For this month's Radical Rendering section, we decided to let the artist do the talking and let you in on his visionary insight. Check out what he has to say and to contact him for a rendering, look below for his digits.
I've been designing hot rods and customs, in some way, my entire life. From drawing cars by the age I found a pencil, to cutting up model cars, to wrenching on friends' cars. It was all a part of growing up in a house populated by hot-rod-loving parents. I began my own studio, Problem Child Kustoms Studio in 2006, and have been fortunate to make a living designing project cars for individuals and shops whom I've admired for years.
I've been exposed to a variety of build styles, and enjoy everything from traditional rods and customs to pro-touring, to off-road. If it has wheels, chances are I'm checking it out. This broad interest is always a bonus for my clients, as I'll mix and match elements from all over the place, often creating unique looks in the process. I always thought it'd be cool to "theme" a Radical Renderings column ... you know, grab a common thread for the renderings, and just run with it. But to simply take one truck and change it to fit the theme would be too easy, and grabbing similar rides? It's simply out of the question! What I have are some decidedly different takes on the theme of "muscle-car-era trucks." I was thinking of late '60s and early '70s vibes, and all with a modern twist.
How about mixing two iconic Fords into one fun piece? When Tim and the boys at Fast Eddie Hot Rod Shop approached me a while back, this was the idea. Our client, Marc West, was seeking a combination of two things he liked: Early Effies and Boss Mustangs. The results are pretty slick, from the updated Boss-style striping and lettering to the subtle body mods-and the '68 Mustang dash inside, too!
Starting with a '54 F-100, I slammed it on the ground over a set of Billet Specialties Rat Tails (for a classic look), and then sliced and diced away, lightly pancaking the hood for a cleaner profile, and adding some Mustang-inspired hood vents; then flush-mounted the front bumper, filling the grille cavity with a '56 bar and headlamps, flush-mounting the glass, losing the vent windows, adding some width to the rear fenders with some 'Stang-inspired custom taillights, and finally adding a cool rear pan with a bumper insert to match the front sitting below that cool, smooth tailgate. Slide some Boss power under the hood, and have at it with anything on the street!