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Sports and Recreation: Racecars

Automobile Weathervane – Porsche 356 – Silhouette

Written by WCWV on .

Our Porsche 356 Speedster Weather Vane is a classic basic silhouette style weathervane. It is made entirely of medium gage copper and we have used solder to delineate the door, windshield, convertible top, wheels, head and tailings and bumpers. The hubcaps are actually copper pennies, part of a ‘good luck’ tradition in weathervane making that dates back to the Victorian Age. The customer requested that we include pennies from years that were special to him and we soldered them in place with their dates displayed outwards for viewing.

Viewed against the skyline, silhouette weathervanes are visually effective and sleek. They are aerodynamic, fully functional, and require less time to fabricate than swell-bodied or fully 3-D weathervanes, which usually makes them less expensive than their multi-piece counterparts.

We are often able to reduce the design fee for our more mechanical weathervane commissions if detailed schematic drawings are available. Also helpful are photos of the actual vehicle including detailed photos of insignia, detailing, interiors, etc. With this information we are often able to make truly personalized enhancements. If actual scaled down models are available, we often find them helpful guides during the construction process.

Silhouette vanes range from basic, such as the one shown here to highly detailed. They can also include a horizontal tube below the wheels to represent the ground or we can add a half arrow tip and fletching (see our Porsche Carrera weathervane for an example), to indicate wind direction. Since each weathervane is built to individual order, we are happy to personalize your weathervane to your specifications.

The Porsche 356 was a lightweight and nimble-handling rear-engine rear-wheel-drive 2-door sports car available in hardtop coupe and open configurations. Design innovations continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its motorsports success and popularity. Production started in 1948 at Gmünd, Austria, where approximately 50 cars were built. In 1950 the factory relocated to Germany, and general production of the 356 continued until April 1965. Of the 76,000 originally produced, approximately half survive.

Automobile Weathervane – Porsche 911, 1967 Hardtop

Written by Catherine B on .

Our Porsche 911 Hardtop Weathervane was first commissioned as a gift. The couple was building a new barn, and the wife thought her husband would love to have a weather vane of his classic Porsche spinning at the crest of the roof line. She selected a large size because of the viewing distance from the ground to the top of the barn. The car is crafted in copper in swell-bodied style. It is a ‘mirror image’ meaning it looks exactly the same from both sides. She requested optional palladium gilding on the windows, bumpers, headlights and tires. This will create a nifty visual as the copper weathers, darkens and patinas. And because of hurricane risk in the area she opted for the addition of a Security Device. The gift was a big success!

The ‘Lucky Pennies‘ for this piece are capping the copper tube the car is ‘riding on’, and there is also a personal message inscribed on the bar.

If you are a Porsche fan, we also have a design for a 911 Carrera and a Porsche 356 in silhouette. While being simpler for us to create, silhouette weather vanes give you a lot of visual impact while coming in at a lower cost.

Porsche 911 Carrera
Porsche 356

Automobile Weathervane – Porsche Carrera 911 – Silhouette

Written by WCWV on .

The Porsche Carrera Weathervane shown here was originally commissioned in 2008 by a customer in Tennessee. He was building a new four car garage, affectionately dubbed ‘Garaj Mahal’ with a 42” square cupola on top. He ordered his weathervane  in the medium size (two-foot sculpture piece) to complement the scale of the building.

He also requested optional gold leaf for the tail and side lights and palladium leaf on the door handles, hubcaps, headlights, back bumper and side support. As his copper and brass weathervane takes on the beautiful patina of age, the optional leafing will remain bright, enhancing the contrast in color between the different metals.

We typically offer our silhouette weathervanes in the small (one-foot sculpture piece) and medium (two-foot sculpture piece) sizes. If you are looking for a larger weathervane, we recommend going with a swell-bodied style or fully 3-D weathervane. Swell-bodied and 3-D vanes consist of multiple shaped pieces that are then soldered together, providing important structural support.

We are often able to reduce the design fee for some of our more mechanical weathervane commissions if detailed schematic drawings are available. Also helpful are detailed photos of the actual vehicle. Photos of insignia, detailing, interiors, etc., make personalized enhancements to the weathervane possible. If actual scaled down models are available, we often find them helpful guides during the construction process.

In addition to the Porsche Carrera, we also offer a silhouette Porsche Roadster weathervane. The Porsche Roadster weather vane is made of a single sheet of medium gage copper while the Carrera vane is made up of several layers of copper to which considerable detail has been added. The Carrera also has a half arrow to indicate wind direction while the Roadster does not. Depending on your preference and budget, we can add or subtract features to arrive at the combination that works best for you.

Automobile Weathervane Rolls Royce – 3D

Written by Claudia DeBorde on .

This Classic Rolls Royce Weathervane is one of our very early projects. It is fully three dimensional and wonderfully visual in its garden setting. As shown here, the Rolls Royce was crafted in copper, brass and nickel silver. A friend of ours made the hand blown glass Winged Victory as the hood ornament. The Rolls Royce featured in these images was made 20+ years ago. Since then, our technique has improved considerably. Our more recent commission of a 3D Mercedes Benz 300 SL Weathervane exemplifies the skill level and techniques of our wonderful team and would be applied to the construction of any new automobile weathervane commissions.

Mercedes-Weathervane-1957-300-SL-Detail-4-P

We are often able to reduce the design fee for some of our more mechanical weathervane commissions if detailed schematic drawings are available. Also helpful are detailed photos of the actual vehicle. If customers can provide us with photos of insignia, detailing, interiors, etc., we are often able to make personalized enhancements. One often overlooked consideration is to get detailed photos of the undercarriage of the vehicle as this is an important view when looking up at a weathervane. If actual scaled down models are available, we often find them helpful guides during the construction process.

With our fully 3-D weathervanes, we usually offer our customers the option of Basic, Standard or Deluxe versions. With Basic 3-D designs, details are kept to a minimum. With Standard 3-D, more details are added to the exterior but the interior is left very basic. With Deluxe 3-D weathervanes, we also add full details to the interior, even though the interior is typically not visible when displayed on top of a roof. As a future collectible, however, the interior detail is a sought after characteristic.

In 1884, Frederick Henry Royce started an electrical and mechanical business. He made his first car, a ‘Royce’, in his Manchester factory in 1904. He was introduced to Charles Stewart Rolls at the Midland Hotel in Manchester on May 4 of that year, and the pair agreed to a deal where Royce would manufacture cars, to be sold exclusively by Rolls. A clause was added to the contract stipulating the cars would be called ‘Rolls-Royce’. The company was formed on March 15, 1906, and moved to Derby in 1908. The Silver Ghost (1906-1925) was responsible for the company’s early reputation. It had a 6-cylinder engine and 6173 cars were built. In 1921, the company opened a second factory in Springfield, Massachusetts (in the United States to help meet demand), where a further 1701 ‘Springfield Ghosts’ were built. This factory operated for 10 years, closing in 1931. The Rolls Royce chassis was used as a basis for the first British armoured car and was used in both world wars.

Car Weathervane – 2001 Corvette Silhouette

Written by WCWV on .

This classic 2001 Corvette Weather Vane was originally commissioned by a customer to go on top a new garage being built to house his prized car collection near Palm Springs, California. He chose to have his vane constructed of copper with nickel silver and optional gold leafed accents. Our customers are welcome to choose metal combinations that can include copper, brass, nickel silver, and optional gold or palladium leaf.

Given the Corvette’s popularity, in addition to this 2001 Corvette Weathervane, we also offer 1963 and 1967 Corvette Weather Vanes. Because we specialize in custom copper weathervanes, please let us know if you have another make or model you would like. We would be happy to work up a quote to make it for you.

We are often able to reduce the design fee for some of our more mechanical weathervane commissions if detailed schematic drawings are available. If you can provide us with photos of the actual vehicle, its insignia, detailing, interiors, etc., we are often able to make personalized enhancements to the weathervane. If actual scaled down models are available, we often find them helpful guides during the construction process.

We typically offer our silhouette weathervanes in the small (one-foot sculpture piece) and medium (two-foot sculpture piece) sizes. If you are looking for a larger weathervane, we recommend going with a swell-bodied style or fully 3-D weathervane. Because swell-bodied and 3-D vanes consist of multiple shaped pieces that are shaped and then soldered together, they provide the necessary structural support in the larger sizes.

The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors (GM) that has been produced in seven generations. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after the type of small, maneuverable warship called a corvette. Production of the C5 Corvette began in 1997 and ended with the 2004 model year. The C5 had a top speed of 181 mph (291 km/h) and was judged by the automotive press as improved in nearly every area over the previous Corvette design, thanks to the car’s much increased structural rigidity and enhanced curvaceous design.

Car Weathervane – Camaro Silhouette

Written by WCWV on .

Silhouette style automobile weathervanes are a popular option here at West Coast Weather Vanes and this classic 1969 Camaro Weathervane  ‘Muscle Car’ is no exception. As shown here it was crafted in copper and nickel silver with optional gold and palladium leaf. By layering the copper over the nickel silver, we are able to increase its strength while adding to its visual interest. We can also add a half arrow tip and fletching to this weathervane if desired.

This weathervane was originally commissioned as a Father’s Day gift and now sits atop a converted stagecoach house, built in 1791, that serves as a muscle car shop, working largely with stock cars. Quite fitting actually, when you consider that copper weathervanes came over with the colonialists and were often displayed on the buildings of that time to convey what work took place within.

If you look closely, you can see the hubcaps are actually ‘lucky’ pennies. They were selected by the recipient’s daughter to represent special years in her father’s life. The weathervane ‘lucky’ penny tradition started in the Victorian age so this weathervane encapsulates a large part of the history of our country; from 1791 through the Victorian Age, as well as the age of the classic muscle car up to the present. A pretty special gift, don’t you think?

We are often able to reduce the design fee for some of our more mechanical weathervane commissions if detailed schematic drawings are available. Also helpful, are detailed photos of the actual vehicle we will be making. If customers can provide us with detailed photos of insignia, detailing, interiors, etc., we are often able to make personalized enhancements to their weathervane. If actual scaled down models are available, we find them helpful guides during the construction process.

We typically offer our silhouette weathervanes in the small (one-foot sculpture piece) and medium (two-foot sculpture piece) sizes. If you are looking for a larger weathervane, we recommend going with a swell-bodied style or fully 3-D weathervane. Because swell-bodied and 3-D vanes consist of multiple shaped pieces that are shaped and then soldered together, they provide the necessary structural support in the larger sizes.

Car Weathervane – Mercedes 300 SL Roadster – Silhouette

Written by WCWV on .

This silhouette (single sheet) 1957 300 SL Mercedes Roadster was commissioned as a seventh wedding anniversary gift (the copper anniversary) for the husband; a car enthusiast and collector. This wife had been inspired to order a weathervane after discovering the fully 3-D Mercedes weathervane on our website. We were able to modify the original design and make this silhouette version to her specifications.

She selected optional nickel-silver for the wheels and optional gold leafing for the trim work and bumpers. As the copper darkens with age these accents will stand out in vivid contrast. Because each of our weathervanes is handcrafted to individual order, our customers can specify what combination of metals and leaf we use when we make their weathervane.

Silhouette vanes range from basic to highly detailed. They can also include a horizontal tube below the wheels to represent the ground or we can add a half arrow tip and fletching (see our Porsche Carrera weathervane for an example), to indicate wind direction.

We are often able to reduce the design fee for some of our more mechanical weathervane commissions if detailed schematic drawings are available. Also helpful for personalizing are detailed photos of the actual vehicle including insignia, detailing, interiors, etc. If actual scaled down models are available, we often find them helpful guides during the construction process.

Car Weathervane Corvette 1963 Silhouette

Written by Claudia DeBorde on .

This 1963 Corvette Weathervane was commissioned to top a car barn in Amesbury, MA. It is crafted from layered copper sheets in what we refer to as silhouette style. By layering we add enough strength for the design to withstand wind, and it allows us to chase design elements into the metal and make cut-outs without weakening the vane. On this piece our customer requested optional palladium leaf on the surfaces that are chrome on his beloved Chevy Corvette Stingray.

We have many car collectors among our customers. They have ordered our weather vanes for their garages, their gates, and their gardens. We have also designed car weathervanes for salesrooms, repair shops and race tracks. We have several craftsmen in our shop who love to do cars. Let us know if there is a vehicle you might like to have a weather vane of.

Car Weathervane Ferrari Silhouette – with Redwood Tree

Written by Claudia DeBorde on .

The customers who commissioned this Ferrari Weathervane with Redwood Tree are neighbors here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. They live in the Redwoods, and he once owned this classic collectible car…his beloved Ferrari. This weather vane is unique in that it mixes styles. While the car is in silhouette style the noble redwood is in swell bodied style. The car and tree trunk are crafted from copper while the tree’s foliage is of brass. This was done because brass will patina a darker green than copper and it will look really splendid over time.

If you have a car you would like us to make a weathervane of, be it Jaguar, Mustang, Bugatti or Model T, it will help enormously if we have a good set of photos, including the undercarriage. It isn’t an obvious consideration to think about viewing the weathervane sculpture piece from the ground, where what the underside of the vehicle looks like becomes important, so we mention it here.

Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello and Modena, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929 as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street legal vehicles in 1947 as Ferrari S.p.A.. Throughout its history, the company has been noted for its continued participation in auto racing, especially in Formula One, where it has largely enjoyed great success, especially during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, late 1990s, and 2000s.

Car Weathervane-Corvette Stingray Z06

Written by Claudia DeBorde on .

This 2015 Corvette Stingray Z06 Weathervane was commissioned as a surprise gift for a couple’s 30th wedding anniversary. Our client’s husband has a car dealership and was impatiently waiting for his special ordered model to be delivered. Not surprisingly, the new weathervane, based on his new car, was a well received complement to its bigger role model.

We worked from a photo of this car, sent to us by the wife, so we could get the weathervane just right. We then worked with her to create the new design. Once the design was approved, we discussed the personalizations for the weathervane which included “lucky” pennies from the year they were married and the year they were celebrating their 30th anniversary, a special personalized inscription stamped onto the horizontal copper tube beneath the tires and where we should apply optional palladium leafing to add a striking contrast to the copper as it goes through the patina process. In the photo selection above you can see the Corvette Stingray both with and without the optional palladium leafing.

If you would like us to design a weathervane of a particular vehicle, or adapt one from our existing designs to make it personal to you, please call. All of our weathervanes are made to order and customizations are incorporated on most of what we do.

 

Corvair Weathervane – Silhouette

Written by Claudia DeBorde on .

This Silhouette Corvair Weathervane was commissioned by a Mom for her son’s Christmas present. This classic car had become her son’s favorite transportation and hobby. She had us put ‘Lucky Pennies’ on the hubcaps for the year of his birth and the year of the gift.

Silhouette weather vanes have a long history, and are an economical way to achieve an effective aesthetic look in a weather vane atop a roof. Our artisans were able to give the copper car some fine details with their hammer techniques.

The Chevrolet Corvair was an automobile produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors from 1960 to 1969. The Corvair was offered in a wide range of body styles, including four-door sedans and hardtops, two-door sedans and hardtops, convertible, and station wagon. In addition, it was built as a compact van similar to the Volkswagen bus, with styles including a pickup, panel van, and a passenger van called the Greenbrier. The cargo floor was raised above the rear engine, and the pickup featured an unusual side-loading ramp.