Details, Details, Details

Prepare to Show – Indexing Wheels and Tires

Posted by Pistonhead on June 25, 2011

The Portland Roadster Show had some fine entries this year. This cool little Chevy truck is one example. It looks like it would be right at home delivering some flowers or at least posing like it’s working to take some pictures. In any case, this truck illustrates a show detail that very few show car participants get right.



Indexing your wheels and tires simply means aligning them all in the same orientation. First let’s talk about indexing your wheels. This would be something you’d probably do for an extended indoor show much like what is seen in the picture above. When presenting at a show like this, you’ll have ample time to set up and pose your vehicle. Bring a small jack and take the time to raise each wheel and position it in the same direction as all the rest. The picture above is a good example of this. The valve stem is centered at the top of the wheel and the hubcap is horizontal and easily readable. This technique is missed by most participants and could easily garner them some points.

It’s really not worth rotating your wheels at a typical cruise in or afternoon show but the next step is something you’ll want to do no matter what type of show or get-together you attend. Best of all, it’s free and only requires some attention to detail. That is indexing your tires. OK, it’s only free when you have your tires mounted. This is where you have the tires indexed to the wheels. Use the valve stem as your orientation. Some tire shops will install your tires like this as a matter of policy though I expect those are becoming more and more rare. Most times you’ll simply need to ask the installer to orient them in the way you want.



At first glance this wheel looks pretty nice but you’ll notice that there are a few things that could be improved. The hubcap isn’t quite horizontal. The valve stem also isn’t in what appears to be a ‘chosen’ position. If you click on the picture to see the image a bit bigger, you can see the lettering on the tires aren’t indexed to the wheel referring to my previous point.

My personal favorite positioning is to have the valve stem at center bottom of the wheel. If there are hubcaps or wheel covers, they should be oriented horizontally to be readable. The final item would be to have the manufacturer lettering on the tires be centered at the top of the tire. With all these details in place, I would give full points for this item. It’s the attention to detail that gets the points, not necessarily the particular way you orient your wheels and tires. Of course this isn’t related to wheel/tire quality or detail.

Enthusiast cars are always being judged whether they’re at a scored event or simply sitting on the side of the road. When people look at the car, they’re judging it. Focusing on the details and improving what you do have control over doesn’t have to cost a lot. When all the details are attended to, the spectator may not notice any individual detail but the package will shine even if it’s a work in progress. Maximize what you have.
For more tips and techniques, get a copy of my book Prepare to be Judged at Amazon.

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Did you have an opportunity to read our last news/blog " Do You Remember When?"

Do You Remember When?

Remember When...

June 20, 2011

In 1969, a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am started at $4,366 and a gallon of gas was 39 cents. Here’s a look back at some other bits of automotive trivia—and some amazing prices—from a bygone age.
1933: Franklin Roosevelt was in The White House and Richard Hollingshead opened the first movie Drive-In in Camden, New Jersey. The Depression was at its peak with unemployment at 25 percent. A gallon of gas cost 10 cents and a Plymouth 6-Car cost $445.

1946: Gas was 21 cents per gallon, minimum wage was 40 cents per hour, and the average income in the United States hovered around $3,150 per year. Automotive factories had only recently switched back to making cars after years of World War II production of military vehicles and tanks. A Buick Roadmaster Sedan started at $1,822. Price for a Chevrolet Fleetmaster: $1,280.

1958: Toyota and Datsun cars went on sale in the United States the year Elvis Presley joined the army. Cars such as the Chevrolet Corvette ($3,631), the Nash Metropolitan ($1,626), Chrysler New Yorker ($4,347), Ford Edsel Corsiar ($3,346) and Oldsmobile Super 88 ($2,958) went for prices that today would be considered a steal.

1969: The year Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, Sesame Street and Monty Python’s Flying Circus made their television debuts, a Toyota Corona sold for $1,950, a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray was $4,438 and gas was 35 cents per gallon.

1980: With American car makers reeling from the recession and foreign competition, two of the most popular cars in recent memory—the Camaro Coupe ($7,571) and the Pontiac Trans Am ($7,179)—were taking a backseat to more fuel efficient, subcompact models. A Datsun 210 sedan cost $4,516, a Toyota Celica around $5,964 and the national average for a gallon of gas was $1.19.

1990: With home prices averaging around $123,000, the Ford Mustang Convertible was moderately priced at around $14,289. Gas cost $1.34 per gallon and imports like the Toyota Camry sold for around $9,989


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Did you have an opportunity to we our last news/blog " Central PA, What About US??!!" .

Central PA, Why Not US??!!

An article by Jean Jennings, President and Editor-in-Chief at Automobile Magazine, is tooting the horn for a Hershey Car Show, "The Elegance at Hershey". In the article she tells us, the reader, that Hershey is having a revival to its car show status it once enjoyed. This is great for Hershey but what about Central PA?
 
I have been a Classic Car Nut for many years and slowly but surely I have come to realize that Central Pennsylvania, is rich in Classic Cars however, you could say that Central PA is much like the Pittsburgh Pirates. How? Well, like the Pirates we have some of the best players,or in this case, the best cars. Sadly,
in spite of this fact, the top ones end up going to the major leagues. They go to Barrett Jackson Auctions and to Hershey Car Shows. Now is the time for the Central Pennsylvania Classic Car Business to stand up on its own!

Here's the thing, Central PA is alive with Car Shows and Events all summer long. Take a look at just few examples:

Classic Shine at the Lake  Curwensville Lake

Snow Shoe Annual Fall Festival & Car Show  Snow Shoe

Super 322 Drive-In Car Show  Bigler

Bellefonte Cruise Downtown Bellefonte

Fezell's Shop n Save 11th Annual Car Show  DuBois

Central Mountains Region, Antique and Custom Car Show Clearfield

Leonard Street Car and Bike Show Clearfield

Back to the Fifties Weekend  New Castle

Galleria Super Cruise Johnstown

Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival Butler

Country Boys Custom Car, Truck and Bike Show  Lewisburg

Oil City Heritage Days Car Show Oil City

Central PA Street Machines  Lockhaven

The Rodfathers Of Butler    Butler

Roar in the Mountains Car Show Altoona

Allegheny Mountain Region Car Show  Boalsburg

Annual State College Cool Cruise Car Show Boalsburg

ACC Car Show DelGrosso's   Tipton

Fabulous Fifties Fourth Annual Car Show  Raystown Lake

Altoona Corvette Club Car Show  Tipton

Blair County Antique Auto Club Car Show  Williamsburg

Altoona Corvette Club & Zeigler Chevrolet Cruise-In Altoona

Portage Cruisers Cruise-In (2 shows)  Portage

Jaffa Antique & Classic Vehicle Show  DelGrosso's Park Tipton

BCAAC Car Show  Prince Gilitzin State Park 


It is time for someone to assemble a Central PA Car Show Extravaganza. Perhaps a show the size of Carlisle with a high end car auction. A show that will bring car enthusiasts from all over the US and Canada. Music, swap meets, food vendors and more. We all know it can be done. how does it start?

I can not think of a better place than the Clearfield County Fair Ground. Ample space, ample parking, ample vendors, ample hospitality. All that is needed is organization of about a thousand cars and a few sunny days. 

If I missed your favorite car show or event please let me know and I will add it.

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Did you have an opportunity to read our last new/blog " What are the Most Expensive Cars in the World?"

What are the most expensive cars in the world?

 There are cars and then there are cars. Lets examine cars that are cars, real expensive cars. You know, the cars that most or us can not afford to drive. Bentleys, Bugattis, Lamborghinis. These will certainly empty the wallet but there are cars that are even more expensive. Classic cars with history.

Here is list of  ten car of the most expensive cars in the world :

1962 Ferrari 250 LM   6.9 Million

1965 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe  7.25 Million

1904 Rolls-Royce 10 HP 7.3 Million

1929 Mercedes-Benz 38/250 SSK  7.4 Million

1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante  7.9 Million

1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster 8.2 Million

1962 Ferrari 330 TRI/LM  9.3 Million

1931 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Kellner 9.8 Million

1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder 10.9 Million

1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa 12.1 Million

Submitted by viewers:

Citroen GT  1.8 Million

Ferrari 250 GTO (4675 GT)  20 Million

Look at these The SuperCars.org a super Bugatti Veryon  at 8.4 Million

Bugatti L’Or Blanc – the first Car in Porcelain  1.65 Million

1936 Bugatti Type 57C Atlantic 27.0 Million (TOP of HEAP so far)

1970 Mustang Boss 429  275K

These will not only empty the wallet, they will take the IRA's, Stocks, Bank Accounts and the Mortgages. 

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Did you have an opportunity to read our last news/blog "12 tips for Show Car Photographers" ?

 

 

 

12 Tips For Car Show Photographers

Posted on June 8, 2011 by scottbourne-Car Loves

I’m a car guy. There. I admitted it. I spend too much of my limited discretionary time and too much money on cars. But hey, at least I don’t need an AA program – yet.

If there’s a car show near me, and I can steal away at least 90 minutes, I’ll stop by with camera in hand hoping for a shot of something I haven’t seen or photographed before. But as excited as I get about the prospect of shooting a car show, it’s always, always, always harder when I get there than I expect it to be.
If you’ve been to a typical car show, you know the romantic notion of shooting the cars is often less attractive than actually doing it. That’s because most car shows come with the same challenges. And it all starts with the three biggest problems – background, background, background. Yes I know, that’s only one problem three times but it’s as big a problem as any three you could come up with. Backgrounds are everything in a good car picture and because the cars are crammed together, you usually don’t have a good background. Along with cramped quarters comes the next problem, reflections. Reflections on the paint, the chrome and everywhere else. They are everywhere. Next up – specularity – the shiny chrome causes blown out highlights. And lastly, there are the miscellaneous problems like direct sunlight, crowds, etc.

Copy right Scott Bourne 2010 - All Rights Reserved

 

After looking at this list you may be tempted to say forget it – who needs it? But hold on. There are some things you can do. Here are some ideas.

1. If you’re religious, pray for overcast skies. If you’re not religious, ask someone who is to pray for you. Or be lucky. I was lucky last weekend when I shot the Gig Harbor classic car show. We had a high marine layer that stopped the direct sun from crating contrasty subjects that would be nearly impossible to photograph without HDR or supplemental light.

If you don’t end up with overcast skies, go as early as you can and/or as late as you can to keep the sun low in the sky. Direct sunlight causes all kinds of problems, but mostly high contrast and it’s not easy to work around.

2. Bring a polarizer. Your polarizer will help reduce reflections. Since polarizers work best at 90 degree angles, they won’t always help, but when you can use them – use them. They make a real difference.

3. Bring an ultra wide or even a fisheye lens and a short to medium telephoto lens. I worked this weekend with a Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra-Wide Angle Lens (rectilinear) to cover the wide side and the Canon EF 135mm f/2L USM Lens on the longer side. Both were mounted to Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
bodies respectively.

Use the wide angle lens for engine shots and interiors and the longer glass for close ups and sectional portraits of the car.

4. While we’re on the subject of lenses – bring the fastest glass you can. There will be problems with reflections that polarizers can’t solve but that fast glass can fix. See this post on fast glass for an in-depth explanation. Shooting with a shallow depth of field can also help you draw attention to a car’s finer details.

5. When you find a car you want to photograph, walk all the way around it before you start shooting. Look for interesting or unique angles. Since the car show environment is so tough, think in terms of bits and pieces of the car. Don’t forget to shoot the engine. Shooting straight down on the engine with the wide lens is usually the safe bet. Also grab a shot of the car interior with your wide lens. Then start using your longer lens to isolate the car’s most interesting parts. Look for things like logos, tail fins, shifters, etc. Shoot anything that you find interesting.

6. Shoot more than one angle and shoot from various distances to give yourself a chance to tell the car’s story. When you look at the Flickr set I’ve created of images I made at this car show, you’ll note that several images are of the same car, but from different positions and from different distances. This gives you lots of looks to choose from.

7. Bring a tripod if you are shooting on an overcast day. You may need some slow shutter speeds to pull off a sharp image.

8. Wear black clothing so that your reflection is reduced when you’re photographing the car from close up.

9. Be mindful of your angles. Sometime shooting from the ground up is the best approach.

10. Don’t touch the cars without permission. Don’t sit in a car without permission. If the car owners aren’t receptive to you move on. There are lots of cars to shoot at a car show. I try to send one image from every car show to each car owner I photograph. Their contact info is usually available on the show roster or from the show organizers. Often they’ll approach me with a card and ask for a copy. This often yields sales for me since the first image is free and all others cost money.

11. It’s okay to crop. Cropping is your friend. With so many reflections and background distractions and people in the way, don’t be afraid to crop so that you can get the image you want. Unless you’re a photojournalist shooting photojournalism, there’s no sin in cropping no matter what the folks down at the local camera club tell you. Crop your brains out to get the right shot.

12. Be aware of your surroundings. Keep your gear safe and watch out for the crowd. Don’t block aisles with your tripod. Don’t hog any specific car. Shoot one shot and move on so others can look at the car and come back to it for another shot a little later.

Shooting car shows can be challenging but fun. This list isn’t exhaustive, but it should point you in the right direction. Summer is car show season. Look around your area for a car show to shoot. Get some practice. Focus on details practice, practice, practice. Now I have to take a break to polish a couple of my cars. When I am not driving them, racing them or showing them I am polishing them!

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Did you have an opportunity to read our last news/blog "Take a trip down your Grandfathers Lane"

Take a tour down your Great Grand Father's lane

 Here are a few classic cars you will not find on All About Detail's website for sale.

Click on the images to learn more about the cars in the collection

1918 Oldsmobile Touring Car

1911 Sears Model P

1912 Liberty-Brush runabout

1912 Pierce-Arrow run about

1913 Model T Ford

1913 Chevrolet Royal Mail roadster

1914 Rauch and Lang electric automobile

1913 Twombly Model B cycle car

1912 Simplex racing car

Do they have Classic Cars across the pond?

Did you know that

If you want to enter your classic car into the Classic Car of the Year Awards 2011 then you can visit the competition website @ www.ccoty.co.uk or by sending details of the car, up to three images, history and your contact details to Classic Car of the Year, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA. The closing date for entries is the 31st July 2011.

The 20 winning cars in each category will then go on display at the NEC at Birmingham for the Classic Motor Show between the 11th and 13th November where the public will decide the overall winner.


Entry is now open for this prestigious award, run by Classic Cars magazine, Practical Classics and Classic Car Weekly, in association with Lancaster Insurance.

The contest celebrates all forms of classic car life, so all pre-1990 classics are eligible. Just fill in the entry form and upload an image of your car between April 1 and July 31, 2011.

Expert judges will draw up a 20-car shortlist before the classic car public vote for their favorites.

Entries will be shortlisted for scoring in any of these criteria:

• Restoration endeavour
  Whether amateur or professional, a one-man battle with rust or a single-minded pursuit of period perfect originality, we’re looking for someone who has gone to extraordinary lengths to rebuild a car.
• Remarkable history
  This could be a car with famous owners, period Competition action or be a vital link in the development of the model.
• Great journeys
  Epic historic rallies, pilgrimages to the car’s birthplace or any other journey on a grand scale could make your car stand out.
• Part of the family
  Cars that have enjoyed long term, perhaps multi-generation, family ownership, or cars, tracked down and brought back into the family.
• Survivors
  Machines that have defied the effects of time to remain in time warp original condition, or survived despite huge mileage or everyday use today.
• Quest for a dream car
  Cars that have been bagged after a lifetime of desire and saving, a lengthy search or a long-distancequest to bring back the right car.
• Other
  Any other outstanding story that makes your relationship with your car special.

 

By George they do have classic cars in Brittan also.

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