Book Design: Used Buggy Parts

A FIELD GUIDE TO “AUTOMOTIVE ENTOMOLO GY ”

Dominic R. Sondy, Author and Illustrator The images presented in ”Used Buggy Parts” are digital composites; composed of select pieces and/or parts from my personal stock galleries of vintage and classic cars. Digital Illustration is a detail-oriented process requiring skill and patience. It is not a Photoshop ﬁlter or some kind of computer plug-in. Like any other artist, a digital artist’s skill level, or lack there of, is on display along with his work. The techniques and tools used to create a digital illustration are similar to those used to make an illustration with pen and ink. I’ve combined my years of experience, as a photographer and artist, to create these images for your viewing pleasure. Please do not reproduce them without permission. The “Buggy Parts” images are available for purchase in various sizes, please visit Dominic’s website: www.vintageimage.biz for more information.

ILLUSTR ATED & WRITTEN BY DOMINIC R. SONDY

A FIELD GUIDE TO “AUTOMOTIVE ENTOMOLOGY”

ILLU S TR ATED & WR IT TEN BY D OMINI C R. S ONDY

Purchase any/all of the the “Buggy Parts” images from this book. Use the QR Code to access Vintage Images on-line store.

© Dominic R. Sondy (2010) All rights reserved. Vintage Image - a division of Creative Aces Corporation. Images contained in the this document may not be copied, reproduced or republished in any way; including e-mail or other electronic means without the owners consent.

W R I T T E N & I L L U S T R AT E D B Y D O M I N I C R . S O N D Y

he whimsical title Used Buggy Parts is play on words with historic roots. At the beginning of the 20th Century automobiles were frequently referred to as “buggies.” That affectionate nickname was a holdover from times when horses pulled small carriages (also called buggies). These digital compositions were fashioned exclusively from images of automotive (buggy) parts. As each concept evolved, its final form became more definitively “buggy.” Not surprising, really, when one considers the buggy origins of their parts. The description accompanying each image, explain specifically what automotive parts were used to assemble each bug and reveal the evolutionary development of each creature in automotive entomological terms. “Automotive Entomology” is a faux field of study created exclusively to describe the amalgamation of cars and insects. Any resulting puns and/or double entendres are intentional and were included to enhance the fun.

utomotive entomologists have deduced that all Radiator Bees evolved from a common ancestor. The original Queen bee probably survived a near fatal encounter with a leaking automobile radiator. Bees are naturally attracted to sweet pollen. Therefore it wasn’t surprising that the Radiator Bee’s not-so-ancient female relative, dazed from her introduction to some car’s grillwork, acquired a taste for sweet automotive coolant. Automotive antifreeze contains glycol; a potent form of alcohol. In her impaired and weaken condition the Queen Radiator Bee apparently mistook the honeycomb-like openings in the radiator for her home hive and laid her eggs. The resulting offspring inherited their mother’s taste for glycol and began to assume the metallic look of their environment. The Radiator Bee’s nose, head and body segments have The Radiator Bee’s evolved to look like headlights and headlight housings. wings are chrome hot rod grills with A chrome Chevy truck grill collar connects the two antennae being made main body parts. Graham taillights serve for eyes. from mirror stems. The legs have the appearance of chrome bumper parts with feet fashioned from 1949 Hudson pickup truck grill parts. The Radiator Bee’s wings are chrome hot rod grills with antennae being made from mirror stems. High glycol levels make Radiator Bee behavior unique among insects and unusual among bees. They thrive in cold temperatures when most other insects hibernate. Most bees are social. Radiator Bees are loners with extreme mood swings. They are either warm and friendly or mean and combative. Radiator Bees know no middle ground and therefore human contact is not recommended.

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

ower and speed are characteristic to both auto racing and flying. Pilots and drag racers share a common thrill: ‘G’ forces pinning them into their seats. This Dragin’ Fly’s powerful take-off and airborne maneuverability contribute to its thrilling performance and its consideration for becoming the first “crossover” insect. The Dragin’ Fly’s eyes, and all of his tail segments, came from a 1949 Hudson pick-up truck. Its mouthparts were once suspension parts that graced a T-Bucket hot rod. The Dragin’ Fly’s neck was part of a Chevy pick-up truck grill. His first body segment came from the trunk-lid of a Buick Centurion prototype and his multi-colored wings (modified 1938 Ford grills) are attached to a body segment made from another (Chevy) grill. This Dragin’ Fly’s legs were once custom side-pipes and exhaust header parts from two different cars. A rare Graham motorcar taillight is the perfect ending for the Dragin’ Fly’s last appendage.

The Dragin’ Fly’s eyes, and all of his tail segments, came from a 1949 Hudson pick-up truck.

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

he Gashopper is a colorful creature found primarily on the perimeter of areas affected by petroleum spills. It feeds exclusively on tainted foliage that would be lethal to any other insect. The Gashopper’s head, thorax and wings each bear a strong resemblance to grills from 1930s-era automobiles. This relative of the locust also sports distorted chrome mirror antennae and tiny chrome mouthparts that reveal its vintage car origins. This unique representative of the order Orthoptera has a shiny chrome eyelid over a baby-moon eye. The redness of its half-open eye is probably the result of ingesting too much petroleum distillate.

The Gashopper’s head, thorax and wings each bear a strong resemblance to grills from 1930s-era automobiles.

The Gashopper exhibits an unusual pale blue shoulder spot that is as round and reﬂective as any Ford truck headlight. Powerful legs, with custom side-pipe markings, provide locomotion and support for the intriguing Gashopper.

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

Field Notes pages have been included in this ﬁeld guide. They have been provided for readers to catalog their Automotive Entomological observations. This space can be used to note the date, length of time, behavior, and location of each encounter. We have even provided a place to sketch the creatures. See example page. Please limit your automotive insect explorations to your own vehicles. Otherwise you will require permission from the owner. Certain legal ramiﬁcations could result in poking around any car randomly selected in a parking lot. Many people have attempted to photograph automotive bugs. This is especially futile when using cell phone cameras. Automotive bugs are invariably small creatures. Cell phone camera lenses do not have the macro capabilities necessary to focus down onto such tiny creatures. Suggested Starting Points For Novice Automotive Entomologists

Windshield Wiper Weevil

Coachwork Cockroach

This is the most common and smallest of all automotive bugs. Therefore a microscope is required to see them. This annoying little beetle, with a long head formed into a cleft snout. They feed on the tapered edge of windshield wiper blades. The Windshield Wiper Weevil is the number one cause of streaking wiper blades. These pests are easily eradicated with the little packet of insecticide (labeled as “blade conditioner”) that comes with a new set of wiper blades. This pest almost always attacks the driver’s side wiper ﬁrst. Its ancestors came from the family Rhynchophora.

This bug lives in food debris and wrappers found on the ﬂoor, under seats and in backseats of less-than-meticulously maintained automobiles. The Coachwork Cockroach has retained eating habits, and much of the appearance, of its non-automotive ancestors. It is differentiated from the household pest by a metallic sheen on its exoskeleton. The Coachwork Cockroach is almost impossible to kill. The only way to end an infestation is by cleaning-up the mess. Coachwork Cockroaches are members of the order Blattodea.

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

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early one hundred years ago Buick built a red streamliner race car and named it “The Bug”. The “bug” moniker became popular again, almost 50 years latter, when it was applied to a German “People’s Car”. That car was small, sort of cute and not terribly fast: a lady’s bug. This Ladybug, perched on an automotive emblem, got her orange carapace from the front fender of a custom Model A hot rod. Her distinctive spots (each one unique) are headlights from various classic automobiles. This Ladybug’s head shield is a radiator grill from a 1930s-era sedan. The keyhole trim, from a Pontiac prototype, forms the eyes and her antennae are fashioned from mirror stems. The Ladybug’s delicate legs were once chrome header pipes.

The keyhole trim, from a Pontiac prototype, forms the eyes and her antennae are fashioned from mirror stems.

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

ifter ticks commonly occur in older engines. The sound of a Lifter Tick, emanating from under an engine’s valve cover, can give a powerful gasoline power plant the delicate resonance of an antique watch. The source of this annoying sound has been discovered to be an unusual creature that had never been seen—much less photographed. The Lifter Tick’s unusual shell markings resemble one of their favored habitats: a ’53 Chevy. Its legs, with jagged trailing edges, bear the painted design of a Model A hot rod. The Lifter Tick’s head and eyes seem to have The Lifter Tick’s been fashioned from vintage headlights. Mirror like unusual shell markings antennae sprout just forward of this nuisance creature’s resemble one of their black striped chrome neck. favored habitats: a ’53 Luckily, bothersome Lifter Ticks are easily eliminated. A simple valve adjustment is better than insecticide when it comes to exterminating these aggravating automotive manifestations.

Chevy.

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

utomotive Lubric Ants exist in two forms. They are red or they are black. Black Automotive Lubric Ants start life in a rich brown egg and darken, at each successive stage of development, until appearing black in adulthood. Red Lubric Ants are always red. All ants are part of the insect family Formicidae. Black Automotive Lubric Ants’ closest non-automotive relative is the common Carpenter Ant. Automotive Entomologists believe that Lubric Ants’ distinctively “automotive” appearance is attributable to a process identiﬁed as “selective mutation”.

The original colony’s descendents mutated and eventually developed a total immunity to the otherwise poisonous automotive oils.

Apparently, in the not-too-distant past, a colony of Black Carpenter Ants had a junk yard installed near their home. Their natural food source had been eliminated and replaced with car parts. These pragmatic creatures developed a taste for the closest substitute to natural wood: the cellulose from discarded car air filters. The Black Ants ingested small amounts of petroleum distillate, trapped inside each filter’s cellulose fibers. The usually toxic distillate became a regular part of the ant’s newly expanded nutritional regime. The only reason engine oils, as a dietary supplement, were not immediately harmful to the ants was because they were exposed to it in very small doses. The original colony’s descendents mutated and eventually developed a total immunity to the otherwise poisonous automotive oils.

Continued....

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

Once this happened, the now immune insects expanded their diet even further. They began to eat the cellulose in oil ﬁlters as well. That increase in oil consumption triggered a major change in their appearance. The Keratin protein, forming the Black Automotive Lubric Ant’s exoskeleton, began to assume exotic shapes. Its skull developed ﬁne parallel lines usually found in custom automotive coachwork. The ant’s main body segment morphed into what appears to be an amalgamation of a 1940 Ford headlight and a custom Model A grill. The Black Ant’s tail segment has some of the same design elements of grillwork found on older Chevy pick-up trucks. Their smallish multi-faceted eyes transformed; assuming the glazed look, and color, of brake lights. All of these mutations have been attributed to the introduction of petrochemicals into the insect’s diet.

The Black Ant’s tail segment has some of the same design elements of grillwork found on older Chevy pick-up trucks.

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

A FIELD GUIDE TO

“AUTOMOTIVE ENTOMOLOGY”

ed Automotive Lubric Ants are the other, more colorful, members of the Automotive Formicidae family. Their closest non-automotive relative is the Fire Ant.

Red Automotive Lubric Ants have the same immunity for toxic petroleum products that Black Lubric Ants have. Their petroimmunity is also attributable to the process of “selective mutation” through diet. However, Red Lubric Ants have added a slightly gruesome twist to their invulnerability story. Red Automotive Lubric When compared to the Ants are predatory. Their major food source is Black grill-like Black Lubric Ant’s posterior the Red Automotive Lubric Ants. This near cannibalistic Ant’s tail terminal is element of their nutritional regime has extended the rounder and shaped Black Ant’s petroleum protection to the Red Ant. It more like a headlight. has also contributes to the transformation of the Red Ant’s appearance. The Red Automotive Lubric Ant’s cranium retains the slatted lines of its black relative. But Red Ants have developed oversized babymoon eyes and piercing mouthparts. These modiﬁed parts enable them to detect and devour prey. Red Automotive Lubric Ants have a main body segment that is similar to a Black Lubric Ants. When compared to the grill-like Black Lubric Ant’s posterior the Red Ant’s tail terminal is rounder and shaped more like a headlight. With the exception of their red color, all of the extremities extending from the Red Lubric Ant’s body are identical to those found on a Black Automotive Lubric Ant.

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

he Lunar Cruise Moth is an unusual insect. It appears ﬂeetingly, and is usually observed from a distance, on moonlit summer nights. Most moths are attracted to light. The Lunar Cruise Moth is captivated by music and has a strong aÿ nity for nostalgic ‘doo-wop’ harmonies. This beautiful member of the order Lepidoptera has luminescent pearl white wings enhanced with markings that resemble a 1940 Ford grill. The Lunar Cruise Moth’s gun metal grey head, shaped like a reversed headlight, has delicate rivet detail around its base. Reﬂective eyes gleam in the moonlight like automotive mirrors and are accented by elegant feathered antennae.

Reﬂective eyes gleam in the moonlight like automotive mirrors and are accented by elegant feathered antennae.

Intricate parallel body lines, much like the grills of some Model A Ford hot rods, provide the body segments of the Lunar Cruise Moth with a unique look that distinguishes it from all other moths.

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

he Lunar Cruise Moth begins life, like most other insects, in the form of a tiny nondescript egg. That egg hatches and the resultant larval stage is pictured here as a caterpillar. Eventually the caterpillar spins a cocoon; where it metastasizes into a pupa and becomes a Lunar Cruise Moth.

Each of the Lunar Cruise Moth Caterpillar’s transverse striped body segments mimics the appearance of a ‘50’s era Ford pick-up

The Lunar Cruise Moth Caterpillar’s shield-shaped head bears a strong resemblance to a ’37 Studebaker truck grill. Its large circular eyes have the reﬂective shine of baby moon hubcaps. This larval moth’s modest sensory array includes antennae capped with mirror-like chrome disks. Each of the Lunar Cruise Moth Caterpillar’s transverse striped body segments mimics the appearance of a ‘50’s era Ford pick-up truck. Stubby feet, concealed under colored headlight-like spots, are located laterally on each of the body sections. The caterpillar’s tail looks like a red-framed Model A Ford Grill topped with another grill from a ’37 Chevy. Custom Mercury side pipe “Curb Feelers” hang on either side of its terminal appendage and give the Lunar Cruise Moth Caterpillar a tactile sense of where it has been.

truck.

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

A FIELD GUIDE TO

“AUTOMOTIVE ENTOMOLOGY”

his rare image of a Mileage Millipede was captured while the creature was temporarily exposed on the underside of a vehicle gas cap. It escaped, almost immediately after this picture was taken, through the cap’s vent holes to its usual dark hiding place inside the hollow ﬁller cap. The individual segments of a Mileage Millipede bear a striking resemblance to Duesenberg headlamps. Constant exposure to gasoline fumes has affected the coloration on the backside of these body-segments. They have assumed a multi-colored look; like the refraction of light that The Millipede’s head occurs when gasoline ﬂoats on water. This automotive is shaped like the arthropod literally has 1,000 legs. Each little leg chrome trunk-lock resembles a slat from a 1947 Oldsmobile grill.

trim found on an early ‘50’s Buick Centurion prototype.

The Millipede’s head is shaped like the chrome trunklock trim found on an early ‘50’s Buick Centurion prototype. The eyes of this Diplopod mimic custom hubcaps. The creature’s antennas are strikingly similar to exterior side mirrors from some 1930’s era automobile. Each antenna has been topped with a Graham’s taillight. That same ending effect has been repeated on the Mileage Millipede’s tail.

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

he apex predator of automotive insect world was named for its eight shock absorber shaped legs. This venomous member of the Order Scorpionida stalks other automotive bugs on articulated appendages that have a gleaming chrome ﬁnish. Strong arms, shaped like the muscular corners of a ‘57 Chevy front bumper, support its massive pincers. These grim grippers were patterned from the front fender of a panel truck. The Suspension Scorpion’s head, eyes and tail terminus were fashioned from various head and taillights. Its shining chrome body, with horizontal slats, was created from the grill of a Buick Special.

This nocturnal arachnid’s four tail segments once guarded the front bumper of a ’47 Oldsmobile.

This nocturnal arachnid’s four tail segments once guarded the front bumper of a ’47 Oldsmobile. A slender black hypodermic stinger marks a potentially unhappy ending from this stealthy creepy crawler.

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

he Porsche Spyder was a small sexy sports car. The Cleavage Spyder also exhibits racy good looks and is assembled from automotive components.

A small portion of a 1950’s era Chevy pick-up truck grill forms this Spyder’s head. Unlike arachnid spiders, the Cleavage Spyder’s mouthparts were not designed to deliver a poisonous bite. Its pronged fangs and massive mandibles were fashioned from the front suspension parts of two separate Model T hot rods.

The jewel-like body of

the Cleavage Spyder The Cleavage Spyder relies on eight shining chrome was once a grill from a legs for support. These gleaming appendages are linked 1937 truck. to the main body segment of this automotive arachnid by black custom side pipe covers. The jewel-like body of the Cleavage Spyder was once a grill from a 1937 truck. A chrome hood accent (part of that original grill) brings the Cleavage Spyder’s main body segment to a graceful end.

The Cleavage Spyder’s racy heritage is exhibited by its enviable choice of habitat.

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

he Manifold Mantis shares many characteristics with its religious cousin the Praying Mantis. Like the pious gardenvariety mantis the Manifold Mantis is also a voracious and aggressive ambush predator. It too is a bold daytime hunter. A venomous sting makes the Suspension Scorpion a larger threat to its fellow automotive insects. Otherwise a missing stinger is the only thing that prevents the Manifold Mantis from surpassing the Scorpion in an entomological competition for the title of top predator. Large eyes, looking like red ’40 Ford headlights, dominate two corners of the Manifold Mantis’s triangular head. An insatiable mouth, framed by powerful chrome tailpipe mandibles, occupies the remaining corner of the triangle. The Manifold Mantis’s sensory array has been augmented with antennae that have more twists and turns than an automotive exhaust system. Horizontal chrome slats, similar to a custom Studebaker’s grill, separate the grotesquely oversized facial features while lending detail to a countenance that only a mother could love.

Its forelegs, fashioned from the formed sheet metal of a panel truck hood and grasping claws made from fenders, are also hung from the same rigid exoskeleton castings.

The Manifold Mantis’s slender neck has the structural strength of a cast metal transaxle case and is more than adequate at providing support for the creature’s head. Its forelegs, fashioned from the formed sheet metal of a panel truck hood and grasping claws made from fenders, are also hung from the same rigid exoskeleton castings. The green color serves to show how evolution hasn’t quite caught-up. It is a holdover from recent times when these bugs roamed exclusively in the wild as opposed to its current habitat of crevasses in manifolds and engine cowlings. 34

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

DOMINIC R. SONDY

USED BUGGY PARTS

A FIELD GUIDE TO

“AUTOMOTIVE ENTOMOLOGY”

Dominic R. Sondy has spent most of his career behind the lens capturing events, locations, people and a variety of subjects. Vintage Image has been digital for several years using the professional-standard camera and ancillary equipment. Dominic is also versed in Adobe Photoshop. This technical combination produces sometimes strange and fantastic results. His background includes Chief Photographer with one of the nation’s most respected tradeshow photography companies, Chicago Tribune advertising sales and a Correspondent in the U.S. Army. Digital illustration is a detail-oriented process requiring skill and patience. It is not a Photoshop ﬁlter or some kind of computer plug-in. The techniques and tools used to create digital illustrations are similar to those used to make an illustration with pen and ink.

Visit the Vintage Image website (www.vintageimage. biz) to purchase images used in this book or any of the other collections including: Great Lakes Maritime — Tall ships, USCG, tugs, car ferry and more. New Orleans’ Garden District — Beautiful study of this historic neighborhood. Coleman’s Trolley — Views from Detroit’s People Mover. Saigon Shuffle — Images from Dominic’s Vietnam memoir, of the same name. Classic Car Hood Ornaments and Emblems — Museum quality cars. WEBSITES: www.vintageimage.biz www.saigonshufﬂe.com SOCIAL MEDIA CONNECTIONS: www.facebook.com/VintageImage www.twitter.com/vintageimg

Vintage Image is a division of Creative Aces Corporation, a design, imaging and publishing ﬁrm.

I N PRODUC T ION NOW ! FORWARD: This is a collection of individual tree photographs and their bi-laterally enhanced counterparts. The intriguing shapes and textures, observable at ground level, in the trees rooted in Chicago’s Lincoln Park were my subjects. If trees could be designated “historic”, some of the honored foliage would be the old willows on the edge of North Pond. They appear to have survived a succession of catastrophes and their survival has given them a certain character. They just had to be photographed. But it was another tree, with a massive base that bent 90 degrees horizontal before splitting into five vertical branches, that made me think of bi-lateral symmetry. This odd old tree, with a bent trunk vaguely resembling a huge hand with a wrist, palm and fingers, made me wonder: What would it look like if a mirror image of that hand was flipped over and joined back onto itself? Initially, I was thinking “basket”. The resulting image was much more than that: it was a very cool color Rorschach Inkblot. The light and shadow on the leaves, and the patterns formed by the branches combined to form abstract shapes. Everyone that viewed this picture envisioned detailed images formed in the in the seam where the two pictures were joined and each person saw something slightly different. Visit the website to preview this book and follow the links to share your observations and opinions about each image.

CAN’T SEE THE FOREST

FOR THE TREES

CAN’T SEE THE FOREST

FOR THE TREES

CAN’T SEE THE FOREST

FOR THE TREES

A FIELD GUIDE TO “AUTOMOTIVE ENTOMOLO GY ”

ILLUSTR ATED & WRITTEN BY DOMINIC R. SONDY