Irvin Arter Jr.'s 1948 Ford Woody
(click the image to go back)
With some builders you can know a model is their work
by simply looking at it. Their models display some, usually
indefinable, characteristic that tells the world who built
them. With Irvin's models, that characteristic is known
as the "Arter Rake". Whether he's building a
street machine, muscle car, hot rod, or custom, Irvin
always starts by setting the rake. He then builds the
model around the way it will sit.
This woody is no exception. Irvin's first task was setting
the rake, which included lowering the car all the way
around. Irvin usually spends a good bit of time selecting
just the right wheels and tires to give his cars the "look"
he's after. This time, instead of exotic aftermarket wheels
and high-tech tires, he found that the factory-issue rolling
stock was exactly what he needed. He hand painted the
kit whitewall tires and sprayed the steelies in hot rod
red.