Color Burn » Automotive

Car Art

Edward — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 19:00:49 +0000

The history of the automobile can be seen, reflected in almost every area of popular culture. One can trace the growth of the auto industry, as well as the local cultural perceptions and values, in looking at cinema and television. Although musically speaking it might seem as though there was a peak of car love in the 1950s, there are a surprising amount of songs being written today if one begins to consider how many times the Escalade (or the G6) show up on the radio. And in visual art, cars have been represented from well before the time of Toulouse-Latrec.

There are those who are particularly captured by the artistry that has gone into auto manufacturing in certain times and places, and there are also those who find an artistry in car culture. Like anything in the art world, there are those who distinguish between the highbrow and the lowbrow. The ones who are willing to cross these boundaries, and often intentionally, are often the ones doing the most interesting work. So while the artistic value of a ’57 Chevy is fairly easy for anyone to see, those who can make the more every day car into an art work are the sparks in the fire. It’s one thing to research Saturn manuals online to figure out how to fix something, but quite another to learn the insides of a car in order to make it into something else.

The advent of the art car may be something that happened a generation ago, but it seems likely that it hasn’t quite happened yet. There are some cities where the art cars are more prominent, often smaller cities with a sizable part of the population committed to culture, but they can be found anywhere with a creative class. It definitely doesn’t hurt to have a fairly open and tolerant citizenry, because there are places in the world where fierce self-expression is not entirely welcome. Almost any decorated car will remind someone of the way volkswagons became objects of expression in the 60s and 70s, so there is a certain overt or subtle allegiance to these subcultures whenever one is making their car into an art car. The very good news is that one doesn’t need an unusual canvas to make an unusual art object. Taking the most common shape and size can be a good way to create startling results, because the canvas is usual. So a budding artist could, in fact, find the Honda repair manual online that works for their car, learn some of the basics of its skeleton, and start to create an object that is, in effect, an expression of self as well as an object for the benefit of the community.

Car Art is a post from: Color Burn

Rat Finks and Hot Rod Artists

Edward — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:42:26 +0000

Making a bridge between highbrow and lowbrow might be the biggest challenge in contemporary culture. It’s one of those impossible feats, and something many gallery owners still attempt, because the failures can be more spectacular than the near successes. Trying to find the place where intellectuals merge with populists is tricky, and usually it’s made trickier when that place is subject to change at any given moment. Pop culture does depend on the tastes of a radically volatile audience, one that is even more temperamental than the critics who write about it.

When there is a serious connect, however, like in the case of Rat Fink, it becomes a matter of curiosity to find some possible connections so that the experiment can be repeated. Of course, like anything that is popular and critically relevant, repetition is impossible. Ed Roth’s work can speak to those who are in the market for Rothko prints as well as those looking for rims and tires, and the intersections are fascinating even though they are impossible to replicate. Here, the art does not come as a response to a growing hot rod culture, but is an absolutely organic product of it, growing out of it in the same way that racing and speed work together. That is to say, it’s not a representation or a reflection, but an expression. Here, in the realm of direct, empirical experience, a trend begins when the desire to express and be part of the expression meet with a critical mass (and interestingly, this happens with or without the permission of the critics). The artists of the hot rod world have to be messianic figures, then, as well as children of the streets, being both in and above and also of the worlds that they doodle and paint.

Perhaps one of the most important lessons for the art world, then, has to do with trends. While “Big Daddy” Roth also spawned another generation of artists, like Jeff DeGrandis, and helped his contemporaries, like Pete Millar, any inorganic attempts to piggyback onto a trend fall flat fairly quickly. These artists were part of the same culture as Roth, or at least the share the same roots in concrete and steel. Any serious consumer of mickey thompson tires would know the difference between a poseur and an authentic enthusiast in a heartbeat. These street instincts are based on immediate impressions, and experience is what proves their viability. The art world would certainly benefit with a taste of the same combination of intelligence and instinct.

(This image was originally posted to Flickr by noego at http://www.flickr.com/photos/noego/165266701/. It was reviewed on 9 December 2006 by the FlickreviewR robot and confirmed to be licensed under the terms of the cc-by-2.0.)

Rat Finks and Hot Rod Artists is a post from: Color Burn

Auto Mechanics

Edward — Fri, 06 May 2011 05:00:00 +0000

The wide variety of cars currently on the road have forced mechanics to specialize. This is no different than the specialization expects of lawyers, doctors, and other professionals. Drivers faced with a mechanical problem or needing paint scratch repair on cars now face dozens of options when they go to choose an auto repair shop.

Most mechanics fall into one of several broad categories that has to do with the type of vehicle the fix. They may work on cars and light trucks, diesel engines, motorcycles, alternative fuel vehicles , or specialize in auto body work. Each type of repair requires special knowledge and tools, though there is some overlap. A general purpose repair shop will likely offer all types of repair, but drivers can also choose to take their car to a specialist.

Listening to radio jingles and looking at billboards, it’s easy to see that even those broad categories can be broken down into more specialties. There are shops that only do car brake repair or that offer custom paint work. They may only fix foreign cars or cars from a specific manufacturer. Others only fix antique cars.

A successful car repair starts with taking the vehicle to the right shop and making sure that only trained mechanics work on the problem.

Auto Mechanics is a post from: Color Burn

What to Do When Your Car Won’t Start

Edward — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:11:52 +0000

What happens the moment you climb into your car, turn the ignition, and nothing happens. If you are like me, your heart drops. We take for granted most of the time, that are cars will just start when we need them to do so. And if you know that you did not leave the lights on, or the interior light on, then this may be a very confusing and frustrating time. There are a number of different reasons that your car will not start, and knowing a few things to check may solve your problem with ease. In a Chevrolet Cavalier repair manual, hints and suggestion will help, so be sure to keep your manuals in your cars at all times. If your vehicle is completely quiet when you turn the key, it may just be corroded battery cables. If you scrape a bit of the corrosion off and your car starts, it is best to later thoroughly clean the cables with the proper cleaning solution and a wire brush. You may notice that it just might be time to change the cables out.

If the engine makes a clicking sound when you try to start it, this is an indication that the battery may be dead or that the cables leading to the starter may be loose. If your vehicle does turn over, but still won’s start you may need more help than what you will find in your Ford Bronco repair manual, unless you are familiar with how to check the supply of fuel to your engine and the electrical systems of your car. If you can get the car started, but then it stalls out right away, this too may require professional help. This has to do with either the carburetor or the fuel injection. Many times though, it is relatively simple to diagnosis the reasons your car will not start. Last time my truck did not start, it was just the simple corrosion built up on the battery cables, I was lucky. Keeping your car properly maintained may give you an indication that problems may exist, and will help prevent this surprise inconvenience from occurring.

What to Do When Your Car Won’t Start is a post from: Color Burn

New Wheels For Your Car

Edward — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:24:51 +0000

Custom car wheels are designed and built not only to add to the car’s visual style but more importantly to increase the function of the tire and the overall fluidity and function of the suspension system. This is essential to keeping a car safe, stable and running effectively. It also contributes to the gas mileage rate a car can sustain. With all of these components associated with one little part of a vehicle’s car tires and rims section, it can be understood hot essential and complicated choosing the right wheel can be.

There are many online and in person discount tire shops that not only help buyers choose the right tire wheel and rim package for their vehicle but are also able to point out great package deals and special offers. There are two important aspects in making one’s personal chose, and one is specifically in regards to performance and the other is the visual appeal. Trying to consider both of these elements when making a choice is just one of the ways in which it becomes complicated. There are so many style, color and design options that are available on today’s market that the choices can seem to be endless. It helps to narrow down the best options for your own vehicle and in consideration of the amount of driving you will be doing and also the particularly relevant driving hazards and geographical climate.

While this is not brain surgery or rocket science, it is definitely helpful to have a second opinion or some professional assistance in making your choice. New car wheels can be an extremely exciting purchase and you should not be weighed down by confusion or concerns. The above mentioned considerations are applicable, but are not always of the utmost urgency in making a selection. Keep in mind that the standard wheels that come with most vehicles are also suitable for most roads and uses. It also comes down to proper car treatment, maintenance and respect for the machine that it is.

New Wheels For Your Car is a post from: Color Burn