Car design without the artist

I have a serious problem.  I don't know how artist do it, but the ideas and images flooding my mind of late have began to haunt my dreams.  I'm not being funny, I'm literally dreaming about cars.  For the record, I do not in any capacity consider myself an artist, that title is reserved for people with, you know, talent.  I have the artistic skills of a three year old, I know this because I've compared my work to my son's work and to be honest I am seriously falling behind.  I like to think I'd fair a little better if I had some tools: a drafting table, some decent art supplies, an office; but that is a way time off in the distance and I need to work with what I have. 
 

I super need one of these.


Things being what they are I'm still dedicated to trying my hand at putting to paper what I am seeing in my head.  If for no other reason than to create room for future ideas and alleviate the critical mass emergency I have going on inside my brain space.  As I've said before, I have to tip my hat to the artist that can take a vision from their minds eye and place it on a canvas or paper exactly as it looked in their mind.  It really makes you humble, you know?  I have vision, don't get me wrong.  Oddly enough my problem isn't a lack of imagination or creativity, it's the lack of an adequate outlet for the ideas that is driving me mad.  I plan to build cars, but what am I going to build if I don't have a vision to build from?  Learning to draft these ideas is a part of the process that, as frustrating as it can be with my serious lack of talent, is a must if I plan to succeed.  And I do plan to succeed.

(Quick aside) Luckily I am not alone in my pursuit of the dream.  Bobby Dawson and Jeremy Robertson, both co-authors on this blog, are as dedicated as I am to making this dream a reality.  Sadly we are all stuck in a similar problem; that being that we're all in the Army and as such at the mercy of a establishment that has a mission to accomplish.  This puts us at a bit of a disadvantage, but that is a story for another post.  Regardless, we three Bros are of the same mind with our vision of our business and for this I am eternally grateful.  Could I do this on my own?  Maybe, it would take a lot longer and it would never become the business/shop I've envisioned it to become; but together with our unique sense of style and varying skill sets, we will only fail if we truly give up on our dream, and I don't see that happening.

Back to the topic at hand, design and drafting!  For someone with no artistic skill I have to come to terms with the reality that I have to work harder at properly interpreting my designs in a physical medium.  This means many nights drawing the same thing over and over again until I get it to the level of clarity that I need in order to show my partners what it is I'm looking to create.  I've completed three different drafts and so far I've seen a gradual progression in my scaling and detail, which is nice.  It's cool to see that some, if very little, progress is being made.  I realize that I'll have to trim out some things from my list of past times and hobbies that would take away from time spent practicing and designing, and I'm oddly okay with that.  I love video games, I'm an avid gamer, but I have to come to realize that I will have to give them up to a certain extent in order to invest the time needed to make this dream a reality. 

I hope I haven't come across as vain and I apologize if I've rambled at any point, I just feel that if I am to see this idea become a real thing I have to believe in it with my entire being.  Mind, Body, and Soul.

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Tips, Tricks and Tools of the Trade

There are so many ideas I have inside this big head of mine and a lot of things I would like to share insight on.  But first, allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Bobby Dawson and I am from Ohio.  I am happily married with two kids.  I have worked in numerous fields to include security, police, computers, the Army, made toys, sanitized pie lines, fast food and much more in my 28 years of life.  

Enough about the professional stuff and on to the fun.  I love baseball, my favorite team is the Cleveland Indians, no matter how horrible they have played.  I love to play baseball too.  Cant forget the Xbox 360 and PS3, I love to play me some Battlefield 3 and some Halo.  I also fix and help fix friends, family's and sometimes complete strangers cars and trucks.  I guess you can call me a "shady tree mechanic" if you will.

My passion with cars and trucks mostly lies in custom audio and video installation, minor and intermediate repairs and electrical issues.  

Also, since I am a family man, my posts will mostly be on family vehicle comparisons. But I also will be posting about audio/video installation, vehicle repairs and viewer requests/question submissions.  I have been working on vehicles since I was a young kid,.  I learned mostly by watching and sometimes helping my father fix cars, trucks, and more.

On some repairs, I will be posting pictures and possibly video to help you get a better understanding of what to do and how to do it.  If you have a question or if you would like to see anything specific, don't hesitate to ask.  

A 2 wheeled American Icon

Hello my name is Jeremy (ROB) Robertson I am CO Author of Monkey Wrenching Around. I am what they call a gear head but not how you might think. It's not cars that peek my interest instead, for me, it's motorcycles, but not one make and model I love all bikes. Today I will talk about an American classic; the Harley-Davidson. It is the most well know motorcycle in the world. I love a great motorcycle; it's the freedom of the open road and time you spend with your self and your bike. With a Harley there is no better time spent. Rather it is the sound or the look of the bike does it for me, it's that thing about the bike that draws every person to the it. For me it is everything about it the sounds, the look, the different engines that have been offered through out the years. Since 1903 Harley-Davidson has been producing some of the best motorcycles ever seen throughout the world. That is not just my opinion that is something that has been proven by motorcycle enthusiast all over the world.

The history of Harley-Davidson is a long and awesome one.  They were used throughout World War 2 which is when the biker culture really began. After World War 2 soldiers came home with their Harley's and began ridding together. This is how MC's (Motorcycle Clubs) came to be and Harley was the bike of choice.

My personal favorite engine, produced from the late 1930's to 1940's, is the knucklehead. It has this name because of the engines design, it looks like knuckles on a fist. The Harley-Davidson is an American icon which is adored by motorcyclist all over the world,and from every walk of life, from outlaw motorcycle clubs (1%er) to military, to doctors.They have been around for 110 years and I see them being around for many more years to come. They have a more comfortable ride with your feet placed toward the front of the bike with the handle bars in a more relaxed positioned. Which will cause less back problems and will make it an easier long distance ride. However it will cost you around 16,000 dollars to have one made to your specifications. They are amazing machines and a piece of American history and there is nothing in the world that could compare.

Why not have both?

This week is going to be a little different.  I'm not going to be comparing cars or giving a run down of a particular classic.  This week is about the nature of classic cars as they are now, and the things that could be possible. 

I'm of the mind that some designs should not be altered. Why try to fix it if its not broken? I understand the principal of innovation in design, I'm all for it in fact.  There are times when some things deserve to be left alone; left to their original glory and stature and preserved in that state.  As a car enthusiast and student of restoration I find the work that goes into restoring and maintaining a classic car, truck, or motorcycle an en devour worth the effort.  Muscle cars and cruisers, lead sleds and drag cruisers, they bring us back to a simpler time and remind us what true craftsmanship and ingenuity look like.  I'm not trying to take away from the cars of this or any other generation, but fact stands that when a car becomes a classic it becomes something to be respected as well as admired.

With that said, why can't we keep the same style and design of these classics and produce them with modern methods and materials?  With all of the innovations in automotive technology and manufacturing you can't tell me that it couldn't be done.  Safety could be greatly improved in the vehicles as well, I have a 1967 Chevy C10; it's a beautiful truck and it still hurts my heart that I had to leave it in storage while I am stationed in Germany.  My greatest fear while driving that truck is getting in a head on collision with just about anything.  You see the truck only had lap belts and while it would be easy to swap out the original belts for a three point seat belt set, I am doing my best to keep the truck as original as possible.  Sadly if I ever wish to take my kids for a drive one day I will be forced to change some things around.  If newer models of classic designs were produced they could have all the best safety features offered by their respective manufacturers.  Fuel economy could also be improved through a number of different things:  Newer and lighter alloys such as aluminum and high strength steel could be used to construct the body and frame to reduce the weight of the vehicle, engines could be designed for greater fuel economy while still providing the optional power and torque of a high performance machine. Comfort and options inside the vehicle could be modernized while still maintaining a classic look and feel inside the cab. 

The point of this article is really a simple one: Why can't we have a car that looks like it's classic contemporaries without altering it to the point of being unrecognizable?  I love the new Camaro, the Challenger, and the Mustang; but they have picked and chose from previous generations to create something all together different.  That's the nature of the beast though, it's about pushing limits in design and production to create something exciting and new.  That doesn't mean that we couldn't benefit from having cars and trucks from the 60's, 70's and 80's maybe even the 50's recreated in their original outward appearance, but re-imagined on the inside.

I know I'd be one of the first ones in line to buy one if they did.

Icon Series: Chevrolet Camaro

It's hard to look someone in the eye and tell them you wouldn't like to own a Camaro, and you'd feel bad for lying to yourself as much as the person that asked the question.  It's not a matter of liking another car over the Camaro, I myself have a list of cars I would take in place of one: Mercury Cyclone, Ford Falcon, Pontiac Tempest just to name a few; but that doesn't negate the fact that even if I had those cars to choose from a part of me would still lean toward the Camaro.  I'm going to primarily focus on the first, second, and third generation of Camaros; that being the models and packages produced from 1967 till 1992.  All of the Camaros built in these generations were constructed on the F-body platform that Chevrolet had developed in 1967.  Both Chevrolet and Pontiac had adopted the body style for their line of sport cars; Chevy had the Camaro while Pontiac had the Firebird.  That aside there are alot of reasons why the Camaro is still to this day such an appealing vehicle.
First Generation:
The first generation Camaros had a style and stance to them that still resonates today with automotive enthusiast and collectors; it's the perfect bland of tough exterior and elegant power.  When you look at the car it's practically dripping with power.  Any time I ever see a first generation Camaro I'm under the assumption that it holds a monstrous beast of an engine under the hood.  This isn't a poor assumption, it would be a waste to not install the best engine you could into a car as awe inspiring as that.  More often than not I find that the engine is not original, and of a small power band than the stock power plant it replaced, and sadly I'm not surprised anymore to hear this news.  It's very rare to find a first Gen Camaro with the original engine still running and in a healthy state.  Luckily for myself and enthusiast everywhere there are a wide range of engines that can be dropped into the car once the original is laid to rest.  With the appeal of a sleek, stylish, and powerful car with multiple options for engines; it's no wonder the Camaro is still as popular now as it was in the 1960's. So popular was the first generation body style that it was the inspiration for the newest line of Camaros produced starting in 2010.

Icons and Legacy

This may be a subject that only resonates with myself alone, or maybe I'm not alone in feeling this way.  I find the appeal for me when looking at a car, truck, even a motorcycle comes from the way the car is designed in relation to it's body.  Let me explain, you take a car like the Ford Mustang, undoubtedly one of the greatest vehicles ever produced and look at it, and I mean really look at it. It's a very pretty car.  We're not talking about how much Ford produced over so many years, or how it compares to its contemporaries, but when you think of a muscle car the Mustang is one that pops into your head.  Let's use the 1968 Coupe as an example: 





That is a pretty lady.

 

It's easy to see where the appeal is in a vehicle such as the '68 Mustang. It's iconic, the shape and body style are almost instantly recognizable, and it's a car that most people are familiar with regardless of age. I have a friend whose son is only five years old and that kid can tell you the year of a Mustang just by looking at it. He's not usually exact (though sometimes he is), but he can tell a 60's and 70's era Mustang from any other body style. My point is that the Mustang held a place in the minds of people all over the country. Besides it's superb performance it was a car that looked unique among the competition of the age.



You've got alot to live up to junior.



Now we take a look at the 1998 Ford Mustang.  I know I can't be the only person that dislikes this body style, and to be prefectly honest I don't understand what Ford was going for when they brought out this line of cars.  The power and performance are there? Check. Dependable? Check. (If you took care of them) Looks good? Not so much, sorry.  It's a far cry from the elegant style of the 1960's and 1970's.  In recent years Ford has reliezed, much like Chevy and Dodge, that to take a iconic car like this and escew the image in such a dramatic fashion does not play out well for car enthusist.  I'm not saying it's a bad all around car, if they had sold it with a different name they might have done well. It's not like they could have said it was the new Mavrick, that lemon left a bad taste in alot of peoples mouths. 

My point here is this: in this day and age where carbon fiber and light weight alloys can be molded to look just damned near anything, why is it such a crime to model a modern car in the skin of it's iconic ancestor?  Many would see it as a slap to the face of car lovers that have maintanded and kept their 60's and 70's model cars alive and running this long. I for one would not; it would be a great way to reach back and give thanks and praise to the cars that made collecting and working on cars cool in the first place.  You may not agree with me, and that's ok. It doesn't change the fact that there are many that do, and we cry out for a vision of days passed.