Design

There are only a few hard and fast rules for adding graphics to your modi-

fied car:

-

 Keep it classy.

“Calvin” decals are just plain tacky. You’re better than that. Don’t do it.

-

 Keep it logical and truthful.

• If your Volkswagen’s windshield banner reads, “Powered by VTEC,”

please remove it (unless your VW has a Honda engine with variable

cams).

• If your Acura’s windshield banner reads, “Powered by Acura,”

remove that, too. Acuras are powered by Honda. (Check under

the hood and see which company’s name is on the engine.)

-

 Kanji stickers (Japanese characters) don’t fool anyone. For all you

know (unless you happen to be able to read and speak Japanese), Kanji

stickers say something you really don’t want on your car.

The Japanese are guilty of the same faux pas as Americans. This English-

language gem was a factory sticker on the Toyota MR2 in Japan:

A Man In Dandism. New Rich And Sports. Mature Sporty Personal. More

Innovation More Adult. A Man In Dandism. Powered Midship Specialty.

-

 No parts, no promo.

Graphics tell the world about the performance parts on the car. For many

seasoned show and track cars, this is a necessary evil because sponsors

require them in exchange for providing free or deeply discounted parts or

services. Some novice enthusiasts believe that graphics featuring perfor-

mance company logos give their cars added credibility because it looks

like the car is so special that it deserves sponsorship.

If your car doesn’t have the parts on it, don’t use the graphics. A particu-

larly egregious violation of this guideline is a Dodge Neon with “Spoon”

as a large vinyl graphic. Spoon is one of Japan’s top-tier purveyors of

aftermarket performance parts. Most anyone would be happy to have

Spoon as a sponsor on a project vehicle — but, last I heard, the com-

pany only makes parts for Hondas and Acuras.

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