I'm tearing the Hudson back down to finish the body work and some other things this winter. I am planning on painting the car satin black just a little brighter than the primer on it now, my question is should I have it lettered up to look like an old gasser we drug out of the weeds or just leave it the plan black. I was thinking of putting "Blalock's Speed Shop Killer Performance" around a little grim reaper dude in a distressed paint with some old school decals and such. So is it old school gasser or just plain black?
As I mentioned on a similar thread yesterday, if it's a pure race car, letter it up. If you drive it on the street more than you take it to the track, leave it plain. Plain race cars are boring, and lettered street cars have gotten dumber and dumber. I'd sure like to check out your Hudsons. It's not like we're far apart. Shoot me a PM.
I'd say do not letter it up. My reasoning since you have a street car would be really simple and that is to not attract the attention of law enforcement to the car unless you are doing a super sanitary build and drive like my mother did. Nuff said here.
Old School. If vinyl decals would stick they would be nice so you can change them if you don't like them. They may not hold on that beast.
Very impressed with the times it runs, but it doesn't look like an old school gasser so don't letter it that way.
Maybe a small racecar name on it somewhere,but like whoever said "less is more" is very right!! I like the traditional hot rod flames idea, too!
9's at 130 in that car? I think I would be staying sleeper and taking away fool's money on the street!!! Or at least 20 years ago that is what I would have been doing. Supposed to be older and wiser now!
It looks too much like a pro-streeter imo, I'd say plain black...stealth look. Lettering it up wouldn't look right. I agree with Unkl Ian....less is more.
I agree with the crowd. if you ain't bringing it to the track often then the lettering might look a little like posing...unless the car daes legitimatly have a racing heritage and you converted it back for street use..just my 2 pennies
kinda hard to get an "old skool" look on that pro street ride... flat paint? no... thats not old school, it's just getting old dont get your validation here. get it from yourself
Hey, you got the gasser stance backwards...I say leave it plain, and don't ever try to pass any part of it off as old school...just because it's old and fast doesn't mean it's cool...
Ok not looking for any validation just kinda torn so don't get your panties in a wad. The reason for the satin black is the car is a little rough and a race car I want it black but don't have the time or patience to do a good gloss black paint job. The car doesn't sit like the picture, its tied down on the trailer. I do like the Idea of flames but you just don't see traditional flame jobs anymore and I don't want any realistic flame B.S. I may look into the flames. Here is a link to the car running. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsVJ4mhGsXc and some build pic.s http://picasaweb.google.com/blalockspeedshop/BlalocksSpeedShop#
You are entitled to your opinion but I built it with mostly hand tools in my shop top to bottom. It still uses the 90% of the Hudson frame and there is not one piece of fiberglass on the entire car. So I think thats pretty old school for a race car.
The stance looks much better now that you posted a pic of it not tied to a trailer...gloss black on a wrinkled body is still better than flat black on a perfect body, in my opinion...if it's a dedicated drag car (or at least sees the track a few times a year) I'd say go with some sponsor lettering here and there, but if the car is ever going to get painted, don't waste the time and money to letter it now...and I wasn't saying your car isn't cool, I was making a general statement towards other folks that think because their ugly old car goes fast with a bunch of 90's BBC crap in it, old and fast doesn't equal cool...I'm still not a fan of the wheels and tires on your car though hahaha...
And just because you don't see traditional flame jobs anymore doesn't mean you can't go that route, it just means you'll be cooler than the douchebags that moved onto the next fad ...as for old school, it's a matter of opinion...the low stance, wheels and tires and big inch motor are more in lines with 70's/80's drag racing, so it's not really old school compared to the 40's-60's race cars we typically deal with around here...it's still faster than my car though, so you got me there
No worries. I am not a big fan of the wheels but certain budget and safety sacrafices had to be made. Its NHRA cert. to 8.50 The tech guy said he had never certified a 60 year old car with the original steering wheel before! The car is purely a race car and doesn't see street time. And its 90's BB Mopar crap in it!
I was talking about the ugly dress up BBC stuff...then again, Mopar Direct sold some pretty ugly stuff too...but the BBC's with fabbed aluminum valve covers, underdrive pulleys, AN fittings, etc make me want to barf...got any photos of the motor?...
http://picasaweb.google.com/blalockspeedshop/BlalocksSpeedShop I hear ya. I'm no fan of billet and serp. belt systems.
With the additional details, I gotta say, it isn't "traditional" as defined by this site, BUT THE CAR IS BITCHIN' for sure! I'd still leave it in primer (gray or black), until you can afford to do something with the body. Anything else will just draw attention to the body work situation. Enjoy that bomb!
I would letter it up! I don't think most of these guys understand what you've got! It's a race car it should look like one. Just don't use vinyl lettering on a 60 year old car. I've been lettering race cars for over 35 years. I have never put vinyl lettering on a race car. I guess I'm too old to change. Vinyl may have it's place, but not on old cars! Find a old sign painter that knows what he doing, and have it hand lettered. They just don't look right until they are lettered.
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