[toddshotrods]

Hey Everyone,

My name is Todd and I am hopelessly hooked on hot rods. They're my career, my hobby, and my peace. My current personal projects are a 79 Camaro, what used to be a 91 Honda Accord (daily driver), a street rod, and a car-engined trike. I am also working on a really radical Pro Street Vega for a customer/business associate.

The Camaro is being transformed into a retro style, modern street rod concept. The Accord is supposed to be a modern style concept car. The trike is supposed to be a cross between a modern chopper and a sports car. The Vega is intended to be a suggestion of what a 2008 Vega could look like - albeit after falling into the hands of a red-blooded American hotrodder.

Anyway, that's my passion - doing things differently. I like to let my creativity run free as much as I possibly can. (Not always the best plan for widespread social acceptance.)

I'll try to get some pics posted, but they have contact info "stamped" on them right now.

 

[toddshotrods]

I revised a few pics:

 

[poncho62]

welcome....somerhing different, thats for sure.

 

[derm]

Good stuff! Welcome. I'd love to see more pics. Is any of that photochop, or is the rear end stuff on the Honda already done? Are those Mini headlights on the Vega?

 

[54truck]

Welcome! You have a wonderful imagination and can carry it out. More power to you. Bud

 

[toddshotrods]

Thanks guys.

All the modifications to the cars have really been done! I did Photoshop the scenery in the Honda's pic for fun. I am still doing surface development on the Honda and the Camaro, which is why they're both in black primer. I like driving my projects while I work on them. I have a hard time maintaining focus on things I can't actually use (with my projects).

Yes, those are Mini Cooper headlights. The grille is chrome-plated, stainless steel, mesh. It's an aftermarket grille for a Ford Excursion, of all things!

Working on getting more pics up.

 

[toddshotrods]

I am starting on the rear fascia for the Camaro now that winter has finally made it to Ohio. The weather was so nice that I couldn't stop driving it I bought it in 2003 and it took four motors, two transmissions, and three years to put about fifty miles on the car! The motor that came with it (uninstalled) had spun bearings. I got water in the second (a used 305) and rusted the valves open. Take three, I tried a Pontiac (350 smog) motor that ran perfectly in another project, and it broke a pushrod before I got twenty miles on it in this car. Afer I finally got this 350 in and running last year, the transmission puked a mile from home on the first "trip". I went around the block countless times successfully, but it waited until I was just far enough to need a tow truck to die. I didn't get it back on the road until the year was almost over in 2006, and I am hoping to make up for all my struggles this year! I almost sold it in frustration, but started to enjoy it in December.

Console and shifter I am working on for my driver. That's the shift knob being cut on my old South Bend lathe.

 

[derm]

Sweet. Looks like you need a Project Journal!

 

[toddshotrods]

Sweet. Looks like you need a Project Journal!

Thanks. I plan to start one. Should I do separate journals or just put them all in one? I was thinking about starting a thread for the street rod, which is why I didn't post any pics here yet.

Here's one of the Honda, without the Photoshop backdrop:

 

[derm]

As you can tell by mine (5 different projects thusfar), I don't think you can have multiple journals, although the FAQ in the Project Journals section indicates that they're working on the update for the program that would allow that.

I would also really like to see feedback brought back to the Journals.

Nice work on that rear end. Not a frenching fan, or an Accord fan for that matter, but you've done some very nice work. I look forward to seeing more. :thumbup:

 

[toddshotrods]

Thanks derm. I plan to replace the tail lights with something more modern and flush mounted; hopefully LED. They're a leftover from the first stage of the project, and don't really fit with the direction I am taking it.

 

[russlaferrera]

Hope you don't mind having someone "different" around

Nice concept. Best of luck. I hope to see more!...russ

 

[toddshotrods]

Journal

I started my journal!

 

[derm]

Nice start. I like when folks explain the thought process to get to the pics.

Have a question, tho. I see the driveshaft loop, but how will your rear suspension mount? Seems like it's missing the back 1/3 of the frame. Enlighten me...

 

[toddshotrods]

The rear suspension is GM G-body (triangulated 4-link). The lower controls arms mount to the ends of the main rails. The uppers will be mounted to a tubular frame section that will be welded to the main rails. It doesn't extend much further though - about eight to twelve inches, and comes up about the same. I haven't modeled that yet, and haven't started building it on the real car. I wanted the rear end to be the last thing on the chassis so it really stands out. I want either a Mark Williams modular rear or a quick change, haven't decided which one yet. The body will extend back past the tires, but you'll be able to see the rear end.

 

[derm]

Okay, I've built a few 4 links, albeit for mostly rockcrawlers. Won't you have to have further extensions for the spring & shock mounts, at least to about 3" past axle centerline?

I guess they could be up to 4" in front if you were using coilovers at an angle.

This is more my speed, so I'm just trying to figure out how it translates to your ride, and I admit to not knowing anything GM beyond my '71 Buick GS from back in the day...

 

[Blazin72]

You've got some interesting projects there. :welcome: That Honda looks like it cross-bred with a Cadillac from behind.

I hope you're not driving that Camaro with only three lug nuts? :sweat: (see first pic)

Good luck with your projects and yes a project journal is definitely in order. :thumbup:

 

[toddshotrods]

The original plan was for coilovers in front the exle. Angled forward a little, and a slightly extanded upper mount. I have an idea for a more trick setup, but I haven't gotten around to working on the geometry yet.

http://www.streetrodderweb.com/features/0703sr_1928_lakes_modified/
My car won't look like this but my ideas on how to execute things are similar to his. I like making things look so simple and clean that they shouldn't be functional. There's a lot of pics there but the ones of the chassis show some really creative thinking.

Thanks Blazin, and rest assuerd that I now have five lug nuts on each wheel. I getting ready to get rid of some of the Caddy influence, when I change the tail lights. I was just having fun with it at first but then decided to get serious, so the Caddy look has to go. I want it to be more original.

 

[toddshotrods]

How do you make your age and a link to your project journal show up in the "post headings"?