Car Prep was issued a challenge: provide the means to float a Hyundai Tucson on the surface of a lake and make it look like it was driving on the water. After a concept was developed, presented and approved, a used pontoon party boat was purchased and modified to act as a platform for the car, complete with rollers under the tires that could turn a propeller for motivation on the water.
Testing was performed at a local ocean boat dock and, once it was confirmed the platform actually worked, the rig was trucked to the East Coast for a blustery lakefront photo shoot. Althoug there were many challenges to making the shoot work, the Car Prep technicians overcame the odds and the shoot was a success.
'Message From Space'
In January of 2015, Car Prep was on-set and actively involved with the 'Message From Space' corporate commercial shoot for Hyundai Motor Corporation in the Nevada desert. Produced by Los Angeles-based Duo Films, the record-setting shoot involved thirteen GPS-equipped Genesis Sedans that carved a message into the desert floor which could be seen from the orbiting International Space Station.
After much experimentation, we figured out the best way for each car's tire to make a clean cut into the desert floor surface was to attach several rings of motorcycle chain around the circumference of each tire, using up almost 2500 feet of chain in the process. The end result was a spectacular video that connected technology and emotion, so click the link below and be amazed!
When our client asked us to deliver their mobile DJ display car to a Grammy party in a Florida hotel ballroom, we learned the ballroom doorway was too narrow for the car to drive through. Our solution: flip the car on its side! A custom rig was designed and built to be attached to a set of steel wheels that allowed the car to be rotated 90 degrees and rolled through the narrow doorway. Problem solved, let the music pump!
Car Prep was approached by a video production agency to re-create a custom dune buggy for a Robbie Williams music video, inspired by the vehicle driven by Steve McQueen in 'The Thomas Crown Affair'. A very rough rat buggy was acquired and shipped to us, not running and in desperate need of major renovations and repairs to make it camera-ready in only FIVE DAYS! Our technicians swarmed the car with the clock ticking away... tick... tick... tick...
Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway in the buggy from 'The Thomas Crown Affair'
The original was Corvair-powered and unavailable for the video shoot
Non-running, forlorn and ready for the Car Prep techs
Once the bondo dust had settled, our technicians stepped back to gaze upon their work of five straight days. The rat buggy had been transformed: interior gutted, renovated and re-installed... relocated fuel tank... replaced body side rails... customized rear deck and luggage rack... customized headlamps and enclosures... complete Mirabeau Blue metalflake paint... custom-fabricated Lexan wraparound windshield... complete electrical re-wiring... new mag wheels... vinyl racing stripes.
Although additional time would have allowed us to perform even more magic, the production schedule deadline took the car away from us at 7PM on the fifth build day. The car was headed out to the desert for the shoot, and we took great pride in another Car Prep project completed on-time and built-to-specifications.
Prepped and ready for shipment, the renovated buggy now looks good enough for a famous singer to be seen in
The VeeDub engine was strong and loud, chromed out and ready to roll
The image below is a still taken from the Hyundai Genesis Sedan 'Time Lapse' internet video, where a team of three Car Prep technicians and two cameramen deconstructed a car under the watchful eye of a camera mounted in the rafters of the studio. The shoot took a total of three full days and the entire one-minute video can be seen at http://youtu.be/yAxtTUFN520. Be sure to check out the interactive links to see different parts groups from the car... very cool!
Hyundai Genesis Sedan, deconstructed
To celebrate winning two J.D. Powers Awards for their products, Hyundai Motor America needed a way to make their building's graphics really jump off the wall of their corporate facility in Fountain Valley, California. CAR PREP was contracted to create freestanding 'broken glass' shards that appeared to have landed on the lawn after getting blown off the side of the building. Facing the incredibly busy I-405 San Diego Freeway for over six weeks, this marketing art project was viewed by literally hundreds of thousands of daily commuters, much to Hyundai's delight!
Hyundai Motor America 'Broken Glass' Display
These 'glass shards' were fabricated from mirrored plexiglass, tinted to match the building's exterior and fitted with rear-mounted stands and sight blinds to give the appearance they had wedged into the lawn.
