Custom Gauge Design for NRE

Nelson Racing Engines called me up to design a one-off instrument cluster for a '63 Cadillac they were building.  The Cadillac might be huge, but the 14-71 blown big block will push it along just fine.

The stock '63 dash

To keep track of the vitals of such an engine you need more than just a temperature warning light.  A full set of instruments are required, but those instruments can be hard to neatly package.  I came up with a few ideas that retained the overall look of the stock dash, but still offered a full complement of gauges.

Initial ideas for the '63 dash

Tom Nelson decided the idea for a long sweep tach that replaced the speedometer was just too cool to not implement into the design.  With the decision made we sent the imagery over to Shannon at Redline Gauge Works. 

Finished cluster

You can check out this article from Hot Rod Magazine for more information on how these custom gauges are built.

'63 Caddy's new engine

Popular Hot Rodding's Newest Project Vehicle

Christopher Campbell over at Popular Hot Rodding Magazine called up HCR to help design their newest project vehicle, a '67 XR7 Mercury Cougar.

Rendering of the new project

You can find more details here, and you can follow along with the build in upcoming issues of Popular Hot Rodding.

Reggie Hamilton's '67 Chevelle

This car has been in the works for sometime now and it promises to be one of the most detailed Chevelles you've ever seen.  The custom 600ci+ BBC pumping out over 1,000hp has already been assembled and installed onto the amazingly detailed chassis.

Finished chassis at the Portland Roadster Show

Now the focus is shifting from the chassis to the finishing of the body which will retain a stock appearance apart from the trick custom hood.

Finished rendering of the exterior

HCR will be involved in the design of the interior as well, so check back for more details in the future.

Vest Racing on a Record Run

I've been working with Vest Racing for a little while now creating their new logo and also coming up with liveries for their possible sponsors.  This season they are absolutely destroying the competition in the Protruck Series.  They have finished in first place for seven out of the eight races thus far!

Troy Vest putting the truck through its paces at the SNORE Mint 400

Mountain Dew proposal drawing

Mobil 1 proposal drawing

Flat Bottom Hot Rod Boat!

Charlie over at Holcomb Upholstery was going to be upholstering Reggie Hamilton's 1969 Sanger flat bottom boat, so he called me up to get some design input.  After meeting Reggie and checking out the supercharged, big-block powered speed boat I began drawing up some ideas for him.  Everything on the interior is going to be fabricated from scratch per the rendering I completed.  (Check out the before picture of the interior!)

As if the blown Sanger wasn't cool enough on it's own, Reggie planned on towing it with his recently completed '35 Chevy coupe.  What a combo!  To tie the two vehicles together, we planned out a paint scheme for the boat that mimics what the car already looks like.

For even more fun, I drew up the boat in action!