Info about Custom Cars
Custom Cars
The cars we own often say a lot about us as individuals. A flashy sports car can be a great status simple, letting people know that you are doing well in life and are proud of it. In the same way, a functional car such as a people carrier is a sign that the owner is a responsible person with a large family that they make an effort to look after. A custom car is the ultimate in personal expression, and is a vehicle that has been modified to either improve its performance, or to customize its appearance.
Custom cars are distinct from Hot Rods, which are cars that have been modified to contain a larger than usual engine to enhance performance on the road. However, the idea of customizing cars does have routes in the practice of hot rodding. This dates back to before the Second World War, when alterations were made to cars with running boards and fenders over the wheels. The modification took place by removing the running boards and either removing the fenders or replacing them with lighter cycle fenders.
These modifications allowed a larger engine to be placed into the car, allowing it to travel at higher speeds, and distinguish them from the other cars common to the era. A change in the design of cars during the 1950’s made the older practices unfeasible, and brought into the existence of creating custom cars. The practice of customizing cars included the swapping of headlamp rings, bumpers and tail lights. The bodies of the cars could also be altered, and allowed the customizer to create a more unique design. This could be achieved by chopping, which made the roof lower, sectioning, which made the body thinner, and channeling, which involved cutting notches in the floorpan to lower the body. The paint work of the car was one of the most important concerns for people who wished to alter the design. An unusual color was normally key, as it helped to distinguish the model from others of its kind. After the base coat had been applied, customizers would almost always add some kind of extra detail, often flames extending from the front wheels of the car. The importance attached to the paint job of the cars has continued to increase throughout the history of creating custom cars, and has escalated to the point that at conventions in the present day, awards for the paint job of a car are almost as prestigious of awards for the customization of the car itself. The arrival of the Muscle car, which was essentially a pre built Hot Rod, already featuring unique paint designs, caused a decline in the practice of customizing cars.
Notable customizers include Bill Cushenberry, the Alexander Brothers, Roy Brizio, and Joe Bailon. Bailon invented ‘Candy Apple’ paint, and is best known as a custom painter, rather than a modifier of cars in their entirety. Some custom car designers have become well known outside of the automobile community, such as George Barris, who designed the Batmobile for the television series ‘Batman’. The community of customizers has their own awards, and the most exceptional customized cars win these awards, which come in a wide variety of categories. The most prestigious award is the AMBR trophy, which is presented every year at the Oakland Roadster show, and has been since 1948. In the bid to create unique cars to win the trophy, a number of famous custom cars have been produced, perhaps most notably the ‘Mysterion’ and ‘The Red Baron’, which were two of a number of custom cards that entered production as toys in the Hot wheels brand.