Art & Inspiration Stance: rake, drag, or slam?

Tony, I Love these threads.

I feel like the stance of the vehicle has to be directly related to style or Theme. (Got this from a knowledgeable source when designing my roadster, Mr. Miller) Theme and Stance go hand and hand. Once you decide the theme, you need to choose the right stance to coincide.

Land Speed/Salt Flat/Dry Lakes Roadster - If your going early ('30s - '40s a bit into the '50s) Than you would try to achieve a pretty level stance, and getting a rake with Big 'n Littles. Later you could get away with putting more of a rake.

Here are some examples






Early Drag - Early would have a bit of a rake, and later would be level, to more of nose up.

Rake

Level/Slight Rake w/ Big 'n Littles

Level car, but with big and little tires it looks like the nose is in the air.




Bombs/Lowriders - Low and Level



Taildraggers/Early Custom - As stated on hear taildragger stance might not be directly related to early custom, but than again, it originated pretty early. Nose low, *** lower.




Of course there are many different types and years that could fall under different categories, but this is just a quick example.

My 2 cents.

-Josh

 

you know, that's a really interesting point! At 46 I'm a little too young to have been involved in the late 50s/early 60s, but I have spent my entire life absorbed in this period of American history, and I have independently reached the conclusion that there is such a thing as "too low." I spend a hell of a lot of time on this board and it seems to me that the obsession with "laying frame and putting in the weeds" is generated by a very much younger crowd. All I can say is I know who I'm here to learn from.
Expressing this opinion is not meant to start a fight, it's purely a personal observation.
Paul

 

The rake on these two Kustom Chevy's had a huge influence on my build because at the time I discovered them the idea of a Kustom with a tail slightly in the air stance was totally alien to me. It's usually much more of a hot Rod thing. I love the way they look like really well executed Kustoms, but look as much bad *** as they do beautiful.
Paul

 

Lawn Mower or Low Rider?

 

The problem with those very low profile tyres is that they cause too much rim to intrude into the zone between the bottom of the body and the road. That causes the car to look like it's sitting higher than it actually is. As I said above, the instinct behind a lot of cars that sit right is to get the bottom edge of the front rim as close as possible to the line of the bottom of the body. With very short sidewalls the car has to be sitting that much lower before it looks low.

You really see it when big-inch rims and low-profile tyres are fitted to cars with stock suspension. All of a sudden the thing is sitting up in the air, even though the ride height is stock. We all know what that look led to

 

O Ring Tires & Stage Coach Wheels looks Funky...Not my thing

 

I have all ways ran my cars Low. Some with hydraulics some without. The one thing I do know is the only time I raise it up is to clear objects. One thing that kills me is seeing a car driving down the road all jacked up only to lower it when its time to POSE. I run mine low all the time thats the way they look good to me.

I had a friend stop buy after I had sold a car and say " Hey you sold your Cad" I was like how did you know that? He said I saw it driving the other day and it was sittin way too high, I knew it wasn't you.

 

Here is another local Chevy. This one runs hydraulics. Little more traditional custom look.

 

Bring back the '60's!!

 

I put a 63 383 Chrysler in my 58 Plymouth in the middle 60s when this look was popular. I took it to the local hotrod muffler shop. I bought the 4' chrome belled scavenger pipes from the local Penn-Jersey auto parts store. This is what I asked for...when I picked it up he had made over the axle tailpipes with the scavengers welded on coming out under the bumper. I was disappointed at first but the fad ended pretty quickly and it worked out well. I was so pleased to be able to drive it again with the new hot engine that I really didn't get too pissed that he didn't do what I asked.

 

Great topic, and very nice job on putting it together...!!
I remember all of those too, and still today it is tough to pick out the one I like best...
I also remember the early 60's fad for a short time where you left the back at its normal height, and raised the front end WAY up.....
Never cared much for that one though....

 

This picture is really a horse of a different color, because

A) It's not really a HAMB-type car
B) It's not really the car's static stance

...but damn, it's pretty! I don't remember precisely the story that goes with it, but I believe that this is the Marquis de Portago driving a Ferrari in the '57 Mille Miglia. Minutes later he crashed, killing himself, his co-driver, 10 spectators and the race itself. The authentic Mille Miglia (not to be confused with the modern recreational event) was never held again after this incident.

A most unfortunate occurrence, but about the picture: Obviously the car is leaning toward the camera, so it's down on its wheels on this side, and wouldn't look like this when parked. But who cares, it's great looking, no?

 

Great looking...YES.
My friend's 1948 Chrysler New Yorker sat "right".

 

Same friend put this 39 Ford pick up together. Sitting on an S10 Ch***is. His favorite saying is,"if it doesn't s****e, it's not low enough (and he is in his mid 70's!)

 

My 55 sits level,although it looks like it is nose high.

 

I'm only 42 but I have heard the term stance forever. I do agree that stance is all important and can make or break a vehicles looks. I like so many different styles of vehicles and all have a different look. I do believe most traditional customs look better low in the rear. I have a love for the early tailtraggers and would love to own a 35-36 coupe. I beleive if it has fenderskirts, it should be lower in the rear. I have always liked my cars low and with a slight hot rod rake. All of my personal cars have been set up this way. Lately I have been toying with the idea of dropping the back of my truck and installing skirts, but I think it would look good too with a bit of a rake.

 

I haven't really read much of this thread yet, to be honest I'm well over the term "stance", it's starting to remind me of the old Monty Python "spam" sketch. If I only had a dollar...

Anyways...I keep seeing this thing pop up an I happened to be thumbing through a March '63 PHR and found this, thought it would apply here.



Click and it should enlarge.

 

I disagree--The heigth ot the sidewalls are the same. The Rim size gives an illusion the rears are shorter. It throws off the look. I`m not into this look. My car sits low. The front end sits lower than the rear. I also have wide whitewalls with 57 Caddy caps. The rear tires whitewalls are a bit wider than the fronts to give the appearance they are larger tires than the fronts. Otherwise they would appear to look smaller as these tires on this car do. Do you understand what I`m sayin.

 

It really just depends on the car and what the owner is going for.

My wagon sits on a pretty heavy rake. The rear tires are five inches taller than the fronts but you might not notice unless it's pointed out. The tire sizes and suspension height were intended to make the car basically wedge shaped.

 

I thought I'd put up the last several cars that I've done, illustrating each of the three styles under discussion:








DRD57 photo

 

Man Tony, that's some seriously ***y stuff!

BTW, I booked a flight for GNRS next weekend. Hopefully I can actually break away from work to make it out there. Are you going to attend?

 

I agree.. looks silly..

 

Yes, I'll have the '56 in the Drive-In. Hope we'll connect!

 

Man..That Shoebox & the 56 are really Clean...Dig Em Both.

 

The 2 door wagons, big cars, Caddys, Pontiacs, Lincolns always look good with a low rake. Something about the rake that makes long body styles look better to my eye. Really Cool

 

nicely said...

it's not just the old farts, I think it looks stupid as well.

 

I like the way this one sits. Rear tires fit the rear quarter perfect.

 

Now this is a STANCE,The white one of co****.

 

I love this thread and there has been a lot of "Layin Frame" talk today so I think this needs to be posted.