Hell of a great Idea, Thanks for the insight on where they go. Ive got a buddy in utah, I was hoping to go see this summer, I wanted to go tryand find a couple of aircraft grave yards while out west, hopefully I get to. Anyhow that ride is gorgeous all the way, and craftmanship is superb..
Amazing craftsmanship as everyone has mentioned, and the interior kicks ass, Im not a big fan of that grille though
This car is all about what is always the best "theme" - function as form. To me the line stops at "decoration". Most theme cars are way over that line. I don't care for the huge grill (subjective) but I would LOVE to hammer down the highway wrapped in that interior!
Django, very nice work and i love the all details as well. Creative and stunning as long as this car get's driven ...i mean flown, i give it a thumbs up!
Im going to have to respectfully disagree. to me its Trendy, not timeless. soon it will be out of style. if it was done back in the day, it would be a traditional bad idea.
The craftsmanship is un-questionable. The style while Reeeeeeeeeeealy pushing being over the top works. I used to kinda like themed based rides, long before the Discovery channel and OCC phenomena went overboard with the idea. I love the fact that the avionic controls actually do something and aren't just along for the ride. Good Job. As opposed to a "Famous" builder also with excelent cratfsmanship that took the whole WWII Aircraft thing a "less than cool" different direction.....
WOW that is really a cool car and workmenship is topshelf. A couple of questions for you. How far away are you guys from Mchenery by the fox river? any closer shots of the speedo and info on it? Where are you getting your rivits from? I just got a bucking bar and rivit gun and have a friend who is a AMP mech and is going to give me a few lessons so any other advise would be really cool. Just amazing work.
Eyeball and I were passing through the windy city and Kevin was kind enought to stay open late so we could check it out. Like the style or not the craftsmanship is unreal. Hats off to the crew at HRCC. Tom
Pretty Stunning. I keep finding stuff when you look at her. I could do without the Spaghetti Headers though
This was the exact car I had in mind when I heard about the aircraft inspired hot rod HRCC was building. I think that showing this picture really helps build the fence between an art car and an aircraft inspired hot rod. Most of all though, I think it helps to exemplify just how cool the coupe is. The Chevy above is obviously built around the engine while the HRCC coupe is built around the era. I think that the coupe will forever be cool while the Chevy will fade (or should I say peel). Congrats to the fellas up north for tastfully restoring a memory.
First saw this work of art in the Chrome Czar's fabulous award-winning display at the World of Wheels in Chicago. Absolutely stunning! Could spend hours admiring the refreshing details.
Am I the only one who likes the grill? It gives the car a different look then most coupes. Originality "within a genre" is a good thing.
I like the looks of everything but the rivets. and you never see the old poly motors, I like that with the grille. I also like that the theme is somewhat subdued. not out in your face like some others those seats are cool to look at, but i don't think I'd make the 2.5 hour drive to Paso sitting in them. ....maybe 25 years ago. not now, no way.
I LOVE it! I want to sit in it and gun down imports! no...seriously...I think that "theme" cars really are just asking to become dated, on most accounts, but...this car is exquisite! The details are maddening!! Probably could have done without the rivets, too...but, thats just MO... the '55 Chevy, on the other hand...
Ive always loved theme cars. The Airplane theme Hot Rod is a natural. Vintage aircraft and Hot Rods have allot in common. Both have to be stripped down to save weight. This leads to a sort of cool functional every peace counts look. Some people pull that off better than others. All the gages and toggle switches are just plane cool! Also Im reasonably convinced that most of the traditional graphics painted on Hot Rods originated on either military aircraft or civilian racing aircraft first. This coupe was done as good as they get. Proves you can do it tastefully. I personally wouldnt have gone for those exhaust headers. And might have cut a different shape for the roof windows (But then its not my car so ). Still I would be proud to own that car. Well done! I like that roadster too. For what its worth thats my 2 cents. O.T. Hey PlowBoy, what ever happened to that open wheel Stude your friend was building off of the Newt concept art? Time for an update post?
It's not that I don't like theme cars... ...I hate them. Despise them. More than theme bikes even... I've always felt the theme of any hot rod was to go fast. The theme of any custom was to look good. Done. The only 'wiggle room' in these themes is what period in time you're shooting for. However...as theme cars go, this one is by far the best I've ever seen. The workmanship is top-notch. The 'theme' is justified by the owner's personal past. I still hate theme cars though. I just hate this one the least. ~Scotch~
I like it and one of the first things I noticed were the headers. I like em alot (which led me to "what engine is that?", which I'm glad you answered). As for theme cars, they are OK with me. Theme cars help break up the "57 Chevy syndrone" at a car show. They have to be well done though and you guys did it well.
In a previous life I painted aircraft and I've got to say prep/sanding around rivets truly sucks,not to mention they're all runs waiting to happen when your shooting color. My hats off on the build,great job. The grill treatment hit me right away,but the more I look at it the more I'm liking it. Would love to see this'n in person.
Looks great. Repurposing aircraft parts and building techniques may not be new, but doing it by choice instead of necessity makes for an interesting car. The fact that everything has a purpose and isn't just frosting is refreshing even though many of the pieces have a very deliberate presentation. Nice.
That's one of the best examples of an aircraft theme rod I've seen. Lots of stuff going on and it's pretty cohesive. It's not my cup of 60wt but I appreciate the quality and skill involved. For myself I would consider using some aircraft components when building a car because they work well and look cool. Are all of the rivets real or is it a combination of real and faux? Too many IMHO.
Uh... thanks Scotch, I think. Yeah, this car is not for everyone, no doubt. Kevin and I tried very hard to walk the line between what would be cool and would be "OCC". The owner would come in and say "Hey, let's do this!" And we'd have to say, "NO, you can't do that". It was definitely a collaboration between him and all of us in the shop. And like Kevin said, with his and my likes/history, it was a great project to immerse oneself in. We are definitely developing a style since Kevin and I became partners last year. Does that mean every car the shop builds will be aircraft themed? Of course not, but I'm sure we will continue using a few aircraft parts here and there that make sense in more of a straight up traditional context. Kevin and Chris "Rocco" Fleming built all the interior panels. Everybody busted ass on it at one point or another. At some point, a car like this becomes a labor of love and not just another build. I'm extremely proud of all the guys. As for the grille... well, how many more model A's does the world need with another Deuce shell. Judging by some of the responses, I guess at least ONE more! Hahahaha! If you watch the video on our site, be sure the volume is all the way up!!
The Jalopy Journal
