July 19, 2014

Leave the Waving to the Driver

Have you ever seen a car wave at you?

 You may have no idea what that means. I'm referring to the shimmer of light as it reflects of the side of a car that isn't quite straight causing you to notice it "waving" as it rolls by. Many car's that are un-restored are understandably nowhere near straight, and appear extremely wavy. However, there are some classics that have been worked on,and even had frame off restorations that are quite "friendly" and will wave at you as they drive past.

Achieving a show winning level of straight and true body lines does not happen overnight. Nor does it happen by haphazardly applying materials and thinking, "yeah, that'll be good enough!" It requires patience, a baffling number of layers of various materials, knowledge tools and techniques and knowing when to replace, fill, sand, prime, and paint. Plus it needs that touch. What you may not see without the shimmer of clear coat can be detected by sliding a skilled hand over the car, feeling the panels for minor imperfections. I watch Steve do this and marvel at how he will know where every last curve should happen and he can find the smallest of indentations.

It takes a number of steps to prep a vehicle, straighten and finally re-paint it in your chosen color. It's not just for looks, ensuring straight and true panels done the RIGHT way creates the longest lasting restoration and return on investment for you as an owner.

 As an example the 1951 Ford Custom Convertible is seen in multiple photos below. It's not finished yet, but it's on track to being a #1 restoration. This is no small task.

1951 Ford Custom Convertible-Red
The 1951 Ford Custom Convertible as it arrived at our shop.(above)