From the NY Times... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dull Finishes That Are Slick By FARA WARNER November 21, 2003 The New York Times How do you stand out in a sea of high-gloss hot rods? Go dull. That is exactly what Toyota did with its new youth car, the Scion xA, at the recent Speciality Equipment Market Association's annual convention in Las Vegas. Toyota planted the Primer xA, a tiny dull-black hatchback, among the gleaming cars. ''I think the primer look makes a statement that I'm not a fancy person, I'm not materialistic,'' said Jim Farley, a vice president in the Scion division. ''It says 'I like to work on my car.' '' He added that in the 1950's many hot-rodders drove primer-painted cars for years as they saved up for expensive paint jobs. The Primer xA, whose paint job looked like a new chalkboard, was only a concept car. But Mr. Farley said that it had generated enough interest that he would investigate matte-finish paints tough enough to hold up on the streets. ''If we did it, it would likely be in a special edition in a few years,'' he said. But So-Cal Speed Shop, the car customizer based in Pomona, Calif., already has several primer-painted cars on the road, including a Ford F-150 truck it displayed at the SEMA show and a Chrysler 300M sedan that Tony Thacker, So-Cal's vice president for marketing, drives. To create the truck's 1950's gray primer look, Jimmy Shine, So-Cal's resident welder and fabricator, who also customizes motorcycles for people like Bruce Springsteen, sanded off the silver factory paint down to the ''orange peel'' layer. Then, using soapy pads, Mr. Shine went over the entire car in long sweeping strokes to create the dull finish. FARA WARNER
What the fuck is "The Orange Peel Layer" Goddamn retards, Thats what most journalist are( there are many exceptions in the hotrod field) They write stuff they have NO clue about. I'm speachless. This whole hotrod thing has turned into a fuckin circus. Whats next E&J headlites in cereal boxes with pics of Boyd on the box.
I wonder if its gonna come with a visor?Prolly only on the SEXa,special edition Xa!LOL "Because I'm bad in my new SEXa Toyota"will be the slogan.hahahaha. they could get germ(tm) to be the badboy spokesperson.I'm thinkin Lindsay Wagner but tougher..........Shiny
That is sooo 2000. I hear rust is the next big thing. Saturn has come out with a way to simulate rust on their plastic door panels.
We've been found out! I say we form a pact... We need something stupid to say or do when approached by media that will be funny when all the trend followers start imitating it. ideas?
Well, I've been running suede paint since the early 60's and I'm not changing just because it got trendy lately...
Hmmm, seems Honda has bested Toyota...by atleast a year. Their "Element" has primer flat blak panels on it...personally, the Honda Element joins Pontiac's Aztec, Chevy's Avalance, Caddy's truk and Nissan's Frontier as the ugliest cars/truks ever built...I can only imagine what Toyota's new flat blak car looks like!!! R-
[ QUOTE ] Crap, what's next hip hop kids wearing Von Dutch? [/ QUOTE ] I know I'm going to get hounded for this, but they already beat you to the punch. Tyrese wears Von Dutch jeans in 2 fast 2 furious.
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Crap, what's next hip hop kids wearing Von Dutch? [/ QUOTE ] I know I'm going to get hounded for this, but they already beat you to the punch. Tyrese wears Von Dutch jeans in 2 fast 2 furious. [/ QUOTE ] dude?
I find this shit amusing, but I am not worried.... It comes down to this. There will always be a definite line that cannot be crossed by the factory crowd... That line is present in the following tale: TRUE STORY.... My wife was at work yesterday and some of her co workers were bitching about the prices of replacement parts + labor....Catalytic converter---$600. Fuel pump---$400 or some such nonsense... My wife chimes in and says, " I'm glad I have my husband who can do all that stuff for me". One of her co workers says, " He can't change a fuel pump...He would get gas all over the place." My wife just laughed in her face and said, " He built an ENTIRE fuel system for his current car"..."A car which he put together."....... People have no clue. NOBODY who hasn't torn a car apart and put it back together can ever UNDERSTAND exactly what it is the WE understand. 60's cars vs. Trad....Fiberglass vs. Metal....Death rod vs. Safe rod..... WE ARE ALL UNITED ON HERE. We get it and THEY don't. its as simple as that. JT.
I can see it now,,Next year the 'Prowler' will have a flat finish w/mexican blanket style seats and a set of those E&J's repops... Dirty
[ QUOTE ] People have no clue. NOBODY who hasn't torn a car apart and put it back together can ever UNDERSTAND exactly what it is the WE understand. [/ QUOTE ] That's exactly why you find unwelcome people sitting in..on and leaning against our cars. I think part of the reason I am doing this is because it is different and creative. We don't like the IN groupies getting into the act. As long as we are still creative. They will never catch up.
Funny, I thought it was about hot rods. Making em better, faster, nicer looking. If your in because it's "underground" or the thing to do, then by all means worry. If my head is under my car where it is supposed to be or looking out from behind the wheel, what the hell do I care if someone wears trendy hot rod related clothes, or paints their car flat black. You don't think that Detroit copied the designs of the customizers from the 40's and 50's? Think they had a pity party? If you get it, all this other crap is window dressing.
[ QUOTE ] Funny, I thought it was about hot rods. Making em better, faster, nicer looking. [/ QUOTE ] Dooley, I hope you do understand that this WAS the point I was trying to make. I think you put it a little bit more direct and to the point! But its still the same point my story was supposed to make. I also want to say that obviously all of us on here have different skill levels and different tastes.... This is the cause of all of our bickering. BUT. I don't think there is anyone on here that does not UNDERSTAND the feeling we get tearing into our cars. I have only put ONE car together....but I have worked on every car that I have owned. I have painted all but one.... We understand that its about CHANGING the car. Making it BETTER. FASTER. Making it OURS. You can't buy that. JT.
I got ya! It seems easy to get cought up in all the extra crap. When I was younger, and I'm only 36, I was more concerned with how I looked in the garage, than what I actually did. It feels good to have a group of people with whom you share the same enthusiasm about cars. it is also very easy to feel territorial about what you consider your "thing". When you are into not only the craft of hot rodding but the history as well it is frustrating to see someone come along and take a chunk of that without really understanding it or paying the proper respects. But at the end of our lives what is more important, the joys we had with all our old iron, and the fun of the tin hunt and assembling that big block, or what clothes we wore or that we kept up with the latest fashion. We all know the answer.
The rod & custom community has always had an influence on the automakers. Nothing new about it. We're "traditionally" trendsetters.
I found a VDO T-shirt in Norstroms Last chance a few years ago and thought Hey, That's pretty cool, but what the hell is it doing in here? Now, I know and I just feel DIRTY... But I did shave the door handles off of my Miata, so I'm still cool right? RIGHT? Can any body tell me how to fill in the holes?
I would'nt get worried about any of it. Trends come and go and the next stupid thing that becomes cool will be way off in the distance. And People like me and you with our rides the same as they were 10 years before can roll in peace. It goes without saying about improvments and additions. The funny thing is...I flat (rattle canned) Blacked 2 of my cars in the past 10 years ...not because it was cool... just to make the car a single color. That and to hide some spots that would help would be buyers to over look. If i would purposly suede my car it would be as straight as a gloss black car should be... and the color would NOT be black. Not saying black is bad... itwould just seem to be the most common focal point of the car. I would actualy mix colors and get all gene winfield (so rad!!) on it. And that's one mans opinion.
Cleatus- Exactly,,, Many of the 'Kustomizers' from back in the day were way before there time. There ideas & invisions some people still cant see today..But look at how things have changed!Grant it, I'm just poken fun at shit and think it is kool that the automakers are reflecting back on many of the ideas of the cars from back then. Personally, I wouldn't buy one now a days cause to me they are ugly & just not worth the $$$!! Plus it sucks that 85% of the cars are plastic now a days but what can you do? Dirty
I don't know about you guys, but I sprayed my truck in DP-90LF black because my bodywork skills are not up to snuff (I suck big doggy turds). My truck now looks cool and I didn't have to make it perfect for paint. When (& if) I get tired of primer, I'll have someone (that knows what their doing) clean it up and shoot it.
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