GOLDEN INSPIRATION

I went to the Golden Cruise last night and had a walk around with my youngest son. It was a great source of inspiration. We showed up around 8PM, which was a little bit later than we usually pop into the Golden Cruise.

In-progreess shot See Pinkee's website for more. 

 The same Model A Coupe that I'd seen at Good Guys was there again. Every time I see this car I'm reminded what a huge difference a shop like Pinkee's can make on the build of a car. In looking more at the interior of the coupe, I was taken by how much subtlety is at play. No one detail jumps out at you. But it's the cumulative effect of the many small touches that makes the car badass. The aircraft style gauges. The three 5-gallon cans connected together for gas tanks. The steering column mount. The recessed gauge panel. Wow. This car has it all.

(Shot pilfered from Pinkee's website.)

On a seperate note, I saw a guy breaking down his drum kit, after his performance. I struck up a briaef conversation about his aqua metal flake drums. Most likey a surf band, from the looks of the woodie he was loading his kit into and the floral shirt he was wearing. I told him I was toying with the idea of using the same sparkly material for a dash board and he told me about Precision Drum, where he'd bought the material to refinish his kit. He explained that the material comes in sheets, is pretty thick, and that getting it to stick is no problem assuming you use a quality adhesive and your surface was relatively flat and uniform. He had used a 3M rubber cement product with good results. 
Now granted, So Cal Speed Shop has sold Fender instrument clusters for a few years now, so let's not suggest I invented the idea. But while I liked them a lot, I want to do one-off. Something more along the lines of the reference shot I pilfered from Bob Bleed's Facebook page.

 

















I'd be using my own color, of curse, probably an aqua metal flake like the stuff I saw last night, or like the Fibes drum kit color I referenced a couple of years ago in this very blog. Yep, it always comes around full circle with me.

BAHAMA BLUE

Here's another example of a really cool exterior color that is quite nice and subtle along with some fabric samples. I'm beginning to think that using reference material like this could contribute to a very unique roadster. Something that looks like it came right out of the late fifties or early sixties. I'm definitely leaning away from the metallic as I look at the traditional style hot rods that impress me most. I'm also attracted to the idea of using unexpected reference material to achieve something that appears period correct. To that end, why not vintage VW?

WHAT A VINTAGE VW CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT COLOR

We hit a first annual Vintage VW show today here in Denver. In all, there were probably less than fifty cars in attendance. But a good crowd it was, and there were some really cool VWs and people, ranging from tasteful restored vans and bugs to Cal Bugs and Karman Ghias. A handful of vans, a squareback or two and even one notchback were there as well. As Deb and I walked among the cars in attendance, I was struck by how tasteful and restrained many of the stock colors were in the late fifties and early sixties. If I had to cite my three faves, they were all subtle, stock colored beetles with custom mods, tasteful rims and stock fabrics used throughout their interiors. Their exterior colors were extremely restrained. Not a hint of metallic. One was a very light tan color and another was a medium gray. A third was a very light value of seafoam green. As I looked at these beetles, and their cloth material interiors on stock seats, it reinforced to me how a restrained color and fabrics can really set the stage for bringing out the custom mods. I'm definitely onto a restrained track with the colors I'm considering. But maybe I won't even use metallic. Yep, there it is. I said it.

THE PERFECT COLOR

You just never know where or when it's going to hit you. The perfect color reference. 

Not a photo. Photos can be deceiving. Nope. I'm talking about a genuine, bonafide physical object. Something with shape, curvature, edges. Something you can hold in your hand and admire in direct sunlight. It happened to me yesterday as Drew and Debbie and I toured the local thrift shops in search of mid-century objects, beaded dresses, vintage snap shirts and vintage costume jewelry to make into custom shift knobs.  

I rounded the corner and there it was in all of it's glory. Viola'! 

A helmet in the exact color I've had in my head. 

I picked it up in my hand and was instantly amazed by how it looked both silvery and light turquoisey (yeah, I know... it's not a word). It reminded me of the curvaceous pieces of metal that you often see paint samples displayed upon at major car shows (SEMA, for instance). I naturally had to buy it. Now all I have to do is visit a good paint store to find the same color. Or cruise mall parking lots on busy days with helmet in tow. Here's a shot of it. Just for grins, let's see how close it is to some of the references I've already pulled. As you can see, the helmet goes more to the blue side than the Charger, which was my color of choice until yesterday. 

I know have the exact color. I'll keep you posted, 

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

Here's an example of a chopped Duvall. 

Haven't posted in a while. I'm letting the parts budget build to the point where I can pull the trigger on a Sellers Equipped Hallock-style windshield for the roadster. Not cheap, but well worth it. So bear with me while I ride out the next month or so. The plan for the windshield is to mildly chop it for my '29. An inch or inch and a half, tops. The brown car up above is a perfect example.

LIGHT TURQUOISE COURTESY OF KEITH WEESNER

Came across the perfect light turquoise color reference on Keith Weesner's website. If you're unfamiliar with Keith's illustrations, you're in for a real treat. http://www.keithweesner.com/

It looks like Keith's color is a wee bit more silvery than the Charger's. 

Keith's illustration is the color I want to paint the Roadster. There. I said it. 

More thoughts on color

As many of you might already know, I've been thinking about going with lime green metallic in a satin on the roadster for some time Yesterday I spent a good few hours at the Good Guys show in Loveland, CO. As I walked amongst hundreds of beautiful cars I found myself reflecting on just how much I appreciate subtle colors on cars. There's something to be said for showing restraint, especially when one could have  just a easily have gone bright and blingy.
To that end, my favorite car of the show was a bare metal model A couple with red scallops. Subtle. And it really got me thinking about going with a subtler shade on the roadster. If any of you have followed my blog from the beginning, you may remember the aqua Fibes drum kit color.


Well I'm leaning back that way but in a far more subtle shade, like the Charger pictured above. I figure a lighter, almost silvery value of aqua would be very tasty. The engine could be painted a richer shade, like the AMC engine color seen here:

Imagine these in a much lighter silver or white.

In terms of interior color, it would really open up the possibility of a pearl white or a very light silver which would open up the tight interior confines. The frame and firewall could be painted to match the interior color which would nicely tie it all together. It would also harken to some of the kinds of interior treatments used in the late fifties and early sixties.