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orzel-w Galactic Ambassador

Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 1865
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Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 6:34 pm Post subject: Hood Ornaments That Don't Quite Qualify as Rockets |
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Here are two designs from Studebaker:
 _________________ ...or not...
WayneO
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Krel Guest
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Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2015 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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Sooo, Studebaker was into deadly weapons for hood ornaments?
David. |
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orzel-w Galactic Ambassador

Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 1865
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2015 12:11 am Post subject: |
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I'm surprised we didn't hear more about people being impaled in those days. _________________ ...or not...
WayneO
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Custer Space Sector Commander

Joined: 22 Aug 2015 Posts: 929 Location: Earth
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2015 7:15 am Post subject: |
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There was a model of automobile called the Impala, wasn't there? Hopefully not too many owners fitted one of those hood ornaments and nicknamed their car "Vlad"...
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trekriffic Starship Navigator

Joined: 19 Feb 2015 Posts: 593
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2015 10:39 am Post subject: |
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Custer wrote: | There was a model of automobile called the Impala, wasn't there? Hopefully not too many owners fitted one of those hood ornaments and nicknamed their car "Vlad"...
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The 1950's was a great era for hood ornaments, like this one for the Impala...
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Custer Space Sector Commander

Joined: 22 Aug 2015 Posts: 929 Location: Earth
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2015 11:27 am Post subject: |
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"Vlad the Impala," see what I did there?
It's a shame that such ornaments aren't allowed these days, due to "health and safety," but I suppose that, if a pedestrian does get pushed up and over a car's bonnet, er, hood, it's a good idea not to have anything sharp pointing up at them.
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Krel Guest
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2015 12:11 pm Post subject: |
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Custer, hood ornaments went away because they were being stolen off the cars, usually by ripping them off, damaging the hood. Mercedes was one of the last holdouts until rappers made the hood ornament a fashion trend. The fact that the emblems were spring-loaded for safety, made them easy to steal.
Hood ornaments were a holdover from the early automobile days, when they were used as handles for the radiator cap. In the 40s/50s, they became art.
David. |
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Custer Space Sector Commander

Joined: 22 Aug 2015 Posts: 929 Location: Earth
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2015 2:07 pm Post subject: |
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Interesting - that prompted me to look up "hood ornaments" on Wikipedia. Not that one always finds the unvarnished truth there, but they seem to go for the radiator cap as the original basis, indeed.
Quote: | Legal restrictions
Restrictions to the fitting of ornaments on the front of vehicles have been introduced in some jurisdictions. Projecting decorative designs on the hood may increase the risk of injury to pedestrians in the case of an accident.
Regulations introduced in the United States for the 1968 model year vehicles meant the disappearance of fixed stand-up hood ornaments, as well as spinner wheel protrusions. Later versions featured flexibly mounted (spring-loaded) stand-up hood ornaments designed to fold without breaking on impact.
In the European Union, since 1974 all new cars have had to conform to a European directive on vehicle exterior projections. Rolls Royce's mascot is now mounted on a spring-loaded mechanism designed to retract instantly into the radiator shell if struck with more than 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of force. The Mercedes-Benz and many other ornaments were designed with a spring mount to fold on impact. For aftermarket ornaments, breakaway nylon fixings are available that comply with EC Directive 74/483.
The importance of design
The radiator cap was transformed into an art form and became a way of individualizing the car, "representing a company's vision of the automobile", or "speaking volumes about the owner" of the vehicle. |
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orzel-w Galactic Ambassador

Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 1865
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2015 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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Custer wrote: |  |
I couldn't tell what Custer's emoticon-smiley inside the coffin was doing until trekriffic quoted his post and it showed up against a lighter background. Then I could see the puff of smoke before the flicking of the ash. _________________ ...or not...
WayneO
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Custer Space Sector Commander

Joined: 22 Aug 2015 Posts: 929 Location: Earth
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Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:38 am Post subject: |
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Ah yes, that puff of smoke is almost exactly the same colour as this board's restful default background. You can see why some people refer to cigarettes as "coffin nails"... nothing strictly to do with the subject, but hey, it all adds to the fun, right?
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orzel-w Galactic Ambassador

Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 1865
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Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 1:38 pm Post subject: |
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I also notice ashes falling from the cigarette against a white background. _________________ ...or not...
WayneO
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