Svelte, sleek, sophisticated, slinky, swank. My Mustang Sportroof, created from Giugiaro's concept car can be described in many ways.
C H O P — Four years ago, an incredible Italian industrial/auto design firm, Ital Design, worked its magic on the then-current Mustang. It went over fairly well in the enthusiast press, but on the forums, not so much. It seems that no European's design for the consummate American pony car would do for them, no matter how long and storied the European designer's career was, and Georgio Giugiaro's Ital Design is a designer's design firm.
I found nothing wrong with his vision, in fact I coveted it! I'm not crazy about the particular shade of paint they chose, seemingly the worst shades of brown and copper mixed together. Both brown and copper can be gorgeous, but I think they missed the mark with this hue. The lines of the car I thought were just about perfect though. I decided to chop it not to 'fix' it, which is the usual reason for any chopper to chop a car, but just to go further with the sleekness factor.
I changed the color to a brighter shade of orange, a much more American "pony car" color than the original one. I "finished" the body side sculpting behind the rear wheels, matching, and emphasizing the indents in the middle of the car. I totally changed the rear taillight configuration, and added a chrome bar in the center of the hatch lid, tying the fuel filler cap and the taillights, in much the same way Ford did in the '60s and early '70s on many of its cars. Interestingly, Ford has done this particular touch on the new 2010 Taurus, but I did it first, lol.
I'm posting the original image so you can get a feel for the changes I made! Enjoy!
Giugiaro's stunning Mustang concept from late 2006, the original photo for the chop above.
Hi Casey (May I call you "Casey"? I've been reading your blog and Artichoke Annie's blogs for roughly a week now and feel like a voyeur! They seem very personal and almost private but I was wondering if perhaps I could join in along the way somewhere? Please? I have immensely enjoyed the comments by you, Annie and Tampa Granny Lou. I have even more enjoyed your blog subject offerings and find them amazing in their artistic value and esoteric offerings. I am not a good writer. I am not an artist. But I am an appreciator of good versions of both. Then would it be okay if I join your blog group? Please? I'll be back to check on your thoughts on this. Life is short. We have to grab beauty where we find it. :)
ReplyDeleteKatie in NJ
Funny thing is, your chop looks more European than the original Ital Design! Much sleeker and sexier. I remember when this concept was introduced and I never liked the taillight design they used, yours is a marked improvement. Only thing I would have done differently is to have "chopped in" an subtle integrated spoiler along the upper trunklid - not unlike the production Lamborghini Muira. Continuing the body line into the back half of the rear quarter panel and continuing it across the tail of the car does wonders also. GREAT JOB !
ReplyDeleteHI Katie! Welcome. No, nothing is ever too personal that I write here. Of course you can join in! It's my wish that hundreds of people check in and learn to appreciate the small things in life and to find beauty right in front of their noses wherever they are. and to put up with my obsession with redesigning cars of course, lol.
ReplyDeletePHX: thank you again! now that you mention it a subtle tail lip might have given it back some of its American mojo, like my Newport the other day.
ugh, i woke up at least an hour earlier than I usually do and couldn't get back to sleep. i hate mornings!
Hi Casey,
ReplyDeleteGreat Mustang chop. The tailight (is that correct or is it taillight?) treatment puts me very much in mind of the 68/69 Fairlane/Torino, one of my favorites of the late 60s. I would love to see what you could do with that chop to make it into a Cougar! Or a Continental Mark X! I think Ford is ignoring a valuable asset in the Mustang chassis. And yes, of course, there will be no Cougar. More's the pity -- the 67 Cougar is a masterpiece, IMHO.
Paul, New York City
HI CASEY.NICE CHOP THIS MORNING BUT IT WILL NEVER TOP MY LAZYBOY CHOP.LOL. IN MY MORNING DAYDREAM I JUST DROVE MY LAZYBOY UP THE DRIVEWAY.I ALMOST BURNT DOWN THE MAILBOX WITH ALL THAT POWER COMING OUT THE REAEND. I HAD TO TAKE MY MORNING DRIVE BEFORE IT GOT TO HOT. IT WAS 80PLUS AT NINE O'CLOCK THIS MORNING. JUST TO HOT FOR ME AGAIN.I THINK I'LL HAVE GRAMPS GO BUY ME A KIDDIE POOL AND SIT IN IT UNDER THE OAK TREE TODAY.
ReplyDeleteHI KATIE. IF YOU LIKE ART AND OLD THINGS YOU'LL LOVE CASEY AND HIS CLOSE FRIENDS. THIS BLOG IS SO REFRESHING. IT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD AFTER LOOKING AT ALL HIS ARTWORK AND KNOW THE HOURS HE PUT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIS WORKS. I FEEL AT HOME HERE. MARE AND ANNIE ARE LOVING HIS BLOG ALSO.JUST GOOD CLEAN FUN.
CATCH YOU LATER CASEY. KEEP THE CARS COMING. I NEED MORE OF YOUR GARDEN.
GRANNY
Hey Paul— i actually thought about the '68-'69 Torino when I was chopping this Mustang. It really popped when I added the chrome bar across the back intersecting the round logo. I really like those Torinos and Montego. I like both of those cars right up to the '72 models. From '73 on, with those awkward bumper, they were never the same to me.
ReplyDeleteHi Granny—it's going to be HOT here today too. i have all my fans going. Stay cool, which I know you will 'cuz you're the coolest Granny around!
THANKS AND A TOOT OF FRESH AIR BACK AT YOU.
ReplyDeleteGRANNY
Hi Casey,
ReplyDelete1973 was the start of a real low period in car design because of the bumpers. All the carmakers -- US, Japan, Europe -- made some terrible but probably necessary choices. Just think of rubber-bumper MGs and 74-78 Matador sedan and wagon. Mercedes sold the S-class from 74-79 with some of the ugliest and most industrial-lookng bumpers and Americans bought them. I always thought of those bumpers as a giant F++k-you to the American consumer. I've also thought how much better the GM "colonnade" cars would have looked if they had come out for 1972 as originally planned (they were delayed by the GM strike of 1971). My uncle, the same one that had the 59 Galaxie, had a 72 Montego MX hardtop -- school bus yellow with a black vinyl roof -- that I thought was very good looking and very plush. He drove it for 20 years and after he died I sold it to his neighbor up the street for $200.
Paul, New York City
It is nice to see you here Katie. I just recently was introduced to Casey by Tampa Granny and strange to say, my life has changed. Casey has a very synergistic affect upon me.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful world this would be if we all could have this same affect on everyone we meet.
I would not described myself as a car nut, despite in retrospect of having owned some really fabulous cars, but I love reading what Casey has to say about each and every car and enjoy the spin he puts on his chops - truly an art form of its own.
Casey's blog is the perfect beginning and ending to each day.
Casey my blog has been posted for today, I think you will enjoy it.
Paul: I think that '72 Montego hardtop was so good looking—great C pillar, great vinyl roof treatment (before the travesty of the padded and opera-windowed versions a few years later! ! I remember how upscale the 4 door pillared hardtop looked with those frameless doors too. I've always been partial to the 4 door pillarless versions in '70 and 71 also, though I don't think I've seen one since they were new. The Torinos were so pretty too. Those MB bumpers were horrid weren't they, with the rubber corners and the ultra-extended center sections. I'm pretty sure you're right about the F*&^ You to the US gov't specs too!
ReplyDeleteaw Annie, I'm blushing now! : )
Those bumpers ruined so many cars in the 70's ! Styling definitely peaked with the 72's. Hey, Casey, this is right up your alley - chop some of the mid to late 70's cars the way the would have looked without the 5 mile bumpers. I know your up to the challenge, LOL !
ReplyDeletePX: That's a really good idea. I've actually thought about it but the problem is the dearth of decent publicity shots at least 1600pixels in width. I don't really like to use 'personal' photos that I've found online due to possible privacy issues, although I've used a few in the past-the '64 Tbirds come to mind. I'll see what I can come up with on Google one of these days.
ReplyDeleteI've always thought that the other styling traits associated with mid-late 70s cars, the heavy-handed vinyl roofs, the baroque side moldings the gobs of extra chrome on some cars, all came about in an attempt to take your eyes off the big bumpers or to balance those awful I-Beams. There was such a delicate touch to even huge cars like Lincolns and Caddys before the bumpers came in, then everything was oversized, padded, stamped, embroidered, you name it.
Hi casey...I feel bad...I commented on this chop this a.m. but it must not have gone through..hmmm.
ReplyDeleteWon't "recreate" what I wrote first time, but all I can say is you can post a "Mustang a day" and I will never grow weary of it...
Love how YOUR chop looks!
mare
"hi everyone"!!
Sorry 'bout that Mare. I put through all the comments that come to my email. I might not get to them for an hour or two, but I always put all of 'em through. I'm going to have to start chopping some new ones pretty fast to keep up with everyone! When I started this blog, I had about 600 chops in my Photobucket gallery. I think I've posted about 1/2 of them, but some aren't worth posting here. I've only done about a 12-15 new ones in a few months. I think I chop more in the fall and winter for some reason, I guess because there is so much more to do outside than when it gets dark early. Glad you like the Mustangs!
ReplyDelete