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 Royal Oak-based Pfaff Designs showcases five of its customized vehicles. Murray Pfaff's eyeballs need a rest after a week at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, where hundreds of customized vehicles and the makers of the parts used to customize them gather yearly.
With so much to see, "I just try not to go blind," said Pfaff, whose Royal Oak-based Pfaff Designs draws and often builds custom cars for a variety of individual and corporate clients.
Five of Pfaff's designs were on display at SEMA this month. They were a special Chevrolet Corvette Z06 for battery maker Optima; the 1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda "Conviction"; a modified Chevrolet Tahoe (complete with a 1000-watt audio and custom luggage); a Ford Super Duty pickup wearing "super single" semi tires; and a 2008 GMC truck with a "razzle-dazzle" paint job.
Pfaff attends SEMA not only to see his own cars, but to network with clients and to see innovations that may become trends in car customization.
 Among the trends Pfaff sees developing is increasing use of the color white on customized cars.
"I love white on cars," he says, explaining that white lets the purity of a design show. He notes that when Ford GT designer Camilo Pardo bought one of the super sports cars, he picked one wearing white paint. He also notes that the special Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Camaro displayed at SEMA had a white-colored body.
But, Pfaff adds, white cars don't have a lot of appeal on magazine covers. One trend Pfaff doesn't like is people who are building custom cars more to appeal to magazine editors than to make a personal statement.
"You should build it for yourself (to satisfy your desires) or the proper passion doesn't go into the project," Pfaff contends.
Another trend Pfaff sees is the increasing use of satin-finish paints and the use of what he calls "graffiti tattoo-style" graphics.
Done by hand, such graphics can be expensive. Pfaff suggests looking into vinyl body raps, explaining that while some companies wrap an entire vehicle as an advertising display, people wanting to customize their own vehicles can do partial wraps or even subtle tattoo-style hood, top, trunk or fender graphics from companies that produce vinyl wraps.
Visit www.pfaffdesigns.com for information on Pfaff's work.
Larry Edsall is a Phoenix-based freelance writer. You can reach him at
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Source...
The Detroit News ...
Detnews.com
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