Well, after watching Mike and Yvonne do their magic on TV last night, it has finally happened.
The crew at the body shop is busting butt tonight and tomorrow so I can begin working on the truck as soon as Friday afternoon. Initially, I hadn't planned anything in particular for the hood, but, as many of you know from meets in the past, my truck's never been finished...always something of a work in progress/test panel on wheels.
SO....what happemed? This...
The hood idea came blazing in from my favorite source...GUMP!!! I sat down this afternoonand drew up the sketch, working out ideas along the way. We got word to the crew that I'd need extra time for the hood and they went into overdrive.
Now it's down to the wire time here since I'll be leaving on Wednesday for NY and Jill's meet, so the plan got tightened up quick. I spent the afternoon figuring out the final details in Photopaint and it's off to the shop for the weekend for this...
...plus the flames on the sides and tailgate.
After all those years of painting race cars in a hurry, it's time to put that kind of effort into something that won't get slammed to shreds by Saturday night. ...and I get to drive it the other 6 days, too.
Crankin' time!!! Rapid
[ August 10, 2005, 08:57 PM: Message edited by: Ray Rheaume ]
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
What I would give for a thimble of your talent, Ray. That looks fantastic!
Posted by Mark Matyjakowski (Member # 294) on :
Cool design!
quote: Now it's down to the wire time here since I'll be leaving on Wednesday for NY and Jill's meet
Pennsylvania Ray, Pennsylvania ...hehe
Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Ray..That looks awesome!!!
And we'll actually get to see it at Jill's???
That is one of the things I love at meets, viewing all the great shop truck graphics.
(No panel ideas yet...Hmmm...maybe I'll do a step by step on how to convert an awsome computer rendering into an actual airbrushed, finished, product?? )
All I need is the talent for both!!!
I have sooo many great ideas!!! Posted by Jon Harl (Member # 4427) on :
Ray this hood is gonna look HOT! I like it a lot.
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
Thats great Ray!! The Hawaiians would love that design too. You could sell a lot of t-shirts out here with artwork like that... if it wasn't reserved for your own exclusive on-off. Wish I could see the finished piece in person, very cool!
Posted by bill riedel (Member # 607) on :
Way to go Ray, you are cruising now and who knows where you will go from here. Great job, I love it.
Posted by Steve Racz (Member # 4376) on :
Looks great Rapid. Can't wait to see it at Jill's!
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Just a quick update...
This was what we started with as of yesterday morning....
YIKES! Missing a mudflap on the front, scratches, dings up and down the side and a caved in tailgate. I also never got the holographic film off of the door.
Early this morning...
Chris Wyman, along with his brother Chad had already gone to town disassembling the truck as needed and pulling the dents out. They were already well on their way into sanding down the old finish.
Mid afternoon I went back to pick up some of the stuff removed from the truck for some special touches...WOW! Bye bye dents.
Chris, Chad and their dad, owner Craig Wyman, were all at work with sanders, primer and pushing hard to finish up by tonight... Even in the midst of all this chaos, Craig still managed to repair and repaint a Corvette hood, too.
Talk about a hard working crew. Even after seeing them in action over the years, they have outdone themselves on this one.
At 6PM tonight, they closed shop for the day and the truck was all primered and ready. Craig's going in to seal the car and basecoat it, and at 9AM, it's my turn.
Rapid
Just a footnote...Craig Wyman owned the first race car I ever worked on and around town is considered the person credited (and sometimes blamed... ) for "discovering" me. As the years have passed, we have always supported each other, not only as business owners, but as friends as well. Tomorrow, I'm gonna do everything I can to do him proud. Friends like Craig are few and far between.
Posted by Glenn Taylor (Member # 162) on :
I hope you'll be posting pictures as you progress with the airbrush work.
I just wish I had that kind of skill I could be blamed for.
.
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
Cool Ray. Can't wait to see the finished piece.......
Posted by John Meeks (Member # 5081) on :
Hey Ray, I'm coming up with Donald and Ryan to Jills. See ya there. John Meeks P.S. Bring My panel. Please.
Posted by Stephen Deveau (Member # 1305) on :
Ray
Nice sketch work, and Image work on the computer.. Really like to see the finish product!
You will do yourself proud with this piece..
Molten Lava!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Guess what? It's done! True to their word, The crew had it ready at 9AM as planned....
...and away I went!
First up...fire! this is where it was at noon.
By 5PM, the flames were pretty much finished. Gump's usually my sidekick in the truck. Since he's a big fan of dragons, I worked this one in for him.
At 10PM, 12 hours into it, I finally finished he bulk of the job and set out to nail the hood...
Finished at 2AM.
Craig's coming in tomorrow to clearcoat it and he's gonna bury it in several coats...COOL!!!
But it's not quite done yet. The doming is ready, the maskes are cut, the airbrushes are at set and the last piece of the puzzle happens at Jill's Jamboree...
My brain hurts and my airbrush hand is pretty much toast. I'm gonna go sleep...
Rapid
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
wow!! Excellent work Ray, glad I spotted this post, seeing your accomplishment is inspirational. Mike & Yvonne really did light a fire in getting you rockin on this project in record time. Glad to see everything is going like clockwork for you, burnin the midnight oil no less!
Wish I could make it to the meet. Lookin forward to seeing the finishing touch.
Posted by Harris Kohen (Member # 2139) on :
Awesome work there Ray. I cant wait to see it in person.
What kind of paint did you use on it?
[ August 14, 2005, 03:40 AM: Message edited by: Harris Kohen ]
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Harris,
The white, yellow and oranges were all PPG Deltron basecoat paints. Instead of red, I used 1 Shot maroon thinned with Deltron reducer and OS hardener added to push back colors. Got a really nice effect out of it and it worked into the black smoothly. HOK Kandy Tangerine was used in between colors for depth and blending. The corona on the hood and final touch on the fire was 1Shot Pearlescent magenta, again thinned with auto reducer and OS hardener.
I know to many, this sounds like a witches brew of paints, but Craig and I have found that PPG Omni clear works well over all of the above and we've been getting great result for the last year with it.
Rapid
Posted by Donald Thompson (Member # 3726) on :
That is really nice Ray. Great looking shirt that you are airbrushing in. I still love the simple one color design you did at our meet of "The Pinstriped Lady."
Posted by jack wills (Member # 521) on :
KILL CORN KNEE HIGH, Ray...! That is schmokkkkin'
CrazyJack
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
![[Applause]](graemlins/applause.gif)
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
![[I Don t Know]](graemlins/dunno.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
) for "discovering" me. As the years have passed, we have always supported each other, not only as business owners, but as friends as well.![[Cool]](cool.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)