blowout sale: lowtech 2011 calendar

There are only a few calendars left! Get yours now for the reduced price of $ 30 (22 Euros) plus shipping and handling. There are still eleven months remaining to enjoy traditional hot rod and kustom related eyecandy from all over the globe! Preview here!

grand national roadster show 2011

Damn, how I wish I was there. The 2011 Grand National Roadster Show is in full swing while you're reading this and the next best thing to being there is waiting for the first pics to be taken by the luckier ones. Here are some of the best I found so far. (photos © Michael Harrington)

kustoms illustrated

Brasilian graphic artist and illustrator Dan Palatnik does some incredible stuff. I discovered his work some time ago on the HAMB but forgot to bookmark his website. Now that I stumbled upon it again, I had to post it on LOWTECH. Check out his Digital Garage!

the way it really was

Yeah, son. That's how they did it back then in 2011 at Widegren's Speed Shop in southern Germany.

how to chop a 1947 ford

Hey, young man. Got a 1947 Ford? And you think the roofline don't fit your idea of style? Don't worry anymore. Follow the step by step guide by Butcherkustoms Nürnberg, Germany and learn how to chop a 1947 Ford. (Workingclasskustoms)

slammed olds

Happy weekend and remember: don't park under trees. Tree sap is a pain in the ass to get rid of.

fuel tank

Check out the new trial issue of Fuel Tank. According to editor Luke Ray, it is an e-zine publishing previously unreleased material from the print edition of FUEL Magazine. Just don't consider it as some collection of B-Sides... the photography is stunning as usual.

t time

Take a bunch of friends, an old model t, many outstanding ideas, a lot of talent and craftsmanship and a ton of dedication. Here's the result. And yes sir, they are competing for the prestigious AMBR award, honoring "America's Most Beautiful Roadster" each year since the earliest days of the Grand National Roadster Show. We truly hope this homebuilt (read traditionally built) David is gonna kick the billet outta the Goliaths.

van go

No, the van-craze isn't taking over LOWTECH. Or maybe it is? Actually, it might as well each time we check out the van Coby is currently building. Whether it's the paint scheme, the choice of colors, the interior design – and this is interior design – or one of the many cool details. This thing is nothing short of incredible. A rolling piece of art. See it here, here or here. (photos © Coby)

powerglide mag: hot rod hayride

French hot rod artist Empire 32 is cranking out an excellent magazine. So you better be sure to check out POWERGLIDE, even if you don't speak french too well... Issue #16 is packed with great rides from all over the globe and I'm proud that it features my show coverage of the 2010 Hot Rod Hayride in the UK.

remember summer?

A shot of my car from last summer. Just came across it while digging through my photo archives and wishing this winter was history.

design 165

When I was a kid, I used to draw tons of cars. Sometimes I think I should have kept going. Especially when I see the inspiring work of great artists like Chris Piscitelli. It's so fresh and motivating it makes me want to grab some crayons and go for it again. Of course, with no results to speak of, just for the fun of it. So I guess I better leave that to the talented ones like Chris and do the best I can do: directing you to check out his work.

lynwood

A brave hot rod in kustom territory. (Photographer unknown)

the queen revealed

A chopped 1940 Mercury coupe. The holy grail of leadsleds, since the Barris bros. cut one up for their customer Nick Matranga and turned it into an immortal icon. There's a gorgeous new creation waiting on the threshold about to be entered into the coveted circle. Built by Rudy Rodriguez of Fullerton Fabrication, this custom '40 merc just surfaced finished on the website of our favorite but unfortunately now defunct magazine, while there were already a couple of spy pics floating on the web. This one's gonna cause a stir at the upcoming GNRS 2011. Word. (photos © Hop Up)

andré's coupe

There's another killer model a coupe in the works. It's owned by my german buddy André and currently under construction at the Hot Rod Garage. Chop and stance are right on. And yeah, doesn't the bavarian snow look like salt?

the photography of chris cooper

Check out the amazing photography of Chris Cooper. Whether it's hot rods, bmx, skateboarding or a glimpse of his life, his shots capture the very essence of it, turn situations into moments. (FUEL)

lowtech 2011 calendar: full preview!

Click here for a full preview of the 2011 LOWTECH limited edition calendar. Get yours now!

getting trunk

Holidays are great. You visit your folks, you eat a lot, you hang around. Or you build a hot rod. That's the way ACES member Raphael prefers to spend his days off around x-mas. Here's what he came up with: an aluminium trunk lid, completely built from scratch just because he didn't like the fit of the original one. And yes, it looks so much better. Click here to see what happened before.


Homebuilt handle.


Our man fabricated the inner structure...


...as well as the trunk hinges.


Nice view.

kart hauler for sale

Sadly, all of my x-mas money has vanished into thin air. But maybe there's a luckier one out there with some dough to spend on a real piece of kustom history. Built in 1958, debuted at the 1959 Oakland Roadster Show, the "Kart Hauler" got its faire share of fame during the years. I admired it at GNRS 2009 and it's said to be shown again at the History Of The Custom display at GNRS 2011. Find it for sale on Hemmings.

lowtech 2011 calendar: preview #4

LOWTECH goes worldwide! Calendar orders keep coming in from all over the globe... Australia, USA, Germany, just to name a few. Here's another preview in case you're still unsure if the calendar fits the style of your workshop, your garage or your living room. I'm sure, even your better half's gonna like it! :-) The above photograph was taken at Winfield's in the Mojave desert. To order your copy, just shoot me an e-mail to luftkraft@yahoo.de. For more info about pricing and shipping click here. Happy new year!