I thought I would share a project that I have been working on for a while. Perhaps some of you can use this idea if you would like to display small scale graphics that actually fit in your showroom? Or as a sample for a paying job...with less material to waste?
Anyway, Back in the late 70's my Cousin, Punky Manor was one of the top Late Model dirt trackers in the Midwest. Unfortunately his life was cut short (26 years old) in a highway accident. Never hurt on the race track and then tragically one day he was gone. I was a teenager at the time and hung out with him and his family whenever I could. Racing was life!
Well, my daughter was born after he died and ended up being a bit of a race fan herself but never got to see any of his cars or races.
So I decided to build a scale model of each one of his race cars so she could at least indirectly see what it was like back then.
I was able to get several photographs from the period after I had started, so the third car I built is fairly close to the original. The first two were from my badly faded memory.
So for the Camaro below I did a bit of a wrap of sorts. I took typing paper and wrapped it around the scale body and drew lines where the different colors of paint should go. I then cut one out for each color and laid it on the scanner backed with black paper. I brought the scan into Illustrator and vectorized it. Once in Illustrator I was able to scan in some lettering samples from the era and lay out the original style of hand lettering.
I then purchased clear water slide decals, printed them on the old inkjet, then cleared over them with Krylon Satin clear coat. From there I cut them out and applied them to the model car then cleared the whole thing.
So here is a pic of Punky with his first Camaro Late Model...
Here is the decal sheet I created...
And here is the finished model car...
I bet Mike Meyer even saw a few of Punk's races back in the day...
posted
Great work Dale!!! These are a nice way to remember Punky!
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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I know all too well what's involved building these little beasts. Great tip too. I hand letter most of my stuff but have printed out some decals using the decal paper. The only problem being white.
Here's one I did a decal on. I also used the printer to do the flag.
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
-------------------- Ryan Culbertson The Sign Shop at Quick Copies Greenwood, SC
Rock and Roll means well, but it can’t help tellin’ young boys lies. Mike Cooley - Drive By Truckers Posts: 453 | From: Greenwood, South Carolina | Registered: Apr 2007
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That takes me back to an era that was truly the best in my mind.
You hit the nail on the head with the likeness, SPOT ON!
I probably did see him race in Fountain City, or a special somewhere...I remember lots of cars like that...man they were the greatest! You could tell what kind of car it was by the body style, and they were ALL HAND LETTERED!!!!
I got into lettering as a kid lettering my model cars with tooth picks to copy my dirt track heros!
I have an entire photo album of cars I did, and raced on a small track with a stick and a string.
Thanks Dale! I will show you my album someday.....man, life was so simple then...
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
posted
hey mate very nice job! This post is very timely as I'm doing a series of scaled prototypes which will be sent to china and made into diecast models. The cars are aussie drag cars. I have airbrushed three so far and look pretty cool but having trouble with the lettering as its too small to digitally print(i've had a few guys try on their flash harry machines). I have all the lettering designed digitally so it looks like i hand did them but am stuck on how to get it onto the cars, i actually suggested water transfers to the guys i'm doing these for but just dont know where to get it done, i wasnt aware you could buy it for your printers. I think what you have done is killer and would be happy if i could get mine remotely close to that detail. The cars I'm doing have a crazy amount of detail in the actual bodys and chassis work so need the paint to be detailed too. I have done three and will have a total of about 120 models to do. the big question for me is where can i get this transfer paper??
thanks mate, great job. Rod
-------------------- Rod from, EAST COAST AIRBRUSHING "Airbrush Art & Graphics" Nambour; Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Australia E.mail: rod@rodticklesigns.com Web: www.rodticklesigns.com Posts: 635 | From: Nambour, Sunshine Coast, Queensland | Registered: Dec 1998
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I did buy from a couple other venders that I found online. Usually Micro Mark has some pretty good supplies.
You can get white and clear in both inkjet, and color laser water slide decal sheets. I had better luck with an "el cheapo deluxe" inkjet printer than my Canon higher end printer.....go figure. I had some issues with the Red ink on the Camaro above. Ended up hand painting over it. I would really like to try the Laser paper, just didn't take the time yet.
I scanned in some full scale decals (champion plugs) and then placed those into Illustrator. The detail held up pretty well.
If you have any questions drop me and email.
Hey Mike,
Actually, Punky started out racing Fords....it was his Car of Choice. He started racing Camaro's because there was one available at the time and parts were cheaper. I helped build a 428 cobra jet motor for the Torino, when I was 12 or 13 years old. You ever sit behind 180 degree headers (without the tubes) to watch the tach while they looked for and engine miss? It's a wonder I can hear at all!
They used to give him a hard time when we pulled in the track because his hauler was always a Ford. He would just yell back at them..."Ya Gotta get it here somehow!"
One time when he was about 17 or 18, he pulled a 1968 Mustang Fastback out of his dad's junk yard and totally restored it. Black with red interior.....289 hi-perf...nice. Another time he owned a 1968 Shelby 350 Mustang....sweet ride!
I really miss those days.
Wanna take a stroll down dirt track memory lane...check this site out...
posted
Thanks for the link Dale! OK I get it...Yeah, there was always a 2% of all late model racers that ran Fords in the 70's. The one's that did seemed to do good, I alwyas wondered why more guys didn't run more Fords....I was told Chevy motors were always better to use???? But then again "Ford 9inch rear ends" were the most common, and still are i guess????
Can't wait to watch some dirt fly this weekend!
-------------------- Mike Meyer Sign Painter 189 1st Ave n P.O. Box 3 Mazeppa, Mn 55956
We are not selling, we are staying here in Mazeppa....we cannot re-create what we have here....not in another lifetime! SO Here we are!!!!!!!
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Great detail.
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