It can get pretty boring driving the same dull car for years on end. Shows come 'round and you're just not that interested in taking out the old ride like you used to be. Sure it's cool and fun to drive, but the motivation to go out and clean her up and take her out just isn't there anymore. That's where I was about a year ago with my 1955 Chevy Bel Air. I'd had it for about 10 years and had changed the style of it around a handful of times until it ended up with its most recent whitewall-and-steelie wearin' gray-primer guise. And while this was perfectly fine for the time being, it was painfully obvious that it was time for a change.
Here's what I'll be working...
Here's what I'll be working with to tape off the initial design. Masking tape ranging from 1/2 to 3/4 inch as well as 1/8-inch fine-line tape, all 3M products. A measuring tape from the local art supply store also comes in handy to ensure the layout is symmetrical from side to side.
Fast forward about a year and I've made nearly a dozen upgrades to get it closer to my vision of what I want it to be. A total package, four-corner RideTech setup got it sitting nice and low and handling more like a sports car than a lead sled, while a Tremec five-speed trans and Borgeson power steering conversion made the driving duties a lot more fun than the automatic trans and original manual steering box. I also went through the engine and installed some dress-up items that better suited the '60s style I was going for, along with a Tri-power setup, courtesy of Edelbrock and Speedway Motors. With all these upgrades, it seemed that my idea of building a '60s-style custom out of my '55 was starting to look the part. Skinny whitewall tires from Coker and a set of chrome five-spoke Rocket Racing wheels finished off the aesthetic perfectly. But there was still one thing lacking: it needed some color. More specifically, it needed color in a scheme that would set the whole car off and give off a truly kustom vibe. That's when I decided to leave the primer intact and tape off a simple scallop design.
Once I roughed out a design,...
Once I roughed out a design, I marked the end points with measurements made from similar points on the sheetmetal, then transferred them to the opposite side.
I called Summit Racing, who recently launched an entire paint line for DIY guys like myself, complete with all the accessories and equipment you need to paint your car yourself, at home. If you haven't seen what Summit has to offer these days, check out their website (www.summitracing.com); you'll be surprised how much they've branched out over the last couple of years.
Since I wanted to add some color and panache to the ol' Bel Air, I went with their Bomber Blue Metallic to contrast with the light gray primer. Summit hooked me up with all the essentials that I'd need to get the paintjob finished, from primer to color, as well as one of their "starter kits" that comes with measuring cups, stirring sticks, a tack cloth, strainers, and an air line filter to keep any moisture in the air line out of the gun and paint.
I had some 1/8-inch blue fine-line...
I had some 1/8-inch blue fine-line tape lying around that I used to rough out the initial design, but it didn't want to stick to the primer very well. Here, you can see a few of the green masking tape reference points I made.
But before I shot a drop of paint, I'd need to design, lay out, and tape the entire scheme that I'd be spraying. This step was probably the hardest and took the longest of the entire process, as I was essentially "winging it". But once I got going, laying out one fender or side of the hood, it was pretty easy to mark it up and lay out the other side to match using reference points and measurements illustrated in the photos. I used the natural bodylines of the car to base my patterns off of and from there it was simply a matter of using my eye to decide what looked the best. I started at the front of the car and worked my way back, using the hood bird as a template up front and mimicking this design on the roof and trunk. After three days of taping up bad designs, peeling off the tape, and trying again, I was ready to shoot the layout. To say that it was a learning experience is putting it lightly!
Once the entire car was taped off, I scuffed the surface that would be painted, then applied two coats of Summit primer to ensure the color coat would stick to the surface as I didn't know anything about the primer that was already on the car. From there, it received four coats of color, dried overnight, and then I pulled off the tape to reveal my masterpiece. An afternoon with pinstriper Jeff Styles put the finishing touches on my automotive Mona Lisa.
Actually, if I said that the finished result is anything near to a work of art, I would be lying to myself as there are a few imperfections here and there. But the overall scheme is exactly what I was looking for and the job turned out just as I had imagined. It succeeded in adding a vivid, contrasting design to the overall drabness of the gray primer and really gave the car a '60s Bellflower Boulevard vibe, exactly what I wanted. And while it took the better part of a week from prep to completion to paint a basecoat design over primer, I figured that it will last a year or two and by then I'll be sick of it and want to update it again anyway. So by no means is this an end-all finished job. No, think of it as more like a temporary solution to a lackluster problem; but one that I'm pretty happy with for the time being.
Since I'll be peeling off...
Since I'll be peeling off the blue tape, I used green masking tape to act as a reference point.
From there, it's simply a...
From there, it's simply a matter of freehanding the tapelines in between the marked out measurements. I used the 3/4-inch masking tape to ensure the fine-line tape doesn't lift or curl.
I then used parchment paper...
I then used parchment paper to make a simple template to translate the shape of the scallop to the opposite side. You could freehand both, but I'm not that talented.
I then flipped the pattern...
I then flipped the pattern over and held it in place using these "rockin'" magnets while I traced it in fine-line tape.
On the opposite side of the...
On the opposite side of the hood, you can see how the references come into play. I used the measurements taken from the other side to lay these out.
Here's the end result. Note...
Here's the end result. Note how the masking tape reference points relate to the finished design.
I decided that a 2-inch scallop...
I decided that a 2-inch scallop would provide the sleek look I was after and proceeded to make more reference marks for the fender design.
While you could always freehand...
While you could always freehand all the curves, it helps to use something as a guide. I laid out each side simultaneously so as to keep them as symmetrical as possible.
Since I wanted to accentuate...
Since I wanted to accentuate the stock curves of the '55 body, I simply followed the bodylines to get the correct shape of the fender scallop.
I then laid out the center...
I then laid out the center pattern freehand, mimicking the hood bird's shape.
Here, the upper and lower...
Here, the upper and lower fender scallops are taped, each 2 inches wide.
By the time I finished laying...
By the time I finished laying out the quarter-panels, roof, and trunk, I had peeled off quite a bit of tape that just didn't suit the eye. I think I went through six or seven rolls of fine-line tape.
I then wiped down the entire...
I then wiped down the entire ball of wax with 3M adhesive cleaner.
Here's the starter paint kit...
Here's the starter paint kit from Summit Racing. It consists of mixing containers, stirring sticks, a tack cloth, strainers, and an air line filter for the HVLP paint gun.
Masking paper is a must when...
Masking paper is a must when doing such a project and is available in various diameter rolls from Summit Racing. Although it's tempting to save money and use newspaper, it's important to realize that newspaper is porous, allowing paint to "bleed through" and it also contains a good deal of lint that can blemish the painted surface.
Before applying the initial...
Before applying the initial coat of primer, the entire scallop surface was scuffed using a Scotch-Brite pad.
The three parts to Summit's...
The three parts to Summit's primer kit include the epoxy primer itself (PN SUM-SWSP210G), epoxy hardener (PN SUM-SWSH211), and VOC reducer (PN SUM-SWSS120G).
It caught me by surprise when...
It caught me by surprise when it took nearly four hours to mask off the car, but 'tis the nature of the beast when doing such a project. Careful prepwork at this point makes for less work later.
Two coats of primer are all...
Two coats of primer are all that's needed before we apply the color. I'm using an HVLP gun to apply both finishes.
Summit's Bomber Blue Metallic...
Summit's Bomber Blue Metallic is the color I'll be using for the scallops, sans clearcoat. The basecoat (PN SHZ-SWBC517V) mixes two parts to one with the reducer (PN SHZ-SWBRV580Q), and 1 ounce of hardener (PN SUM-SWSH622Q) per quart; all of which are California VOC compliant.
After 24 hours of cure, I...
After 24 hours of cure, I carefully peeled away the tape, always conscious to pull away from the layout to avoid peeling the finish.
I applied four coats of color...
I applied four coats of color to ensure a nice, even coat.
I did get a little jumpy and...
I did get a little jumpy and managed to peel a corner of the finish on the rear panel while pulling the tape. A quick touch-up job put my refinishing techniques to the test.
I called on local striper,...
I called on local striper, Jeff Styles, to pull the white lines that would really set the scallops off. One-shot paint from Summit, and a lifetime's worth of experience gets the job done.
In addition to outlining the...
In addition to outlining the scallops, Styles added a bit of flair to the trunk and hood á la Von Dutch.
And there you have it! A matching...
And there you have it! A matching design across the hood, roof, and trunk accents those on the side panels and brings the '60s Bellflower Boulevard-style scheme to fruition.