FINTASIA Rocket Garden is an homage to the fabulous styling of the cars of the 1950's as epitomized by the incredibly beautiful tailfins of Steve Heller's customized 1959 Cadillac.
Now retired after decades spent defending American roads against ugly foreign invaders, these four large rocket-like sculptures were made entirely from 1950's Car parts. More about the 'bubble car" in the foreground later.
DeSoto "Firedome" (left) and Olds "Rocket 88" (right)
This enormous 5-ton rocket was the object that first caught my eye as we were driving through the Catskill Mountains of central New York state. It compelled us to turn around and go back for a closer look.
We've driven the entire Route 66. We've also been to Roswell, NM and seen some weird things before, but there was something unusually whimsical about this place that promised rewards for a closer look!
Roswell or Bust"... The outrigger 'fins' are bulldozer tracks,and the pulley that the cement mixer sits on is from a NYC elevator. The glass 'cabin' area is from a 1947 Plymouth.
The WRENCHOSAURUS - winner of several gravity-powered contests for artistically designed vehicles, parked outside Steve Heller's store.
Two really great people!... Steve Heller (Owner of 'Fabulous Furniture', huge fan of custom cars of the 1950's, artist & woodworker extraordinaire), and Martha Frankel - writer, celebrity interviewer, and author of the book 'Hats & Eyeglasses' - a highly anticipated book coming out Feb 2008. www.marthafrankel.com
In the background can be seen a workshop, and just a small portion of the parts available to be recycled into artisitc creations.
Start with one of those stainless steel fire extinguishers from the 1950's, add 1950's taillights to the nose and bottom, and you have the beginnings of a strap-on booster rocket...
Note too the long extended hood ornamentation either side of the (hair-dryer?) nose cone.
"Galaxie" (an appropriate-enough name for a rocket-shaped vehicle) uses rear fenders from 1959 Ford.
1963 Ford Comet tailights were already designed to look like rocket exhaust nozzles, so why not use them? The fins are from a 1959 Ford.
The Galaxie's nosecone is actually the tailight from a 1960 Dodge.
"Back to the Fuscia"
Headlight surround (surrounding the nosecone) is from a 1956 Dodge Custom Royal. The nosecone itself is probably the headlight bucket from an older (1930's era) car.
Tail fins from a 1956 Dodge Custom Royal were used to make "Back to the Fuscia" and yes, you really could get one in these colors.
The smaller tailights are from the 1956 Dodge. The larger tailight in the center is from a 1960 Buick
Fin-abulous!
This "Zippy" comic was actually published after Bill Griffith saw Steve's artwork on display at a show in Kingston, NY
Glowing light came from the reflection of the flash in the tailights' reflectors.
The Bread Alone Bakery is right next door and well worth the walk.
"Bread Alone" owner, Daniel Leader, is the author of several well-known cookbooks on baking bread. He has two very special baking ovens - the story of which can be read on his website: www.breadalone.com
I'll bet you didn't know that the unmanned prototype for Rockwell's SSTO (Single-Stage-To-Orbit) Mach-6 Space Plane was built by Oldmobile back in the 1950's...
Now do you believe me? (artist's concept of Rockwell's X-30 SSTO Space Plane). There's no way the resemblance is coincidental - Oldsmobile's designers really knew what they were doing!
Much of the paint was burned off by the searing heat of re-entry into the atmosphere at 25,000 miles/hour...
And the critics said all those fins weren't really functional...
All that chrome on the noses of 1950's automobiles was used because chrome has good heat resistance to the temperatures generated at high Mach numbers.
Chrome also has better weathering characteristics than steel.
A little oil on the joints here and there, and she'll be ready for another launch...
1956 DeSoto "Firedome"...Wasn't Gene Roddenbery inspired by these tailfins when he designed the engine pods for Star Trek's USS Enterprise?
Beam me up, Scotty
The tailights atop the four launcher pads are from a different car - If you don't recognize them here, see if you remember them when they appear on that car in a later photo in this album...
It's mounted in a way that permits it to spin in the wind, and it lights up at night.
Artist Steve Heller - Susie's newest friend.
Inside Steve's workshop - the beginnings of another lamp for the Fintasia Indoor Rocket Garden (see separate photo album).
The "FINTASIA", a gravity-powered downhill racer made from a sliced & diced 1958 Cadillac. It shoots flames out the back too!... "Use the FORCE (of gravity), Luke!"
Being re-furbished before being sent out to another show
Is that a Flux-Capacitor V-8? I thought they were only available on V-6's!
There are those beautiful tailights again, but not on the car they originally came from!
Just a small sampling of the parts Steve has collected for future projects
Parts ar protected by storage in steel trailers and by a vicious guard dog with some serious claws (see later photo)
Steve's fabulous "Bubble Car" - made from the full-width, (but shortened) front and rear fender clips from a 1946 Plymouth sedan. The 'greenhouse' or glass area ended up being used on that "Cement Mixer" rocket at the start of this album.
The windscreen is actually made from a pair of side-vent windows.
Originally designed to win the 2003 Kingston NY Artist's Soapbox Derby & Kinetic Sculpture Race (which it did!); it was later converted to run under it's own power when invited to participate in the 'Art Car' display at the NY International Auto Show at the Javits Center... The chassis and drivetrain are a modified lawn tractor.
Some golf cart company has just GOT to take molds off this and market a golf cart like this!
Believe it or not, the "bubble car" actually blows bubbles (instead of flames) out the back as it rolls down the hill in the artist's soap box derby
One could be forgiven for confusing it with a bathtub-bodied Porsche 356 from the rear.
Flameaholic
It doesn't need an 8-foot pole sticking up behind the driver tp remind me of an amusement park's "Bumper Car" - it's just too cute for words.
For a more comfortable and reliable ride, you can always start with an almost new Mercury Marquis...
& Create a "Marquis DeSoto" by grafting on the rear quarters & trunk lid from a 1957 DeSoto...
... and converting the face to incorporate '58 Lincoln headlights and fenders, a '55 Cadillac bumper set, a grille made from two '57 Corvette grilles, and a valence panel from an upside-down '58 Cadillac hood! Talk about a modern 'way-back' machine! You've can read all about the whole conversion and see the step-by-step pictures on Steve's website at http://www.fabulousfurnitureon28.com/merc.html
Steve's current Ford van with various 50's Cadillac bumper & grille parts. Flaming paint job by Steve Heller.
Is this the cat's pajamas or what? Steve Heller's customized 1959 Cadillac - the ultimate exression of 1950's styling... Believe it or not, this stunning car is for sale. Contact Steve at www.fabulousfurnitureon28.com
It's been said that the GM designers applied the chrome with a trowel, but wait!... They missed a spot!
Steve applies a set of custom 'bullet' headlight covers over the spots the designer's missed
Much better! (at least in the daytime)... and improved fuel economy too!
Loving the cars of the 1950's is all about appreciating the good times and Steve's one of those special people who always finds a way to stay happy.
The trunk lid has an amazing pinstriping job done by "Howie" - who also did all the airbrushing.
Wow! - Custom rear fender skirts, side pipes with flame throwers, flame pinstripes, and more chrome... Sorry I couldn't get a photo of the whole car in one shot, but it was parked in a garage. These details can be more interesting anyway and this is just one small area! The 'bubble side skirts are the world's longest. You'll have to check out Steve's website to see the full picture.
The '59 Caddy's interior with some custom features added.
Customized interior includes non-stock '59 Edsel tail-light seat extensions.
The ULTIMATE expression of 1950's design has to be the iconic tailfins of the 1959 Cadillac with their twin bullet tailights on each fin. GM's Chuck Jordan headed the design team, and David Holls is often credited with the best features of the design.
A great visit with a wonderful couple.
Steve riding his winning "Wrenchosaurus" (aka Tyranosaurus Wrench?) as seen in a poster from the event.
The propane tank in the belly feeds a flame thrower at the tip of the tongue (seen operating in the previous poster photo)
Steve Heller's storefront, located in Boiseville, NY on Route 28 that runs East-West through the Catskill mountains (see location on the Google map at the beginning of this album).
It has steering but no motor - similar to the rules of Soap-box derby cars, except that winners are rewarded more for creativity than speed.
Steve said that one day a guy dropped by wanting to unload several hundred wrenches that were all the same size - and an odd size at that. The rest is history.
This Crocosaurus ate the last lawnmower that got near it...
All sculptures are for sale. Steve's website shows many more that have already been sold. You can also commission a favorite object into a sculture.
Two velociraptors affectionately known as 'Roadkill' and 'Tyrannosaurus Wrecks'
'Spike'
'Ferrous Wheel'
Hot Rod Chicken
Ferrous Boiler's day off?
"Chicken Con Carnage"
"Lockjaw Chicken"
Check out the claws on Steve's guard dog! When 'Bread Alone' next door removed their old bakery oven, Steve turned its iron framework into another work of art (not shown). Steve is available to make custom pieces on commission if you have a favorite subject you want memorialized.
