I love flames,,,I use flames as part of most all of my oval track race cars,from the early 1960s n on,tell I retired 2001. Even part of one ,a nick name,from a track a Announcer" Fireball Barlow wins again ! So ya,me an flames been together a long time! Mostly on Shiny black background paint,but a few times on dark red. I always painted my own! Too make them show up better in the lights at night at the tracks,my flame colors of red and yellow*,were layed on,so yellow ended the flames ,vs started them mostly how we see them.
That’s just raw cool. When I’m lookin at a pic like that, I’m always thinking, that guy had absolutely no idea that this image would survive and be out here on the vast expanse of cyberspace for anyone to see, potentially world wide, some 75 or so years later. It was probably just another day to him and whoever took the shot, admiring his work. I can never get enough of stuff like this.
I just laid out my first flames, and my first pinstripes. Heavily inspired by a car I saw in a little book.
Love the old pic @Jive-Bomber...it's interesting the full image with the plate either mounted crooked or he may have put his foot on it and it popped a bolt...and the flames and the Hotrod rock! I went for a search and look what popped up... @BrerHair hair shared this 14 years ago...being you acquired your image through an estate sale I wonder if the fella still had them...maybe he was a Hamber... https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...s-von-dutch-style-flames.741300/#post-8232275
^^^Not just a "one trick pony"...besides being an illustrator for Street Rodder Magazine, Ive also done a few "flame jobs" as well A couple of my own rods... And a buddy's Merc.
Several decades ago, there was one particular color article in one of the car mags, (probably Hot Rod), describing the process of painting layered, blended flames with oil-based enamel. I can't access their archives. Does anyone have any information on how it was done?
Yeah , I have a bunch of those Hot Rod Mag Custom Painting Books i bought back in the 70s 80s. Its from back before all the "modern" mandatory basecoat-clear coat ****
When I dragged this old Chevy Panel home to build for my wife, I thought it had the WORST flames I'd ever seen. I stand corrected
The crew cab part made me laugh. I did a Honda gas tank wish I had a picture of it. I did a black diamond base with silver poly flame faded to dusty orchid and gold pinstripe. I spend a lot of time laying out the pattern to get them looking correct in my eye and then match side to side. Little later I did scallops on the XR 75 for youngest son. We both worked on that one. I just made him go upstairs when I was shooting paint. One of my friends has that bike now.
As well known as the speed shop was, the hand painted flames were definitely old school. No swoopy claws and crossed tips for these drag racers… Hello, The Model A Coupe of the Champion Speed Shop from Northern California had different builds and variations of the flamed coupe. Here is my version I did for an old Friday Art thread. Model A Coupes were always our selected first choice of a hot rod build, even from way back in 1956. We even towed one home to start it up and run it for awhile, as we started gathering parts, etc. But, the racers from Northern California had all sorts of build levels, including different paint and flames. From purple to red color with the early crab claw flames highlighting the hood and doors. "Jim McLennan had already opened Champion Auto Parts in South San Francisco. His speed shop quickly became "the place" to go for rodders seeking specialty parts, hot tune ups, or to just hang out. When Jim heard that a 3000' long, 60' wide ribbon of concrete was available, he quickly negotiated a lease with the city and took over the track. Jim turned this remote little auxiliary airport into the hub of drag racing in the late 1950s. With Half Moon Bay and Cotati (which Jim also owned) open on alternate weekends, drag racers in Northern California finally had a legitimate option to street racing." The origin of flames could have started with old straight scallops that were a droopy style. Needless to say, I have always liked scallops or flames on just about any car, done tastefully. In starting the “flame job,” our scallops started losing the straight edges and started drooping. As it started drooping, it began to look like early flames. The early straight scallops turned wavy, then turned into claw flames to all sorts of designs. A 1950 Ford Custom Convertible with early scallops turned into flames. A 1932 Ford Sedan, 671 Hemi, spokes plus wavy flames… or scallops as you see it. Flames started a long time ago and locally, in So Cal hot rod/drag racing scene, there were several styles that popped up on early builds. But, the design was all over the USA hot rod scene. So, early roadsters may have had early claw flames that were simple and in one place, coming from the motor area. I got the idea from several old drag racing photos showing one of the earliest actual “claw” flames known to the hot rodding world. A long time, Long Beach drag racers’ roadster. The combo of Fritz Voight and Leland Kolb’s roadster from So Cal, is thought to be one of the first “claw” flames on a hot rod. Could it have been a free hand drawing of the cl***ic scallops gone “wavy” into a claw? So, let’s not forget Leland Kolb from Long Beach and the Mickey Thompson shop group. 1932 Ford Roadster Leland Kolb and Fritz Voight... Original “Crab Claw” flames Jnaki As flames became popular, it was difficult to put them on all sorts of custom cars or hot rods. They were additions, and a complete car with total flames painted on the whole, custom car just over powers the nice design. So, stylized points from the car designs were selected to highlight the nice hot rod or custom car. A custom Nomad style Suburban Panel Truck for the So Cal "local" paint and design shop... A wave spewing water flames on anyone enjoying the ocean in all sorts of activity... YRMV
Real Fire; yeah, I like those, esp well done ones. Look closely sometime, & see all the layers that give it that name. Guy that invented that technique has p***ed. Beats the hell outta a lot of other versions I've seen, eps the trend-wanna-be(s) like "sclames", backwards GeeBee scallops, & others... Ohh, my eyes... ;( . Guess it all depends on what form you like. . & the effect you're after. Marcus...
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