Menu
Sep
14
Mercedes-Benz W109 300 SEL 6.3 | Dragster
2019.09 | Photoshop Chop | Dragster Conversion
“Länge läuft”
This is a German expression about cars with a long wheelbase being superior at high speed driving on the Autobahn. This concept also applies to dragsters, even though the acceleration run ends at a the 1/4 mile marker, where the fun on the German high speed road network begins. In the spirit of Hot Rod Magazine Drag Week, I created a capable Citroën DS Dragster last year. This year, a Mercedes-Benz W109 300 SEL 6.3 painted in Hellelfenbein received the same treatment. The long wheelbase was extended an additional inch in order to fit the drag slicks while retaining the rear doors. The fender flares have been altered to accomodate the wheels and the chrome trim was modified to keep the stock look. This vehicle should be comfortable on the highways with a trailer in tow and rather quick down the quarter mile on the dragstrips visited during Drag Week.
Feb
01
Yeah… this is a rather unlikely combination, but I just did it for fun. Who in real life would lower a very capable 4×4 like the new Suzuki Jimny JB74 to the ground, stick NASCAR wheels on the hubs and hook a rather heavy camping trailer to the tow bar? Nobody. But hey… it was a lunchbreak photoshop challenge #justforfun.
Dec
22
After a long time since creating thetop-chopped Harley-Davidson Special Edition Lonestar, I wanted to create another one. The 2008 International Lonestar looks like a show truck from the factory and it didn’t need much customizing to create the slick rig you see in the picture. Lowered, larger diameter wheels with low profile tires and a a little clean-up here and there.
Sep
12
Hot Rod Magazine Drag Week is an event where street/strip cars are driven 1.000+ miles on public roads during a trip that includes four dragstrips and five races in five days. The coverage of the various drag week cars I have seen over the last years inspired me to create a dragster that would be a lot of fun to take there, race it and enjoy the road trip. It is based on a Citroën DS 21 Pallas, which has been converted to a tube chassis and equipped with a V8 engine and a solid rear axle. There is no exact specification yet, so you can dream about whichever engine and transmission combo you’d love to drop into this chassis. I kept the look of the Citroen DS classic, with period-correct wheels, rollcage design and graphics. The scallops are just simple lines without fill color, to keep the somewhat subdued appearance and match the factory tinted windows. The fenders are obviously radiused, as the builders would have done back in the 1970’s.
Because the participants are only allowed to use the tools they carry with them on the road trip, most people utilize a trailer to have more room for spares, generators and power tools. Some even carry welders. Instead of renting a U-Haul, I created a matching trailer. Gotta keep the style consistent, right? All the sponsor Stickers go on the trailer, to keep the car looking as clean and uncluttered as possible. Please feel free to give feedback, I appreciate all comments.
Dec
20
Finding a photograph of a late 90’s Cadillac Fleewood Brougham towing an Airstream travel trailer got me thinking. What if the people owning a rig like this had a need for more trunk space, but still wanted to tow the trailer with a B-body based car? They would have had the choice of downgrading to a Buick Roadmaster oder Chevrolet Caprice – or converting their Cadillac into a wagon. This shouldn’t be too hard to do, right? However, instead of just using the rear glass from either one of the standard GM wagons, I went for a panel van look. As the Fleetwood Brougham already has a vinyl roof, it is a no-brainer to use this material for the wagon conversion. Not having windows also allows to add useful storage cabinets on both sides of the trunk. And because I have a reputation of never leaving the suspension height and stance as it came from the factory, the Cadillac was lowered and fitted with larger diameter wheels, shod with lower profile tires. To round it off and achieve a consistent design, the Airstream was also lowered and given a similar wheel treatment.
Jan
09
Recently I found this picture of a SAAB 96 towing a vintage Scandinavian caravan trailer. Even though the combination is rather cute as is, I thought it might look better with a healthy dose of lowering and a few tweaks here and there. Removing the turn signal lights and adding mesh to the air intakes below the headlights helps the front to look cleaner. Now – what do you think about going on a vacation in style? 😉
Sep
12
The Volvo VN series heavy duty trucks are slick machines, but I never really liked the front bumper. Somehow it just doesn’t go well with the overall appearance of the truck. In order to change that, I modified a picture of a sparkling blue VN with a polished trailer found in the internet. The usual lowering was a must on the semi truck and I also lowered the trailer to go with it. Larger wheels look the part and the more voluminous bumper enhances the appearance. The side skirts are smoothed and entering the truck without scratching the paint sure is a challenge now 😉
A set of graphics and black chrome trim add the final touch.
Oct
30
Color splash! When I found the picture of the 1956 Chevrolet Nomad with the color-matched Shasta trailer, I instantly wanted to convert it into a color splash picture. But that’s not all. The car and the trailer have been lowered substantially. The track has been widened along with a few touch-ups here and there.