshapers Association.)

Thanks for all the support Brian! (check out more killer hot rod drawings and illustrations in Brian’s garage at MyRideisMe.com)

Hot Wheels and Nintendo? Dwayne’s Blog

So I’m cruising the Grand National Roadster Show with ProblemChildKustom’s Brian Stupski. He freak’n knows just about everyone, so it doesn’t surprise me when he knows Dwayne. Dwayne’s got a booth at the Grand-daddy show and in the main hall no less. He’s selling these prints like hotcakes: (click to enlarge, it’s worth it!)

I’m pretty sure these are all $10 and available at Dwayne’s Website: FutureElements.net Store

These drawings are enough for a wicked blog, but that’s not what I’m writing about. As I was thumbing through some of Dwayne’s work, I see one of my favorite Hot Wheels, simply named 49 Merc.

I’m impressed. We all played (or still play) with Hot Wheels, so now I’ve met the dude who designed one of my favorites. So I started asking a bunch of questions…

1) How did you first get involved with Hot Wheels (Mattel)
That’s a very interesting story. I was taking a class for 3D using Alias Autostudio while working at Troy Lee Designs and I was learning how to build things in 3D. I got to know a few guys in class and they were all professional working for various companies. I started hanging out with one guy but I never asked what he did. We both had such a passion for cars that we just talked about cars all the time. Then one day he asked me “Do you have any friends that can draw cars well?” He was thinking since I was at Troy Lee Designs that I didn’t know how to draw cars. So I said “ Well I know how to draw cars, why? Then he said “ I am looking for someone to hire because we need help… I am the director of Hot Wheels and we looking for some good guys.” My eyes lit up and I said “I would love to draw cars for Hot Wheels, what do I need to do to apply” So he told me to bring my portfolio to him next time and he’d take a look. I brought my stuff and he basically hired me right there on the spot. I was at Hot Wheels about 3 weeks later and they gave me my first Hot Wheels to design which was the 68 Mustang “Boss Hoss” and the racing Lexus IS. Then I worked on various toy lines and several basic cars.

2) If you were a big hot wheels kid, (who wasn’t?) what was your favorite hot wheel?
Mmmm, good question. Well first I’m going to be biased and pick one of my own designs and that’s “Bully Goat”, What I thought the GTO should have looked like. Just for the record I designed it before the new Camaro ever came out, it has some similar characteristics. But as a kid one of my favorites was probably “Iced-T” I had several of them so if I lost one I had another one. I always wanted to do a remake of that model.

3) What kind of guidance did you get from Hot Wheel/Mattel about the design? Did they want a sled? If so, why do you think they picked you?
Yes I did have some guidance. Hot Wheels wanted several designs done that had different proportions for vehicles. Me and another guy Eric worked on this stuff and he actually drew the proportion with the big front end. So I added my take on it and I drew the 49 Merc to fit those proportions and everyone loved it.

(How cool are the extra hood pinstriping ideas Dwayne laid out?)

4) Anything we don’t know about the car/process that’s cool/unusual/interesting?
Well most of cars are built 3-up. So it is 3 times the size of the original Hot Wheel. I have My “Boss Hoss” and 64 Impala models. They look really cool when they are bigger.

So to wrap up the creative genius that is Dwayne, I had to ask him about this crazy drawing video he did on a what? Nintendo DS? (That’s still kinda freaking me out!)

Dwayne told me: I recently had a friend tell me about a drawing program for a Nintendo DS called “Colors”. The only way you can run it though is by modifying the DS with a Flashcart and a micro flash card. Basically it replaces a game cartridge and allows you to run new software on it. Then you install Colors and use it as a small digital sketchbook. It is really fun to doodle on. It is kind of like having a digital sticky pad with me all the time. It’s funny I draw for a living and I still love to draw in my free time.

So the drawing I did probably took about an hour and a half total. I did it with nothing in front of me I just started doodling and this is how it came out. Here’s a pic of the finished sketch.

Click on the picture of “Dusty Rod” to see the video over at FutureElements.net (it’ll be worth it!)

Too much! I gotta let my son see that so maybe he’ll give Star Wars and Mario Karts a rest!

Dwayne’s got some new stuff coming out soon. He’s making a book for the LA Roadster Show that will feature a lot of my sketches and artwork. I will also give an incite look on how I create a few of my drawings. He’s also got a few new pieces that will be on hand patined metal. Then, check out his website for a step by step process of how I work and get my art on the metal. The store for all of the $10 artwork and the tutorial section just went up.

I hope you enjoyed this blog as much as I enjoyed meeting Dwayne. Look for stories in the future.

Want to have a look around this website? Start here in the Killer Garages. Thanks for looking! If you like what you see, please JOIN!

More from Dwayne Vance.  Here’s a link to his new book called, “Hot Rod Art Book, Masters of Chicken Scratch”.  Get it in advance and save $5.

A Great Start – Concept Drawings

Check out the art and design of MyRideisMe.com member Brian Stupski of Problem Child Kustoms

If you’re like me, before you even purchase a car, you’ve made the plan in your head. After buying the car, the next step is usually trying to find the parts you need to start building your dream, but that’s not how big time builders do it… their next step is always a concept illustration ala Chip Foose on Overhauln’. When your dream takes shape on paper, you’re miles ahead to getting what you want… You’ve got a real plan. That’s where Brian at Problem Child Kustoms comes in. How sweet is this illustration!

Click to Buy!
PCK’s prints have to been seen. For $25, the color of these prints will blow you away!

Brian’s a hot rod and custom car designer that actually builds HIS dreams when time allows. He grew up on the standard Hot Rod and Car Craft magazines and got the drawing bug from MAD Magazine (Mort Drucker’s his hero) and from CARtoons magazines. Now, after hard work refining his skills, Brian’s been published in the mags he grew up reading like: Hot Rod Magazine, Street Trucks and Custom Rodder, not to mention a bunch of graphic design, website design, t-shirts and logo work. He’s proud to be showing his backside to the doubters he met along the way that said he won’t go anywhere drawing cars!

Here’s an illustration of the sick Project Panther. It’s a hybrid Camaro and Nova spliced together made just for Brian. Look for this one soon…

So take a look at Brian’s website and the work Problem Child Kustoms has done. You’d be surprised to find that his illustrations are very reasonable and after you’re done, you can hang it on your wall!

He’ll do a one view sketch all theway to routing your brake lines, all from the illustration.

Brian’s a member at MyRideisMe.com and has used his garage to showcase the work he’s done. Here’s a link to his garage. If you’re also an artist, please feel free to post your work and use the garage as an online portfolio with links to your page. Thanks to Brian for being a great friend to MyRideisMe.com! I’m trying to slip into his schedule to do a concept for my 61 Rambler American Wagon. Watch for that one too!

Please join MyRideisMe.com and get your own Custom Garage Space (that one’s mine!) to put pictures of your car, project or whatever you’re driving!

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Just in from Problem Child Kustoms:
North American-made, 100% Canadian Maple decks. Lots of pop, durable and great looks, too!

The graphics are high-quality, sharp and have tremendous color.
This is a phenominal quality piece to hang in the garage, office or shop, and is equally suited to ride. Start a collection today!

Or better yet, use a custom designed skate deck as your new, “Best of Show” trophy or cruise night give-away. There”ll be nothing else like it!

This deck is #6 in the series.
Graphics feature the highly-requested Hollywood 40 artwork, filling the deck with the most important part of the story: that blown mill.

Check out the Problem Child Kustoms Store

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