Inside Foose Design

[Matt Harwood]

Here's a great Flash presentation that shows you a little behind-the-scenes stuff at Foose design. Love the hot-rods or hate 'em, it's hard to deny the craftsmanship and talent that goes into these one-off masterpieces. These guys might be every bit as talented as the guys who worked at the great custom coachworks of the '30s.

By the way--check out the awesome detailing of the headlights, which resemble the original Ford V8 emblems!

Foose Link

Just thought you guys would enjoy this.

[Guest BillP]

Hi Matt,

This is a thought provoking post. My main thought is that when a guy goes to a design group to commission a one-off caricature of an antique, and that item is designed and constructed over six years by a team of specialists at an estimated cost of six hundred thousand dollars, how do they call that item a hot rod?

Auxiliary thoughts include a question about this slavish requirement to chrome plate all underpinnings, including, fer cryin out loud, the brake discs.

I like the instrument panel treament, and the steering wheel looks good for being fifty years old. Paint color is OK. I'm sure the craftsmanship on this car is good.

They say the shop is only 5000 square feet; maybe a lot of the work is farmed ou...oops, make that outsourced.

I guess it's OK to make quibbles like these when one stands in an art gallery, head slightly tilted, trying to understand what on earth the artist was thinking. True hot rods, meaning (to me) black primer, flatheads and no fenders state clearly their intent. I like 'em for that.

And I like restored or original cars, too. I look forward to seeing your Buick on the road or at a show.

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Interesting...

The subject car seems to incorporate the tri-five Chevy steering wheel, as well as the instrument layout and gauge design from my old '36 Chevy pick-up...

I do not understand the chromed brake discs...are the braking surfaces themselves plated, or just the hubs ?

The headlight design is indeed a nifty homage to the flatty Ford era...

I wonder if the car will be plagued by overheating issues like its "ancestor" ...

[Guest BillP]

...continuing my amateur critique.

Why is this thing so formulaic. If looking backward for inspiration, why not put a vintage powerplant in it; there are probably still a few thirties-era V12s and even V16s available for a worthwhile project. A smallblock Chevy is fine, but for a 600G ride, it seems like you could have something distinctive.

And why another 36 Ford, why not plow some unfurrowed ground for a change? Why not a boattail, or a Cad/Packard Aero coupe knockoff, anything?

Seems like there's a narrow range of conformity within which these luxo rods must hew; outside that range lies ridicule and defeat at the big shows. Eh? No chrome on your discs? no trophy. No LT1 or Viper engine? getouta here.

Oh well, it's a business arrangement. The artist, his patron and the great unwashed who ultimately fund it all. Yikes, I'm sounding ominously like Moon.

[Matt Harwood]

I guess my interest is primarily in the craftsmanship aspect on something like this Ford. There's not a single stock part on that car, and I would guess that they didn't even start with a real '36 Ford roadster (so <span style="font-weight: bold">Dave@Moon</span> can probably breathe a sigh of relief there). But the way the elements of each piece are so thoughtfully designed to flow into one another, the way themes carry through the entire car, the way new shapes meet old contours, it's just amazing. That is a 100% hand-built car. In fact, I think it stops being a car at some point and becomes art (which may be the point of these mega-dollar rods).

As far as what a rod should be, I can't comment on that. <span style="font-style: italic">Old school, resto-rod, traditional, billet, shaved-nosed-and-decked, whatever.</span> It's up to each owner to determine what he wants from his car. If this owner is happy with an LS-1 and automatic, well, it's his money and his car. I think that engine choices like this are simply done with an eye towards driveability--it'll be reliable and powerful and doesn't need any exotic parts should something happen on the road (this owner says he'll be driving the car after it's done with the show circuit). I can respect that, just as I can respect the guy who does something different because <span style="font-style: italic">that's</span> what hot-rodding is all about <span style="font-style: italic">to him.</span>

Think of it like a custom-tailored suit. If I want a traditional blue pinstripe suit, well, I get a traditional blue pinstripe suit. I don't need an orange NBA-player sharkskin outfit to stand out in a crowd if the blue pinstripe is exceptionally-executed.

Yes, I'll admit that the Lincoln Zephyr rod at last years B-J auction was stunning <span style="font-style: italic">because</span> of its vintage V12 powerplant. The failure of that monstrosity red '37 Cord rod was testament to the fact that a cool powertrain can make or break a rod (and I will say for the record that I am <span style="font-weight: bold">really</span> sick and tired of crappy 350/350 combinations in most rods). I also think that in the case of this '36 Ford, the statement was in the appearance and the craftsmanship more than the go power. Like I said, I'm a sucker for craftsmanship, whether it's the flawless black paint on a Duesenberg J or the flawlessly flat chrome on the frame of a rod. Someone spent a lot of time getting it <span style="font-style: italic">just right</span>--that counts for a lot in my book.

I also think that in an industry universally filled with jackasses and a-holes, Chip Foose stands out as a guy who is truly humbled by all the attention paid to him. That alone makes him and his shop unique.

Details are what I dig, and this is a particularly well-executed exercise in details making the rod.

[West Peterson]

Matt,

Email me, please.

StelvioGT@yahoo.com

[1937hd45]

Matt, Thank you for the post and link. I've admired the work of Chip Foose for years. Can you imagine the cars that AACA and the CCCA would be judging today if Chip had a shop in the 1930's?

[The Old Guy]

I saw this car at the detroit show last Thursday. The most interesring thing to me was the fact that Chip was working on the display ,getting down and dirty, just like the rest of the crew. You really have to see the car to appreciate the workmanship! The character lines down the fenders are fantastic, and the way the fenders and the running boards blend together is GORGEOUS!! The trim also stands out as the perfect accent for the body.

I doubt that he will win the Ridler again, as if he does, everyone else will just quit. The car really does deserve it though. The other contenders are nice, but not in the same class!

[1937hd45]

Is this the car that Charlie quit Coddington's to paint?

[Guest BillP]

Veering O/T a little here at the expense of Matt's wrath.

This morning, I was reading in the Cad/LaS club magazine about a fellow in Australia who had a 1930 Cadillac V-16 frame, engine and little else other than desire and talent. With blueprints and determination he built the wood frame and steel body for a strikingly beautiful dual cowl phaeton, built minor things like a right-hand steering box, bumpers and windshields. The work, including paint and upholstery was performed in his home garage. The car is breathtaking.

As another example of nitty-gritty, from the ground up style craftsmanship, see

http://www.mdr.co.uk/candg/candg.html

I saw one the AU cars in Detroit last year, it was phenomenal. As an example of the detail, nuts, bolts and studs were made to the old drawings as they were NLA on today's market.

[Matt Harwood]

Aw, man, I'm bummed that you guys think I have "wrath." Do I have a reputation as a bully? If I do, I'll be really unhappy--that's not what I want at all!

Plus, there's nothing to be wrathful about here--that car sounds amazing! And the guy who built it gets all the credit. There are some that will say it's worthless because it's a "reproduction" but as far as I'm concerned, that's a V16 Cadillac with a custom body. That the owner did it himself makes it all the sweeter.

[Guest BillP]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Do I have a reputation as a bully? </div></div>

Heck no. It's your post though, about craftsmanship in what I call luxo-hotrods. I diverted it to my interest: craftsmanship in twenties/thirties restored (or recreated) vehicles and racing cars. Some people would pound the drum for Kalifornia Klassics when we're really talking about two different critters.

I'm being a little sarcastic on Foose. The KK comment was more joke than anything. I'm still choking on the cost of that thing. As an old friend (no, it wasn't Yogi Berra) once said, "For that kind of money, you could really get something!"

[R W Burgess]

"For that kind of money, you could really get something!"

Bill, You mean like a nice home, or a nice retirement plan, or how about a college education? <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Of course I realize the money those fellows are spending is expendable. Must be nice. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Wayne

[Uncle Remus!]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Aw, man, I'm bummed that you guys think I have "wrath." Do I have a reputation as a bully? If I do, I'll be really unhappy--that's not what I want at all! </div></div>

Far from it Matt - your posts are always thoughtful and often supported with FACTS...

[Guest BillP]

Home, college, retirement. OF COURSE NOT! Cool stuff.

Staggerwing Beech or Gullwing Stinson

Big block cobra

An island (small)

House boat moored someplace hot

V16 Cadillac

Gatling gun

Packard marine powered race boat from the twenties, prefer multi engine, thank you

All for now, thanks Wayne. Bill

[R W Burgess]

Wait a minute Bill! My Uncle wants to know what you want with a Gatling Gun and, by the way, where did you say you lived?? <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Wayne

[Guest BillP]

I was moseying around a few years ago out west and walked into a large, well stocked gun shop. It was an old building, refurbished to be bright and nice with lots of old time artifacts, western photos, animal mounts and so on.

As I gazed around and felt a peacefulness come over me, I suddenly did a classic Hollywood doubletake as I found myself staring directly into the barrels of a wheel-mounted Gatling gun at the rear of the store. It was illuminated by mini-spots and had been carefully placed there to get just the reaction it did from this member of the unsuspecting public. I was told it was for sale and it worked.

To answer your questions, I think it'd go great in my foyer, and I live at the end of a long road.

[Twitch]

Creativity is creativity no matter what game you are in. There are a whole a lot of peole that have talents to create cars out there. I don't give 2 hoots about chopper motorcycles but I love to see creativity at work on American Chopper. I appreciate all disciplines of automobilia. There are some that don't or can't. A hand built vehicle is a truimph in whatever style it is. Most certainly, putting a vehicle back to original condition, 100% stock is hard work but it shows little creativity.

BillP is right about the very high prices. You can't call this a hot rod at all. A $50000 car ain't no hot rod to me! Today's hot rod is what it originally was, now called the rat rod.

If you saw Boyd Coddington's 56 Chevy build you'll realize it was no more a 56 Chevy than Hitler's parade car was. The only original parts were from 2-3 junked cars being hood, fenders, doors, body, trunk lid. NOTHING else was.

One thing I found interesting in that one was all the big problems they had getting just those few parts to fit together right and cut out rust and such. A treasure find in the junkyard pretty well precludes doing fabulous 100% stock restorations that many here see as the only way to "build" a car for the average person.