6 Basic Steps to Drawing Hot Rods

Thanks for visiting My Ride is Me. There's lots to see: Picture Gallery · Pinup Pics · Custom Garages · Featured Stories so take a look around! If you like it, create your own custom garage!

Words and Drawings by Ryan Hadden

See more at thehaddenhotrodshop.blogspot.com

I am no Chip Foose, but I do like to draw cars. I have no formal education in drawing automobiles, but I did leave some killer renderings in the back of a few school books when I was younger! I hope that this quick tutorial will help you to do something a lot of guys / gals fear they cannot do.

A few “tools of the trade”. This is a shot of some of the tools I have collected over the years while drawing. Included in this photo are markers, colored pencils, pastels, a metal ruler ( I prefer them over wood or plastic), ball point pens, and erasers. Art supplies are expensive. If you are just starting out don’t let a trip to the local hobby shop scare you. Honestly all you really need to begin drawing is no more than a pencil, paper, and a good drawing surface.

It is also helpful to have reference material. This can include magazines, books, posters, photographs, internet (including websites like myrideisme.com, haha, thanks for the plug Ryan!), or 1:1 subject matter (aka the real thing). Here is a small sampling of my printed reference material.

Step 1:  Start off with a really loose sketch of your subject. Go wild and add-in anything you think you may want in the finished piece. Our subject in this short tutorial will be the Scion Chris Hecht (hechtspeed) has had bouncing around in his melon for several months now. Our goal will be to get his ideas down on paper before he shells out the bones on completing the car.

Step 2:  After I have all the ideas thrown out I like to come back and use the previous sketch to make a tightened up line drawing that will be the basis of the finished piece. As you can see we have narrowed down where the final rendering is headed.

Step 3:  I’m going to start this sketch with the roof. Chris wanted a white Scion with a red metal flake roof ( a first time task for me). I blocked in the darkest areas with marker and then faded into the center with pastel and pencil.

Step 4:  I am now going to block in the darks (tires, shadows, and reflections) with a black marker. I have also added in the Moon discs at this point.

Step 5:  Now I have started to add a little more detail. I have started to bring in headlights, shadows on the body, more definition to the shadows and highlights in the windows, and some foreground. This was all done in pencils and pastels.

Step 6:  Added the last of our details and sign the work.  Note: The door art and door handles were actually added after Chris saw the previous version of the drawing.  Door handles since he is a family man and the door art well… just ’cause he digs it! And that is why a concept drawing is a useful tool in any build. It allows you to see an idea before you commit to it only to later find out it just doesn’t work for you.
This is a very simplified tutorial, but it gives you the basics to start your own concept work for yours or your buddies next build.

Dig other blogs about Ryan and his hot rod sketches

Haddens Hot Rod Drawings

5 Steps For Painting Vintage Hot Rod Door Art

Haddens Hot Rod Drawings

I wish I could draw cars.  I was decent when I was young, but now I’m useless.  Ryan Hadden of Hadden Hot Rod Shop is a car nut who digs drawing cars too.  His own hot rod, a ’54 “Plain Lorraine” F-100 pickup was featured in a blog where Andy Kawahara painted a “shop truck” door logo.  If you missed that, check it out HERE.  Ryan has helped friends visualize their hot rod projects by sketching their custom car and hot rod ideas.  You may have seen his work in the Andy’s US Forest Service Truck feature. 

Such a cool shop truck idea.  Ryan captured it perfectly in his sketch above and Andy built it to spec.

When choosing an artist to sketch your hot rod, there are many options.  The two biggest differences I see is an artist who uses pencil/marker and paper and the artist who uses a computer.  There are also differences in price.  There’s artists out there to fit anyone’s budget.

 

This is Andy Kawahara’s other hot rod truck (I see a theme here), a 1961 Apache done up in a Mild Custom look.  I’m really diggin’ the white walls and how they accent with the white top and tonneau cover.  I hope you can build it to look like that man!

 

Dig this crazy Camino!  The cool part about sketching cars is you can get crazy and creative.  This looks rad!  What do you guys think?

 

Sweet!  Check that grille and louvered hood.  I love these post WWII cars!

Here’s a cool delivery pro-street hot rod Ryan calls “Better Idea”. 

Hope you liked these sketches by Ryan.  You can see more of his sketches and photography on the Hadden Hot Rod Shop Blog.  You can contact him through his blog or email him HERE if you’re interested in having him sketch your hot rod ideas.

Ryan and I are working on a Hot Rod Sketch Tutorial, a step by step look at Ryan’s drawings with one of my crazy car ideas with a certain late model Japanese grocery getter.  Stay tuned!

Hechtspeed

Hot Rod Art at Gasoline Gallery

It’s Saturday night rolling down Main Street in El Segundo, a cute little Maybury-esque town in Los Angeles County. All of the sudden the street is lined with hot rods and some bobber-styled bikes. Cool cats pour out of a store front holding cans of Pabst beer in their hands. Have I landed in heaven?!

Not just yet. It just the New Year’s Nuisance 2 art show & party at Gasoline Gallery. This gallery has been growing into its own little epicenter of kustom kulture over the past couple years. Specializing in low-brow art and artist-featured t-shirts (and most recently a record label all their own,) Gasoline Gallery throws these great shin-digs every couple months when their gallery-show changes.

I’ve been to a few of these now and am pleased to report this show was just as high quality and fun as the others – with artist, 3 sheets, taking the spotlight. That’s enough of my blabbering, let me just show you the pictures! For more info on any of the work or artists shown, contact Gasoline Gallery or look em up on MySpace.

I didn’t realize at first this painting’s on the wrinkled door of a Highway Patrol car! Entitled Gas, Grass, or Ass by Big Toe.

These four pinstriping pieces done on painted metal show of the striping skills of 3 Sheets.

“Social Outkast” Frankenstein by artist duo Johnny Ace & Kali – who studied under the Big Man Ed Roth himself. On the wall, you can see the variety of stuff present – from sculpture to photography to pen & ink to painting.

This piece just pops out at you and makes you giggle too – “Oral Hygiene” by Dave Burke.

Another wall of work – including Max Grundy and very cool photo boxes done by Jay Mason of Chrome and Light Photography (he uses vintage equipment!)

Our friend Dwayne Vance’s piece stood out. I wish my photograph would’ve captured it a little better…but I don’t think that car wants to be captured!

Three fun little bits by 3 sheets.

A classic hot rod painted on an old car magazine page by James Owens next to an amazingly intricate ink & paper by Krazy Dotty made entirely out of small dots.

3 sheets again.

This sculpture was one of my favorite pieces, done by artist Odd Rodney. I wish I could’ve taken it home! The whole evening had me feeling a little artistic myself – so when I stopped for gas on my way home I couldn’t help but notice the cool lighting provided at the gas station!

Cheer’s to art! Whether it’s being hammered out in your own garage or hung on the wall over at Gasoline Gallery…happy trails to you!

-GreaseGirl

2010 Concept Car Charity Calendar – Give back a little!

Special thanks to Brian Stupski from Problem Child Kustoms. This is his contribution to the calendar and one super low-slung, bad Desoto Custom! Click on the image above, then save it to your desktop. This is a big file that’ll fill your screen perfectly!

It’s here!!! The 2010 Rendered Hope Charity Calendar featuring transportation artwork from professional designers. This years calendar has a great mix of work from OEM, Hot Rod and Entertainment Designers. There is feature artwork from the hot Camaro, Corvette Stingray Concept, Scott Robertson’s crazy ships, west coast Hot Rods and more!

I was among the fortunate few to receive an invitation to be a part this year, and am stoked to have a piece featured among my heroes and colleagues, and even dragged legendary hot rod designer Charlie Smith along for the fun, adding a double-shot of Motorburg.com flavor to the mix!

Just like last year 100% OF THE PROCEEDS will go toward buying Hot Wheels and toys for the Detroit Children’s Hospital annual Snow Pile Event. This is a great cause that you surely want to support… and you can certainly understand how incredible it is to see OEM guys giving back. Head on over to the Rendered Hope Store to see a sample of each month 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 11×17 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.

The calendar is a limited edition print and will be on sale now through the end of the year. So spread the word and get it while you can! We sincerely appreciate the opportunity to be involved with this project, and appreciate your help in getting the word out there more than can be expressed here. Thanks again, and Happy Holidays!

Brian Stupski, www.problemchildkustoms.com

Car Drawings: Pencil Sketch Hot Rod Art

Amazing hot rod art done by Alan Brightmore. People these are NOT black and white photos, they’re hand drawn sketches that amazingly look like older photos when they’re done.  Pictures and text by Alan… Check it out!

First up, this hot rod was done for a customer who saw my VW Bus parked at work! She left a note on my windscreen asking about VW parts and after getting in touch I ended up drawing this 5 window coupe for her father who owns the real thing. Very straight forward really, I enjoyed doing this one!

.

.

.

.

.

Next is a Lotus Sunbeam. My neighbor has a bit of an 80’s car fetish and he owns a number of Sunbeams, one of which is this example which I drew for him. Not my cup of tea to be honest but a nice car all the same and he was very pleased with the finished piece…

.

.

.

.

.

.

Here’s something I drew quite a while back. It’s called a Hillman Husky, of which I know little to nothing other than the owner dropped a Ford Cosworth engine in this one to make it go faster than it was ever intended!
Oh, and he worked (or owned) a scaffolding company hence the background I put in for him!!

.

.

.

.

.

This last one I did for myself for fun.  It’s a 1954 VW Barn Door Kombi, pretty simple look.  Typical of a custom VW Bus.  This one always reminds me of California…

- Al

See Alan’s other hot rod art stories on MyRideisMe.com, Black Camaro and Various Hot Rod Sketches.

Which one’s your favorite? Let us know in a comment below.

Hot Rod Art: Black Camaro Drawing

It’s been a while since I last drew anything and I really need to get back into it! Full time work gets in the way these days and when I do get time off I end up busy with other stuff so I thought I’d dig out some commissioned drawings I did some time ago to share with you as well as a look at my last piece, the Chevy Camaro Black Concept.

I’ve been a big fan of American Muscle since I was a kid and the past few years has seen a resurgence from the big manufacturers, all of which give a tip of the hat to their original 60s and 70s counterparts,
combined with new aggressive styling, powerful engines, and lots of available mods and options.

The new Chevy Camaro is no exception and does it for me bigtime.  When I saw the first shots of the Camaro Black concept I just had to get it down on paper!
There were 3 or 4 initial reference photos I found available on the internet and decided to go with the side/rear three quarter view which is a little change for me as I tend to go for the front/side but this Camaro just looks great from any angle plus I wanted to add some colour.

Yes, colour for me is a dirty word! I’ve used graphite pencil for years and much prefered it’s blending properties to any other medium but as this only required a little splash of red for the rear lights and a little yellow for the bow-tie, I thought I’d give it a go…

So, if you read my previous story here Car Drawings or Photos? You choose. you will know how I go about my drawing process.  This was no different other than it took a heck of a lot of 9B pencil to lay down all that black that’s in there.
The colour I added at the rear lights was from a standard red felt-tip pen and coloured pencil, I bought a white gel pen to add the small white dots which gives the effect of the reflective lens. Coloured pencil once again was used for the Chevy badge.

I was pretty pleased with this one in the end, I thought the little touch of colour was needed to break up the mass of black involved and it did the trick, a long time was spent on the wheels too which were very detailed and tricky but again well worth it. Now, just need to sell enough artwork to go buy a real one!!

Alan’s MyRideisMe Garage and Art Webpage

Alan Brightmore

5 Tips For Choosing a Hot Rod Designer

Over the last decade, we’ve seen explosive growth in the hot rod and custom car industry and hobby as a whole. This can be attributed to the popularity of television shows like Overhaulin’, American Hot Rod and others, as well as Powerblock TV, the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Events, and of course, access to great personalities like Chip Foose, Stacey David and others. This brings in new enthusiasts, and naturally, more project cars!

Not since George Barris snapped thousands of photos and wrote hundreds of articles promoting the hobby back in the 1950’s and ’60’s have we seen so much attention on our hobby, and it’s amazing to witness. Yet, while there’s all of this excitement, many of these new fans and participants are feeling lost when starting a project. It can be a daunting task to say the least, but when taking those first steps, having the right footing can make all the difference in the world.

Naturally, any success in a project requires a plan, and building or modifying a car requires very careful thought at this stage. I’ve often heard guys say “I just build as I go… no plan, just what feels right”, and sadly, it certainly doesn’t look like it must feel in many cases. Disjointed design, half-assed “fixes” to make parts fit, and often unsafe “engineering” (”engine-beering”, most likely) have sent many a project to an early grave.

The best advice would be to bring on an experienced designer to help guide you along. As a professional hot rod and custom car designer with over twenty years experience in the auto industry (from parts and service to body and after-market accessories), as well as training in design and fine art, I’m here to offer some advice on taking those first steps.

The importance of having a vision on paper, especially when working with shops and others on a team, can’t be overlooked.

The end goal of selecting you car designer is:

• A vision of the finished product for everyone to work from
• Avoid gaps, mis-communications and errors in describing idea
• Get what you want for your custom car dream!

When it comes time to shop for a designer, keep these 5 must items in mind:

5 Things To Consider When Hiring a Custom Car Designer:

1. Pick a Designer Who’s Style You Like

Not only are you hiring someone to assist in laying the groundwork for your project, but the designer must also be able to convey your ideas and tastes, as well as create a piece that will inspire your build team.

You’ll want some “wow” factor, but also be sure that your designer draws with proper scale and proportion! Taking a cartoon-like image or shoddy “Photochop” to an experienced builder will get you laughed out of the shop. The kid you hire in a forum might make that ‘58 Edsel bumper look like it fits your Monza in the drawing, but in reality, would it? And, are you looking to blow your budget on wild changes before the car even hits primer?

Look around, and study the artist’s styles and prior work.

Much like you choose a car that excites you, be it for nostalgia reasons, a certain feeling it gives you, or just the fact that you liked it overall, you’ll be miles ahead by selecting a designer in the same way. When the car is torn apart and looking bleak, the artwork will serve as an excitement generator.

2. Find A Designer You Get Along With

Spend some phone and email time talking with designers. Do you, “get along”?  Can communicate freely? An open exchange with your designer will pay off in a HUGE way during the project.

Look for a custom car designer who:

• Can help guide you
  • if asked, but also take an idea you have and run with it.
  • simply hiring a “wrist” to make some lines based only on what you say is boring, and will leave your design “flat”.
• Is a good listener!
  • Nothing can be more disappointing than a guy who doesn’t listen
  • Is the designer looking to create a portfolio piece on your dime?
• Is more than just a talented artist
  • Doesn’t simply re-hash the same 3D model their last 40 customers got (but with different paint and wheels) because, you’ll get, well, the same car as those other 40 guys!
• Can follow your budget
  • Make your budget known and understood

Make it an open exchange where ideas can flow freely, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how an idea can grow or be refined to mind-blowingly cool in the right hands.

3. Understand The Designer’s Terms

• Get the terms and details of the design ironed out immediately.
• How many revisions will you receive?
  • What’s the cost for additional revisions?
• How will the work be delivered?
  • Hard copies? (one for you, the shop, and maybe for promotional purposes?)
  • Digital copies for magazine ink? (how about sponsorship proposals?)
• Can you use the artwork to promote the car?
  • Who owns the Copyright?

A professional designer will provide a contract explaining these important terms allowing for worry-free design time. Pay attention from step one, and you’ll avoid starting over when your forum buddy disappears with your PayPal payment.

Understand, too, that “you get what you pay for” applies with car designers.   If you want your designs quickly (or just on time) and at a high quality, be prepared to pay a bit more, and respect the time required to perfect a design. Much as you wouldn’t rush a surgeon reconstructing your body, give your car-body the same consideration for equally functional results!

4. Don’t Be That “I’ll know what I want when I see it” Guy

That guy is the enemy of designers, and it translates to “headache” to any pro. Have an idea at the first consultation, even if it’s vague, and ask for direction/advice if needed (see step 2). Know what you’d like to do with the car. Will it be restored? Modified? A combination of the two? Something wilder? A professional designer will offer examples, and throw ideas around with you, hitting on your likes and dislikes before pencil hits paper. Many great cars develop during these “bench racing” sessions, and you’ll save a ton on revisions.

Communication is your best friend here. Simply jumping from style to style will burn you and your designer out, and close doors on really creative ideas.

Research the hell out of your project and ideas. Go to shows, cruise nights, rod runs… Pick up magazines, books, videos… Look around at what’s been done, and find a style that you like.  Sites like MyRidesisMe.com offer custom car “garages” and show and race picture galleries that are great resources for ideas.

Make a list of things that you enjoy about cars and save pictures that remind you of those features. Perhaps you enjoy good handling, or maybe straightline performance is more your thing. Maybe it’s all about the look of the car, and you’re after a show car that’ll make people stop and drool.

It’s during this hugely important stage that you and your designer will determine a “direction” for the project.

You should have a list of your dreams for the car, as well as a list that is more realistic, taking into consideration the reality of the car you’ve chosen. Approaching a professional designer with these  ideas in place will save time, frustration, and above all, help to nail your “perfect” concept.

5. Don’t Fall Victim To Trends

If you’ve seen a teal green and gray car with a tweed interior and 15-inch billet wheels lately and thought “wow… the 1990’s called, and they want their car back”, imagine what response a car built in a trendy style today will elicit in ten or fifteen years.

Simply shopping at the “popular kids” table will, inevitably, breed you a cookie-cutter car. Simply saying “oh man, that car that won Street Machine of the Year had a cool hood, so I want THAT hood, and the same wheels, and the same paint, and then that car that won the year before had those seats… I want THAT interior…” and so-on, will not design or build YOUR dream car.

Much as you may have enjoyed looking at Alyssa Milano on TV, did you marry her? Chances are, you found someone who fit your life, who matched that often undefinable set of criteria that just “did” something for you. This project car should be no different. It should be a unique reflection of YOUR style, and a talented designer will help you to make that happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Build to YOUR taste, not someone else’s” is my credo in the studio.

Seek out a designer who understands the style you’re planning to build your car in, and can offer unique approaches to design problems that not only make your eyes pop out, but will prevent your hard earned dollars from doing likewise from your wallet.

Approach modifications tastefully, respectfully, and with the thinking “how does this change affect the rest of the car? What purpose does it serve?” If it makes sense, do it. If it’s questionable, question the hell out of it!

That said, head on out and explore… look at work, compare styles, and talk with designers. Your decision should go beyond price, and be the RIGHT FIT for your project. Seek out a designer that can listen, offer ideas, and above all, nail your design. After all, simply setting sail on the ocean might take you SOMEPLACE, but is it where you WANTED to go? Hiring a designer will help chart that course AND reach the end of the journey.  When plotted correctly, your designer will have you itching to hoist the sails again, and that’s what this whole car thing is all about anyway… feeding that passion.

Brian @ PCKStudio

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…

Problem Child’s Latest – Let Them Eat Cheese

Let them eat cheese…

…or at least the dust left behind this monster.

When the AMC Hornets were new, the ads read with slogans like “If you think it looks good, wait’ll you feel it perform!”, “It’s not our strong guarantee that makes our Hornet a tough little car”, and “It’s beautiful when you fill it up”… Taking those sales pitches waaaaayyyy out of context bred the bright yellow beast above.

For this AMC Hornet, right out of the box, I wanted to play up the automaker’s legacy, by using some references to Wisconsin, naturally, and then just say “screw convention”, and mess around with a largely forgotten car… Thus, we have an AMC, some Green Bay colors, and, uh, well… that’s about it, aside from the crappy “cheese” line at the start.

Moving along, I’ve had this sick road racing-inspired Hornet “buzzing” in my head for about two years, and have played with the drawing on and off over that time span. I had watched “The Man With the Golden Gun” some time back, and it re-kindled a love affair with all things AMC (even if it would have been better had they used Alice Cooper’s song of the same name… but that’s another story for another time). When the master, Steve Stanford played with some AMC concepts last year, it re-kindled my interest in the idea, and after seeing just how dedicated the AMC guys are, I finally got all of the sketches into one place.

The concept: A ‘74 AMC Hornet built with a nod to the Mulholland road-race crowd of the ’70’s. A tube chassis with a 9-inch center section IRS and Corvette-based front suspension allows the car to sit right on the ground, and the full ‘cage helps everyone inside feel safe as the world rushes by in a blur.
Speaking of “rushing by”, motivational power would be via a twin turbo 360, backed by a six speed… no LS-motors or otherwise… this baby would be an AMC through-and-through.

Body-wise, a late-model Challenger hood would donate its center, while retaining the stock Hornet hood peak and emblem recess, as it looks almost natural that way. The factory parking lamps would hit the swap meet as air inlets were installed to feed the mighty engine. While we’re up front, let’s drill out the heavy front bumper, add some driving lights, and then lightly tuck it to the body, and rework the fenders for a flush-fit look. A chin spoiler and splitters further play up the idea, and help to cut through the night air.

Side-exit exhaust just looked so damn cool, and sitting as low as this thing does, it made sense, too. Out back, I’m seeing a pair of ‘89 Mustang LX tail lights (nothing personal, just never liked the stock units), and a notched rear bumper to show off the rear belly pan.

Just wanted to share one of the little “side” projects that always seem to be floating around the Studio, and show a little love to the hard-core AMC crowd. Hope you dig it…

From Pikesan: Any other proud AMC owners out there? Let’s hear from you! Leave a comment. You don’t have to be a member to comment.

Next Page »