All language subtitles for Full.Custom.Garg.S09E03.1080p.WEB.h264-CBFM_track3_[eng]

[man] I got my good buddy,
Eric, out here

for another...
Roussel-o adventure.

Coming out here, obviously,
yes, you get phone call
from Mr. Roussell,

you make things happen.

So, we've done some really
wacky stuff in the past.

That space junkie bubble top?

-And then,
the Blue Demon project.
-[Eric] Blue Demon.

-[Ian] Just
ridiculous, though.
-Yeah.

[Ian] Eric has been
a long-time,
great collaborator.

His ideas are always
out of the box.

He's got a track record
to prove it.

From the first project
we ever worked on,

it's always shown something
that neither of us expected,

and that's why he's here
for the mission.

Of course, I didn't ask you
out here on a vacation.

-I got you here for a reason.
-What?

-Come on.
-And that's why I didn't
tell you what we're building.

I've never worked on
a station wagon before.

I've never had one.

-Wait a minute,
you've never had a wagon?
-Never.

Rust-free car. Very solid.
So, it's got lot of potential.

It has some kind of
a conservative factor to it.

-But I wanna take
all that away.
-Yeah, no conservatism.

[Ian] I wanna go like,
super radical on this.

It's gonna be full, yeah,
full fashion show.

Anything you think about,
I don't think I'll say no.

-Like, seriously...
-Well, I'm gonna push that.

-[laughs]
-I got one idea already

that I wanna start off with
on the nose.

But the rest of it is
just ideas, man,
whatever you're thinking.

No, I'm down for this.

Ian, he loves that realm,
that area where we don't know
what's gonna happen.

Normal is boring.

And if it doesn't make
your hand shake,
you're doing something wrong.

I took the liberty of sourcing
some parts to address this

and the nose,

but other than that
I don't have any plans,
like, stuck in stone.

So, anything?
We can do anything.

-[Ian] We can do anything?
-Okay.

-Yeah.
-You may regret that.

I doubt it.

Welcome to
a Full Custom Funhouse,

where rules, structure
and discipline are all out
the window.

-Man, look at the apron
in the front.
-[Eric exclaims] Ah!

Yeah, it has a story.
This is definitely not
its hood,

this is definitely not its
fender.

-So, something happened.
-No.

You're gonna dig my idea
for the nose.

-[laughs]
-Check this out.

You may recognize some pieces.

-[Eric] Studebaker.
-[Ian chuckles] Right!

-[sighs]
-Rust-free, collision-free.

All right. Yeah, that...

-Yes, okay.
-Yeah, all right!

[Ian] Yeah, so, it's got
the hood, the nose,

the fenders, the headlights
and the chromes.

-Oh, like a glove.
-[laughing] Right?

I haven't even done this yet.
I just collected these parts

and did some trimming.

[Eric] I'm into this.

All right, that's a good
start point, man.

What this does is this sets
the stage of what we have to
do with the rest of the body.

Mm-hm. Super weird.

-The flavors there got to
the theory right there.
-Yeah.

[Ian] You might be wondering
just where we're headed
with this project,

and that makes two of us.

But I think mocking up this
nose has given us
a crystal ball view

into the future of this
grocery-getter wagon.

So, I figure, we'll just
cut off all that damage
in the collision area

right through the spare tire,

-and just re-mock it up.
-Start from there.

Yeah.

Eric and I are on
the same frequency.

There's no time overspent
talking on it.

We're right to the task.

I think the key point to
getting the Studebaker nose
to fit on the VW

is that the Studebaker is
physically a bigger car,

It's longer in the wheelbase,
the square back's very
stubby on the nose

for the tire.

It's gotta stay as close to
the windshield as possible

'cause otherwise, it's gonna
look like, you know, like
a schooner or something

coming out of the front.

Gonna set up the envisioning.

-So, you got a piece of steel.
-Hi-tech as always.

-And the pencil.
-And the pencil.

-Okay.
-And so, we'll adjust
the angle of the dangle.

-So, you. You're looking
at this on the car, right?
-Yep.

So, set up the base of
that square

-with this line.
-Yeah. Ah! Very clever.

[Ian] And then, the bullet
mounting is this angle,

so it'll be
a perfect 90 degrees.

[Eric] Yeah, we're about
on par.

-It checks out.
It's been certified.
-[Ian] Math checks out.

Yeah, it's been certified.
I did this one,

-and I did this one.
-[Ian] Excellent.

At most shops, you use
proteactors and laser centers,

and pointers and all the stuff
and there's a process.

Not here.
It's a carpenter square,

a chunk of wood and a pencil.

And a pencil. And that's it.

Yep. Perfect.

[Ian] I think it's gonna offer
a really cool transition

from the VW look in the front,

because that was a very
sloped down look.

And this is very prominent,
like the 50s cars.

Oh, I love this.

From that flat, very bland
type three nose to this,

whoa, yeah. It's a mutant.

[Eric] Kind of like we're
chiseling it out and finding
its place in the universe.

It's a discovery for all
three of us,

including this yellow banana.

[Ian] That's quite
a stellar arrangement.

[Eric sighs]

I don't know what
kind of all-male review clubs
you're performing in,

but that's something.

How do your coworkers
usually feel about that,

with the flash coming off
of that helmet?

[laughs] Wow.

I gotta say, that is pretty
extra special.

Eric is very much at home
in embracing the weird.

Yeah, as long as these two
are good,

that's gonna be
a simple addition.

Tell me that looks cool.
I don't wanna look.

-Tell me it looks cool.
-[Ian] That looks cool.

[laughs]

-All right, now I'm jazzed.
-Yeah.

Ian's got a really good eye
to kind of be able to blend

two different genres together.

He can bring in pieces
and say, "I think we can
make this work,

and I think we can
make that work,"

And usually, nine times
out of ten,

or 9.9 times out of ten,

it does work really well.

I think we should utilize
this VW bodyline.

-[Eric] Yeah.
-And cut the Stude fender
right above it.

-Keep as much of this?
-Keep as much of this.

'Cause we're using
the VW wheel arch,

but this is so Studebaker,

we don't wanna lose
that curve.

[grunts]

[grunts]

-Everything okay over there?
-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[indistinct]

I'm not sure but I think
this is the one

or it could be this one
because there's more.

And it could mean like,
business, or...

Did you just use The Force
and get with the program?

I want your eyes shut
on this next cut.

I see The Force is strong
with you.

Yes.

The hole is just above
the bodyline.

[Ian] That's it, doo-doo,
doo-dude!

-[Eric laughing]
-[Ian] It's a whole
different experience

when that helmet's
lurking in the dark.

[Eric] New dimension.

[Ian] Like a discotheque up
in here.

I gotta brush up my
dance moves with this kind of
activity in the shop.

-[Eric moans] Ah!
-[Ian] Look at that, dude.

That is really cool.

No, I'm digging this.

It's war narrower than
the Studebaker, but it works.

[Eric] It's funny how
the proportions you can
change 'em like that

and it still keeps its shape,
it still keeps its flavor.

[Ian] This is exactly what
I was hoping to see.

This car parked in a lineup,

you're gonna go, "Wait, what?
Studebaker station wagon?

I don't get it."

I wanna get that
passenger fender on.

This is getting me
charged up, dude.
I wanna hit that roof next.

It's half custom.

It will be full custom
in a moment.

So, getting this nose on,
I mean, what a radical change.
I love it.

Rest of the body now
is way bland.

Next task on the list is
addressing the roofline.

I don't really have any
specific ideas,

but I know I definitely
don't want stock.

We need to make the roof
as off the wall as possible.

-Yeah.
-'Cause the rest
of it is just...

[sniffles, yawns]

[Ian] I think let's just
tack weld the door shut

and just cut the roof
right off.

Let's just mess around
with some ideas.

I mean, it could go
anywhere in discussion,

but you know, once you put
the parts in place,

you find the sweet spot. Yeah.

Building up a project
like this from only
a few parts ideas,

I'm just waiting for
the statement.

I'm waiting for
the "what is it" moment.

I'm not attached to this roof.

And in a few minutes,
the car's not gonna be
attached to the roof either.

I'm not attached to anything
but my wife.

[Ian] My first thought is
always go as radical
as possible,

and then, pull back.

Some people may think
baby steps,

I say, eat the whole sammich.

[grunts]

[Ian] It's getting less yellow
with every cut.

-Now it has zero character.
-[Eric laughs]

Doesn't look like anything.

-I didn't think it could get
any more plain.
-[Ian chuckles] Plain.

But yet, here it is.

-Needs more cowbell.
-Definitely needs
more cowbell.

[Ian] Let's spin it around.

-We have the post
on the back...
-It's the hatch.

Yeah, we have the front post.

-[Ian] Use the hatchback
as the...
-Yeah, use the hatchback.

[Ian] But hey, I'm up
for anything.

I mean, that's what we're
here for discussing, right?

-[Eric laughs]
-Why not?

I told Eric, all ideas were up
for consideration.

So, I mean, here we go.

Look how narrow that is.

Doesn't even look bad
backwards. Interesting.

Man, I thought you had
a horrible idea.

[Eric] It's
completely horrible.

The fact that you listened
to me is astonishing.

Don't do that again.

[Ian] I'm usually the guy
with the wild ideas,

and I'm just like, "That can't
possibly work. But wait..."

Four inches where
the windshield lands.

-Hm.
-[Ian] Hm.

'Cause that round windshield
is kind of like a falling
back effect.

-And this gives us like,
a little more like...
-[Eric] Yeah, it's got a...

-It's got a meanness.
-Yeah.

-There's so much stuff in the
way but I'm digging this, bam!
-[Ian] Yeah.

-Right there.
-Straight down.

The roof is way narrower
in the rear than in the front.

-So, it's like, what?
-[Eric] Yeah, now what?

But upon exploration,
it's just a megaton of work

to make this roof
fit properly.

By flipping it, we'd have to
cut through the center,

bite in it and set her up.

I don't think we'll gain
much reward,

but the forehead on this
is starting to have
some appeal.

I have a Nash Metropolitan
roof in the back.

-Maybe we should look
at that.
-[Eric] Yeah.

Here lies the remains of
my last project with Victor.

And as you can see,
it's ripe for the picking.

Oh! And when we're talking
flat glass,

-see the forehead on this?
-Yeah.

-It's very much like that.
-Oh, my goodness, yeah.

-[Ian] Maybe it'll be a hint
in the right direction?
-[Eric] Yeah.

[Ian] I don't know.

First step is to get rid
of the dash and all the glass.

We're only interested
in the roof skin
and the pillars.

Rubber seals and the desert
don't get along very well.

[laughs] I see that.

Yeah, they get petrified.

And I don't mean scared.

[groaning]

Oh, wow. It's not that narrow
after all.

-[sighs]
-Hm, maybe too Studebaker-y.

Yeah. I like this.

You know,
this is a nice shape.

That's just lacking.

That's a no bueno.

Every time you put a different
roof on it, it looks like
a different type of vehicle,

to like, "Yeah... no.

But maybe? Hm."

Like, what if it was like
a truck-style,

with its... cover
like, super low?

His mentality is just so,
like, the sky is the limit.

You can do anything.

Ooh!

[Ian] It's nice to get into
a project where

you don't know what
you're building, isn't it?

[Eric] I love this!

[chuckling]

-[mocking] He doesn't know
what to say.
-[mocking] I have no idea.

So, day one, you know,
thing's pretty easy.

Put a Studebaker bullet
nose on the frontend of
the sucker.

Boom, done.
Where's my cupcake?

But as we progress into
the roof chop,

the fear's washing over
now at this point

'cause it's like, um...

-We got a great day yesterday,
didn't we? [laughs]
-Yeah.

Now what do we do?

Ian, of course, as always,
is as cool as a cucumber.

Or is lays like broccoli.

-There's lights at the end
of the tunnel.
-[Eric laughs]

-One step at a time.
-[exhales sharply]

Might be losing my trusty
sidekick to the process.

I gotta reel him back in.

Let's stick that windshield
on here.

The stock glass,
just as the Roadster look.

This is where we need to
keep inventory of all
the things we've tried.

So far, we've changed
the front of the roof line,

and we like
how it complimented
the Studebaker nose.

Kind of looks like
a beach buggy now.

That you can rent.

[both laugh]

-Banana Buggy Beach Rentals?
-Hey.

I always say, all my projects
have a story.

Whether it's the super villain
driving the hotrod,

or the alien driving
the spaceship.

Somehow this beach buggy
rental story just began.

"Banana Hammock
Beach Buggy Rentals.

Come join us."

You're welcome for your
million dollar idea.

[Ian] Just looking at the car,
I'm thinking, you know,

what if we use the stock glass

and just leaned it back,
raked it?

That's kind of radical.

It's just a big window
and lay it way back.

-You're all shook up now,
aren't you, baby?
-[groans] Ah! I'm twisted.

There's just the whole thing
about not doing weird
for weird's sake.

It's easy to go over the line
where people take it
as comical, right?

'Cause you can be like,
"Ew, that's weird."

But if you make it intriguing,
all of a sudden,

that's weird.

Looks pretty aggressive.

-It's not looking like
a square back anymore.
-No.

I did a couple of chops
where I used the stock glass
but sunk it in.

And this is different with
the slant back.

With the chaining of the angle
of its appealing
for some reason.

I was thinking, of course,
"Oh, the most radical chop
ever", right?

And it's just like,
"Man, it just looked weird."

I didn't wanna get way out
of proportion with
the side panels,

and then, the roof height.

Something about this
dimension works.

Ian's envisioning process,
it's in his head.

The best you can do is
just try to lasso

whatever comes out of
his mouth as he's looking
at something.

You just kind of have to watch
how it goes down.

-How do you feel?
-I'm feeling it.

Weld her up, sire.

With the chop on the car now,
you stand back and look.

I'm kind of digging how
this thing's progressing.

The thing's starting to
now kind of tell us
what it wants.

Never said it was gonna
be easy.

But we're one step closer
to driving our big,
yellow banana.

[Ian] As for now,
the chop works.

I like it.
The proportion's there,

only slight tuning
to get it into gear.

I'm digging the open feel
of this pillarless roof.

There's just something about
having the breeze through
open air design.

It wasn't something I planned,
happy accident scenario.

No pre pillars,
I'm going for it.

Presentation of the de-pillar,
at this point, is gonna
mean everything.

You know, the roof of course,
is lower, but it's also
more forward.

Got the old mismatch issue.
The roof is...

I mean, it's just a tiny,
tiny mismatch.

Just a little.

[Ian] I really wanna
see the engine.

I can get down on that.
Yeah, absolutely.

And I wanna change
the taillights.

Right now, my concept is
just like a hotrod.

You'll see the engine
up front, exposed.

Right now, that's the way I'm
feeling about the back end.

-Jewellery box, basically.
-A 100 percent.

So see, the engine's
here, right?

-Mm-hm.
-So, imagine the roof
only being till the engine.

Oh, yeah, man. Yeah.

Yeah, 'cause ultimately
it doesn't need to be
that long.

-It could be something
like that.
-Ooh!

-[Ian] See, anything could
happen, right?
-Ooh! Okay.

I'm glad I got up
this morning.

But to make it even weirder.

So, okay, we're gonna have
these fenders sticking out
the back, right?

-Yeah.
-And I was like,
everybody's gonna know,

type-three tail lights, right?

-So, check this out.
-[Eric] Oh, there's more!

-Look at that.
-[laughing]

-What year? '53 Cadillac?
-Yeah, something like
that, yeah.

-You got the peek here.
-Yeah.

And you got the peek here.

-And that's exactly what
I saw on the Cadillac.
-Okay.

Yeah, dropped down in position
and everything,

it'll look really good.

Settle those in.

-Yeah.
-And then, to slide on
the roof.

Now we have the wild
back as well.

Which works out well, so...

I think we're
balancing it properly.

-Let's get started.
-I like the way you think.

A lot of Ian's projects,
there's cool and weird mixed
into one.

He has developed an eye
to somehow blend
the two together.

And I love watching to see
what he does

'cause he can blend
cool and weird together
like nobody else.

Are the envisioning
goggles working?

[Ian] The number one thing
I saw about the Caddy
tail lights was

they're on their own perch.

So, similar to the Studebaker
fenders being their own

projectiles in the front,

Cadillac tail lights
came up and do the same.

Yeah, that's weird.

And these vents,
we're just gonna cover
them later.

It's not gonna have
the type-three
cooling anymore.

[Eric] Yeah, I feel though
this is a step in
the right direction here.

-[Ian] He likes it.
-[Eric] I like it.

So, this is the big debate.
Like, what happens now
with the roof?

How short does it get?

We don't want it to look
like a pickup truck,

and we don't want it to look
like the notchback sedan.

Yeah.

Thoughts, Captain?

I save the bottom
of the pillar.

-A little turnaround.
-Ah! I like that.

Okay, so that goes down
to zero.

-Get it out there.
-Oh, yeah. Perfect.
Smart idea.

[Ian] So, that would kind of
go like that.

Hm...

Shall we go to
the envisioning tape?

-I think so.
-[Ian] Yes. Let's see where
that brings us.

Because we're not really
running any side
windows whatsoever,

the A and D pillar
are primary.

Maybe that gives more
of a vertical look?

-Mm. Oh, no, no, no.
-[Eric] No.

-May I?
-Yeah.

Dumb idea. There's no
dumb ideas,

but there could be
a dumb idea.

Ooh, Studebaker? What...
Rambler wagon does that?

[Eric] Rambler does that.

-Wait. Look. What if I try
the passenger side?
-[Ian laughs]

[indistinct]

Talk about freakshow.

So, we get the desired effect
of the engine exposed,

but now the rear window's
like a trucker hat

over the engine.

-Like, the bill of the hat is
coming out over it.
-Mm-hm.

-[chuckles]
-Business in front,
party out back.

You never know what you end up
with in a project.

Now, I had in my mind an idea
about a shortened roof,

exposing the engine.

And this idea just might
be the ticket.

This will pretty much
be like that.

[Eric] Not that bad.
Here, let me hold it.

You take a look.

So weird.

-The Studebaker has
this huge depth.
-[Eric] Mm-hm.

The square back
is a box, now we're achieving

-fins out and a huge depth.
-And the depth. Yeah.

It doesn't look super great,

but I this it's a better
approach than the other way,

which would be where
the normals would
take it to, I think.

And I excel at making things
that aren't really
good looking.

[chuckles]

[sniffles, sighs]

I love my job. [exhales]

Right off the bat,
Eric says "backwards pillar".

I'm like, "Oh, yeah."

Like some other cars
I've seen in the past
that were oddballs.

Count me in.

This is what's gonna sell it,
this transition.

-[Eric] Yeah.
-And that transition,
being this

-is what's gonna sell
that whole thing.
-Yeah.

Oh, look at the hatch!
We got the corners
right there.

-[gasps loudly]
-[laughs]

-There they are.
-Sweet beans!

[Ian] All great ideas, right?

Anything can happen, but it's
gotta look convincing.

I always say that, and reverse
angle on the pillar?
Heck yeah!

If we can pull it off.

Structurally, it's not that
huge of a challenge,

but aesthetically, visually,

it's already like,
a bold choice.

And it can't, again,
look weird.

It's gotta look,
"Wow, that's weird."

It's easy to come up
with an idea, but to
follow through,

ooh, doggy.

In for a ride sometimes.

The whole thing is utilizing
Eric's time to the maximum.

Correctomundo.

It's a rough concept.
Just get the ideas down,

and I'll fix it up.

- Voila!
-Yeah, I think we can
get away with that.

For sure.

[Ian] Starting to shape up.

The back end is presenting
these two tall pillar-like
quarter panels

independent of the body.

And taillights are just
the little toppers on them.

Feels like the front
of the Studebaker nose.

How you feeling?
You look a little woozy.

-I don't know yet.
-[both chuckle]

Yeah, standing back
and just the open back,

I mean, it looks like
some kind of utility vehicle.

Like, yeah, I could see this
at the beach.

It's a four-seater,
you throw your gear
through the side.

The back is just wide open.

Yeah, it's giving it
purpose now.

It's like Lion Country Safari.

You could just sit in there
and feed the giraffes.

That was the whole lead up
with this open back.

The engine is popping up
through the floor
and we're gonna see it.

-Whatever we gotta do.
No rules.
-All right, cool.

[Ian] We're trying to get
weird and boy, did we succeed.

[both laughing]

Gotta say, that pillar issue
is something I didn't
see coming,

but here we are.

You know,
the front's so radical,
the back's getting crazy.

Let's just cut this off
and make something different.

Yeah, all right. That'll work.

By pushing this back,
it'll make these fins
appear bigger.

Groovy. I'm into that.

[Ian] I really don't want it
to look like a stock
square back rear

with the Cadillac taillights.

I wanna radically redesign
the center of it as well.

I love the idea right now.

The exposed engine,
the sunken area,

exposing all the mechanicals.

I just wanna work with that.

So, this engine's just
a mockup,

decor, the fresh engine is
at the rebuilder right now.

So, we're really getting
warmed up on these VWs now

that you're you're out
with me, man.

And of course, I got a few
tasty treats to spice
things up.

It's a pretty cool fan trap.

I got this at a ...

Let's see that look.
It's kind of stacking up
in there, right?

I wanna show as much
of this as possible,
so I'm thinking,

maybe this deck comes
out completely.

Nice plan. I like that.

See? Like, reverse, like that.

Give a little...

I just had a really
weird idea.

My man, I love what you're
doing with that pan.

So, it's a sheet metal
here, right?

But I was like, "Damn,
it's gonna be so bland,"
right?

But no, it's actually
the exhaust cove.

-So, that's the ...
-Ah!

And the exhaust is some kind
of really showy thing
right here.

Yeah, yeah. I like that idea
a lot.

I gotta look at my
parts stash.

I think I might have
some interesting tips.

[metal clanking]

-See, there's a thing, I just
can't throw 'em away.
-[Eric laughs]

-[clanking]
-Ooh.

There's more?

-Everybody has their
little secrets.
-[Eric] Really?

Um...

There's gotta be some kind of
support group for this sort
of thing.

I mean... [sighs]

The exhaust selection
was a buffet.

And I mean like, the buffet
you bring a bib and your
own silverware.

You can't be too ready for
an exhaust swap.

-No, no.
-That's all.

How do I put this?
His exhaust fetish is actually
really good collection.

He's got a lot of really neat
shapes, different styles.

He's got Monza pipes,
he's got stuff in stainless,

he's got all sorts of little
trumpet guys.

So, it really works out.

This is the first thing
I thought of 'cause they're
still polished up.

I do like that. I do like
these little bendy guys.

Before we get into
exhaust ideas,

we need to get some
sheet metal in place

to see what we're really
working with.

The rear end design is
still a blank slate.

But now you can see how
the fenders tie in,

how the roof proportion fits
with the engine in place, etc.

I mean, it's concept.

-[Eric] I'm liking this.
-[Ian laughs] I'm feeling it.

I mean,
it's a total freakshow.

That's exactly what I was
asking for.

The fit and finish of it,
I can't wait to see

what this thing,
how this thing progresses
and evolves.

[Ian] Well, it's got my mind
going now.

You can see, right,
all the pieces are in place.

Now it's connected
... refine it.

Yeah. You really
busted it out, man.
I appreciate it.

Thank you for letting me
come out and play in
the toybox.

You know, lately, I've been
doing a lot of like, intense
work on other people's stuff.

So, this was a nice change
of pace

and I hate to say it,
but I like this thing now.

It's so kooky, it's just cool.

[Ian] Eric, as usual,
brought in a lot of fun,

a lot of super creative ideas.

I mean, we got the layout
of a really weird project

and I'm just stoked to
get on with this.

-Hm. I don't think
you'll mind...
-[chuckles]

-Wow.
-...accepting Ginger.
My gift to you.

The ultimate disco helmet.

-Heck, yeah, man.
I appreciate it.
-Give it a good home.

[Ian] Righteous.

Now I'm completely prepared.

I mean, next time I go
to the club, my fashion's
gonna be on point.

And I could just get
some work done if need be,
as well.

Eric and I got a lot done
in a short period of time.

And I let the dust settle
and stood back and took
a look.

We both agreed that this
needed some improvement.

This curve,...

It just looked a little
too open for me.

I feel like it should be even
or maybe just a little low
in the back.

At this point in the build,
a few subtle changes,

there, I used
the word "subtle",

can change the whole thing.

The whole feeling of it.

This was out here, right?

Look, it's like
tight and loose.

But now, whoosh!

It's a little more delicat-o.

Lot of times in building cars,
I get caught up in
all the inspiration

and tend to not focus on some
of the potential roadblocks.

This just happens to be
one of those situations.

I was thinking about
these taillights.

I kept mocking up
that other one,

and realized it's from
a different year.

These fins, I think,
are earlier.

Look at that.

I didn't realize. But hey.

So, I'm gonna try to remove
the reverse light

and maintain this chrome
and the little cool reflector

that one was lacking.

Given the choice between
practicality and inspiration,

I will choose "inspiration"
100 percent of the time.

I still love that reflector.

We're gonna have to do
something to maintain that.

The whole key here, especially
with Eric's collaboration,
is to find that inspiration.

'Cause the motivation
flows from that.

When you got a mission,
everything else just follows.

Now our issue is this,

this big hunk of plastic
that don't fit.

Ain't nothing in life
that's free. [chuckles]

It's gonna take some doing.

This is just how the cookie
crumbles in the land of
Full Custom.

You need to adapt
and overcome.

Most people would just
get taillights that fit.

Nope, just cut the car.

Just right.

Now, the bottom part,
I'm gonna fit out with
a piece of this flat bar.

That'll give it a good
landing spot.

Last piece of the puzzle,

it's been a little...

I like that.

You know, it definitely looks
like a real car part

and not just kind of
an add on.

In the end, this difficulty
with the lens fit up
worked to my advantage.

I feel like the smaller lens
added to the design of
a thinner rear fender

and that's good for
a smaller car.

That's the story
of car building.

You know, you get one side
that looks good,

but then there's inside,
and then, the outside
and the other side.

It's all gotta be symmetrical.

Then, the big question of
what's gonna happen in
the engine bay.

Our beach buggy rental is
one step closer to being
open for business.

I still got a few tricks
up my sleeve

before we hit prime time.

Been working on this
sheet metal and I got it
pretty much dialed in.

Both right and left tail light
are mocked up.

And then, the structure
put back in the roof.

Got that look I was going for.

For like, the front fenders
are jutting.

I want the rear fenders
to do the same.

Just like with the nose
of the car,

you see the center being
its own thing

with these two structures
on each side.

And I wanna follow suit
with the rear end,
however that works out.

It's pretty ridiculous change.

Right up my alley.

You know, the engine,
I want it to be a focal point.

But it's just something
about this, just,
cavernous surround.

I'm not sure. I'm gonna start
at the bottom here.

I know I want exhaust
poking through that roll pen.

And I thought, at first,
I was gonna use this.

But when I mocked it up,

I saw that all the gear was
outside the car pretty much.

Big spaghetti bundle
in the back, right?

I also had this other
two-tip dealie.

It's kind of classic.
It's kind of not complicated.

[chucking] It's kind of sandy.

Exhaust makes a huge
statement in every car.

So I'm trying not to
overdo it.

As radical change
as the body is,

it's a pretty, like,
mellow style.

Pretty simple.
Pretty discreet.

Maybe seeing, you know,
like a large tube

that comes around,
just frames it.

All right.
So, this is first thoughts.

I'm using this really
large radius.

On the car, you're only gonna
see from here to here.

So, the tube doesn't
actually exist.

You're just seeing this
nice curve.

All right. An I found these
really tight little bends.

They're from a handrail.

Wide open, baby.
Anything can happen.

Always looking for
parts, right?

Did a bunch of hole sawing
on some steel plates.

So I saved those.

I modified some seats.
So I saved those tabs.

I'm at this guy's house,

and he's like, "Hey,
do you need some bends?"

Always looking for that shape
that might be the fix.

Believe it or not,
I'm not the only one.

I've been given some
pretty weird creations
over the years. [chuckles]

It's a real canon which
shoots golf balls.

It's made out of
a leaf spring,

piece of tube,
and it shoots golf balls.

You put the fuse in here.

Maybe we need to, like,
knock this on the back of
a car.

It could be endless hours
of enjoyment for the dogs
fetching balls.

I wouldn't even have to
leave the driver's seat.

I digress.

So, I'm just gonna
tack this on

so I can put some sheet metal
and start to secure it.

The whole thing here is
just to maximize
the dramatic proportions

I can gain from the position
of the fenders
and the engines.

Trying to just, like, create
the look of the tailpipes,

depth in the body,
make it more exotic.

I don't think any bumpers
on this car.

The front has
so much character,
it would take away from it.

And now, the back is getting
that same kind of flow,

where the center is projecting
a little bit.

Love the shapes.
Lots of dimension.

But there's just something
about this backend that just
needs a little extra.

Originally, Eric and I were
talking about having it
wide open

so you could see the engine.

But something about these
two side areas,
it just looks like

I don't know, I wanna do
something with the back.

I was just thinking about
the back end of cars, right?

I'm like, "Wait,
we hacked a part of
this Metropolitan.

And I used pieces of it
on this other project."

But the whole trunk
and rear portion of
the center of the car,

exactly what I need for this,

is laying in the back
of the shop.

This was the area where
the spare tire hung.

So, I'd cut that out.

But I was like, look,
there's the window where
you can look into the engine.

And should you need to get in
and mess with something
on top,

you got a lid to get
in there too.

Look at that.

[imitates explosion]
Talk about serendipity.

I've got two words,
"surf" and "safari".

All it's gonna take is
a little bit of everything.

Little corkscrew twist trick.

Perfect.

I always get that quirky
little smirk when something's
starting to get really weird.

Just almost at that moment.

And I cut this...steel
and then use the shrinker

to just make a nice transition
around that corner.

Let's cut these little teeth
that munch.

See that?

This metal work here
is munching,

crunching and bunching.

All advanced technique
as far as I'm concerned.

There's two things you can
do with metal.

You can shrink it,
or you can stretch it.

This process does both.

Munched and BOP-ed
to perfection.

Very interesting.

There's something about
this surface coming over
the engine.

Initially, I was saying
exposed engine,

but putting this in place,

it's like the double decker
adds something to the car.

It gives it like, a more
enclosed feeling.

But I definitely wanna see
engine through that.

What's gonna really set that
look in place?

We're really onto something
with that rear end design.

But I think it just needs
something more to call
it complete.

[Ian] Before we get any
further along,

I wanted to spend a little
time on the bodywork

and see how it's feeling.

There's nothing like a little
elbow grease to get things
headed in the right direction.

I like to really get the heavy
aspects of the filler
in place.

That way you're not
looking at all these
welded seams.

Got the inside gap of
the hood opening
all detailed in.

And the VW bodyline
into the Studebaker

is coming along pretty
good too.

Little hammer and bodywork
and some filler,

never knew what went on
back there.

The missing link is this hole
I cut in the back of the body.

It had kind of like
a Continental Kit.

So this, you know, sat in
the car like that,

with a vertical spare tire.

I don't need a spare tire
on the back

but the look of
the Continental Kit
was pretty cool.

It's this point in the process
where the whole view
really comes into play.

Of course, the wheel and tire
combo mean everything.

So, this is what I'm using
for all four rims.

Real simple setup.

I got the Smoothie
steel wheels

with the moon cap,
with no VW logo.

And just a trim ring
like that.

So, it got me thinking about
the Continental Kit.

This, back here,

sort of looking like
a Continental Kit.

But it pops off,
so you can access
the carburetor,

distributor, generator etc.

I mean, that sounds
great in theory.

But like, okay well, here I am
dangling two items in space.

How it actually happens is
where the story begins.

I got this rim over here.

Chevvy. Trim ring fits
it perfect.

I don't want the rim though.

I don't want this blocking
the airflow.

I just want it wide open.

So, I'm thinking about
making a couple of tabs

that will bolt in,
or screw in,

under the trim ring,
mimicking... the look of
the original Studebaker.

It's got kind of the cross
with the chrome dome
in the center, right?

So, what if I made four little
wire supports

that screwed onto that ring,

in that pattern,

in black?

This thing kind of appears
to be floating,

but still front and back
the same.

Enough theorizing.
I mean, let's see you
make it happen already.

Your hands aren't even dirty.

Drill and screw
right into that.

The old "X marks
the spot" trick.

Now, I'm just gonna tack weld
this hubcap right to it.

That gives us the potential
for our floating hubcap.

Now, we remove the rim.

The whole concept
with this is that

I feel like it should
look like magic, right?

It's just a floating disc
in the center of this hole.

There's always a tell
to every magic trick.

This is how I'm gonna do it.

[chuckles] Yes!

That's just dumb enough
to call my own. I love it.

Feels like the right vibe.

It's like, this isn't wild
engine exposed hotrod.

It's kind of like,
whacky taxi. [laughs]

It's a little shaped canopy
of a roof.

And there's gonna be someone
who's just like,

"Whoa! Did you see
that car? Yeah, all
the weirdos drive it."

Or at least one weirdo
drives it.

And now for the arts
and crafts hour.

I like that. Let's make
two of these and adapt.

I'm gonna get those
bottom parts set.

And just gonna cut it with
the plates as I go.

Pretty straight ahead
once I got that hard
curve established.

I just came in
and squeezed it
and buttoned it right up.

Little welding,
little grinding,

plug 'em back in place.

The old floating hubcap trick.

Moving right along.
It's getting weirder
as it goes.

This thing has got the revered
double cool factor.

This design not only
looks cool, but it keeps
the engine cool as well.

Just like so many of
my other projects,

this thing's like Hot Wheels,
just a big toy car.

You know what I'm saying?
It's just exactly that.

It's like, whoa, what the heck
is going on here?

Next up is the paint work.

I got some ideas, and that
really does bring it
all together.

Bombay beach, here we come.

[Ian] I got this beach buggy
all wrapped up,

set for its maiden voyage.

Super stoked with the way
it came out.

You know, the mashup with
the Studebaker and the VW,

it's convincing.

And even out here, you know,
it's a VW, it's light.

It cruises right across
the sand, no problem.

All right.

This thing is a runner.

I mean, not the beach.
But in my imagination,
I'm already there.

Pure paradise.

Life is what you make it.

Live the dream,
you become the dream, like...

It's really all how you
perceive things.

I mean, anything's possible.
There used to be water here.

It's just low tide.
Comes in once a year.

This is pretty much where
it's at for me.

I mean, that's why we built
the car.

Beach theme.

Like we said, Eerie Eric's
Beach Buggy Rentals.

Cruise on down to
the surf spot.

You got the sand,
you got the sun.

Thats two of the three.

I mean, all we need is
some tasty waves.

Southern California
surfboards,

goes together like me
and Volkswagens.

In all seriousness, you know,

there was a ton of bodywork
to finish out on this.

My friend, Jamie, helped me
block, sand and bodywork
the whole car.

I love the vintage flat paint.

Got a lot of flair.

I just got two gallons
of white,

and I mixed in green toner
to come up with that seafoam.

Classic kind of
beachside color.

One of the iconic wagons
in the world is
the Chevy Nomad.

So, I used a similar flow,

where the paint checks off
of the pillar,

and comes forward in a spear.

Not a perfect representation
of that,

but you definitely get
the inspiration.

From the onset,
the only thing I saw

was the bullet nose
and the Cadillac fins.

Everything else was the collab
between Eric and I.

That's what you end up with.

[laughing] I mean, it really
was just throwdown, showdown,

and here we are, painted.

Somehow, it works.

That's one reason I love
collaborating with Eric
so much,

is 'cause he's a pro.
He knows how to do things.

He also like to get weird,
you know?

And that's what we really did
in there. So, it's just like,

"Hey, man. Let's get down
and try something crazy."

That back end was a monster.

Inside curves are one of
the hardest things to bodywork

and I'm gonna blame that
all on Eric.

He got the glory. I got
the lack of fingerprints.

Sort of retro,
sort of atomic aged.

Definitely cartoon.

It's got a jet
engine symbolized,
it's got fins.

It's got a bullet nose
like a rocket.

I dub thee, Starlocks.

That's the most satisfying
thing in the end, is to see it
actually function.

So, instead of just being
a mockup and then it
goes away,

no, it's like, it's turnkey.
It works.

Can it be detailed? For sure.

But that satisfaction of just

seeing silhouette,
seeing finished paint,
then driving,

that's good for me.

The journey of this car
is still unknown.

Interior, hot rod engine,
anything can happen.

End result of this isn't
something that's just like
out of control, crazy cartoon,

like I do so many times.

But it's just kind of like
a cool, weirdo cruiser.

I think this is weird
with a smile.