Chrome Paint?! Painting the Bomb

The first thing I picture when I hear the words “chrome car” is my childhood Barbie car that I outfitted with reflective chrome tape. This 1932 Ford Roadster is no Barbie car, that’s for sure.

Let’s begin by taking a look at the Platinum Bomb. This 1932 Ford Roadster was designed and built by owner Zach Norman along with the Troy Ladd and his crew at Hollywood Hot Rods with a WWII airplane in mind. (Get more about this car in A Roadster That Can Fly?) So when it came to paint, he wanted a polished aluminum looking body. Those of you who have worked on 30s-era cars know that finding a rust-free body to do this with naturally would be impossible. What else is there to do but give it a chrome-like paint job?

Simple right? Hardly! When painter Tom Prewitt chuckled and told me, “We just followed directions,” I knew there was more to the story. How did the Platinum Bomb get to be so shiny? (Speaking of shine…the picture of Tom below shows the car’s body before clear coat is put on. As you can see in other pictures, the finished look is chrome-like but not as mirrored.) And why, if there’s a chrome paint, aren’t more people using it!? Who doesn’t want a chrome car?!?

Platinum Bomb’s paint job is anything but simple. Good thing it was given to the trusty hands of Tom Prewitt and Matthew Means at Department of Customz. Those fella’s managed to do what nobody had done before. What’s that you ask? That is successfully applying Kosmic Krome in 9 days.

Nine days sounds like a regular painting time to do you, right? Well, sure if you’re using regular paint. Kosmic Krome is anything but regular! House of Kolor developed this color around 2004. However there’s some pretty big hurdles to get over in using it, which is why you’ve probably not seen an all-chrome car at your local cruise in.

• Kosmic Krome can take a long time to get right. Not only does it require that you do two complete paint jobs (black underneath) but it also requires significant “settling” time. Kosmic Krome is made up of different properties than normal paint. The reflective qualities of the paint increase as it settles. Therefore, it’ll look different 30 days after the paint is finished. House of Kolor recommends waiting lengthy periods of time between coats.
• Kosmic Krome is difficult to use. It was basically only created for smaller elements, not entire car bodies. Very few people have successfully applied it to whole cars. This bubble-top Thunderbird (shown below) I spotted back at 2009 Grand National Roadster Show was the first and only other car I’ve ever seen with this paint (and I hear they’ve had some issues with it.)
• Kosmic Krome is expensive. This stuff’ll run ya about seventy bucks a can. Which means the cost in paint color alone for a small-bodied car like a roadster is about $1500 (not to mention the black paint and other supplies!)

So, yes, it was basically a feat of genius that enabled Tom and Matt to get this car looking so good in so little time. Why the time crunch? Platinum Bomb needed to be ready for its unveiling at the Grand National Roadster Show. Before paint is put on, there’s a ton of work that goes into preparing a car’s body. Any imperfections in the metal are going to be highlighted by paint – even more so by reflective paint. So Platinum Bomb’s body had to be completely perfect before painting. That took three weeks of metalwork and bodywork before the paint process could begin.

So how did they get the painting done in a mere nine days? Well, what Department of Customz did was basically redevelop the process for applying Kosmic Krome. While all along the way using the same products House of Kolor suggests and yes, as Tom said, “following the directions” given on those products. It’s the application that they put the magic into.  The good news for us is…now that Department of Customz has figured out the process, it makes it more feasible for you or I to get a chrome paint-job of our own!

Let’s go through some of the details of the painting process. First you prep the body to perfection. After all the body prep you apply a sealer. Than you’ve gotta do a complete black paint job. That means black paint, clear coat, color sand, and buff it. Than you’ve gotta do a second complete paint job applying Kosmic Krome followed again by clear coat, color sand, and buffing. (And beware! Matt says this paint will actually form a pattern electrically while you buff it, crazy, huh?!)

Other than Kosmic Krome being on all nice and shiny there’s the reproduction of the lime-colored Zinc Chromate to be done as well. Zinc Chromate was a primer used on the interior of WWII-era aircraft.  What you probably can’t tell by the pictures is that it has an authentic texture-looking surface to it. The original paint was textured, but of course what they were using was no actual Zinc Chromate. So to achieve the correct effect they added something into texturize the clear coat over the green.

I know you’re still wondering what the secret magic of the application process is. Well it wouldn’t be magic if we knew how it worked would it?! Not that anyone would ever be able to pull this off as a home job anyway. So I think its best to leave this magic in the hands of the pros. And as of now, Department of Customz are the only pros who have it.

I’d say the Platinum Bomb was pretty lucky to get such a shiny coating and be all dressed and ready for the Grand National Roadster Show. I’m sure this beauty is a dream to drive. If you’re dreaming up a chromed car of your own – keep dreaming or drop a line to Department of Customz…they’re fully equipped to make your dream a reality. Or there’s always the option of doing what I did at age seven – just cover your car in shiny tape!

Department of Customz

Anaheim, CA

714-284-0004

www.DepartmentofCustomz.com

2010 Ridler Winner Announced: Gold Digger

Pictures by: Doug Nykanen

The votes are in both in Cobo Hall at the Detroit Autorama and here at MyRideisMe.com where you could Vote for your favorite “Great 8″ car.  Funny thing is, by 2 votes, the very unofficial voting picked “Gold Digger” same as the judges in Detroit.

We’ll have more pictures of the Ridler winner and the rest of the Detroit Autorama soon, but for now, here’s the shots we have of this beautiful hot rod.

At this level, every car is perfect. Without sitting inside or hearing from the builders how they did it or why, or maybe cranking up the tunes, we just get to stare and go… yea, that’s extremely well done.

Anyone have a picture showing this engine compartment in a little more detail? (I asked, and Kevin from extrudabody.com hooked me up! Thanks to Tammy, the owner for sending it to him)

Notice: A total lack of wires, even for what’s must be electronic fuel injection.  When’s the last time you looked under the hood of a modern car. If you’d remove the over-sized engine cover, you’d see a MESS of wires and clutter. That’s when you truly appreciated the detail of a show car like this.

So here it is, the 2010 Ridler Award winner Gold Digger owned by Tammy Ray of Dahlonega, Georgia. The builder was  T&T Customs. I’d include a link to them, but I can’t find it. Someone help me out.

Like the 2010 “America’s Most Beautiful Roadster” winner, “Possessed”, I’m sure there’ll be some heated (and sometimes just hateful) discussion about “Gold Digger”.  I hope you’ll discuss it right here in the comments. (you don’t have to be a member to comment)

Mike Dingham, owner of Possessed, defended his AMBR win and gave his side of the controversy about being disqualified at one point during the show.  Any time you assemble great roadsters like the AMBR contenders, a somewhat heated discussion’s bound to happen. Plus, unlike Gold Digger, the styling of Mike’s 33 Ford left more than a few people scratching their head.

The Ridler Award and America’s Most Beautiful Roadster are, in my mind, the top two hot rod awards in the country. (Agree?) So congratulation to Tammy Ray (I heard she’s a gold mine owner/operator, thus the name…) for a great car and a great achievement.

Let the discussion begin.

2010 Detroit Autorama: Hot rods, customs, and Ridler contenders oh my!

Story by: Megan Boyd
Pictures by: Doug Nykanen

Vote for your favorite in the poll below… then check out the 2010 Ridler Award Winner – Story Here

The 2010  Detroit Autorama is off to a hot start in the frigid city of Detroit. The 58th Annual event has once again gathered the best of the best to debut, show, and share their hot rods and customs ranging from the mild to the wild. Make sure to vote for your favorite below.

The competition for the prestigious Ridler Award is heating up having drawn contenders from all across the nation, including 2 cars from Washington state. The Great 8 finalists for the award  include the usual Fords and Chevys as well as two unique makes this year– Packard and Dodge. In addition to the variety of makes there has also been a cross selection of body styles chosen– a roadster, 2 coupes, a Victoria, a touring phaeton, a two door sedan, and a pick up truck–which could make history as being the very first pick up to win the Ridler Award.  (To learn more about the Ridler Award, click here)

The Great 8 (sponsored by Pirelli Tire) in contention for the Ridler Award are as follows (in no particular order):

- 1932 Ford roadster Timeless owned by Rich, Paige, and Hoochie Udell of Swan Lake, Montana. The seafoam green metallic deuce was built by John Watts of Cincinnati, Ohio and is powered 1957 Chrysler 300C V8.

- 1934 Ford 3 window coupe Kraken owned by Scott and Jan Burton of Draper, Illinois. The black and olive coupe  was built by Smitty’s Automotive in Tiffin, Ohio. The coupe is powered by a 547 Hemi with Hilborn Injection.

- 1937 Chevy Master Deluxe 2Extremz owned and built by Sue and Bill Keck of Dubuque, Iowa. The  two-door Chevy sedan is powered by a ‘Fast Burn’ ZZ4 producing 385 hp.

- 1934 Ford 3 window coupe owned by Jim and Dana Linton of Woodway, Washington. The blue-flamed coupe was built by Hot Rod Fabrication of Auburn, WA and is powered by a 426ci Hemi.

- 1933 Ford Victoria owned by Bob and Jean Walrich of South Lyon, Michigan. The black Vicky was built by Terry Wayne.

- 1933 Ford Phaeton Gold Digger owned by Tammy Ray of Dahlonega, Georgia. The, you guessed it, gold colored touring car  was built by T&T Customs.

- 1934 Packard Boat Tail Coupe Myth owned by Francis J. Roxas of Hinsdale, Illinois. The two-toned copper and brown coupe is powered by a Packard V12 modified to over 500ci.

- 1933 Dodge Pick Up Ramrod owned by Steve Frisbee. The dark purple candy pick up was built by Steve’s Auto Restoration of Portland, Oregon and is powered by an all Mopar drivetrain.

Stay tuned to for the Ridler Award winner! – Update:

And the 2010 Ridler Award Winner is…

Which one would you choose?  Vote here:

Fisheyed Look at the Grand National Roadster Show

Well if I could paint like Tom Fritz, I would. If I could draw like my friends Brian and Dwayne, I’d probably do that too.  Since my creativity’s pretty much limited to taking pictures, I’m doing my best to catch up to the great shots taken by Swanee, my main man shooting for MyRideisMe.com. Swanee’s yet to lay down his shots from GNRS, so here’s mine, FISHEYE style.

A fisheye lens is an ultra wide-angle lens that takes in an extremely wide, hemispherical image. A side effect of this super wide shot is the distortion.  I’m shooting with a 10.5mm fisheye lens. Sometimes that distortion looks kinda cool with the swoopy angles of a custom or in tight on the details of an engine like the Stromberg powered flathead in Blackie Gejeian’s “Blackie” Roadster.

Sometimes, the look is just sinister!  This is the grille from “Camel Toe Racing” 1932 Ford.  The closer you get, the more distortion. I’m just a couple inches off this grill and I probably cropped the shot some. Too bad I have to give the lens back to my boss!

Shooting in the Suede Palace at the Grand National Roadster Show, you can either love or hate the florescent lights that line the exhibit hall.  With this lens, the lights seem to stream on forever and have a distinct curve. Don’t worry, it’s not your mind playing tricks on you!

The fish suits the wacky hemi powered and bubble topped “Atomic Punk”.

This is just a couple of the goofy, love-it-or-hate-it  fisheye shots I took at the show. Take a look at the picture gallery called:

Grand National Roadster Show – Fisheye

I’m curious. Does the fisheye work for you? Yea? Sometimes? Let me know…

-Pikesan

Curves: Custom 50’s Merc and Pinup Masuimi Max

2010 Pin up Girl Wall Calendars

Yucca Valley may be a bit off the beaten path. Some might just call it a road-trip checkpoint rather than a destination. Maybe after you see this 1950 Mercury built by The Hot Rod Shop in Yucca Valley, you might turn this checkpoint-town into a destination-town of your own.

Not only does Toby Stanford, owner, put out some damn good lookin’ cars for customers, he’s also got quite a collection of his own. Lucky for all of you he let us, including the lovely pinup model Masuimi Max, take a peek around his garage.

Other than the beautiful lines we all drool over when looking at a well-chopped Mercury, one of the first things you might notice here is this Merc’s subtle yet striking paint job. No, your eyes are not tricking you. It is black on black – gloss flames on suede paint. For all the attention that’s been given to primer jobs as of late, this is a new twist to an old classic. And while you may have seen one or two other such jobs, Toby assures us that when he finished this car in December 2007, it was the first he’d ever seen of its kind. Who wouldn’t want to implement this idea on their own hot rod, though?

This Mercury has a few other goodies as well. Start with a 6” chop, DeSoto grill, stock bumpers, and frenched headlights and antennae. Throw on some Pontiac taillights in the rear. Add Mustang front seats, a continuous console, and a ’59 Chevy steering wheel along with plenty of pinstriping done by Ben Demon on the interior. But even with all its good looks, this Mercury’s built with driving in mind. So under the hood you’ve got a simple 350 Chevy giving ya power, backed up by a 350 transmission and a Ford 9” rear-end. In addition this car is bagged on all 4’s.

Until he sold it recently, Toby says the Merc was his errand-running car around town. And although Toby didn’t have plans to sell it, when someone comes knocking on your door wanting to give you money, it’s hard to turn em’ down. Unfortunately the new owner isn’t enjoying the car as much. As Toby quotes, he’s “too afraid to take it out.”

Let’s hope that on the next try Toby will keep it and continue rollin’ around the streets of Yucca Valley. Or, if it’s not him, we’ll see more of the cars put out by The Hot Rod Shop of Yucca Valley out there driving.

“I don’t draw them out the way some car builders do,” says Toby. “It’s just the way I figured it up.” Well Toby, we like the way you figure it, and hope we get to see more of The Hot Rod Shop’s work in the future.

This isn’t the only car in Toby’s shop. From this shot outside, you can see a few of the trick rides he’s building for himself and customers. You can see just about all of them in the pinup model picture page.

There’s a few more pics of his work in pinup picture gallery for Masuimi. These 3 look so great, I had to show them here. (the t-bird in the back’s not bad either!) Click on any of these pics to see it full size.

Special thanks to Toby for opening his shop to MyRideisMe.com and Mitzi from Mitzi and Co. pinup photography. Then, of course, thank you to pinup model Masuimi Max. Book her for an appearance or photo shoot (she does all kinds, not just pinup!) at her sizzling hot website IamTrouble.com.

You like it? Leave a comment!

“Hot Rod Ramblings” StanceWorks = Low is a Lifestyle

If you wanna know what “My Ride is Me” is all about, this car shows the spirit perfectly.  This is like the 3rd look for this car in the last year or two from what I understand. 

This ride is super low, clear coated metal, and a cool tigershark paintjob.

The owner of this 5 series BMW, Mike Burroughs, runs StanceWorks website and forum.  I recently picked up some stickers from the site that say “StanceWorks-Low is a Lifestyle”.  Cars are more than mere transportation, they can and should be extensions of ourselves, a Lifestyle.  Some may hate this car, but I love it and hope you can appreciate it too.  Whether you’re into traditional hot rods, european exotics, aircooled vdubs or muscle cars, “its all about the Stance!”

Hechtspeed

New Kookie Car Clone Wins With Stromberg 97 Carburetors

Stromberg Headquarters—Kookie car clone wins the ultimate accolade and more running genuine Stromberg 97 carburetors at the 2009 Detroit Autorama.

Stromberg is pleased to announce our involvement with the new “Kookie” car clone, owned by Detroit’s Ron Kregoski and built by Reno Rods and Customs in Oklahoma City. Featured in hundreds of magazines and a highlight of the 1950s television series 77 Sunset Strip, driven by Edd “Kookie” Byrnes, the original Kookie car is one of the best known hot rods of all time, originally built in the 1950s by actor, artist and hot rod legend Norm Grabowski.

Running a hopped-up 1952 Cadillac engine with four chromed Stromberg 97 carburetors, Ron’s clone is as accurate as possible to the 50-plus year-old hot rod. He contacted Stromberg back in 2008 because their new and improved 97s are faithful in every detail to the original 97s Grabowski bolted to the Caddy’s rare Horne four-carb intake manifold.

The Genuine Stromberg 97 bowl and airhorn castings, stainless steel linkage and miscellaneous screws and fittings were all shipped to Advanced Plating in Nashville, TN, for chrome plating or polishing, then shipped back to Stromberg for final assembly onto new bases, specially color matched to the red engine block. The perfectly chromed 97s are an exact copy of the original set-up, and the crowning touch to Kregoski’s clone.

Looking like it just pulled up from its April, 1957 Car Craft magazine cover shoot, Grabowski said, “It’s the closest clone done yet,” at the 2009 Detroit Autorama in March, where it garnered 2nd place in the Modified T-Bucket category. Owner Kregoski said, “For Stromberg, Reno Rods and everyone else involved in the build, Norm’s approval is the ultimate accolade.”

Congratulations to Ron Kregoski and Reno Rods and Customs.

Stromberg will make fully chromed 97s available on a special order basis. Contact our dealers for further information or visit our website at http://www.stromberg-97.com/for complete information about carburetors and the full range of service parts for original Stromberg 40, 48, 81 and 97 carburetors, as well as a complete list of Genuine Stromberg dealers worldwide.

For more information please contact Thom at (949) 496-3300 or email at hotrodthom@cox.net

Email: sales@stromberg-97.com

URL: http://www.stromberg-97.com/

Press: hotrodthom@cox.net

Up Close and Personal with 80 “Icons of Speed and Style”

Not all of you ladies and gents can imagine a car being raised to the status of an icon or art form. In fact I haven’t always myself. However, the more I get to work on and see cars, the more enamored I’m becoming. After attending RM Auctions “Icons of Speed and Style” my car love-o-meter has just shot through the roof!

An auction doesn’t sound that exciting you say? What if I told you that all of the 80 iconic cars being sold in this no-reserve auction were available to peruse up close and personal? Yep… you could even touch em’! At most car shows, the best cars are roped off to keep you admiring from a distance. There were no ropes at the Friday preview before RM’s “Icons of Speed and Style” auction at The Peterson Museum in Los Angeles, California.

With nearly seven million dollars being drawn in by the auction, people putting out the money needed to really see what they were paying for. So when I arrived during preview day, I was able to get as close as I wanted to each car. With 80 cars to look at, my head was spinning and I didn’t know what direction to go first! I felt like a little kid in a candy store.

As I walked around trying not to drool, I began taking notice of who else was there. Some people seemed excited, others were strictly business. I overheard many sentimental comments of “Remember when…” or “Remember that car that….” Who has this sort of money and spends it on cars like these? There were businessmen doing the work for someone else, moneyed looking older folks, and of course a few Japanese… they go wild in Tokyo over hot rods! But there were also some regular looking car people. In fact, I met a few guys who had previously owned and restored some of the cars present!

While the theme to the Pink Panther played in the background, my mind wandered to hair-brained heists and I began feeling a little villainous. Looking at Deora, my surprise favorite, I imagined getting inside, swinging the swiveling steering wheel in front of me and driving out the front doors. Could I get away with it? Would anyone notice? I don’t imagine the cops would have too hard of a time finding me driving that masterpiece around LA!

So rather than becoming a felon, I satiated myself with the fact that I could examine all 80 of these cars as much as I wanted to. When else would I get the chance to check out the unique engine set-up of Ed Roth’s “Road Agent” or look underneath at the belly pan of the Khougaz Lakes Roadster?!? I nearly wanted to jump through the window of General Lee and was considering taking a try at the backseat of Elvis’ Lincoln Continental Limo, but I thought better of it.

While not too many folks were around for preview day, I heard auction day was standing room only! Though everyone was betting on Deora to take home top pocket, it was beat out by the surprise bidding on the “Little Red Wagon” of Bill “Maverick” Golden drag racing fame. The pre-sale estimate of this wheel-standing truck was $200,000 to $300,000 but a surprise bidder overshot everyone with a winning $550,000 bid! The Deora did well also at $324,500, making it the second highest grossing sale.

If only you could have been there, for only $132,000 you could have driven home in the 1969 Ford Mustang “Mr. Gasket Gasser.” Since ya weren’t there and I’m guessing you probably don’t have that kinda change lying around, good thing I took a lot of pictures. You can check them all out in the MyRideisMe.com Icons of Speed and Style picture gallery. Hopefully they’ll inspire you to what skill, engineering, and invention can build.

As I took one last glance at all these beauties under one roof, I couldn’t help but imagine all the history and personal stories that went with them. I walked outside, took a seat in my own work-in-progress 1955 Studebaker Champion, and was glad to be rolling down the asphalt in a classic. She may not be as iconic as the 80 that were up for auction – but to me she’s just as special.

You can also see the full auction results at RM Auctions homepage or some high quality pre-auction pictures featured in the  Icons of Speed preview story.

Leave a comment and let us know which one you would’ve like to go home with or what result surprised you the most!

xB Marks The Box

So, after much adieu, drum roll please….I choose 1st generation Scion xB!  I know, its not a ‘32 Deuce Coupe or ‘55 Bel Air, but its a car that I can customize, enjoy owning, put a smile on my face and fit all 4 of my boys to take to Car Shows.  It will give me more opportunities to get into the hobby I love, modifying our Rides.  So, with that, here’s to hoping this isn’t just the “Car of the Week” this week (its been  days since D day) and to the search in the classifieds for that good clean example to start modifying in about 5 months.  I’m excited!   Look forward to a blog about “xB’s of MyRideisMe.com” soon as well.  There’s a few other Box Lovers here.

I’d like to hear your thoughts on the xB and boxy cars like it, for example the Nissan Cube, Honda Element and Fit, even old school boxes like the 60’s Corvair van, the Ford Econoline and even VW Bus.

Hechtspeed

“Car of the Week”: Hot Rod Ramblings

Many of you hot rodders and car nuts are able to stick with one car for years.  I don’t know how you do it?  I have what what is called “The Car of the Week” syndrome.  Sometimes its as simple as seeing a cool car on the road.  Then I get on the laptop and start google searching.  I look at the classified ads for used examples, forums to see what people are doing to them, and pictures to find inspirational examples.  I thought I’d ramble a bit about a few of those cars to give you an idea of how all over the hot rod map I am.  There is a goal to this madness, and that is trying to decide on what my next car will be.

This week’s “car of the week” is the first gen’ Scion xB.  That’s right.  Did I not mention that my car passion has no boundaries?  Did you read my Pro-Touring meets Hellaflush story?  Just a glimpse into my funky car taste.  So, Scion xB…check out this woody xB.  I’d build a Box a few ways, old school hot rod is definitely one.  It would have to have wide steelies and white walls.  Probably not the wood though.  But the xB has so much style and character.  Plus, it gets awesome gas mileage (35+mpg).  One of the requirements for my next car is a big aftermarket.  The xB has tons. 

The other way I’d wanna build a box is seen by this example.  Check that demon camber in the rear.  I know, I know, its front wheel drive and yet it has wider wheels and tires in the rear than in the front.  WHO CARES!  IT LOOKS RAD!  The tires are stretched over the wheels and its almost riding fender on the tires.  I don’t even know how to explain why I think this car is sooo cool!  The closest I can come is that its the modern equivalent of the 60’s VW Bus.  So fun to drive, so much style and uniqueness.  And its practical, roomy and affordable.

 

 

One of my other recurring “cars of the week” is the Ford Falcon slash Mercury Comet slash Ford Fairlane slash Galaxie.  OK, so that’s more than one car.  ha ha  But, they all have the same basic look.  So much potential and so many ways to build those Ford products.  You’ve got the gasser look, pro-touring, muscle car, low kustom, NASCAR inspired road racer, pro-street and many more.  Parts are fairly easy to find, affordable even.  If I had my choice, I’d love to do a 1964 Comet Cyclone because my dad had one.  There’s a couple pics in my garage of poppi’s ‘64 Cyclone in black with chrome Cragars! 

One of my favorite cars at Bonneville Speedweek 2009 was Nick Hoesing’s 2 door Galaxie.  I hope to bring you a full feature (hint, hint Nick! ha ha).  Check out this teaser pic from the salt.  This Galaxie hooked me bad and I spent a few hours searching Craigslist across the country.  Nick’s ride is perfect!  Low, clean and cool!  It has such style.  Nick, if you’re reading this, we need to hook that feature up man!

 

 

The other car type I drool over is 20’s-30’s Ford hot rods.  They are basically the all-time hot rod.  These models were the first ever hot rods and custom cars.  They have so much character and style, its crazy!  There’s just something about these rods that gets me goin’.  There’s the new Factory Five Racing ‘33 Hot Rod, all the Brookville metal bodies and chassis’ and so many more.  These old rods are another with so many modification options:  Gasser, 50’s-60’s dragsters, El Mirage and Bonneville land speed racers, street rods, traditional rods and so on.

I think my favorite body style would have to be a chop top coupe, 3 or 5 window, it doesn’t matter.  Coupes are just so cool looking.  The body lines are just…perfect.  It’s hard to explain. I love the old manufacturing techniques and design cues that go with the technology of the day.

My second favorite body style is the sedan.  Being a family guy, to have a rod like that with a backseat would be a winner for sure.  Plus, a chopped sedan rod just looks so clean.  Check out these pics I found while searching the net.  On a side note, for me, there’s no better look than a traditional wire wheel or painted steelie with wide white walls.

 

The other “car of the week” is not a car, but a truck.  I’m a huge sucker for the 1948-59 Ford 1/2 ton short bed pickups and the early-mid 60’s Chevy C10 pickup.  One of the great things about these pickups is they are not uber rare.  You can find good project pickups all over the place for cheap.  Parts a-plenty too!  The body lines of these pick ups are gorgeous.  I love the “stand up” or “straight up” cabs with the big fenders of the old Fords.  Those big grilles just say “I’m automotive art on wheels!”.   The other thing I love about old cars is the metal dashboards.  I hate how today’s cars are so boring inside and out.  A metal dashboard continues the beautiful designs of the 50’s and 60’s, designs inspired by the aerospace developments of the day. 

One other detail of these old pickups is the wood slat beds.  Wood has gotta be the best and most stylish material.  You can beat it up and replace it.  Restain it when it gets weathered. 

 60’s Chevy pickups with their slab sided beds that run smooth, and with the cab when slammed down low is one of my favorite looks.  Match the ride height with a sweet revving 283/327 cu in small block Chevy motor and killer wheels and you have one great hot rod.  I also really dig the idea of painting a “shop logo” on the door of these old pickups.  Shop Truck hot rods are a great concept!

 

I’ll finish off this rambling blog with one more “car of the week”.  The 2002-07 Subaru Impreza WRX and 2003-06 Mitsubishi Evolution.  These are a modern “rod” of sorts.  Their roots are in the World Rally Championship series, doing 4 wheel drifts, jumps and crazy scandinavian flicks.  As a daily driver, there aren’t many cars that can do it all like the Suby and Evo.  They are 4 door sedan’s in compact car size with an all wheel drive and a turbocharged and intercooled 4 cylinder powertrain.  In factory trim they come with 227-300hp/tq.  They are great in the snow (good since I live in Utah), very practical for car seats in the back and have huge aftermarket support. 

The “offset is everything”, aggressive fitment scene has brought some style that I personally dig.  Those flares are made for wide wheels and tires.  One of the coolest features of the WRX and EVO are the rally spec fender flares and intercooler cooling hood scoop/vents.  They get decent mileage too.  My buddy just picked up a modified 2007 WRX pumping 360hp and while on a road trip going 70-75mph averaged 27+mpg.  These cars are amazing grip cars, meaning they can be setup to kill it on track days on road courses and cone dodgers at autocross events.  Enjoy these pics of some of my favorite hellaflush Subaru’s and EVO’s.  Oh ya, you can even get the WRX in wagon form!

So, I’ve probably just made my decision process that much harder by reminding myself how much I dig the various vehicles noted here.  But, I failed to mention some of my other faves like the Mustang, Nissan 240sx/Silvia, Honda Civic, the 50’s lead sleds and even the classic aircooled Type 1’s (Beetles) and Type 3’s (Squarebacks, Fastbacks and Notchbacks).  Stay tuned for those ramblings in part II.  In the meantime, post up your favorite cars that I should look at in theh comments below.  You can tell I’m open to it all.  I’m looking for other car crazy opinions and suggestions.  Comment below, let’s hear your hot rod ramblings!

Hechtspeed

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