Maybe OT, but what the heck. I was all bummed out today, one of my cars I sold, got picked up and it's on its way to England. I took a look at the stuff I still have, and took some pictures. I am surrounded by cool stuff, most of it has no monetary value, but I like my junk, tools and rusty parts and realize I have it pretty good. Here are some Artsy, details/textures shots, I took with my little point and shoot camera inside my shop. Chris
Thank you for the photo essay. Some days we could be thankul for what we still have, and not worry so much about what we used to have, or wish we had.
Excellent. Great photos. Got room in your shop for a little gallery? Be kinda cool to stand there with a cold one and just take them in one at a time. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I am surrounded by cool stuff, most of it has no monetary value, but I like my junk, tools and rusty parts and realized I have it pretty good." Words to live by my man....
After looking at these pictures I began to think about the nature of mechanical detail and the overall texture that grows out of functional complexity...could this be the defining difference between streetrods and hotrods?? By texture, I don't mean rust and flaking paint...I mean the endless patterns of bolts, linkages, and joints in the visible structure of a rod. Hot rods seem to revel in visible function...step on a pedal and you see linkage moving and levers responding...look at the front of the car and your eyes is pulled to the axle and then the visible and fully comprehensible web of spring and locaters that make it all function...look at the steering wheel and your eye immediately notices that the column is an extension of it and the draglink connects with that... Two parts come together and you can see the joint and the row of rivets... On a streetrod, "detailed" means just filled and ground down everywhere, frame turned into a molded lump, wiring and linkages hidden, hinges and brackets smoothed out of visible existence. Textural variety is gone, everything that doesn't move is blended, everything that moves is either hidden or reduced to endless polished stainless without relief.
I was just thinking about all the cool **** in your shop. Thanks for having me over on Sunday BigO! And as for the shots on this thread, I only have one bit of advice. And that it to take more!!! Really cool **** (photos and tools).
awesome pics man. I have that same "Buffalo" drill press. it was the first piece of equipment my dad let me use unsupervised when i was a kid.
RAD pics Dreadman! I really dig different textures and materials.....br***, nickel, copper, stainless, leather, etc.... Can really make an ordinary (or generic/stale) car stand out.....
I think you hit the nail on the head. I believe Hot Rods should have nothing to hide, mechanical details should be visible, there is nothing cooler than seeing those 6, 97's work in harmony, or using brake and clutch pedals that are worn down, beyond recognition, from years of hard work. I find tremendous beauty in well worn equipment. That does not mean I like things to be messy, no I like them to have character. Thats the difference between Hot Rods and Street Rods, IMHO, your right, Bruce
Whoa! I've heard hundreds of so called experts and editors try to explain the meaning of those two concepts. But you have captured the thing as perfectly as I could imagine. I wasn't really sure why I am drawn to the traditional thing but now I'm clear on it for good. Dreadman, sometimes it's nice to slow down and really see what's around you - thanks, you have a great eye.
Well, I have some big SLR's, Canon 10d's, 20d's, but I find that the 870 is almost better than the high dollar stuff.
Bingo . . . to coin a phrase. I really like looking at this aspect of the hobby and will walk right by an overly slick car just to look at a well done home-built. Not trying to put that car down, but I find that cars built just to carry a nice paint job are usually too smooth for my taste. Doesn't hurt that there's few rough edges here and there on a home-built and I'm not above stealing a good idea or two. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have a small pocket digital, a Canon Power-Shot A540. Darned thing takes great pics and a heckuva lot less h***le than lugging an SLR around. Does great close-ups as well. Part of a gun forum article on an old Winchester 72 I restored.
Bruce is right, The thing that irks me about street rods is that they take away all the cool details that made one car stand out next to another. Examples; V-****ed windshields, no wing vents, where'd the door handles go???????////
I know, I just bought a Nikon D80 DSLR and my own shots do not even compare to Dreadmans. I am still learning how to use it but I really think it all comes down to the photographer and the lighting. With out those, it does not matter how good or ****ty you camera is. Dreadman has an eye and the mind to set that **** up so it looks awesome. Great job again. You have given me some inspiration to get out there and take more pics. Also, in the #4 Church Book you can see in the first couple pages that RoadApple stated that he used a Canon Power-shot point and shoot type camera. Just more evidence that it all comes down to lighting and the person behind the lens.
I just read an article that discusses, cognitively, when we are in "downtime" (e.g., bored, melancholy, or otherwise slow) that we are our most human and creative. I'd say Dreadman's pics and Bruce's poignant text are proof of the research. Could be too that you're smart folks!
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