Topic: Solved - NEH 3566: DeL'maci Prototoype

[Carnut]

Based on a Mitsubishi Eclipse ?

No.

[4popoid]

I'll try a Korean marque.  Perhaps a heavily modified Hyundai Tiburon?

[Carnut]

I'll try a Korean marque.  Perhaps a heavily modified Hyundai Tiburon?

Not that Korean marque...!

[4popoid]

I assume you mean that it is a Korean marque, so the obvious answer would be Kia.  I think the proportions of the puzzle car indicate a smallish chassis (why I initially thought Asian), and the design looks, to me, like a mid 2000's Mustang.  So if a US designer was using a relatively new Kia compact chassis in the mid 2000's, I would guess that the base might be a Kia Spectra. 

[Carnut]

Yes indeed, Kia Spectra base is correct.
So I'll give you a 24 hour lock to see if you can find the answer!

[4popoid]

Thanks for the lock, but I think you should unlock it, as I am not very likely to come up with a solution.  I never has much luck with one-off customs, even when I know the base, as my knowledge is much more geared to production vehicles.  I'll stay with it, but, in the meantime, let's see what the crew can do.

Just for the record, exactly what am I searching for: the designer's name, the car's name/nickname, or something else?

[Carnut]

OK, the puzzle is open again.
We're looking for the car's name and a brief description of what it is exactly.

[4popoid]

Well I may have gotten lucky, but perhaps not lucky enough.  After looking at a gazillion customized Kia Spectras, I came across an old (2007) newspaper article which described an individual who designed and built an automobile based on a 2002 Kia Spectra.  This individual was an Army veteran and college student who modified his Spectra while attending Youngstown State (Ohio) University, and in the process had formed a one man corporation.  This article had no pictures, but Googling the name of the corporation led to a blog which contained a portion of a 2008 ebay automobile  advertisement, and two pictures of the car for sale.  One picture is the one given in the puzzle, and the other is shown below, however the car is not named.  The ebay ad (which I can not locate on ebay) says it is: “a very highly modified 2002 Kia Spectra LS”, but the blog where the ad is shown is labeled: “Exotic car prototype (DeL’maci Automotive)”, so I’m not sure of the real name of the car itself.  The name of the designer builder is Derek Lamar Caffey, and the name of his company is: DeL’maci Automotive Design and Concept Development LLC of Youngstown, Ohio (according to the newspaper article, the corporation name was derived from the individual’s name).  I was not able to locate a web site for this corporation, so I don’t know if it still exists.  I was able to locate one additional bit of information, a blog from 2004, which shows a photograph of the car in progress, but gives no further information except that it is (was) being produced by DC Customs (Derek Caffey?).  I’m guessing this was the company name before incorporation.

So, this is what I have been able to dig up on the puzzle car.  Hopefully it contains the information you are looking for.

 

[Carnut]

That's the one, yes.
You did well to track that one down as even with the answer the only hit I get is from one site which is only sort-of car-related, which is where I sourced the puzzle.  You're a lot cleverer at Googling than I am!
Well done.