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Ford's Tests Out Eco-Friendly Paint on U-Haul Vans
Proving that saving the environment isn't all about mating electric motors to gas engines, Ford has been working on reforming the painting process to find ways to lessen our impact on our world. If you don't believe that painting trucks creates an environmental hazard, check out the paint shop at your local transit authority's bus barn. According to Ford, the new system "combines an advanced chemical formulation of high-solids, solvent-borne paint with an innovative three-wet application process." Exactly. Fittingly, Ford is testing this new process out on 200 U-Haul vans, which each use a lot of paint to describe the many tourist attractions of Delaware. More »
technology
The New Switcheroo: Electrical Chameleon Paint Changes Color
We've been hearing about this kind of thing since the mid-80s, but it appears an actual color-shift system could be in place by early next decade, reports World Car Fans. It's the next step from Nissan's self-healing paint, a paramagnetic paint system that can change color from a default of white to a range of shades. It's a polymer-based substance containing tiny iron oxide particles that can be manipulated by an electric current. Doing so adjusts the distance between the particles, altering the wavelength of visible light, and thus the color shade. It's good news for small cars, which will soon be able to blend in with their surroundings so they're not eaten by birds, a growing insurance liability issue. [World Car Finns]
sema
Amidst all of the glitz and chrome of the SEMA show in Vegas, there was one concept car that stood out — mostly because the paint reflected so much light in the Las Vegas Convention Center you couldn't ignore it. This seemingly chrome-plated beast is the Heico Sportiv-tuned S80 T6 "High Performance Concept." To begin with, it's a Volvo S80 powered not by the high-powered 4.4-liter Yamaha V8 that's in the engine bay of the up-model version — an engine that generates 311 HP, mind you. Instead, it's powered by the new T6 engine, which ups the standard engine lineup to 350 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 405 lb.-ft. of torque between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm. Heico estimates that with the T6, this S80 concept can reach 62 mph in just 5.8 seconds. But the real story's the paint job. As you can see from the video above, nearly every panel of the Heico S80 T6 HPC was re-fabricated. The S80's front clip was replaced with a more aggressive nose that incorporates ultra-slim LED turn-signal indicators, a deeper front air dam and wide intake tunnels for improved airflow into the intercooler and brakes. And oh, yes, there's the "metal effect" paint scheme. Seven coats were applied over a two-week period, and the process allows for no "touch-ups" whatsoever. So once you get it, don't expect to drive it...ever. Full release from Volvo below the jump.
More »
How Heico Sportiv "Chrome-Plated" The Volvo S80
Amidst all of the glitz and chrome of the SEMA show in Vegas, there was one concept car that stood out — mostly because the paint reflected so much light in the Las Vegas Convention Center you couldn't ignore it. This seemingly chrome-plated beast is the Heico Sportiv-tuned S80 T6 "High Performance Concept." To begin with, it's a Volvo S80 powered not by the high-powered 4.4-liter Yamaha V8 that's in the engine bay of the up-model version — an engine that generates 311 HP, mind you. Instead, it's powered by the new T6 engine, which ups the standard engine lineup to 350 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 405 lb.-ft. of torque between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm. Heico estimates that with the T6, this S80 concept can reach 62 mph in just 5.8 seconds. But the real story's the paint job. As you can see from the video above, nearly every panel of the Heico S80 T6 HPC was re-fabricated. The S80's front clip was replaced with a more aggressive nose that incorporates ultra-slim LED turn-signal indicators, a deeper front air dam and wide intake tunnels for improved airflow into the intercooler and brakes. And oh, yes, there's the "metal effect" paint scheme. Seven coats were applied over a two-week period, and the process allows for no "touch-ups" whatsoever. So once you get it, don't expect to drive it...ever. Full release from Volvo below the jump.
More »
alexei, look! art!
In Russia, Air Brushes YOU!
The inimitable English Russia has a gallery from Russia's Aerograph 2007 show, featuring a smattering of obsessively-artified vehicles. Sadly, there's only one ZAZ among the bunch, but as Murilee is wont to say, "...And one Zaporozhets to rule them all!" In fact, most of the vehicles are of German origin, suggesting that while they may have turned around the Germans at Volgograd, Russia's well-heeled would rather drive Mercs than Volgas. [English Russia]
dream if you will a set of brakes
Paint Your Brakes, Maybe Purple
What happens when you've followed all the instructions outlined in "Ghost Ride It" (e.g., dance on the hood, buy some car kicks, ice up your neck)? Time to paint your brake calipers. But this job isn't for Mssrs. Moore and Krylon. You need G2 Brake Caliper Paint, perhaps in a shade of purple best known among a tight circle of working magicians and diminutive pop stars from Minnesota. It's made to take whatever the physics of frictional heat transfer can dish out. [via G2 USA]
novelties
Color Me Accidental: Wagon's Interior Gets Paint Wash During Accident
Many of the Jalops worked as house painters during their formative years. And of those, at least one was involved in an accident involving a ladder, physics and a five-gallon tub o' latex. Paint, it's said, knows no loyalty. More »
custom cars
No-Gloss Roller: Mansory's Matte Phantom
We couldn't imagine how much it cost for the UK's Mansory to provide a middle-eastern client with this matte-finish Rolls-Royce Phantom. But after seeing all the new flatness that showed up at SEMA last year, we knew something like this was imminent. We just think to follow the money all the way to the UK. Note our mate Nick Hall on the right, angling for a test drive. More »
novelties
Enter the Hall of the World's Ugliest Corvette
Let's face it: Twenty-odd years hence, the 1985 Corvette's rose isn't exactly dewy in the best of conditions. In fact, maybe this eye-tingling art-car sendup is a response to how poorly the '85's aged. At least its owner's priorities are in order. More »
news
Pearl Jam: Photos of Maybach's New Finish
Billionaires turned off to the Maybach's dearth of color choices finally have a new tone, and it's not kandy orange peel (sorry Mr. Barris). It's a pearly white paint scheme, which on a giant German car is harder to pull off than an iron bracelet from the ankle of Ilsa, Tigress of Siberia. Nonetheless, we'd imagine there are at least some Maybach buyers who want to recapture some of the lost Liberace mojo. To them, we say godspeed. More »
novelties
Pinstripe My Heart: Artists at Work
Pinstripers are a strange breed. They're steady as surgeons, with the spacial awareness of a 3D camera. Their capacity for close-work would make a Swiss clockmaker smash his cukoo in envy. Only check out this video of some of the top pinstripers in action if you've got 10 minutes to spare and a high tolerance for tedium, or at least have a deep appreciation for tiny brushes and real flame surfacing. [Thanks to Scott for the tip.] More »
news
BMW Working Up No-Wash Matte Finish
We'd never have pegged the folks at BMW for fans of the rat rod sensibility, but according to Australia's CARSGuide, BMW is working on special matte finish paint for its cars. BMW project manager for the Z4 Coupe told the Aussies such new paint will "turn the car's surfaces into sculpture." It'll also make polishing a moot point, and "rewrite the rules on car styling and presentation." The only problem, according to the project manager? More »
custom
When Airbrushing Goes Bad
Dear sweet Lord, what the hell is going on here? If you can't tell by squinting at our pixelated photo we'll give you a hint. This is called the VWgina. Um, yeah. At least the National Christmas Lighting Association won't call us gay anymore. Click on the link to see the full, NSFW version if you're really interested in seeing porn painted on the hood of a VW Bug. For more NSFW, check out the re-design on our sister/brother/slave site, Fleshbot. More »
gadgets
Red Hot and Blue: Auto Paint that Changes Color with Temperature
Fans of colloid chemistry (c'mon, who isn't one?) will be particularly psyched by the work of a team of German researchers. They've produced new particles that could lead to car finishes (or cosmetics) that can change color based on temperature or humidity. We'd imagine the allure of such a product would be lost on our SoCal audience, but us four-season types could soon have a new way to lose our cars in parking garages. More »
gadgets
Nissan Develops Self-Reparing Finish
Nissan Motor announced it's devised an automotive clearcoat that repairs scratches on painted car surfaces, including those created by fingernails, car-washing machines and vengeance. The company's "Scratch Guard Coat," which is effective for three years, contains an elastic resin that helps not only keeps scratches superficial but also will return to its original state "anywhere from one day to a week, depending on temperature and the depth of the scratch," a company release said. No word yet on when the product will be available on Nissan cars. More »
news
'Appetite For Color' To Tarnish Silver?
As the driver of a silver vehicle, we feel like we're Q-shippin' it. Or we would be if our truck weren't so durned slow. Anybody got a spare supercharger for a 318 Magnum lying around? In any event, research by DuPont shows that while silver's reign as the color of choice for the last six years is starting to wane, there's still life in the old girl yet, as paint manufactures infuse it with other tints. Meanwhile, black remains strong updated with new metallic treatments and eye-poppers like orange and yellow are a growth area. Is it only a matter of time until matte red oxide becomes an OEM color choice? That's when we'll know the rat rod thing is really dead. More »
technology
With Mighty Paint Technology, The Krauts Are Never Second-Best!
German scientists have been working on a number of different paint technologies that could appear on new vehicles within the next few decades. One of the most prominent is "chameleon" paint, which would change color to somewhat luminesce at dusk, making vehicles more visible. Not thrilling enough for you, techboy? Then how 'bout electrically-conductive paint that fatigues and cracks along with metal and alerts the vehicle's pilot to impending structural failure? More »
custom cars/hot rods
