Herculine hood and insert

[Marlin]

Yep, they cut the funding in my area for bus programs.

[Mile High VX]

Move on out here and you can ride the school bus...for a fee of 50 cents per day...man is that messed up or what?

[Marlin]

I hear ya, they really did cancel buses here, we have to take the kids to school which increased traffic some ridiculous amount. Now they have to put in a few more stoplights, at couple million bucks a piece, plus widen the roads, traffic control by officers...would have been cheaper to keep buses running. They only use the uses for those that live within 4 miles of school?! How does that make any effing sense?

[SlowPro48]

Dude you have outdone yourself this time. What did you apply that stuff with - a broom? Haha! Just kidding - I know Herculiner is supposed to look rough like that.

I think the straight lines are what's bothering me. Everything else on the VX is rounded. It was built before the angular, stealth fighter look became popular. If you could find some Artool stencils/templates with a tribal pattern or some cheetah spots or something you could add them along the edge of the black to break up the harsh line and blend the black into the yellow a little better. Yeah, that's it. In fact why don't you do the whole village and pimp the entire thing out with cheetah spots... It's already got teeth!

[Marlin]

Dude you have outdone yourself this time. What did you apply that stuff with - a broom? Haha! Just kidding - I know Herculiner is supposed to look rough like that.

I think the straight lines are what's bothering me. Everything else on the VX is rounded. It was built before the angular, stealth fighter look became popular. If you could find some Artool stencils/templates with a tribal pattern or some cheetah spots or something you could add them along the edge of the black to break up the harsh line and blend the black into the yellow a little better. Yeah, that's it. In fact why don't you do the whole village and pimp the entire thing out with cheetah spots... It's already got teeth!

I did talk to the wifey about putting a small red pinstripe along the transition point since I have small red accents, tow hooks, calipers, soon to be 10" 1st gen Isuzu decal in the yellow "hole" in the middle. I think Ldub did that when he lined his fenders, so not to steal his thunder, perhaps not. I am surprised that Riff and Ldub and Rowhard have not chimed in about this project...
When I bought the VX a few years ago, I had obsessed over the various "iconic" VXs, I was telling Ashley when he was here a few weeks ago that I wanted mine to be an "iconic" VX. The VX alone turns heads, but I wanted more, I think of the truck as a drug. I do make sure that its almost always function over form, no chrome door trim, or any other "bling" or "mexicana" as they call it around here. I know most if not all of you think, damn, what are you doing? But, it all serves a purpose, and some of the things I do are projects that others think about but don't have the balls to try. I have never really done anything like this to a car ever, so it is a great learning experience. Maybe one day, after the VX gives up the ghost to cancer, I will get an old FJ, or D90 or something, and these experiences will allow me to better mod an expensive vehicle, where as, lets face it, the VX is cheap. I know you single owner VX guys paid some bucks for yours, but hell, I paid over 20K for a 1st gen Rav4 back in the day. I bet my old 98 Rav4 is worth more than the VX I will post up some more pics as I paint the cladding, only a few more days till the RS shows up, and then its gonna be a new toy, so the VX will take backseat for a while. Still have the IFS kit to install, and the ball joint spacer and low pro bump stops showed up today. Thats a one hour job, so probably tomorrow afternoon if I can get out early.

[RickOKC]

1) Why are you licking the side of that pick up?

2) Hmmm, I always imagined you would be taller.

[JHarris1385]

If it stays wet looking on the hood insert...does this defeat the purpose of the anti-glare properties?

I like it. My feeling is what makes you happy, do it. I REALLY want to line-x the whole thing but that seems to be much more $ than this....Go ahead and do your whole VX as a test run for me! Seriously how much do you think it would be to cover the whole VX?

[RickOKC]

I'm with pbkid, just do the whole vehicle. IMHO this is one of the toughest looking VX's out there:

I'm really starting to warm up to flat and satin paint jobs. That looks just plain EEE-vil! Hmmmm, don't they make Line-X in various colors? I think Isuzu picked some great colors and I bet a maroon/black or dark green/black VX would be pretty amazing.

[Marlin]

If it stays wet looking on the hood insert...does this defeat the purpose of the anti-glare properties?

I like it. My feeling is what makes you happy, do it. I REALLY want to line-x the whole thing but that seems to be much more $ than this....Go ahead and do your whole VX as a test run for me! Seriously how much do you think it would be to cover the whole VX?

Anti-glare schmanti-blare. I have no idea what the real purpose of putting a piece of fiberglass on top of the hottest part of the vehicle was...but it looks cool.
As for licking the truck, that is how I know when its time to wash and wax, its an old witch doctor trick. The real question is how did I get over there fast enough after setting up the camera

I would think it would cost at least a few thousand bucks to Line-x the whole truck, at least at retail cost. A bed costs 3 or 400, and that requires little to no prep work. Just imagine taping everything off, getting into all the crevices, corners...I remember a pic of an FJ cruiser that was line-xed a khaki color. It was awesome, he did the door jams and all. It was a quality job and very time consuming. I am dreading doing just the cladding, and that is just taping off the cladding/body lines, tail lights, gotta take the rear door spare mount off,or perhaps just go over that as well. I don't know yet.

[RickOKC]

As for licking the truck, that is how I know when its time to wash and wax, its an old witch doctor trick. The real question is how did I get over there fast enough after setting up the camera

Tripod and a timer? Yes, sir, I'll shut my piehole now.

Darn, tried to make a Proton/Black Line-X Photoshop in your honor, but my colorizer looks like complete poo when it comes to lighter colors.

Here's a "Foxfire"/Black 'shop:

[Tookie]

Waaa siiiiiiick. go photoshop a dark green one now

[RickOKC]

Darn... should have been darker (I'm not very good at this.)



Hmmmm, I'm a BIG fan of blue, too...

[vt_maverick]

Now that IS sick... he may be onto something here Marlin...

[Marlin]

Now that IS sick... he may be onto something here Marlin...

Ummm, you are talking a few grand for something like that, I could buy a whole nother VX for that kind of money...

[vt_maverick]

You mean you couldn't have bought a whole other VX for the money you've already spent?