Preventing Paint Scratches

[jclary]

No matter how much you try, it seems that at cruise-in's and car shows, there is always someone who wants to crawl under your hood or "belly up" to your fenders and look down inside as if they wanted to see the toes of their shoes. Sometimes it's the parent holding a child kicking wildly with footwear sporting shiny little buckles or just a curious cowboy wannabee with the 20 pound belt buckle. You put up the "look but do not touch" signs, and unfortunately sometimes just have to ask people to lay off. Short of having to rope off the car (I have seen some people do that) I began thinking of another way to discourage folks from leaning in too close.
I decided to fabricate a shorter prop rod for my car. Instead of chopping off my original prop rod, I fabricated another one. I shortened it to just reach the "storage clip" that keeps it in place when not in use. I then made a "slip on" extension to use when needed for actually working on the car. I keep the extension in the trunk. The shorter prop rod results in the hood being high enough for "display" but to get a good look into the engine compartment, you actually have to stand back. I have a picture below to show the difference. what do you think?

[img][/img]

[Carl Purdy]

I was on my way to Tennessee in the 48 and a rock I guess that's what it was happen so fast hits the top of your fender and takes hunk of paint off clear to the metal. How do you prevent that? And the trip to Tennessee was a wild story.


7G-Q1 49 2R12 10G-F5 56B-D4 56B-F2

[StudeRich]

That's great! Narrowing the car to the size of a Nash Metropolitan will help you get into tight spots with less chance of scratching the paint!

[jclary]

quote:StudeRich Posted - 04/14/2009 : 02:09:05 AM
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That's great! Narrowing the car to the size of a Nash Metropolitan will help you get into tight spots with less chance of scratching the paint!

Well Rich...It just shows that I am better at operating my fabricating tools than the new photo editing software that came with this new computer.

However, I am teaming up with "Captain Kirk and Scottie" for my next project. One is a "Cloaking Device" that will render the car invisible to potential "Paint Scratchers" and the other will be a "Transporter" that will enable my car and I to simply "Materialize" at events so that we can compete with all the "Trailer Queens" that show up just in time for the concours.

John Clary
Greer, SC
[IMG][/IMG]
I have only two limitations ...BRAINS & ENERGY
SDC member since 1975

[StudHawk60]

That's a heck of a good idea. Here all along, I thought people kept their hood low at shows to look cool.[8D]

[JBOYLE]

While watching the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction this weekend. They showed a shot of the cars outside lined up to go on the block.
There was a biker dude (or perhapas a faux biker dude..you know a stockbroker who rides and dresses up on weekends...complete with matching wife/girlfriend) with the required uniform of leathers and a 2 foot long keychain dangling down his side.

What's he thinking.."I'm going to a car auction to see and lean up against cars I don't own...so let's put on a chain"?
I've heard of people being like that..in fact there is a collector car insurance ad about that, but I've rarely seen it until now.

63 Avanti R1 2788
1914 Stutz Bearcat
(George Barris replica)

Washington State

[TX Rebel]

I once had to run a guy on a bicycle away from my car and other cars displayed at a show. The jerk was oblivious to the damage a bike car do next to a car. He actually came back a while later to tell me that he understood why car owners would not want bikes being ridden around and between their cars.

Barry'd in Studes

[bondobilly]

Purchase two fender covers from the SDC Store, people can' scratch the car with belt buckles, and it also says Please do not lean on the car. $20 each or two for $35