Technology of Paint
After spending many years in and around the automotive and motor sport worlds, one becomes accustomed to being in the company of performance. Over time the craving and enjoyment of horsepower continues to grow stronger and stronger. The smell of freshly burnt rubber and the aroma of alcohol send that twitch up the spine of your back. It is a sensation like no other known to man. That fact that 400+ pounds of torque sitting us firmly in our seats can give us satisfaction that comes from nothing else, is a bewildering thought. At what time do we "stop to smell the roses"? Is performance everything? Spending long hours at recent automotive expositions, such as the "Langley Cruise-In" in September and the more recent "Abbotsford Collector Car Show" has created this wonder in my mind.
When walking through rows and rows of pristinely restored collector cars, muscle cars, street rods, motorcycles, race cars and the like, we must stop and look at what we are really using as criteria for the selection of our top 10 favorites. The truth is, when we are giving each display our "once over judging," we have really no idea if what we like to see is really going to perform the way we are imaging. So which one of our five senses decides the Best over the Rest? On the way home from the drag strip what cars stand still in your mind? I can almost guarantee that even the biggest chip off the "gear head" block is thinking of the prettiest cars instead of the best performing cars. It is our nature as human beings to enjoy more of what we see, rather than those that we can smell, taste, hear or feel. Don't get me wrong, we will always remember that first ride we took in a fast car or the first time you felt that Top Fuel dragster virtually shake itself through our body. But beauty rules and that is fact. Rust infested classics and muscle cars in need of serious restoration are on the top of no automotive enthusiasts list. Yet a low horsepower car that has top-notch paint and body will spin your head around like a top. Who knows, it might even be an inline six cylinder under that hood.
For those that believe this to be myth, answer me why it is that when walking through the pit area of any motor sports venue, the competition vehicles you are continuously drawn to are the most decorative. The technology of paint and body has grown in great leaps and bounds over the years and in doing so has become the premier factor in desirability. Many vintage racecars for instance can now be detailed with custom airbrushing and graphics to look as if they still have the hundreds of pounds of chrome accents they possessed as new passenger cars. A great example of this can be found in Dave Warren of Richmond B.C's, classic Biscayne. Dave's car was in a terrible fire a few years ago, and us (Corvette Specialties Auto Group) perform the paint and body upon completion of the car's resurrection. At a quick glance the car appears to have an original front end including the grill, headlamps and big bad bumper. After close examination one will begin to be amazed at the incredible detail used to create this illusion. With the use of extensive airbrushing, buried in clear coat, the car's appearance has depth that is able to bend the mind. Motorcycles are another good example. How long does a Harley stay stock? We all know the answer to that one. The painting of tanks and fenders personalize each one to the owner's personality. Many try to achieve that performance look with the addition of flames, peeling decals or wind swept flags that create a sensation of speed, all the while at a stand still. If you ask the majority of custom bike owners, I would think that appearance modifications were made prior to any performance upgrades.
As far as being rewarded for our automotive achievements, which trophy is more coveted? The fastest time of day trophy is always a nice piece of hardware to bring home after a long day of auto crossing on the hot asphalt of the Tradex center. More of us, and I think you have to agree, would like that "Best Appearing" or "Best in Show" award to decorate our fireplace or mantle and give us that fuzzy warm feeling inside that makes all the work that has been done worthwhile. To put this theory to the test I spoke with our very own Glenn Iggulden here at Corvette Specialties Auto Group how he felt after winning his "Wally" Award at the NHRA Northwest Nationals at SIR, for "Best Appearing Vehicle" for his '69 Super Gas Corvette. Glenn manages the collision repair and refinishing department, so he is in the “Know of Nice” when it comes to vehicle appearance, as well as performance. Glenn says, "Winning that Wally is more rewarding than anything I have won or had an opportunity to win as a race car driver, bar none. When you are in a very prestigious field of over 400 vehicles and get chosen as the best, that is the compliment of all compliments!"
Another local automotive guru I had a chance to speak with was Gary Yorke of Classic and Performance Cars in Delta, B.C. Gary recently had us(C/S Auto Group) repaint his Chevrolet dually, and had the front end covered in ghost flames using the Extreme Colours with the newest holographic pigment technology. In laymen's terms, the new prism style paint that changes colours right before your eyes. I asked Gary, "Why the flames on your pick-up?" Gary said "To be different and to stand out. It is something I have always wanted." When I asked him if deep down he was just re-living his childhood, his answer was "I’ve never left my childhood. People keep telling me I should buy a sports car." That’s the spirit Gary. Isn't it funny to see such performance-oriented people getting more pleasure from the mere appearance of their toys, rather than performance.
Our streets and highways are a scary environment and time and time again tragedies remind us that speed kills. The adrenaline rush of speeding through city streets has so many times come to a quick and fatal end. True performance belongs at the track; just ask racers of any kind. Maybe the way to achieve our goals is through on-street appearance rather than on-street performance? Is it the next step you need to take in getting the performance you want in your vehicle?
