Pictures of the repaint of my custom hardtail

[big stinkie]

Decided to repaint "Spike" the bike. My wife asked me why...I said "Because I can!" Here is a link to some pictures of the process so far. Going to squirt it with PPG Hot Red, then tape out some blue flames. Before I pull all the tape off, I'm going to tape out another set of flames right on top and spray them white. By my calculations, I should end up with a three layed effect. Keyword is 'should.'

http://thevirtualbarandgrill.com/gallery/projects03

 

[Jim]

BS,What brand and color name is that red?Looks like the red I'm looking for my 66 chevelle.

 

[big stinkie]

Jim,

It's one of the PPG 'Bright and Bold' colors. In their color books it was either Fast Red or Hot Red...can't remember which. On the can the label says "DBC73412 SC Red." It really is a great color. The picture doesn't do it justice. Very bright and...well...RED! It'd look good on your Chevelle.

Speaking of Chevelle's, back in 1968 when I was in high school, friend of mine bought a 66 Chevelle with the 425 HP 427 engine. Not many of them made, but his was even more rare. It had factory wooden steering wheel and electric windows, and maybe even locks if I remember right. Scary automobile. He drove it under a gas truck one night and totalled it out. He wasn't hurt bad, but the car went to the junkyard. Darn shame.

I miss the days of real muscle cars. Road Runners, Cobra Mustangs, Shelby Cobras, 427s, 396s. They didn't corner or stop like today's high performance cars, but they sure went in a straight line like nobody's business!

Today's 'muscle cars' consist of Toyota Celicas with wet fart mufflers on 'em. Just not the same. Muscle cars are suppose to have a lumpy idle. They get poor gas mileage. They are noisy. They have 8 cylinders. Mothers drag their kids into the house when one comes by. Muscle cars can smoke the tires at any speed.

Oops. Too much dreaming of the old days. Sorry.

Later

 

[Jim]

BS,I think the dealers added the 427,your right,they are very rare!Thanks for the info on the red!Most older red Chevelles I see are Regal Red,it was offered as a stock color in 66.I want red but,something a little differant than everyone elses.Nothing would be worse then going to a show and parking next to six other regal red Chevelles.I was born in 64 so,I missed the muscle car era.So now it's my turn!66 SS396!When I was growing up(still trying)there were still alot of muscle cars around that you could fix up but,now thier either total junk or restored for big bucks..Mine came from a family member and was somewhere in the middle but had alot of mud.It currently has a small block at around 400hp. It's no slouch but,It aint no Big Block. I also have a 396 to rebuild when I'm done with the paint and interior.I hope to shoot it in the spring.Thanks again and remember,WE MAY HAVE TO GROW OLD BUT,WE DON'T HAVE TO GROW UP!

 

[TWISTED]

I was born the year that in my opinion the last of the muscle cars died. 1974. And that was just a handful of cars that year (dusters, and a poor excuse for a GTO)
I have had some nice ones 71 goat, 73 mach 1, dodge demon, AMX, but managed to trash them all.
Now I am old enough to know better and have kids and not quite the extra cash I had as a kid. Maybe if I move back in with mom I could get a nice one.I would love to get my hands on a GTO judge or the ultimate muscle car, 1970 BOSS 429 Mustang.

Happy New Year

 

[Jim]

I know they had a 70 454 450hp!Butt kickin horsepower!I hope to go for 475-500hp.Gas mileage is not a concern but,compression ratio is .the days of 12/1 are gone.maybe 10 1/2 to 1 max.Gotta run on pump gas.ok,maybe a little 108 but, mostly pump gas.closed chamber 2.19 intake valves,wow!forget those sissy 2.02's!We'll see,wish I could afford a blower,pump gas and tons of HP!

 

[big stinkie]

Jim,

Make sure you keep us (me, at least) up to date on the paint and the performance of the Chevelle. Someday I'd like to rebuild something like that. If I had my choice, I'd try a 68-72 Nova 2 door with a 350. Big block would be nice, but parts more available for the 'mouse motor." (Do hot rodders still call big blocks 'rat motors,' and small blocks 'mouse motors?') When we'd street race out in the country on an old stretch of highway, we'd run the mice first, then the rats. Saved the big guns till last. It wasn't unusual to have 30-40 cars out there on a Saturday afternoon. (Small town in eastern Nebraska) We'd call some of the hot rodders from other small towns and have the "Summer Nationals." It was fairly organized and we took proper safety precautions. In fact, several of the guys that raced with us ended up creating the Nebraska Motorplex in our town, which is now an NHRA sanctioned strip. Check out the web site:

http://www.nemotorplex.com/nemotorplex/index.html

The state troopers knew what was going on, but the left us alone unless they got a complaint. When they would show up, they ended up talking cars with us amid the chewing out. Then they'd leave with a smile. I think they wished they could be there with us, instead of on duty!

Here's another address to check out. It is an aerial view of our "drag strip." Just east of the river, where the road straightens out was the place. We would stage on the gravel road that goes north, and race to the east. It was flat for a mile then went into a long steep upgrade.

http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=12&x=869&y=5769&z=14&w=1

This one is of the Nebraska Motorplex. It used to be an Air Force base, hence the odd angles for the race tracks. The surface is strong...used to land B52s there!

http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=13&x=436&y=2880&z=14&w=2

I love this thread! I haven't thought about some of the old days in years.

Andy aka Big Stinkie

 

[Jim]

Andy,
Ya,they're still Rat and mouse motors.I worked with an older HotRodder,He got all fired up when he told us stories of the "good ole days"sounds like you do too!When they built Intersate 65 thru here,they used to race on the unopened sections on the weekends.He said some guys would bring cars on trailers just to race.The cops didn't seem to bother them either.When I was 15 or 16 my brother and I went to the local track US30 Dragstrip(closed in the early 80's)I stood right behind Big Daddy Don Gartlets and Shirley Mulndowny when they raced,my eyes burned from the alcohol and man was it loud.I can remember the thunder like it was yesterday.It was Awsome!The Little Red Wagon was there too,on two wheels all the way down the track,sparks flyin off the wheelie bars at night, what a show that was!Now I'm gonna have to go dig up those pictures.Hope we're opening the door for more HotRod chat.Jim
Oh,by the way stinkie,nice HD,how you guys ride them hardtails is beyond me.Had two back surjuries and my dresser wasn't that great.Just sold a shovel to get this Chevelle,it wasn't too bad..I guess! Either I needed a stronger back or a fatter a** .LOL

 

[big stinkie]

Buddy of mine had a Mustang - I don't remember the exact year or which model, but it had the hood scoop that stayed on the engine when you opened the hood. I think it was a 428??? Don't think it was the Boss, but maybe it was. Anyway, it had the beefy automatic transmission in it. He stomped on it to go around a VW bug on an old chunk of highway at about 30 MPH. Suddenly we were in the opposite lane going sidways in a cloud of smoke from the tires. Don't know who was more scared...me, or the guy in the VW who looked out his side window and saw a Mustang go by sideways, with two pairs of bugged-out eyes touching the windshield. The screeching and squealing was incredible, which mysteriously continued even after he regained control of the vehicle. My buddy eventually discovered the source of the noise and slapped me and told me to shut up. ;-)

Also, wasn't the 1972 Chevelle SS454 the most powerful car to hit the streets? (Horsepower rating, at least?) It wasn't necessarily the fastest, etc, but did have the most 'oomph?' A guy in town had one, and it was something! I do think he got waxed by one of the Boss Mustangs, though. It was a sad day for us Chevy diehards.

I never had a big block, but I did have a screamer that I built on a budget. Bought a 1963 Nova stationwagon for $100. Yanked the 6 cylinder and auto tranny out. Bored a 283 to a 301, 12 to 1 pistons, forged rods, good crank, stock 327 heads (smaller combustion chamber, but I had a true 12 to 1 compression ratio. Didn't like to start in the winter.) Holley 750, dirt track racing cam with hydraulic anti-pump up lifters (hated adjusting solid lifters), Z28 oil pump, 3 speed manual transmission, positraction rear end. Weighed 2900 pounds with me and a tank of gas. It was a real sleeper. Once I got the traction bars adjusted it would snap your head off when I popped the clutch.

You guys that didn't live through the days when those cars were plentiful on the streets really missed out. Luckily there are those folks that are keeping some of them running for us old farts to reminisce about, and for you young guys to dream about.

Real steel....

Andy

 

[Jim]

Just getting back on a scoot at 51?I thought I was going thru middle age crazy and I'm not yet 40!You mean I get to do this again at 50?Don't know if the wife will handle it as well at 50.Wish me luck!

 

[big stinkie]

You think THAT was crazy. At 44 years old the wife and I had twin boys. Now I'm 51 with a pair of second graders running around the house. I was married before and have a 22 year old son from that one. It'll either keep me young or kill me before my time. When I get to retire they'll be freshmen in high school. Click on my profile and you'll see a picture of me and the boys a year or two ago. They fell asleep on my lap as we waited for their grandma to get home. Cute, huh?

Seriously though, my priorities are such that now I can have the toys and still be responsible for a family, job, etc. Age does that do a guy, I guess.

I once heard Ray Stevens, the singer/songwriter say, "You can't keep from getting older, but you can always act immature." My motto!

Isn't it odd how this whole thread started with a question about a red paint job?

So, good luck with how ever many crazy periods you go through. I believe they are good for the soul. Life is too serious to be taken very seriously, so have fun!

Later,

 

[rex]

Man that's a nice red,I like it.Nice job,she's sharp looking

 

[DenB.]

great lookin' kids big stinkie good luck with the toys i'm gettin' there myself.


and rex where in arcadia are ya?? i had a glass tinting business in port charlotte/punta gorda in 93-94

 

[Jim]

Ya,Andy,The boys sure are cute.Your pretty lucky. I guess we should stop for awhile,we could fill this board.Amazing how much we have in common here,You like hotrods and harleys,I like hotrods and harleys!EZ likes guns and harleys and lives on the east coast,I like guns, harleys, and woman from the east coast,Scott and Rex live in florida,I like woman in bikinis from Florida!see what I mean?LOL!!!Still like the red though,went to the paint supplier today and was looking at HOK's Blue blood Red Nice but a little darker than yours I guess thier Euro Red is pretty close.He don't sell PPG anymore,he said the shops like Dupont and custom painters like the HOK around here.I picked up some Black Laquer for my dash and tops of the doors.I have some BC/CC but like Rex said,I'll be able to see all the scratches.The supplier said I can sand and buff laquer too.Never used it before,hope it works!He also gave me some gold base and candy apple red to play with.Take care,Jim

 

[rex]

DenB,it sure is a small world.So you know when I say cowtown we're talking lots of them and rednecks

I live a few miles up the county road at the old KOA campground at the end of 72 west of town and about 6 years ago Ford built a big dealership and put in a bodyshop east of town about 1/2 mile east of the end of 31 going to FtMeyers so I went to work there.Making money at the few indipendants here was bleak at best and that was upper middleclass income here and this is the 3rd poorest county in the state.Sad part is there's a ton of money here but nobody gets off it.At least moving to Ford doubled my income once we ran the podunk managers out and got the owners to understand a little about buisness and discover this stuff is nothing like service.This place is a trip for sure but for some weird reason I like it here.My wife works for a cardiologist right next to what was the ABC liquer store in lower Pt.Charlotte.How ya like that cold weather up there?I don't miss it a bit and I grew up in NY (no not the city).

Jim,just remember 'blush' when you spray the lacquer,that's where humidity causes it to get milky white looking.If the humidity is high when you spray it go with a slower thinner than you normally would and being in the sun helps alot,or a heat light if you happen to have one.If it isn't severe the heat of buffing it will remove it or if real light hand rubbing it will remove it but that'll defeat the semigloss look you're after.I think we talked about this but I can't recall.How's the ol' girl coming along?

 

[DenB.]

Rex, you talkin' about the ABC that was a couple doors down from the toyota dealer? our shop (my now wife and myself) was in the industrial park on the way to harbour hights and we lived near the p/c beach complex. small world man, and the cold up here s@#%s wish i was still there

 

[big stinkie]

Jim,

re the hardtail...I got the 'cushion' needed for a comfortable ride. Wife says there is 30 pounds of me that she didn't marry. Most of it sagged to the southern regions of my anatomy.

Also, I really have no frame of reference about how smooth a bike should ride. Built my current bike last winter and rode it for the first time in March 2002. The last time I was on a motorcycle before that was in 1973 when I got off my Honda 350 CB. I can truly say I started riding over 35 years ago...just that there was a 29 year gap in there! I suppose if I got on one of my friend's Heritage or Fat Boy I'd realize the difference in ride. I'm 51 years old now, but my back is in fine shape. Probably from NOT riding a hardtail for all those years. I think a hardtail just looks cool, so until things start aching I'll keep on riding one.

I never got to see many/any of the big guns race back then. The closest track was...was...heck, I have no idea where the nearest track was back then. Nothing in Omaha or Lincoln. Probably Denver or Chicago. Too far for a kid my age to travel. Watched some on TV and read about every magazine article. Remember the team Sox & Martin that started out racing Chev 409s? The picture of their '61 or 62 chevy with a 409 in the stock engine position doing a wheelie with the front tires a good 3-4 feet in the air still sticks in my mind. They ended up running Baracudas when Chev quit sponsoring.

It looked like a glamourous life-style, but I bet never being home and living in a trailer sucked after a while - even if you did get to drive the fastest cars on the planet!

Later,

Andy

 

[Jim]

Hey Rex!How ya doin?It's about 30 here in Hoosierville.Gonna crank the garage to 70.How long should I wait between coats?Til it tacks or totally drys?All dust coats or just thin coats?I'd like to get the dash back in asap.I'm done with new trunk floor and wheelhouses and moved inside.I didn't hang the quarters yet either.I pretty much gutted the interior.I cleaned the entire floor,primed and painted it,and layed all new sound deadener.I put a new sound deadener/ pad on the firewall,painted and reinstalled the brake pedal and bracket.painted the heater box and put it back in.(may take it back out and spray with laquer though)I still have to repaint the steering colum and whatever esle is painted black inside.above the door panels and dash is what I need to come out really good.No plastic interior parts in 66.I have new seat cushions and covers but I'll wait on those.I do need to take em apart and blast the springs and paint the backs and sides.I'm moving as fast as my funds and time will allow.Believe it or not,this is alot easier,than that shovel I built,just look in the books for 66 no guessing,no altering,no making special parts.I'm really enjoying this project.I just rotated to nights so,I'll have to get used to the new hours.Hope you guys still don't mind me answering posts,I know how it is when you need a question answered and everyones busy.Hey what do you know,someone finally rated me!Thanks!

 

[rex]

Hey Jim,it sounds like you're rolling right along on her.This stuff is definately easier than building a scooter,seems like everything a nightmare and doesn't fit on those things.When I sprayed lacquer I'd just lay down an even wet coat,not hosed on but not dry either.Seems to me I'd let that coat dry to the point I could run a tackrag over it for the next one.Lacquer's kind of like base,you have a nice long window to recoat it since the thinner will eat in to the previous coat.The only thing I hated about lacquer was waiting for it to dry thouroghly for buffing or laying a few more coats on.Alot of people would push it out the door and later on it'd shrink up and look bad.The stuff does dry fast but it does take quite a while for the last remaining solvents to evaporate.Nothing you really need to worry about for interior stuff though,the sun isn't going to be beating it up.Glad to hear you got rated,I forgot all about the ratings until you said something.Take care man.

 

[Jim]

I got antsie and sprayed the dash the other day,the laquer sprayed just fine,it has a nice low gloss look to it,perfect for the interior.I sprayed before your reply so I sprayed a dust coat and had a little peel but then two more wet coats and it came out smooth.thanks!