automotiveidea: November 2011

Personal Project: The Bugster Coupe- PART II

I wanted a light grey/silver version with a bright red interior to see the design in a lighter shade.

This tipped up view shows off the red/black combo that was typical in early VW and Porches of the era.

Had to try the 'rootbeer' color on this one too, I have seen this color on a 54 VW.

This ambient render shows the panel seeas better so you can see how I have adjusted the door tops and rear cowl area. Still deciding on rear louver placement, then I finish the tin work up.

The side view as an Ambient Render, reveals the decklid is a bit wide and overhangs the rear fender beading, this will be addressed in ROUND 2.0 once I have time to put into her design.

Personal Project

The Bugster Coupe

PART II

So here is Part II, as a follow up to Mondays posting, with some additional images of my Bugster custom VW coupe project I just started this past weekend. As a Transportation design graduate, a project like this is something that I have always wanted to do since a 3D representation of a design is so helpful to do before any metal is cut, and 3D software is the tool to do this as the changes are very fast to implement and see finished the same day, this is a great strength of 3D design.

The model is a work in progress still[ WIP], as I have not welded the big panels into the body yet so I can adjust the overall curves and proportions before it is all one piece. I have some tweaking left to do as well as some design decisions needed to continue, so this is next up.

In the following weeks I have some plans to finish this out, and do the Volksrod alternate version as well, a fender-less I-Beam front ended hot rod version of the Bugster too. I plan to put the uncovered bomber seats from a Speedster in there[ covers on for this one], the Speeedster top and tonneau covers, and I plan to do the entire engine compartment design too showing the huge tray behind the motor now which is about 75% done from when it was going to be used for Herbie[ that portion of the MGFX was scrapped- a motor fly out anim].

Look for more posts as I continue with this personal project in the months ahead.

You can view PART I here.

Cheers, THOM

japan

random

i-something and c-112..

japan

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headlamps, 4wheels, windshields...

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Justin Kudolla's Custom Cars Trend Books

There are not to many strictly Custom Car related magazines and book published these days. Back in the 1950's and early 1960 this was quite different. One of the strictly magazines or perhaps we can even call them books where the Custom Cars annual put out by Trend Books. The first was published in 1951, and the last was done in 1962. It was almost an annual published report on the latest trends in Custom Car world.

The books are filled with nothing but Custom Cars. And Justin has been able to find Custom Cars that where not published before, or seen to much on the internet. Quite an achievement today. And besides the features of Custom Cars there is a styling Studio, Book review, Custom Model Cars and as far as I think, the best part of the magazine, a wonderful interview with an old timer Custom Car who tells just great stories how it all was back in the days.

The first 2009 book had an interview with Gerald Twamley and his famous 1954 Chevy Custom Car. Gerald also shared many of his great Custom Car photos from his personal photo album.

In the 2012 book Justin interviewed Johnny Zaro who had two famous Barris Custom Cars and he also shares his amazing early Custom Car photo album. (below)

Justin has been so kind to share some of the unused material for both of these early time Custom Car guys with us to share. Thank you Justin Gerald and Johnny for sharing these amazing photos.

Justin Kudolla has been in love with everything Custom Car for as long as he can remember, and when he read one of the first articles publisher Luke Karosi from Kustoms Illustrated magazine put in his own magazine. The article was called "Attack Of the 1/2 Foot Zines," which had articles about Rolls & Pleats and some of the other magazines along those lines. In the article he said something about "with the advent of personal computers and desktop publishing systems, things that were once solely done by professionals can now be done in your own home, such as magazine publishing."

Well, that got Justin thinking!
He always liked the old Annuals, they were my favorites. And he had hoped that someone would bring them back, and not do them in an updated way, but continue them as they were before.
Back around 1994, there were two issues published of Hop-Up magazine, in the little size how it was in the 1950s. (In Justins opinion, these two issues were far better than the Annuals that were later published, after the rights to the Hop-Up name were purchased by a new owner.) They were very good quality, on thick paper, and had some color inside, but many of the layouts and even the ads were done the way the old ones were.
That is exactly what Justin wanted to do with his Annual. There may be some modern style customs in the new Annuals Justin created, but he still wanted to give all of the articles an old look, so it would be like looking at something new through the eyes of something old, like a Twilight Zone experience or something!

"I don't know if you have copies of, or have ever seen the Tex Smith's Custom Cars Magazine from the late 1980s? He only did 4 issues, but it was a great magazine, one of the best in my opinion. He was another big inspiration. It folded because he couldn't meet his quota for paid subscriptions, (which was 5,000) but I would always think of how much I liked that magazine and how much he could have accomplished with it if people would have supported it. I wanted to do something to help get custom cars out there, to help make up for what he sadly wasn't able to accomplish since he didn't have much support.
Even though my first Annual came out about 20 years after the last issue of Tex's magazine was published."

If you have not ordered one of these great Custom Car books, do yourself a favor, and go to Justin's website and order one, or two. You wont be sorry. The interviews with Gerald Twamley and Johnny Zaro alone are worth the price.

www.trendcustomcars.com

Here are some of the photos that Justin scanned from the Johnny Zaro Photo Album.

Great low angle front view of Johnny's 1940 Mercury.

Rear view of Johnny's Mercury.
Wonderful flow of lines.

A bit hazy snapshot in between the trees.

Johnny proudly shows the freshly upholstered Mercury.

Johnny bought this unfinished 1941 Ford project.
George Barris had been building it for John Vara, but he
decided to sell it before it was finished.
George Barris finished it for Johnny Zaro.

Great side view shows the wonderfully done upholstery.

Especially nice is the very rounded shape of the tuck&roll
inset panel on the rear bench. The upholstery was
done by Chavez in red and white leatherette.

Channeled 32 Ford 3-window coupe at the
Compton Avenue Barris shop

And here are some of the photos from the Gerald Twamley Photo album

Very nice front shot of Gerald's Chevy

Gerald's 1959 Pontiac

Kookie Kar that Gerald photographed at an outdoor show.

colours

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Compliments,gratitude,hope and.....strong encouragement!

Some carmakers found strong inspirations from our creations. AUDI"Fluidhybrid" was a car that shown distinguishing features at the time of its press presentation by STILETORINO Lab in the far 1998.The four-seat, lightweight city car was a fresh take on the economical runabout. Utilizing an hybrid power system with traditional petrol engine the result was a low-drag coefficient results in fuel consumption that aims to best most of its hybrid contemporaries. The sweeping body plays to traditional aerodynamic attributes, with a prominent nose and a fluid profile. The rear features a central exit exhaust that added a sporting element.
The STILETORINO's Fluidhybrid concept studies revolves around the concept of space, with the vehicle having been developed with plenty of room for four people even with the car being 3800mm long, 1690mm wide and 1880mm high. The car is very much designed to impress aesthetically as well as improving the company's green credentials. One key feature is the dark glass roof of the show being able to switch to transparency when a button is pushed.
Another unique feature is the dynamic light running below the window from the front to the car's rear. Gesture control unlocks the car when the owner approaches it and the lights also contain a number of other clever functions. The vehicle - designed by Andrea Ciampaglia in his garage in December 1997 - also contains room for a city bicycle, a product that many car manufacturer's have been exploring and creating.
Inside, the AUDI FLUIDYBRID sees a stripped-back cabin that uses touch-screen panels and transparent sections to create the IP and center stack. Swathes of green fabric and cloth adorn the cabin – an obvious nod toward the environmental attributes of the car. Characteristic we found now in NISSAN "Nuvu"(flanks treatment,lateral windows,roof,general architecture).A visual demonstration of the ability of our stylists to anticipate future design trends and solutions. NISSAN intended to make a clear appropriation of STILETORINO's ideas: our centre is grateful to the important carmaker to diffuse on a big scale our philosophy. Are there others car market competitors wich wants to diffuse again our ideas?