Palmers Customs 59 Corvette build "ZR59"

[Palmers Customs]

My new buddy Rodger from Ironworks was here today checking in on a project that we are painting for him. He noticed a Corvette that we are finishing off and said that I need to get this car on Lateral-G, so here you go. This is a project that we have been working on for over 2 years. It started out like most as a basic restoration with just a few minor body mods. Half way through the build the owner decided to take the car a little farther. He didn't want just a regular 59 Corvette, he wanted something with a little more "super car" feel. We had set an Art Morrison chassis under the body and installed an LS9 motor from Street & Performance, but that wasn't enough. I contacted designer Gary Ragle to help us come up with something a little different, between myself, the owner and Gary this is what we came up with. We are almost done with the car and this week it's off to Rialto, CA to Ron Mangus Hotrod Interiors. The car is set to debut at this years SEMA show and will be in Willwood's booth.http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1405.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1399.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1407.jpg

[melman109]

:wow: :wow: beautiful ride!!!

[scottysimp7]

Wow, this thing is off the chain! Looks beautiful, cant wait to see more. :D

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1397.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1332.jpg

[ironworks]

Hay Im glad you can join us Alan. Guys the fit an finish on this car is awesome. They hand made the windshield and trim on the car. Some of my guys are down there trashing on a project, and said the engine sounds awesome. Come on Alan don't shy these guys like pictures.

[Palmers Customs]

Thank's Rodger, this is my first time posting so i'm a little slow. Thanks for the help on getting started with this thread.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1025.jpgThe trim on the side of the car were made from brass.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette568.jpg Everything else was made from aluminum.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette198.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1236-1.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1069.jpg

[72Z/28]

This is an amazing project you guys are doing at Palmers Customs,just keep up the posts coming and lots of photos please:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Z06Joe]

BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is this someones car or a shop car that you guys will be selling???

[Rick D]

:wow: :hail: :wow: :hail:
Wow what an sweet ride you guys are building there, what are the specs on the car. Lets see more build pictures!

[Tiger]

AMAZING:thumbsup:

please keep us updated as you proceed.

[Darrell]

I like it,I like it a lot:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[hifi875]

awesome ride. Man, the bar just keeps getting higher and higher. The level of detail in the cars being built these days is unbelievable!!!

[waynieZ]

Wow awesome project! This is going to be one sweet ride.

[TorqDork]

I'm Lovin' that Car!!!

Absolutely Wild yet at the same time, not over the top! Well done!

[SS 454]

Damn :hail: So beautiful. Like the exhaust, looks little bit like a Murciélago.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1422.jpg Thanks for the posotive feed back guys. Here's some more pictures.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1414.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1410.jpghttp://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1420.jpghttp://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1413.jpg

[ironworks]

Dang Alan 500 views in 12 hours..... Easy bud leave some Thunder for the rest of us.

[CarlC]

It was nice to meet you yesterday Alan.

What a car. I can't do justice describing the level of detail that this work of art has. For example, see that one-piece rear bumper with more curves than J-Lo? The gap between it an the body is perfect, and I mean perfect with a 3/32" gap all the way around. The whole car is finished like that. It's fantastic!

[Palmers Customs]

Thanks Carl... It was good meeting you aswell. Sorry Rodger... I'm done for now, I need to get back to work on your truck.

[bentfab]

Looken pretty dam slick Palmer ! :D

[Swain]

Great Detail work.

[skatinjay27]

wawa we waaa!:hail:

[intocarss]

Hell yes awesome work

[Northeast Rod Run]

nice looking build!:thumbsup:

[tones2SS]

Wow. Very, very nice. Great looking build.
I love the front end of that car and the colors are a great choice!:thumbsup:

[clill]

Cool car and fab work. What did you do for a fuel system and EFI management ?

[Palmers Customs]

Cool car and fab work. What did you do for a fuel system and EFI management ?

It's got an Aeromotive fuel system with a factory computer from Street & Performance.

[Leadfoot1]

Is the body an original Vette or a repro?

I got a brochure from http://www.hitekhotrods.com/ and its itching me like i have never itched!!!

These year Corvettes are my first choice (58-62)...The Art Morisson frame fits it so well. What an awesome car ...

Very nice work Palmer, hope to see more and maybe other projects!

Lead.

[Palmers Customs]

Thanks again guys for all the nice comments. I'm going to post some pictures of the build process.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette001-1.jpg
This is what the car looked like when it arrived at the shop.
A half-way clean car that most people would be proud to drive.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette097-1.jpg
First step was to tear it down and have the body media blasted.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette031.jpg
Next we made mini tubs and got rid of the spare tire compartment.

[tmadden]

Damn dude that is sick!

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette390.jpg
We smoothed the insides of the doors with aluminum to give a solid foundation for the interior and also since this car is now a roadster we needed to cap the tops of the doors.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette392.jpg

[56pickup]

Killer job guys! can not wait to see it!! :thumbsup: ;)

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette424.jpg
Next came the fun stuff. Building the windshield frame and trim.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette560.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette596.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette602.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette610.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette628.jpg
The top of the stock windshield was cut down 2.5 inches. Then the rear lower section was cut down about 1.5 inches to lay the windshield back.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette866.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette898.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette883.jpg
We then built a mount and housing for the rear view mirror.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette206.jpg
Next came the defuser.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette216.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette214.jpg

[War]

Very nice work!

[73CPCAMARO]

:wow:

This is incredible. I can't wait to see it at SEMA.

[4mm]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1332.jpg

awesome ride. Man, the bar just keeps getting higher and higher. The level of detail in the cars being built these days is unbelievable!!!

My feelings exactly :thumbsup:

How I feel about the pic of the rear exhaust :hail:

[Z06Joe]

Man you guys do some really great work!!!! :thumbsup:

[64pontiac]

Wow. Just wow. One of my two favorite first gen Vettes...... that and Roadster Shops. And it is too close to call. VERY nice work

[texas56]

Kick Ass Hot Rod!

[Jr]

This is one sweet ride!

[hifi875]

looks like smoy finalist 2012 stuff to me!!

[RECOVERY ROOM]

I agree..One of the best Vettes yet. Very nice

[Danp454]

GOD LAWD I'M IN LOVE! That is just top shelf! Jaw dropping would be an understatement!!!!!:wow:

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette780.jpg
Building the front lower valance and rocker panels.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette789.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette809.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette682.jpg
Next came the rocker panels.

[sales@jcg]

Looks great alan! alot of time and sweat... can't wait to see it in person.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette682.jpg
Next came the rocker panels.
Thats not the rocker.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette828.jpg
Here's the rocker panel.

[sales@jcg]

We may have to stop by for a sneak peak :cheers:

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette111.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette112.jpg
We also made new grille openings. The front bumper originally used to fit inside the body and the rear sat on top of the body. I wanted the front and rear bumpers to fit the same, so that meant filling in the front fenders, making new grilles, and new front bumpers.

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1414.jpg
This is the end result.

[Palmers Customs]

We may have to stop by for a sneak peak :cheers:
Come by anytime.

[elitecustombody]

Top notch work:thumbsup: You guys absolutely nailed it to the T with rendering.Usually when finished, projects never look as good as rendering ,but this one is dead on .

[Palmers Customs]

Top notch work:thumbsup: You guys absolutely nailed it to the T with rendering.Usually when finished, projects never look as good as rendering ,but this one is dead on .
We tried to stay as close to the rendering as possible, thats what the customer wanted. You can't build a house without a blue print. Not saying that you can't build a car without a rendering, however it just helps to get a good vision and to get everyone on the same page.

[ssdesign]

Welcome aboard. Very cool car....super nice design. Will it be at SEMA?
Did you guys do the moldings in house?

[Palmers Customs]

Welcome aboard. Very cool car....super nice design. Will it be at SEMA?
Did you guys do the moldings in house?
Thank you...Yes the car will be in Wilwood's booth.
We built all the trim around the top of the body in house. The only thing on the car that we didn't make is the trim around the cove on the side of the car and the tops of the front fenders.Those pieces were built by Little Louie in San Bernadino.
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1070.jpg

[Al Moreno]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette682.jpg
Next came the rocker panels.

Alan there's nothing I can say that hasn't been said already! Is the Stang in the back the one that was at GNRS? THats also was a killer Stang with a similar color paint scheme. Can you post some picture for us of it. I think the Stang could have been a contender for tho year SMOY also.:thumbsup:

[bonecrrusher]

This thing is wicked!

[ssdesign]

Thank you...Yes the car will be in Wilwood's booth.
We built all the trim around the top of the body in house. The only thing on the car that we didn't make is the trim around the cove on the side of the car and the tops of the front fenders.Those pieces were built by Little Louie in San Bernadino.
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1070.jpg

Yeah that looked like Louies handy work. Great car..Ill stop by and see it at SEMA

[Palmers Customs]

Alan there's nothing I can say that hasn't been said already! Is the Stang in the back the one that was at GNRS? THats also was a killer Stang with a similar color paint scheme. Can you post some picture for us of it. I think the Stang could have been a contender for tho year SMOY also.:thumbsup:
That is the Mustang that you saw at the GNRS. We finished that car a few days before the show. It will be at SEMA this year. The owner of the car called me yesterday to let me know that he got the car in the main lobby. Thanks again guys for all the compliments on the Corvette.
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/Ryans%2065%20Mustang/ryans65mustang393.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/Ryans%2065%20Mustang/ryans65mustang396.jpg

[SLO_Z28]

Very cool to see the build on here! Cant wait to see this car at SEMA!

[hifi875]

Nice:D

[Juggernaut]

I can't wait to see more of this Corvette build. Thanks for sharing it. :)
That is the Mustang that you saw at the GNRS. We finished that car a few days before the show. It will be at SEMA this year. The owner of the car called me yesterday to let me know that he got the car in the main lobby. Thanks again guys for all the compliments on the Corvette.
Do you have a build thread for that car too? I love it!

[Palmers Customs]

Just got back from dropping the Corvette off with Ron Mangus to have the interior done. Not only are Ron and his crew good, but they are also very fast. I should have the car back with complete interior in two weeks.
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/69fc12eb.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/fa34f653.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/e805a03a.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/b02a58d6.jpg

[Bow Tie 67]

ShaWing!!

[BBC69Camaro]

Pretty amazing :hail:

[tones2SS]

Wow, that thing is nice looking. I love the colors scheme. Crazy stance as well.

[RagleDesign]

Looks great, Alan! Good to see it all come together.

[daemon2]

Amazing car! Do you have any images of your work on the bumpers?

[SBDave]

Did I see the mustang at Wheels and Waves in Santa Barbara and the Father's Day show in Carpinteria? Cars look great!

Dave

[ccracin]

Do I see an IPad mount in the dash? What cable are you using to hookit into the audio system? Great work by the way! :cheers:

[Jay Hilliard]

Awesome job. I love the charcoal grey trim and the white. looks great!

[Palmers Customs]

Did I see the mustang at Wheels and Waves in Santa Barbara and the Father's Day show in Carpinteria? Cars look great!

Dave

Ya, the Mustang was at both shows, and thank you for the compliments.

[Palmers Customs]

Do I see an IPad mount in the dash? What cable are you using to hookit into the audio system? Great work by the way! :cheers:

That is an ipad mount. We had a the bezel custom made. We made the bezel move in and out so that the ipad can be removed when the car is not being used. We designed it so the ipad can slide in from one side, once all the way in place it connects to the plug. Now you can play music or use any apps.

[ironworks]

That is an ipad mount. We had a the bezel custom made. We made the bezel move in and out so that the ipad can be removed when the car is not being used. We designed it so the ipad can slide in from one side, once all the way in place it connects to the plug. Now you can play music or use any apps.

You sound so computer savy when you say that.

[BuiltByBrooks]

Sick build.. how was the rear bumper made if you dont mind me asking..

[Palmers Customs]

You sound so computer savy when you say that.
That almost took ten minutes to write.

[Palmers Customs]

Sick build.. how was the rear bumper made if you dont mind me asking..

The sides of the bumper are part of the original. The complete rear section is made from 16 gauge sheet metal and was mostly made using a planishing hammer and a shrinker/stretcher.

[waynieZ]

I just read the whole thread again. Amazing build quality.

[Palmers Customs]

I thought I would show you guys just a little bit of the painting process on this car. After hundreds of hours of bodywork, block sanding, and prepping one of the greatest moments is when you finally get it in the booth to start laying down some color.
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1103.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1099-1.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

Since this car is three different colors, the first step is to lay down the main color. I put down two coats of clear to protect the white base color when it comes time to stripe it. In most areas in California we have to use water base paint. It's just as good and in some cases better than solvent, but when it comes to running stripes or graphics it's not as user friendly so you need to seal it up in between colors.
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1111.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1106.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

Once the car was prepped, it was time to lay down the smaller red stripes. Since this car is completely apart I spent a good amount of time measuring the body because I wasn't going to put the car back together. It's a little scary striping a car in pieces, but with simple straight stripes this one wasn't a problem.
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1123.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1126.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

After four coats of clear, we color sanded and polished the body. Once the polish was complete we masked it back up again to put on the matte black stripe.
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1168.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1172.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

Not done yet, we made a few repairs to the underside of the body and yes, once again masked up the body so it could be undercoated. The underside was nice enough that it could have been painted, but the owner wants to drive the car a lot and didn't want to worry about scratching the bottom.
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1141.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1143.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1191-1.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1189.jpg

[Palmers Customs]

Finally ready to set the body on the chassis.
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1175-1.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1176.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/59Corvette1178-1.jpg

[frankv11]

wow amaizing work to say the least. over the top!
quick question will it be a big bother to ask what welder are you using for the aluminum, aluminum gauge, and what tools are you using to grind those things so nice and even on the fine lines. because im sure some of those inside corners might be a pain on the butt to get into and make a perfect edge.

thanks

[MaxHarvard]

That is awesome work!

[Palmers Customs]

wow amaizing work to say the least. over the top!
quick question will it be a big bother to ask what welder are you using for the aluminum, aluminum gauge, and what tools are you using to grind those things so nice and even on the fine lines. because im sure some of those inside corners might be a pain on the butt to get into and make a perfect edge.

thanks

Thanks for the compliment, the type of tig welder is a Lincoln sqaurewave 275.
The tools we used were basic hand files,3" and 5" air sanders with a step process from 36grit to 80 grit to 150 with hand files in between the roughing and 80 grit stage.
Material used for the window frame and interior moldings were made of 5000 series solid aluminum bar .750" x 1.500". flame bent and then shaped and radius all edges as talked about prior.
All the sheet metal fabrication i used .063" 3000 series aluminum. with varying processes of shaping and metal finishing:D

[MoparCar]

Wow, what an awesome build. Your quality of the build is top notch for sure. Thanks for posting it.

Question on your matte black stripe. Is this a matte clear over a black basecoat or an actual matte black paint? Also are you able to lay this "flush" with the red stripe or is it on top of the other paint where you can actually feel the matte black layer on top?
I'm building a Mopar and most had some kind of flat black accents over the years and looking to do a similar accent with minimal ridge/rise over the basecoat and clear.

Thanks-Wes

[Palmers Customs]

Wow, what an awesome build. Your quality of the build is top notch for sure. Thanks for posting it.

Question on your matte black stripe. Is this a matte clear over a black basecoat or an actual matte black paint? Also are you able to lay this "flush" with the red stripe or is it on top of the other paint where you can actually feel the matte black layer on top?
I'm building a Mopar and most had some kind of flat black accents over the years and looking to do a similar accent with minimal ridge/rise over the basecoat and clear.

Thanks-Wes
Thank you Wes. To answer your question, the matte black is single stage. You can see and feel an edge between the black and red stripe, I don't know of any technique that would allow you to have a gloss and matte finish next to each other without feeling the edge. I chose the single stage to try to minimize the thickness of the edge. It only took two coats of single stage black. If I did it with a base coat clear coat the stripe would have been thicker, (two coats color and two coats matte clear). I'm not much of a fan for matte black stripes because of the edge it leaves, but the owner insisted on the center stripe being matte black and now that it's all done it was definitely the right call.

[MoparCar]

Thanks!
Wes

[frankv11]

Thanks for the compliment, the type of tig welder is a Lincoln sqaurewave 275.
The tools we used were basic hand files,3" and 5" air sanders with a step process from 36grit to 80 grit to 150 with hand files in between the roughing and 80 grit stage.
Material used for the window frame and interior moldings were made of 5000 series solid aluminum bar .750" x 1.500". flame bent and then shaped and radius all edges as talked about prior.
All the sheet metal fabrication i used .063" 3000 series aluminum. with varying processes of shaping and metal finishing:D

thanks for taking the time and giving insight on to the process

[tjbruning]

As others have said, great job on the build. I love the color combination (mustang too)

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[1965_SS]

Thank you Wes. To answer your question, the matte black is single stage. You can see and feel an edge between the black and red stripe, I don't know of any technique that would allow you to have a gloss and matte finish next to each other without feeling the edge. I chose the single stage to try to minimize the thickness of the edge. It only took two coats of single stage black. If I did it with a base coat clear coat the stripe would have been thicker, (two coats color and two coats matte clear). I'm not much of a fan for matte black stripes because of the edge it leaves, but the owner insisted on the center stripe being matte black and now that it's all done it was definitely the right call.

Awesome build:thumbsup:

I'm not a body and paint guy so this might be a stupid question, but could you tape off the matte black stripe and then clear coat the paint to build it up to the height of the matte black stripe and then have no "edge"?

[Palmers Customs]

Awesome build:thumbsup:

I'm not a body and paint guy so this might be a stupid question, but could you tape off the matte black stripe and then clear coat the paint to build it up to the height of the matte black stripe and then have no "edge"?

Can't say I have ever tried that. I just don't know how clean the paint edges would be when they come together. You would still feel an edge either way.

[daemon2]

More please:D

[214Chevy]

Looking good!!:hail: :hail:

[Rybar]

This vette is awesome, thanks for taking the time to post all the build shots and paint process. Well done. :thumbsup:

[SS 454]

http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-global/dims3/GLOB/resize/960x655/quality/85/http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/11/01-corvette-zr59-sema.jpg

Damn it looks beautiful. :hail: :thumbsup:

The picture is from Autoblog click on the link to see more
ZR59 on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/03/chevrolet-corvette-zr59-mixes-classic-styling-with-zr1-power/)

[preston]

Great car. Thanks for the photos on building the aluminum trim, a lot of build threads kind of leave out the middling details, going from initial cut to final finish in two photos. I dig the photos with welding beads on them as they give me insight into how the parts are actually mated and hope that even big aluminum beads can be effectively metal finished to perfection.

Its hard to tell but I think you painted all of teh aluminum ?
Otherwise how do you keep it from tarnishing ? does the owner have to brush/polish it once in a while ? I'm pretty sure it looks painted but just curious.

[Palmers Customs]

Great car. Thanks for the photos on building the aluminum trim, a lot of build threads kind of leave out the middling details, going from initial cut to final finish in two photos. I dig the photos with welding beads on them as they give me insight into how the parts are actually mated and hope that even big aluminum beads can be effectively metal finished to perfection.

Its hard to tell but I think you painted all of teh aluminum ?
Otherwise how do you keep it from tarnishing ? does the owner have to brush/polish it once in a while ? I'm pretty sure it looks painted but just curious.

Thanks again for the compliments. All the trim and bumpers on the car are painted.

[gmwhynot]

Wow, what an awesome build. Your quality of the build is top notch for sure. Thanks for posting it.

Question on your matte black stripe. Is this a matte clear over a black basecoat or an actual matte black paint? Also are you able to lay this "flush" with the red stripe or is it on top of the other paint where you can actually feel the matte black layer on top?
I'm building a Mopar and most had some kind of flat black accents over the years and looking to do a similar accent with minimal ridge/rise over the basecoat and clear.

Thanks-Wes

There is a way I have done once but i am not sure of the long term effect. Clear both colors together with regular clear, then sand it flat, then reclear everything with matte clear then mask off the area you want flat and colorsand and buff the rest of the finish. When you color sand and buff matte clear it shines as good as regular clear.

[rjsjea]

Where are those headlights from? I like that style of integrated turn signals

I dig the paint scheme:cool:

[firebirddady69]

Sweet ride!!!!

[muscle69]

Wow Nice car!

[Palmers Customs]

There is a way I have done once but i am not sure of the long term effect. Clear both colors together with regular clear, then sand it flat, then reclear everything with matte clear then mask off the area you want flat and colorsand and buff the rest of the finish. When you color sand and buff matte clear it shines as good as regular clear.

Thanks for the input, however I don't know how well that hold up. I could never take that chance on a customers car. It's something worth looking into.

[Palmers Customs]

We got the opportunity to take the Corvette out to Jay Leno's Garage for an interview with Jay for his web show. It was pretty cool checking out his place and seeing all his cars. After the interview I got to take a drive with Jay around Burbank for about 20 minutes in the Corvette. That was a great experience and hope that one day my guys and I have the opportunity to do that again. Here are a few pictures of that day.

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/Personal019.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/Personal020.jpg
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/Personal017.jpg

[214Chevy]

Unless I missed something earlier in the thread, is this Jay Leno's car?

[Palmers Customs]

Unless I missed something earlier in the thread, is this Jay Leno's car?
No it's not Leno's car. We got invited to be interviewed with the car for a web show that he has called " Jay Leno's Garage". He likes to showcase other peoples car as well as his own.

[214Chevy]

No it's not Leno's car. We got invited to be interviewed with the car for a web show that he has called " Jay Leno's Garage". He likes to showcase other peoples car as well as his own.

Oh, okay. By the way, I love this car. :wow:

[Palmers Customs]

We are finishing up on the last details on the Corvette so that we can deliver the car to the owner after the Grand National Roadster show that is coming up at the end of January. The motor in this car is an LS9, which most of you now requires a dry sump oil system. After plumbing the oil system and installing the headers we only had a 1/8" gap between the header and the fittings on the side of the oil pan. Knowing that this wasn't going to work, I contacted Cris at JCG to see if he had any ideas, because re-making headers was not something that we wanted to have to, but would have if it was the only fix. Solution? The JCG LS7-LS9 oil pan block. The piece bolted right in still using the original O-rings. There is now 2" of clearance! The inside of the block has a nice radius transition so not to interfere with the flow of the oil. Once we make some additional heat shields, I am 100% convinced that we will never have an issue with the oil system. Thanks again Cris!

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/370041e9.jpg
Not much room. This was not going to work.

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/5ce37f68.jpg
Plenty of room now!

[Palmers Customs]

http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h375/apalmer27/4aa6ee9c.jpg

[214Chevy]

Niiiiiice!! Big ups to you all on the car as well as Cris at JCG for the invention.

[Cris@JCG]

Alan- It was great that we were able to help you out with your situation.. Your issue was the driving force for us to design & machine this new part .. You need anything else.. Just give me a call!

I got to see the underside of this Corvette.. Mind blowing details underneth their! Justin did a great job with the custom dry sump oil tank :thumbsup: