PEGASUS STYLING CRITIQUES

Because of my commitment to the value of critiques, I'm presenting here comments on my Mustang Pegasus without editing (verbatim text). I will respond to each, but you're getting the unexpurgated text from each of the great guys who evaluated my model. When time permits in the near future, I'll comment on each critique within the body of that critique so that the commentaries can exist side-by-side for the sake of clarity. But, for now, enjoy what some very smart people have to say . . .

On to the Critiques...

Bill Spencer:

Excellent work on the Mustang, I always enjoy reading your buildups. I like the way you explain your changes, even if it's something I don't personally agree with. It helps knowing that it wasn''t "just put there" just to do it.

On the Mustang, I like the redone hood, especially the way it flows into the cowl and is reversed for the trunk. I also was glad to see that even though you filled in the rear windows, you didn't end up with the too-heavy side view of '67 & '68 Mustangs.

The only part of the design that looks odd to me is the rear fender/quarter panel area. The kick-up behind the doors combined with the slope of the lower rear fender edges and the curve of the roof make it look like the back third of the car is sticking up a hair. I've attached a Photoshopped image where I've lowered the rear of the car slightly, essentially taking a thin vertical wedge out of the car ahead of the rear wheels. It was based on the last photo on the buildup page.

Again, excellent work all around, I appreciate your taking the time to write these articles so we can learn more about both technique and general design principles.

Thanks,

Bill

Harry Pristovnik

Well...you asked, so here it is.

I think the rear overhang is disproportionately too long. I like the reshaped door lines, but removing the vents behind the side window was a mistake. The roof looks a bit heavy without them. I also don't think the indentation on the trunk lid does much. I prefer a cleaner, uncluttered look. (Of course, automotive styling is VERY subjective).

I've attached a very quick sketch of my version of a reworked Mustang rear end... literally done in about 20 minutes, on the fly. Not exactly thought out, but I think it works very well.

If you're interested in more of my ideas on styling, check the "Styling Snafus" thread in the 1:1 section of the SA site. I've done dozens and dozens of restyles there. Let me know what you think.

BTW...I've been following your Custom design contests in the magazine for years. Your commentary on the winners has always been insightful (and generally correct!)

People who see your finished models might not always realize how much work goes into them. The Pegasus "in progress" photos show how much work is actually involved in creating a custom model. Nice work!

Harry Pristovnik

Bill Austin

Hey Mark:

I agree with your point on correcting the lower edge of the back glass to the line of the upper edge. The Mustang is a rather small car and close juxtaposition of discordant lines or shapes is more noticeable.

A similar concern might be the chromed upper almost square corners of the back glass and the nearby non-chrome rounded upper rear corner of the door openings. This could be easily remedied by carrying the top and rear lines of the door glass opening to a corner. For consistency of roof opening edges, you might also chrome the door glass opening trim.

Another issue is the line of the rear edge of that opening and the door vs. the line of the rear of the "scoop" indentation and the rounded wheel well opening. These three different adjacent elements could be made less discordant by re-contouring the scoop line to be parallel with the door edge, giving a common flow to the linear characteristics and allowing the wheel well opening to remain arched. You might also move the scoop edge line forward some to lessen the narrowness of the strip between it and the wheel well flare.

I like the arched wheel wells, but one could take it an aggressive step further to be more compatible with the basically linear forms of the Mustang's body. The rear wheel well opening could be straightened, with the leading edge reflecting the slope of the door and scoop, the rear edge the slope of the tail – adjusting the door and tail to be mirrored slopes, and the top line of the opening to be flattened like the tops of the fenders. The front wheel well openings would have to be consistent with the rear ones, but a little taller.

In keeping with the basically linear forms of the Mustang, I agree that rounding the roof too much is not desirable. It would, if taken to the extreme, be like putting a fighter plane canopy on a brick. However, I feel taking it much beyond that of the curvature of the hood and trunk is a bit much. Keeping it more subtle would be better.

I generally like the back, but slightly flattened exhaust tips to reflect the taillight forms above would be nice. I think once you have a license plate in the opening for it, it might help give a visual termination to the sweep of the trunk deck indentation, which might be a little wider to flow more easily with the hood scoop and the license plate opening.

While the idea of cleaning up the leading edges of the hood and headlight eyebrows is good, to clean the headlight area up even further you could simplify things by moving the hood edge to the character line. That would allow the hood to cleanly form the top of the grille opening, the fender and headlight eyebrow to be a single form, and eliminate the unnecessary divergence of the character line and the hood edge. This would also faintly echo the past when fenders and hoods were distinct.

– Bill Austin