I've seen 3-4 cars painted the same colour as mine in the last 7 years.......had 3 people actually ask what paint code it is, I happily give it to them..... Even one locally appeared......I know mine was first and I spent 4 years choosing it.....locals know mine was first. Nothing new under the sun.
Well, back in the late 70s when I got my coupe, the rage was LIL John Buttera's billet-filled, frame pinched, plastic egg crate-grilled, billet-wheeled coupe. That's what "I" want, thought I. Then there were similarly built car showing up all over. I thought I'd put mine back as it was in the 50s just to be different. Then those started showing up everywhere. OK then, I'll just slap it together rough and be different. Enter the "rat rod" craze. So in essence everyone on the HAMB that has built a traditional rod or rat rod in the last 25 years have stolen my idea. And I still haven't got mine running... I'm with the do it, but put your "spin" on it crowd. If you know the guy you could talk to him about it. If not, maybe you should try to get to know him. Could be the start of a great friendship. Or not...
I thought I had a whippy new idea for my 34 ford coupe...first off, I'd use a 33 front clip on it because I like the 33's lines much better. Nuttin new there. Then I decided to use 34 CHEVY hood sides! My bodyman buddy spent many hours welding the centers of the chev hood sides into a pair of aftermarket 33 ford hood sides..came out great! NOBODY is gonna have this idea! WRONG! Within 2 weeks I saw 2 different ford cars with the chevy hood sides and another one featured in Street Rodder magazine. All this before my car hit ths street. Now I'm the one who looks like I copied the idea. Like the other guys have said...do the idea but make it better. I like the "drill the cross pieces" idea.
I noticed the pics of the interior had the 'cross beams' running laterally. Then (was it Dawie?) presented some pics with the beams running front-to-rear. If you do a subtle 'similar' scheme, everyone that looks at both cars will probably say, "Wow...there's that NEW headliner trend again...Must be a Goodguise thing!"
FWIW, car companies buy the new car from their direct competition, drive it for evaluation, then take it apart to the last nut and bolt and hang the parts on the wall in the engineering studios. The purpose is to improve if they can, copy if they can't. jack vines
It's too easy. If anyone asks, just be honest and say "Hey, I saw this on another car a while back and I went with it!"...As it's been said, there are really NO "original" ideas with cars or anything else. It's just that person ran with an idea, versus just sitting on that idea and not implementing it. It's been said that there are approximately 15 story plots for movies and TV shows. That's it. And, judging from watching movies and TV, I believe that.
An idea is not something that can be stolen. If you design something yourself and put it out there for the world to see then it's fair game. If it's something proprietary or copyrighted then of course that's a different matter. Apples vs oranges. It has been said "Imitation is the best form of flattery".
Awesome. If you are going to use this idea, set out to do it as good or better or differently than the one that inspired you. You'll only hear "copycat" if you try and do something similar and it turns out an abysmal mess. Take a chance, do it.
I am building a 49 Chevrolet with no bags and a complete original trunk floor. when I open the trunk, I will not see my tires or the ground. I encourage all builders of these cars to follow my lead and copy what I have done.
Exactly. "I saw this on _________'s car and it was so cool that I tried it out on mine." If you're really worried, ask him if he minds (he probably will be flattered), or tell him you are so inspired that you want to do the same. Chances are good that he got the idea from somewhere else, or was inspired from someone else's work, and made the idea his own by altering it a little.
There's only a hand full of people who who have done something that hasn't been done before... and most of those guys are either in their 80's and 90's... or dead. Sam
Exactly... Some pepole's inspiration is so well hidden, they look like creative geniuses. I also think that we ALL draw from what has been done before... and the genious lies in the ability to combine our ideas in ways that seem fresh and new. Sam
how long have cars and bikes been customized. 70 80 yrs. there are sonly so many thing you can come up with after that long of time. we build a lot or used to build hotrods customs and choppers here/ im all out of ideas.and every one that I though I came up with has already been done. damn it!
I have a folder full of old magazine photos and a slug of pictures on my hard drive of things that I will use as inspiration for a future build. Now, if I can just come up with an original way to fund it.
if anyone comes up with an original idea i would love to hear it ! hot rods started way before most of you were born (1940's) . i think its all been done before . to take an idea you saw is how it is done . take the idea & make it your own .........
the only way its stealing is if u take his car remove his work and install it into your car.. ideas are free for the taking if he doesnt want his ideas copied he will have to keep his car locked in his garage
The Jalopy Journal
