1. After the Dime was smoothed...
1. After the Dime was smoothed out, the complete truck was wet-sanded with 600-grit.
Your project's paintjob and final assembly are what will either make or break the final outcome. After spending years perfecting every little detail, sending your masterpiece off to a paint shop only to have it ruined is not something that anyone looks forward to. Yet, it happens time and time again.
For Project Bada Bing, Jason turned to the pros at Hellfire Studios. Josh Garman really knows a thing or two about turning out a show-winning paintjob on time and has the years of experience and know-how to tackle every single project. Jason's S-10 is one of those long-term projects that pushes the build to the highest caliber and leaves no stone unturned, as you can tell from the killer feature on his chassis.
Every big project takes a skilled team, and this build was no exception. Scott George of Daytona Custom Paint did all of the bodywork after Jimmy Graham of Jimmy's Rod and Customs performed the fabrication and mods. Mike Letchworth from Lethal Fabrication lent a hand with the sanding duties, and Charlie Hitch of CH Detailing finished it off with the wet-sanding and buffing.
Follow along as we show you what it takes to complete the perfect classic paintjob. For more information, contact the company listed in the source box.
2. Once dry and taped up,...
2. Once dry and taped up, the truck was placed in the center of the booth and was ready for final cleaning.
3. The truck was wiped down...
3. The truck was wiped down with solvent-based cleaner and then water-based cleaner and wiped clean with a dry towel.
4. Next, a custom-mixed blue...
4. Next, a custom-mixed blue was reduced, and three even coats were applied.
5. Blue fine-line tape and...
5. Blue fine-line tape and regular 1-1/2-inch and 3/4-inch masking tape were used to tape off the two-tone.
6. On the driver side, the...
6. On the driver side, the line was taped out with blue fine-line. Using green 3/4-inch masking tape, all the doorjamb openings in the blue section were taped off so the silver overspray didn't come out back onto the blue. Purple 3/4-inch masking tape was laid under the blue fine-line just so you can see it in the pictures (color doesn't mean anything for the quality of the tape.
7. Once the two-tone was taped...
7. Once the two-tone was taped out on the driver side, a piece of masking paper was taped up in a fashion that could be replicated on the other side. Then a piece of chalk was used to rub over the paper where the two-tone is taped. Next, it was cut where the top of the tape is and then flipped over on the other side to mark where the two-tone will be on the opposite side of the truck.
8. With the blue fine-line...
8. With the blue fine-line all the way around the cab and bed, the bottom color was masked with 36-inch masking paper so that no blue was showing.
9. Using a tack rag to run...
9. Using a tack rag to run over the exposed truck surface removes all existing particles on the surface before applying the top color paint.
10. Next, three to four coats...
10. Next, three to four coats of the silver top color were applied.
11. The bottom color was unmasked...
11. The bottom color was unmasked and the entire truck was retacked, making sure to remove any existing silver overspray that ended up on the blue bottom color.
12. Next, three wet coats...
12. Next, three wet coats of clearcoat were applied. In this particular paintjob, Standox Premium Clear Coat was used.
13. After the two-tone, the...
13. After the two-tone, the truck was completely sanded back down with 1,000-grit and prepared for the airbrushed graphics.
14. Next, it was time for...
14. Next, it was time for the airbrush graphic to split the two-tone (this was not done by Josh at Hellfire). Here, the graphic was taped off and the first layer of white was airbrushed.
15. The chrome effect is achieved...
15. The chrome effect is achieved through a series of skilled layering of the proper color combinations. The airbrush artist must take his time in order to achieve a uniform look throughout the graphic.
16. After the truck was airbrushed,...
16. After the truck was airbrushed, it was taped up, cleaned, and recleared with another three coats of clearcoat then color-sanded and buffed to a killer shine. Be on the lookout for an upcoming exclusive look at the completed Project Bada Bing.