Technical Flames, thumbs up or thumbs down?

I put this under technical because for me it fits both rods and customs. Might have been a subject of debate in the past. If so I apologize.
I'm no fan of flames...…….on anything. I think they detract from great paint and in most cases do not fit the persona, (if that is the right word), and design features of the car they appear on. If you have them its ok with me (which I'm sure you could give a shit anyway). Just wondering, am I just a maverick feeling like this or is there others out in "our" world of the same persuasion? I get asked all the time when I'm putting them on my 34. Answer; when Tesla comes out with its blown hemi option.

 

Came close to putting them on my 50 Chevy pickup
Am glad I didn’t.
Very few cars, IMO, look good with flames.

 

Paint is made an sold in a lot of colors,think about why ?

 

Flames, like any optional design element, are not for every car. just like white walls, tail fins, mags, stripes, etc............on the right car, they kick ass, on the wrong car........they are ass.

 

Depends on the build and the artist.
Some flame jobs really accent a great build. Some flame jobs cause a vomit response.

 

knee jerk response to hearing flames on a car is I'm assuming I'm not going to like it before I even see it. They can look great and I've seen some really talented painters do them, but I know personally that I've seen a lot more cars with them that I didn't like than ones that I have liked.

 

I thought they were Kool on my 47 coupe when I painted them when I was 25. It was a crappy garage job with shitty fade. Looking back it looked alright without them.

 

I do like flames. I have done them on a few cars & bikes for others, but never on my own. Guess that says something. I believe it goes back to when I was a kid, liked them then, still like them, just not on mine.

 

Flames have had a long run that spans many decades so they are time-tested and alive and well in the hot rod/custom world. They are not everyone's personal taste but you could get plenty of smiles along with any head shakes.
Paint.... okay
Decals or stickys..... NO

 

They look pretty good on a 34 five window, if done just right....

but making flames look good is difficult.

 

like everything - up to you what is best for you - what looks good on one ride might look terrible on the next

 

I like flames, the California kid wouldn't be the California kid without flames.

It depends on the car and style of flames. Old school hot rods look good with California kid style flames but I do like some of the later style customs with the newer style multi colored and faded flames.

So I guess it depends on the car and era.

 

It takes some mental discipline to not dislike them, due to them being stuck on everything from lameass 4 doors to coffee cups and cowboy hats. Familiarity breeds contempt? If less is more, then more is less, I guess.

 

If I didn't have em it'd be just another Black Merc!

 

Yours is one of the few Mercs I see with flames that I feel pulls them off. Normally I hate flames on '49-'51 Mercs. I think the mildness of other customizing also helps with this. Great car.

 

If well done, I enjoy seeing them on someone elses car. Would never put them on my own ride. Slopok's Merc looks great. The design and layout are perfect.

 

Thanks Guys, I appreciate both of your comments.

 

Slopoke's Merc is one of a mere handful of customs that looks GREAT with flames. They just...'fit'. Excellent, by the way.

First car I ever saw with flames was Al Marceline's '32 Highboy roadster, built in '45, in San Jose, by veteran Lakes racer Sid Owen. I spotted it coming down Lincoln St. in Santa Clara, where Al lived inside a mile away. It was 1949, I was 7. They looked so...'Right'!
A few more hot rods popped up with flames, mostly black cars with red/yellow flame jobs. Exciting to see...
Around '56, I did a couple of flame jobs, DeVilbiss gun, narrow then wide masking tape, after I chalked them out. I developed a way to make them symmetrical, by drawing one side, then tracing it with my Mom's dress pattern paper...then repeating on the other side.
I had '34s, '40s, and '46es lined up for flames...made some money, too.
Eventually, flames 'died out', it was the '60s, and I busied myself with putting axles under tri-5 Chevs.
There were still some magazine cars with flames, Tom McMullen's '32 was what re-kindled some of the movement in L.A., then its popularity in HRM, R&C, later Street Rodder suggested that the licks were still 'hot'.
I didn't do any more, nor did I want 'em. They had 'burned out' at my place.
The last guy that asked why I didn't flame my cooool '55 F100 got my final reply:
"If I wanted a 'fire truck', I'd have opted for American La France!"

Last summer, in my bank, I was at the window and some older red-and-greyhead in a Riverboat-styled straw hat and Goodguys T shirt crowds in, real rude. I grabbed a nipple, and twisted...happened to look down, and he's got these swimming-type shorts on, black with RED FLAMES!
The guy was backing up, and I was smiling at him..."Excuse yourself. Are those 'HOT PANTS'?" He just stood there...I finished my deposit, smiled again, and left.

^^^Hope that's not 'OUR' uniform...(not really a 'goodguy', can you tell?)
'Flames are not always all that they're *fanned up* to be.'

 

Depends on the car (style) and the flames.

 

Since you asked, they only look good on a 40 Ford!!!!

 

When I was a kid I thought they were cool, in fact I laid them out on a couple of cars to be done. It depends on the car and the flames. True some cars look good, but not for me. Red rims on the other hand!

 

Depends on the style...I personally dig these Walt Prey flames...

 

There is a 40 pickup on here that I have seen a time or two that I remember looking quite right. Satin black truck, flames, low, black steel wheels, iron cross on the lower front fender. Don't have a photo but it works!

 

thumbs up

thumbs down

 

Flames are a lot like tattoos. The tattoo and it's layout/placement have to match the persona of the person. A real dark, evil, arm tattoo better be on a bad ass with a set of guns to back it up. It could be one of the best ink jobs ever, but on a wimpy dude it's a total fail.

Same goes for flames. For the most part, they look best on highly modified Hot Rods, where the car "wears" them appropriately. It's a component of the build, not just something slapped on. They usually don't look as good on a stock bodied car, especially a ho-hum Sedan. There's nothing worse than a bad tattoo. Same goes for flames. A poorly executed flame job can quickly ruin a car.
One of my fav's:

 

Like pastel colors, they are trendy. If that is the trend you are looking to pull off then thats ok. I considered them on my black 34 pickup but decided not to, figured I would get tired of them.

 

I like subtle, accent flames like on this merc

 

No flames....

 

yes and no from me... the right car , with the right licks thumbs up... I always loved the flames on The California Kid car..

 

My old pal Gator would flame everything...and when he did....wow!!! Always looked better...always depends on the car, the painter, and the way the lay em out, paint em, etc...
The ones below are pretty sweet...I loved the black
Ford the first time I saw it