[ClearHooter]

It's been so long since I started this I've forgot what all went into it. Sorry. If I recall right three cars gave something to the cause to produce two cars. The other is on the way. Anyway here's several shots of the first one I titled "Fire Hawk."

 

[Stangfreak]

Pretty wild, I'd say... Cool looking ride !!!

 

[fenders506]

Ya gotta give props to a guy that can shake it up and engineer something totally wild and new.

 

[ClearHooter]

I actually kind of settled on this one. I've been preoccupied with adding on to my shop. The county garbage cops have been on my butt about my "junk" cars. You know "junk" like Austin Healey 100/4's, TR3's, a Bug Eye Sprite, MG Midgets and a '56 Chevy 2dr 150, "Junk" like that. They said either get 'em out of sight, scrap 'em or they'd fine me and remove 'em. The 1st choice was the only option. If the latter option came to fruition they were told NOT to send anyone with a family. Also the band has been going through issues with our bass player losing his house / practice room. I've been setting up a new practice room in my living room. So preoccupied is an understatement. I'd really liked to have made a tilt up hood on this one but as is; it's been sitting on the bench over 3 months. A tilt hood and engine might have never got done. But it would have been cool. The second car out of the mix has a Mustang look to it. Haven't even named that project. Hope to have it done next week. Good Boss willin' and The Broad don't rise.

 

[genescustoms]

I mush have the same A-- H--- I had to go to court 3 times and Won a few years back, butt they are back this year

 

[Rick Voegelin]

I'll be happy to help you out with that "junk" -- y'all just ship 'em out to California and I promise I'll give them a good home (alongside all of my other "junk")!

If we don't preserve this stuff, who will?

Keep the faith,
Rick V.

 

[ClearHooter]

If we don't preserve this stuff, who will?

Keep the faith,
Rick V.

It's the old trash / treasure - ceiling / floor thing I suppose. Only problem is the ones who have the floor and percieve the treasure usually have the money and make the rules. My opinion is they can go BITE ME! Hopefully after this week the cars will all be covered and out of sight once more. I have considered selling the Bug Eye and the 61 Midget. Serial # on it is something like GHAN0000323. Also been trying to get rid of a 65 AH 3000 crank and stuff if you know anyone interested.

Finally hunted down some parts that made up the Fire Hawk. The front is a Dodge Concept Car according to the chassis I used on the other project. The back is a Blvd Crusier. There is still an unknown piece on the other car I've yet to post. I really ought to write this stuff down if I don't take pics of it...Wonder if I took pics of it?

Somtimes I'm smarter than I thought. Sometimes...This was one of those times. So what is the orange one?

 

[69Stang]

I dig it, as always of course! The ribbed header pipes are a nice touch as well as the spare in the rear. Always love your work!

 

[ClearHooter]

I dig it, as always of course! The ribbed header pipes are a nice touch as well as the spare in the rear. Always love your work!

Thanks folks.

Those of you new to customizing may not be familiar with the flex header technique I use on many of my home made exhaust systems. Actually all you need is several guages of guitar strings. Most of us either play or know at least one person who does. Trust me there is a never ending free supply of the things; as most guitarist cut the excess from new strings once they rewire a guitar. Or they may save a broke E,A,D or wound G string for you. I prefer the nickle over the bronze as they just look better. You just bend them to shape. Then take an appropriate dia. aluminum tube and fit and glue the flex into it. This tube makes a muffler. Then take a smaller dia tube and fit into the muffler for an extension. I like to file the exposed end of the extension at an angle to taper the pipe. I then clean out the extension tube to get that deep dark hole look. If the flex pipe is shaped right and the muffler and extension is cut to the right length everything should glue right up to the out side of the chassis and look like a high dollar set of Lake Pipes.

Still wondering what that orange car is?

 

[ThisDudeAbides]

Great work! The orange car is a Nitro Doorslammer.

 

[ClearHooter]

Great work! The orange car is a Nitro Doorslammer.

Thanks you much for the compliment and the info. It was starting to bug me. That'll teach me to not document builds....NAW it won't!

 

[Rick Voegelin]

Great tip on the guitar string/aluminum tube muffler fabrication!

Thanks,
RV

 

[ClearHooter]

Great tip on the guitar string/aluminum tube muffler fabrication!

Thanks,
RV

Glad to pass it on. Don't know if I was the first to do this but in looking back on my history (A great feature on this board. Hope we never lose it.) it seems the first time I used this technique was on a Maserati Bird Cage I made out of a Cat.A.Pult I did back in 2005. I've used it on a regular basis since.

 

[Rick Voegelin]

Birdcage Maserati from a Cat-A-Pult? Genius! That's thinking outside the box . . . and outside the container and the truck, too!

Thanks!
RV

 

[ClearHooter]

Birdcage Maserati from a Cat-A-Pult? Genius! That's thinking outside the box . . . and outside the container and the truck, too!

Thanks!
RV

It was pretty neat going back through all the old builds trying to find the first instance of the guitar string exhaust. The "Bird Cage" actually has a birdcage frame. Don't know if I can bring that back up or not. But it was pretty cool seeing it again. There's a whole WIP pictorial and discussion on the build that can be seen by checking "Stats" > All Post Started By ..... Then you gotta hunt from the "Last."