Hello, I like art and drawing is a great way to spend some quality time relaxing with different designs, whether it is in any stage of development. The starting image is always messed up as the ideas are greater than the skill in art design. So, for the many times an image is thrown away at the beginning, there are times that the following weeks later, one gets into the “drawing” phase again and starts the project up to the finish product. I found this art project from another old thread. old Friday Art 1937 LINCOLN ZEPHYR In the 1940 movie serial, 'The Green Hornet', the title character drove Black Beauty - a mildly-customized 1937 Lincoln Zephyr three-window coupe with bubble front skirts featuring painted scallops. Even as old as we are, memories of earlier versions of the Green Hornet was on on our horizon. We were geared from the Kato version of the Green Hornet. But, in research, this one was based on a 1937 Lincoln Zephyr coupe. With the descriptions from the archives, how in the world did they turn the front wheels to do the action scenes or just normal turns on corners. Some custom modifications were done or editing magic from those wizards in the cutting room. At any rate, the Lincoln Zephyr was similar looking to those popular 37 models Chevy and Fords that we see in any website or magazine. Perhaps, the trunk is a little longer or at least my change over to the fast action front opening doors would have allowed the Green Hornet to exit quickly to stop crime in its locked in place position. Ha! A rake for those hot rod folks... To keep the idea that most old hot rods and customs look better with a mild rake, the lower front end under the front skirts gives it a better attitude for crime fighting. This one has front opening doors for fast exits and entries. Even with the bubble popped out front skirts, it still seems not plausible, to make any sharp turns or complete steering wheel turns without some hinderances. YRMV Jnaki My version is of that old image with some alterations to fit this “Low” idea thread from the past images. Art allows any image to get as low as possible and still stay legal as to safety and CHP rules. YRMV
Have you every driven in California? Roads are bad too. Expansion joints on the freeway will knock your teeth out.
I was with a buddy of mine in the mid-sixties 'cruising' during the middle of the day in his '59 Impala through the suburbs of Los Angeles when we got pulled over by the LAPD. He was ticketed for the car being too low and also for being too loud (6 cylinder with split exhaust manifold and dual exhaust), along with "obstruction of vision" because we were sitting too low in the car. Good times!
This is my 56 Merc I owned in the early 60's, static drop, no bags or hydraulics, my only car, drove it everywhere, very carefully. You talk of getting odd tickets, an officer saw sparks coming from the undercarriage after hitting a fairly large bump in the road and gave me a ticket for "destroying a public thoroughfare with an underslung vehicle". Mick
Down in the dirt never appealed to me either, but I know I might be in the minority in today's car world. Not a fan of hydraulics, air bags, etc. either. I much prefer cars riding at the same stance they sit. And hopefully that's high enough to not tear the oil pan off on seed bumps!
I think there is a clear divide in what we call customs/cruisers and hotrods even if the lines are blurred across definitions. I can only stretch the "less is more" mentality so far before accepting some of the innovations, traits and style that has come after 1965. Although I can appreciate the engineering and work that it took to create these low riding creations, I still cringe and worry somewhat about a car pole vaulting across the road but I don't seem to hear of it happening. Then again, I don't get out much any more. You guys are my eyes and ears and around here. common sense seems to prevail in the long run.
What goes around comes around, everything old is new again and the beat goes on. This discussion reminds me of the time I helped my buddy pound 2x4s in between the coils of the front springs on his Dad's '56 Ford. It was an instant hit with every kid in the neighborhood until his old man seen it. A few years after that we were jacking up the rear ends with some ridiculous length shackle kits , the new fad, then air shocks. Then the gasser straight axle look, then the tail draggers, totally slammed, air bags, hydraulics and the whole plethora of things the kids are into today. Not too mention any of the offroad genre . In ten years time, who knows what will be on the menu. But there will be enough diversity to choose from either by replaying the past or buying into the next automotive trends coming down the pipe. Have fun with whatever your into, ignore the haters but just be safe with it.
I've seen your name on here a ton, I just never put two and two together. I personally love how low you and your other club members' cars were. Do you have any other photos of these??
Yes, and that's how many of us learned what worked and what didn't. Many times people didn't lower their cars as far and then added lakes pipes to make the car look even lower. Shortly they found that the lakes pipes drug and the chrome got ground off and they didn't look so cool anymore with dents and rust. Usually people removed them at that point, but some raised their cars a little to keep them from dragging. We did a lot of things "back in the day" and learned from them when things got ruined or destroyed from our miscalculations. I'm not aware of anyone ever sitting a car completely on the ground......intentionally. The point is that experimentation happened and people copied others examples. See a low car at a car show or in a movie .........hey I want my street car to look like that. While many got lowered too low, many got raised again later. Don't think that everyone who lowered a car too low and took a picture of it always kept it that way. Now people look back at those old pictures and think that every car that was lowered drug the ground............many didn't, and many a heated spring got replaced. Yes there were some die hards that continued to drag the ground and considered it a statement as their "coolness". But "cooler" heads prevailed most of the time.
That’s how I learned. A young me lowering a mini truck or 2. As my skills got better I learned to raise things up. Not the car, the stuff that drug. “Raised back up”. That’s what the adjustable stuff is for. Just like a person that tossed a big cam in their ride. Eventually you learned the other things needed to support it or ya pulled it out.
I don't do uncomfortable and a height too low or high for that matter that would damage what I'm running for 8-10 hours on a trip. Some of us drive three miles to the cars and coffee and break out the california duster before drinking their 30 weight (coffee for the younger people). Oh yeah, sure is great to throw down a nice big sheet of cardboard underneath the vehicle to do anything I want without the drama of floor jack and jack stands (I presently have her up on the 6 ton jack stands for the easy button). Thank God we all don't like the same color, stance, model, engine, exhaust, you fill in the blank... what a dull world it would be if we didn't disagree.
Another interesting car show story. I was admiring a very nice restored truck. The owner was standing close by talking to a friend. The owner, looking at a very low version of his truck parked close by said “why do people do that, the truck is useless, ya can’t haul anything in it…..” Me, being the sarcastic fellow I am, complemented the beautifully restored bed of his truck. “Sir, this bed looks better than factory”. (Owner smiles with pride). “I bet you can haul a lot of parts in it” I added. The owner pridefully boasts “ not this truck, its parts hauling days are over” I just grinned and walked away.
It's always funny that is the go to argument. Because it's a truck it has to haul, and if someone decides it looks like it can't anymore then it's ruined. As if the owner doesn't get to decide how it's used.
Some look great lowered, some look good raised, but nothing looks good with jacked up air shocks like 1970.
My old shubox sat a little low. I could put my foot on the front bumper and bounce it up and down 'till the crossmember hit the asphalt. My old 48 Pontiac drove fine until, in Indiana on I-80 the semi traffic on a hot day pushed ruts down into the asphalt. Every so often I would encounter a place where the ruts were deep, pushing up "mushrooms" in the center of the lane. If I hit one too hard with the crossmember the hood would bounce up on the safety catch. I'd pull over and my brother would slam the hood again. The black 32 Cabriolet is Dirtcar's ride. It sits just about right IMHO.
A neat customizers trick I liked; paint the lower quarters, below the doors, a darker color than the body. Visually lowers the car so you have the look without the hassles.
I was helping a guy at work today looking for parts for a '61 Lincoln. He showed me some pictures of it with the rocker panels on the ground (bagged ). And said even if you don't like the look it stops people from stealing his rims.
In 51 years of driving lots and lots of cars and trucks, I've never had anyone steal my wheels (rims). I've even had a few rides with really nice wheels. Maybe I just park them in better locations...
The Jalopy Journal
