pw_cc_runner
09-09-2009, 12:06 AM
I purchased the car in August of 2004. The car is kind of an oddball being a fully loaded base with power windows, power locks, key-less entry, cruise control, etc. Pretty much everything except for the factory rear wiper.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7837&g2_serialNumber=2
After a good cleaning and buffing the car looked pretty good for what it was and I was more than content until the driver's side fender and headlight door got damaged when it said hello to a deer.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7882&g2_serialNumber=2
By December of 2004 things were already out of hand. What was originally intended to be replace a fender and a quick repaint was now a full on project. One of the first steps ended with the original roof cut off the car to install the new panel with the factory moon roof.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7879&g2_serialNumber=2
In January of 2005 with bodywork in progress. Most of the rough fitting work was complete at this point and it started to look like a car again.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7840&g2_serialNumber=2
In May of 2005 the car was in early primer stages with a lot of wet sanding ahead.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7843&g2_serialNumber=2
By July of 2005 some of the smaller touches were beginning to take shape including the relocated fuel filler and shaved door handles. (and a thruster appeared)
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7846&g2_serialNumber=2
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7849&g2_serialNumber=2
Many longs months of wet sanding and prep led to the first coats of silver in November of 2005. The silver was extremely challenging to paint because it was a custom mix high metallic base coat color with white pearl and multi-colored rainbow flake added in. (Contrary to popular belief the car is SILVER not white as it sometimes appears in pictures) The 17 inch Mustang Bullitt wheels also appeared during this time period.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7852&g2_serialNumber=2
Seeing as this was the first full flame job I had ever done on a car it turned out to be quite challenging. Surprisingly the hood was laid out in about 30 seconds and never changed, but I struggled for months with the sides of the car and what felt like hundreds of layouts (even though it was probably less than 10)
Unsuccessful layouts from February 2005
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7883&g2_serialNumber=1
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7888&g2_serialNumber=2
The final layout from March 2005
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7855&g2_serialNumber=2
Once I had the design I was so confident that two days later the car was masked and seeing its first orange. The orange is a custom pearl orange based off of a PPG color tweaked to my liking.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7858&g2_serialNumber=2
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7861&g2_serialNumber=2
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7864&g2_serialNumber=2
A rare wingless shot for those of you who disagree with the Thruster (unfortunately this is all you will ever get). After airbrushing highlights into the flames the car was unmasked and ready for clear.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7867&g2_serialNumber=2
First pictures of the car cleared four days after the final layout for the flames was set.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7870&g2_serialNumber=2
As the car went together in April of 2005 some of the small touches that go unnoticed too place such as the "no" or clear outline 1995 tail lights or the more noticeable center exit exhaust
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7873&g2_serialNumber=2
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7876&g2_serialNumber=2
From this point I slowly continued to work on the car completing the full black interior with 94 cloth seats, 95 swatch-less black door panels, and a black 94 airbag dash. The car ended up being enjoyed at this point and a few things went unfinished until spring of 2008 when the car received brand new Bullitt wheels, black painted stainless steel mesh in the body kit openings, and a few basics like front splash guards, and black vinyl next to the turn signals to emulate the stock front end.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7891&g2_serialNumber=2
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=3204&g2_serialNumber=2
The last picture is the car in its current state during the 2009 HOT ROD Magazine PowerTour. This photo was taken before departing for the third stop of seven on the trip.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7834&g2_serialNumber=2
Thanks for looking and thanks for all the help and thoughts over the years...
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7837&g2_serialNumber=2
After a good cleaning and buffing the car looked pretty good for what it was and I was more than content until the driver's side fender and headlight door got damaged when it said hello to a deer.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7882&g2_serialNumber=2
By December of 2004 things were already out of hand. What was originally intended to be replace a fender and a quick repaint was now a full on project. One of the first steps ended with the original roof cut off the car to install the new panel with the factory moon roof.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7879&g2_serialNumber=2
In January of 2005 with bodywork in progress. Most of the rough fitting work was complete at this point and it started to look like a car again.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7840&g2_serialNumber=2
In May of 2005 the car was in early primer stages with a lot of wet sanding ahead.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7843&g2_serialNumber=2
By July of 2005 some of the smaller touches were beginning to take shape including the relocated fuel filler and shaved door handles. (and a thruster appeared)
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7846&g2_serialNumber=2
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7849&g2_serialNumber=2
Many longs months of wet sanding and prep led to the first coats of silver in November of 2005. The silver was extremely challenging to paint because it was a custom mix high metallic base coat color with white pearl and multi-colored rainbow flake added in. (Contrary to popular belief the car is SILVER not white as it sometimes appears in pictures) The 17 inch Mustang Bullitt wheels also appeared during this time period.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7852&g2_serialNumber=2
Seeing as this was the first full flame job I had ever done on a car it turned out to be quite challenging. Surprisingly the hood was laid out in about 30 seconds and never changed, but I struggled for months with the sides of the car and what felt like hundreds of layouts (even though it was probably less than 10)
Unsuccessful layouts from February 2005
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7883&g2_serialNumber=1
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7888&g2_serialNumber=2
The final layout from March 2005
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7855&g2_serialNumber=2
Once I had the design I was so confident that two days later the car was masked and seeing its first orange. The orange is a custom pearl orange based off of a PPG color tweaked to my liking.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7858&g2_serialNumber=2
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7861&g2_serialNumber=2
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7864&g2_serialNumber=2
A rare wingless shot for those of you who disagree with the Thruster (unfortunately this is all you will ever get). After airbrushing highlights into the flames the car was unmasked and ready for clear.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7867&g2_serialNumber=2
First pictures of the car cleared four days after the final layout for the flames was set.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7870&g2_serialNumber=2
As the car went together in April of 2005 some of the small touches that go unnoticed too place such as the "no" or clear outline 1995 tail lights or the more noticeable center exit exhaust
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7873&g2_serialNumber=2
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7876&g2_serialNumber=2
From this point I slowly continued to work on the car completing the full black interior with 94 cloth seats, 95 swatch-less black door panels, and a black 94 airbag dash. The car ended up being enjoyed at this point and a few things went unfinished until spring of 2008 when the car received brand new Bullitt wheels, black painted stainless steel mesh in the body kit openings, and a few basics like front splash guards, and black vinyl next to the turn signals to emulate the stock front end.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7891&g2_serialNumber=2
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=3204&g2_serialNumber=2
The last picture is the car in its current state during the 2009 HOT ROD Magazine PowerTour. This photo was taken before departing for the third stop of seven on the trip.
http://flamingsquirrel.org/gallery2/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7834&g2_serialNumber=2
Thanks for looking and thanks for all the help and thoughts over the years...