Thread: Tru Fire or Realistic flames

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Following along with Steve's flame thread I was wondering "IF" anyone has seen many deuces or Model A's with true fire or realistic flames done on them...which were tastefully done and of a very high quality? What were your opinions of the ones you have seen? I imagine there might be a few at the upcoming LA Roadster show. I've only seen one deuce from WA which was done by a Snohomish painter there, but the amount of true fire flames was WAY overkill and too busy IMO! I'm considering taking the plunge and opening the wallet.

Originally Posted by stylingZ

............ but the amount of true fire flames was WAY overkill and too busy IMO!

That statement is what keeps the words "tastefully", and "true fire flames" mutually exclusive. I've never liked them..............but that's just my opinion, others think they're just the greatest. (okay, I've seen a couple bikes that didn't look too bad, probably because of the limited surface area) What Steve's getting is timeless. I have a suspicion that at some time in the future folks will walk up to a true flamed rig and say something like "Yeah, this thing must have been built around the turn of the century." Kinda like a harvest gold refrigerator deal.

Something like this as seen at NSRA Burlington VT?







Or maybe this

A bit too artsy for me... As on Steve's thread, again I'll say that sometimes less is more... Guess I just don't go in for the "Hey, look at me" stuff...... To me the red 5 window would be a lot nicer without the art, just a red 5 window...... The car has the right look, why detract from it????

Dave, that second rig is more of the "Ohio style" flame, characterized by long, thin, trailing licks, often with overlaps and drop shadows.

Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter

Dave, that second rig is more of the "Ohio style" flame, characterized by long, thin, trailing licks, often with overlaps and drop shadows.

Kewl!!! No I can add a name to another style that I don't like!!!! I don't know, for some reason it just looks like an afterthought and not anything that is part of the build theme..... Maybe if it had a blown Hemi sticking out of the top and sides of the hood the flames might mean something....otherwise, IMO it's just a wanna be add on.......

....and I would just as soon not have any flames. But in Steve's case, the flames will make it stand out from the 'just another' black deuce syndrome. Don't get me wrong, if I had my druthers, mine too would be a deuce - tho not black . But that's another story

Flames are such a " private " choice. Either you love them or HATE them ...
Most detract from the car IMHO. The only set of flames I ever really liked on a 32 roadster was the Tom McMullen roadster.



I am sure that the flames on Steve's roadster will be outstanding ... and if HE WANTS them ... I am happy for him

Just for grins and comparison, here's a variation on a long flame pattern lifted from Foorden's gallery.

Never cared for the "realistic" flames. They look like they should be on a ricer - or a '70s van. But then, I'm just an old fuddy-duddy. What do I know?

Here is a little known fact:

In the mid '80s one of the magazines published a silver gray '32 coupe Bonneville racer , with "trufire" flames. I tried to get people interested, but at that time the hobby was locked into bright colors and no graphics, or very simple graphics.

I also had this idea then for what I called "zeed flames". No takers, but about 15 years later, they surfaced, and exploded into popularity as "tribal flames".

Many things happen on a small scale, far before they become broadly popular. Usually a well done design, in publication, at a time that enthusiasts are open to change, is what triggers a fad.

Looking back many years---I think that the materials used has opened up many avenues of art--- and style has come from the artists

I never really liked the flake paints but do like the candies and pearls

What I don't like is how the modern day race cars have become corporate billboards

I'll go along with that!!!

When I started going to the races (Indy '62) it was like a car show. Chrome....polish....flake....candy....racers were proud of their cars!

Pretty much stayed that way until the '70s, and an onslaught of white cars with machined wheels, and 200 contingency stickers! From there it evolved to race cars that look like a box or bottle of a product.

Today Funny Car, and Pro Mod have become more "artsy", so I am hoping that is a "sign".

I found some examples in my "idea files":

Today tho there are only a few competitors in funny car---force and shoe owning half the field--and probably the Oakly sunglass sponsership started the move back toward something to look at--these guys sponser deals are so big that the sponsers are begging to get in and have to take what the racer offers them--then look at some of the individuals without a major sponser--they have plain carbon fiber bodies with basicly just there names waiting for the big $$$$$to come along