As one of Nissan's go-to guys, John Wargo of The Custom Shop decided to build a Nissan Murano for SEMA. Fortunately for us, he was in the process of laying down some dope graphics when we caught up with him. We followed along as he showed us some cool techniques that make the difference between an average paintjob and a well-executed one. John and his dad Vern Wargo are partners in The Custom Shop and have been credited with more than 72 feature and cover-vehicle paintjobs. John started painting when he was 14, and together, he and his father have more than 40 years of painting experience. John and his crew at The Custom Shop (Rich Lloyd, Shawn Guy, and Alex Betts) can tackle any buildup duty, including air suspension, body modifications, custom interior, and of course, mild-to-wild custom paintjobs.
For the Nissan SEMA project, the crew started with a stock silver Murano. The concept drawing by Sean Sancia depicts a lowered Murano with a black custom interior and sporting big rollers. The icing on the project is a modest but detailed two-tone paintjob, split by leopard flames and silver 3-D trim. For John, Vern, and their crew, this task wasn't going to be difficult. However, they were still careful not to procrastinate or underestimate the project ahead.
The future of Mini Trucki...
The future of Mini Truckin'
The entire Nissan was first disassembled and masked off to ensure that there wouldn't be any unwanted paint on any part of the vehicle. Once the first layer of graphics was taped and the two different tones were divided, the DuPont '04 Corvette Yellow and Nissan White bases were sprayed. With the bases laid, the graphics phase ensued. Once all the measurements were made and the flame scheme had been masked and cut out, the leopard spots were applied. After the flames were sprayed, shadowed, and pinstriped, the silver 3-D trim was shadowed and separated, creating the pop effect John was after. With the paint sprayed and all the masking removed, the Murano was cut and buffed to a brilliant shine. Follow along to learn what it takes to lay down phat graphics and do it right the first time.
1.John and his crew began...
1.John and his crew began the project with this factory silver Murano.
2.Every inch of the Nissan...
2.Every inch of the Nissan that wasn't going to be painted was carefully taped and covered to avoid overspray. Make sure that all doorjambs, windows, and trim are meticulously covered.
3.To ensure accuracy, all...
3.To ensure accuracy, all the trim graphics were measured on both sides for consistency and to keep everything lined up properly.
4.After measuring where the...
4.After measuring where the graphics would lay, Wargo and crew taped off the outline.
5.In this particular situation,...
5.In this particular situation, The Custom Shop taped the entire graphic off because he crew was going to use the factory silver as the 3-D trim graphic.
6.This is the concept drawing...
6.This is the concept drawing John followed, showing the two-tone orange and white, along with the silver 3-D trim and leopard-flame graphics.
7.Once this set of graphics...
7.Once this set of graphics was taped off, the crew covered the top half and sprayed the bottom base. Allow sufficient drying time between steps, then cover the bottom half and spray the top.
8.The crew masked the area...
8.The crew masked the area where the flames would be applied.
9.John draws the flames onto...
9.John draws the flames onto the mask. Not all people will be able to draw their own graphics, so there are many patterns that you can easily trace.
10.After all the flames were...
10.After all the flames were drawn, the crew carefully cut the pattern out using an Xacto knife. Don't press too hard; you don't want to cut into the basecoat.
11.The mask that had previously...
11.The mask that had previously been cut away was removed, exposing the area where the leopard flames would be airbrushed.
12.The flames' base color...
12.The flames' base color was first sprayed using a SATA mini-jet gun, which is ideal for areas that are too big to airbrush.
13.Here's a trick idea: John...
13.Here's a trick idea: John made a tool of his own using paintbrush bristles.
14.John spread the bristles...
14.John spread the bristles apart, as we show here, and taped both ends.
15.John then used this great...
15.John then used this great little tool to create the look of animal fur.
16.Notice how the brush bristles...
16.Notice how the brush bristles made the paint come to life.
17.After John finished spraying...
17.After John finished spraying the flames, he pulled the tape off.
18.Not bad - the flames look...
18.Not bad - the flames look like actual leopard spots.
19.With the flames out of...
19.With the flames out of the way, John began to airbrush shadows around the edge of the taped-off trim.
20.Once the trim was shadowed,...
20.Once the trim was shadowed, the tape was removed to reveal a 3-D-like silver trim.
21.To finish waking up the...
21.To finish waking up the trim, another center section was taped off and airbrushed. This step made the trim appear three-dimensional.
22.Note the attention to detail...
22.Note the attention to detail that brings the trim to life. The 3-D effect was extended down to the edge of the taillight housing.
23.John showed off his talent...
23.John showed off his talent again by handstriping the flames with black. Not all people can handstripe, so tape off whatever you are striping.
24.John added a little flair...
24.John added a little flair to the flames with tiny licks that come off the striping. It looks pretty sweet.
25.Here is a close-up of the...
25.Here is a close-up of the details. Notice how the orange section flows smoothly into the trim and the trim flows evenly into the flames. This is why a painter's taping technique is so important.
26.This is the finished two-toned...
26.This is the finished two-toned look, split with the silver 3-D trim and leopard flames. It's a simple, but very impressive, paint scheme.
27.After the paint labor,...
27.After the paint labor, the Nissan is cut and buffed to a brilliant shine using the Presta Products buffing system.
28.Our finished product. After...
28.Our finished product. After some modest lowering and a little interior love, this Murano will be ready to send off to the Nissan booth at the 2004 SEMA show.