Total 2000 Mustang GT Make-Over....A Father & Son Make Perfect Team!

Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet....or, in this case, Ford!  Either way, what could make a better story for the 4th of July than a great father and son Mustang make-over!

We do all kinds of custom work here at LDJ Auto Body.  From the installation of accessories to full blown custom modified projects.  One thing we love seeing here, though, is family members working together. And car projects are just custom made for that!  It's fun and, most of all, it's rewarding!

This 4th of July, I want to show you a great father - son project car that came to us for a carbon fiber hood installation and complete paint job.  This 2000 Mustang GT is Eric's first car and he and his dad, Howard, have spent countless hours working together on this project.  They have done some awesome things to the car and I think you'll agree, all their "sweat equity" was well worth the time and effort.

The car came to us as an original 2000 Mustang GT in great condition.  A few minor dings and some parking lot damage was the only "body work" necessary.

The make-over consisted of fitting and installing a cowl inducted, carbon fiber hood and a complete paint job including a painted "Lemans" stripe package.  A great combination for this car. 

The car was scuffed and prepped for paint and some the minor body work taken care of.  DuPont was the product of choice and DuPont supplied everything from the filler to the paint and clear coat.  We work almost exclusively with DuPont here at LDJ and find their products work great for us and our customers in terms of durability and cost.

After repairing the minor body damage, the new carbon fiber hood was installed and fitted.  The hood really made a difference in the look of this car.  Adding a rounded effect to the entire front end and also adding 3 1/2 inches to the overall height of the hood.  The cowl inducted hood changed the entire look and definitely brought out the "muscle car" look in this Mustang.

After completing the prep work, the car made it to the paint booth where Larry Blackman, owner of LDJ Auto Body, works his magic.  Larry has been doing custom paint work for almost 40 years and his expertise shows in all of his work.  You can see more of his work at our website, www.ldjautobody.com.

The vermilion red base coat with a light metal flake and very light pearl really brightened up the look of the car.  The Lemans stripe is done in a "gun-metal blue-gray pearl" which brought out the blue in the metal flake and just looked fantastic.  The stripe package really put the finishing touches on this awesome looking 2000 Mustang GT! 

This full make-over also included a vast amount of engine and suspension work that was done by Howard and Eric themselves.  I wish you could hear it run!  This cars sounds great and runs even better.  I asked them to give me a list of what they had done and I'll let Howard tell you in his own words what modifications were done to the car, "We started with brakes and suspension. We replaced the brakes, shocks, struts, ball joints, and lowering springs.  We also installed 4.10 gears and a cold air intake and installed Comp 270 cams, long-tube headers, and catless X-pipe.  Inside we installed racing seats and a short throw shifter and finally we purchased a 3 1/2 inch cowl hood. Then we started searching for a painter and decided to go with LDJ Auto Body and Mechanical.  We're very happy with the outcome of the paint and the hood installation! 

Howard and Eric did an outstanding job on the motor and suspension work.  Here's a shot of "under the hood"!   You can see the time spent under her hood is significant and the car runs great.  Awesome job guys!

All in all the car looks and runs fantastic.  The addition of the cowl inducted hood really put the finishing touches on the overall look of the car.

LDJ Auto Body & Mechanical is located in Gibsonton, FL, just off of I-75 and Gibsonton Dr.  If you would like further information regarding custom paint or custom modification work for your project, please feel free to give us a call at (813) 644-4497.  You can send pictures of your project for a free estimate to estimates@ldjautobody.com.  Don't forget to stop by our facebook page at www.facebook.com/ldjautobody and "like" our page! 

We love happy endings!  A big "thank you" to Howard and Eric McCorkle for bringing us this great 2000 Mustang GT for a make-over.  We wish you all the best and hope you enjoy this great car.

Happy Motoring to all our readers!

Larry and Dee Blackman
LDJ Auto Body & Mechanical
Gibsonton, FL 
(813) 644-4497

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2000 Mustang GT - A Father & Son Project by LDJ Auto Body & Mechanical, Gibsonton, FL

2000 Mustang GT Project Car!
A Father and Son Colaboration
by Howard and Eric McCorkle! Great Job Guys!

Cars are something that all of us deal with daily.  But, our first car....well, now, that is something special!  We all remember that special day when we got our driver's license.  That day is, if you think about it, the first real step into the future.  The day when we experience real freedom. It's a special feeling to push that key into the ignition knowing that we are truly "on our own". 

The next step to "emancipation" from parental control is the day we get our first car.... And our first car is something that stays with us for the rest of our lives.  I'll bet there isn't a single one of us that doesn't remember the day we bought it!  I can even remember how it smelled!  Seriously....our first car is something special.  It is a special feeling that we just never forget. 

That's why this story is special to me.  I love seeing a father and son team up and work together on that special vehicle.  It's something I have been lucky enough to share with many "father and son" teams and each and every one of them makes me smile.

Our latest project car was just that.  We got an email from Howard, Eric's dad, asking how much it would cost to "just paint the car and install a carbon fiber hood".  There's "no body work" the email went on to say, "but, my son would like a nice paint job, and we're thinking about a Lemans stripe package".  "He is paying for the work himself and I have heard that you guys do some really great work there." "I'd like to see him get a nice job." "Please get back to me. Thanks. Howard".  As I read the email, a smile crept over my face as I thought about all the "first cars" we had painted here at LDJ.

I remembered my youngest daughter's first car, a Mitsubishi Eclipse that Larry had literally "cut in half"!  Yep, she wanted that car more than anything in the world, and, at that time, the only way we could afford a DOHC, fully turbo charged, gleaming black Eclipse was if we "fixed one up" and the only one we could find to fix up was basically "a total loss" in the rear end!  So, Larry and I bought another one and he cut the damn car in half and welded the two halves together!  Walah!  One gleaming black, DOHC fully turbo charged Mitsubishi Eclipse commin up! Yes, having one of the best body men on the planet for a dad has it's advantages!

As I answered Howard's email, I already knew that we'd be taking on this job.  My husband Larry is a great bodyman.  But, first and foremost, he is a dad and a husband.  And, I also knew that Howard had come to the right place to get his son's car painted and modified.  As Larry looked at the pictures of the car, I could see the smile....the same smile I see every time we paint a "first car".  It is just something that he loves to do....and, he loves seeing the look on the face of that "first car owner" when they see the car for the first time after it's done.

This is an awesome representation of what a great
father & son team can do when they put their heads
together!  This beats all the video games and time lost
with our kids due to "texting" and "facebooking"!

This car was special though.  We both love Mustangs and Howard and Eric had already been very busy doing what guys do to "first cars"!  When I was asking Howard for his permission to share this car with all of you, I also asked him what he and his son, Eric, had done to the engine and the rest of the car....it was obvious that they had been working hard on turning this first car into something very unique!  In his own words..." We started with brakes and suspension.  We replaced the brakes, shocks, struts, ball joints, and lowering springs. Installed 4.10 gears and a cold air intake. Installed Comp 270 cams, long-tube headers, and catless X-pipe. Intalled racing seats and short throw shifter. We purchased a 3 1/2 inch cowl hood. Then we started searching for a painter and decided to go with LDJ Auto Body and Mechanical. Very happy with the outcome of the paint and the hood installation!  And believe me, they did an outstanding job!  Here's a shot of "under the hood"!  I wish I had recorded the sound of this car....it's awesome!  You can see the time spent under her hood is significant and the car runs great.

The car was in great condition for it's age to begin with.  A few minor scratches were the only "body work" that needed to be done.  We started by removing the finish on the vehicle.

The car was fitted with a new, fiber carbon, 3 1/2 cowl inducted hood.  After fitting and prepping the hood.  The painting process began.

From primer to base coat, the car progressed nicely.  The Lemans stripe package really impressed me.  The color of the stripe is a pearl, gun metal blue-gray that really set off the red in the car's primary color scheme.


The paint job was completed using all DuPont products.  From the filler for the 3 very minor scratches to the base coat / clear coat finish, DuPont supplied every stitch of the material.  Even the outrageous "gun metal blue to silver" flip / flop pearl Lemans stripe was DuPont. 



The finished product is spectacular and the color combinations are fabulous.

The 2005 Mustang GT has some fantastic body lines and screams "muscle car" with styling that brings back the original "pony" car itself. 

Ford's attempt at re-creating the original look of the early Mustangs was a huge success and the Mustang, new or old, has become one of the most popular cars on the road today.

We hope Eric enjoys this outstanding "first car" as much as we enjoyed helping him get this project finished! 

We'd like to thank Howard and Eric for letting us share this great vehicle with our readers and we wish them all the best.






For more information on restoration and custom paint work, give us a call at (813) 644-4497.  Larry Blackman is always available to answer your questions and help you find the best solutions to getting your project up and running at prices that will fit your budget. 

We also do motorcycle restoration and custom bike work. 

Estimates are always free so call us today to see how little it can cost to get your dream car or bike on the road today!

Happy Motoring!

Larry and Dee Blackman
LDJ Auto Body and Custom Shop
Gibsonton, FL
www.ldjautobody.com
lblackman@ldjautobody.com

More about → 2000 Mustang GT - A Father & Son Project by LDJ Auto Body & Mechanical, Gibsonton, FL

Prepping For A Show Quality Finish - How The Pros Do It

Ahhh, the satisfaction of the "do-it-yourself" project.  It's a great feeling to finish a big project and see the return on your "sweat equity" investment!  Working on a classic or custom vehicle project that you've done yourself certainly ranks high on the list of "do-it-yourself" accomplishments.  While going thru my list of blogs that I follow, I came across a great article for the "do-it-yourself" car enthusiast that was really well done.  It's definitely an 8 or better on the rating scale for covering some great information and so I'd like to share it with you here.  It's a great place to start for anyone wanting to take on the job of putting an excellent paint job on your custom or classic project.

1970 Convertible GTO from blog post at AutoMedia.com

The folks at Automedia.com have put together and article entitled "Paint Secrets" that is one of the best I've seen in awhile.  It is in-depth enough to get you headed in the right direction when getting ready to do a quality paint job.  The article is written by Jim McGowan of Automedia.com and he has done a superb job in our opinion.  Jim's advice here is excellent and following the instruction he has put together will definitely head you in the right direction for a beautiful finished product and as you can see from the final picture, this GTO looks great.


Jim touched base on a very important point when he said to check with your shop to find out what type or brand of paint system they are planning to use when spraying the final finish.  We can't stress this enough.  Paint systems are all different and they don't mix well!  Always stay with the same manufacturer throughout the project AND if you have any questions regarding which products to use durring the prep work, ask those questions before you start.  There is no shame in not understanding what products to use. There is a seemingly endless list of products available for different uses and even products by the same manufacturer can cause problems depending on what system you are using.  It's always better to clarify those questions prior to using any product in the paint prepping stages as an error here will not only require extra work, but, can be extremely costly depending on what needs to be done to correct the error.  Ask first and be happy later!

If you are going to be spraying the primer yourself, there are a few suggestions I might add to make the difference between a good and a great paint job.  If the vehicle has had a significant amount of body work done, using a high build primer will give you the advantage of making sure those little spots don't blemish the final finish.  High build primers are thicker and will help first timers get a little better coverage on hard to see and feel low spots.  It's a little harder to sand, but, also more forgiving to the amateur when sanding and blocking the primer.  The primer is final finish before the color and how you prep that will determine what your final finish is going to look like.  The better the primer finish, the better the paint job. 

Scan down the sides of the vehicle.
Look for any highs or lows.

Looking down the sides of the vehicle is key at this point.  Use different lighting to ensure that there are no ripples, high spots or low spots.  Check the body lines for any indentations that occurred during sanding.  Feel the finish using the "flat" of your fingers and palm of your hand.  Close your eyes and follow the finish with your hand.  If you can "feel" it, you'll definitely be able to "see" it and now is the time to "fix" it!

When it's time to apply the color, the first thing to do is to "wash" the finish with a high quality wax and grease remover.  Don't skimp on quality here.  We recommend Prep Solvent-70 by 3M, but, any good prep solvent will work.  Use two rags when performing this process.  Wet the first rag with the solvent and wipe it onto the surface and then immediately use the second, dry rag, to wipe it off.  Do NOT allow the solvent to air dry on the surface.  This defeats the purpose and allows the grease and grime to stay where it was.  This process is key to a good final finish in that it removes any substances that might cause blemishes or "fish-eye" in the final product.  Do this process in small areas and ensure that you don't miss any areas.  Don't forget to get into the small groves and areas that aren't as easy to get at as those areas are the very ones that will allow moisture and corrosion later on and give those things a starting place.  Use this process to inspect the entire car for any items that need to be fixed, like edges where the primer might have been broken through.  This is the perfect time to do your final inspection as you do have to go over the entire vehicle.  Also, do this step right before you are ready to apply the paint.  Don't wait for a long period after as airborne chemicals will have time to settle on the finish if you don't do it right away.

When you are satisfied that you're ready to go ahead with the color, follow the instructions exactly as the manufacturer recommends.  Measure twice, mix once is the attitude to have here! 

I concur with the writer that the initial color coat should be kept just slightly lighter.  This coat should be used to find any problems that are going to arise.  Look for any anomalies in the finish.  Sanding this coat with 1500 will assure good adhesion of the following coat and give you the ability to look for any problems while you're sanding.  Make sure to go over the entire vehice with a "tac rag" to remove any traces of dust or debris from the sanding. Once the finish has been sanded, you're ready to lay the final coats of your color.

Jim's description of the spraying motion is very important here.  Lay the paint evenly using your wrist with a snapping motion to avoid "lingering" in any spots.  Slow and steady wins the race here.  Start from the center of the hood, deck lid, and roof panels and work toward the edges. Watch the paint as it hits the surface and ensure that it is wet, but, not heavy enough to run.  This is an art that you will perfect as you go and looking at the surface as you paint is the best indicator.  Gravity fed guns do not require a lot of pressure, but, you must atomize the paint to ensure good adhesion and keep the solids, like metal flake or pearl from concentrating in one spot.  Check for even color in between coats.  Mentally make a note of anything you need to give attention to on the next coat. 

When spraying base coat / clear coat systems, remember that the clear is going to protect the finish for a long time.  This is not the place to save money.  The clear is going to be the layer that is brought to a mirror-like gloss in the final process of your finish, but, some of it is going to be removed in that process!  On "high-end" show cars, I have sprayed as many as 5 to 6 coats of clear, or more, and sanded them in-between.  Depending on what you want the finished product to look like, I recommend at least 3-4 coats of clear on any show quality finish.

Lastly, I also concur with Jim McGowan on his last statement that "rubbing out" or buffing of the completed finish is best left to the pros until you have gained a good confidence in your abilities.  On show paint, I wet-sand the entire vehilce "by hand" allowing me to see any imperfections that need attention.  Tiny bugs, dust, or any other anomalies should be wet-sanded out.  After wet-sanding the entire car, start the buffing process using a high quality machine buffing compound.  Buffing compound is extremely abrasive.  Be careful even when wiping the excess off with a rag as the compound will leave scratches where you wipe it!  Keeping the buffing bonnet perfectly flat on the surface is the key here.  Keep the bonnet clean!  Remove any excess compound by running a screw driver or other sharp object against the bonnet as it spins.  Watch for "caking" of the compound on the bonnet.  I prefer a "foam" bonnet over the "wool".  Wool was fine in the old days when foam wasn't available, however, it's much harder to burn the finish with foam than with wool, so it's a good idea to use foam, especially if you're just learning.  I also prefer foam because it is a lot more flexible and offers better action on edges and "hard to get to" places. 




 After buffing the entire vehicle, the next step is to apply machine glaze.  Machine glazing removes any swirls from the compound and brings out the "mirror-ike" finish in the clear.  Once again, glaze is also an abrasive, so be careful when removing any glaze after you're done as it will scratch the beautiful finish you've worked so hard to achieve. 

Take care in choosing the proper products to perform the final steps in buffing and protecting your finish.  Meguir's is a leader in automotive finish care products and their products are formulated to give you the very best in finish care.  You can find all the products you need at our "Onine Finish Care Store".  The products listed here are the ones we recommend and the links here will get you the best prices as they are direct from Meguir's! 

When the finish is complete, I like to give it a machine wax followed by hand rubbed wax for the final finish.  Hand rubbing the final wax coat gives you a good basis for getting all the residual compounds out of the small crevises and corners and leaves a thicker coat of wax to protect that finish. 

1970 Cutlass 442 Convertible painted by Larry Blackman
Notice the mirror like finish down the sides of a completely straight quarter.
Viewing the vehicle from this angle shows all imperfections.
See more paint work by Larry at www.ldjautobody.com

OK, now, stand back and observe the beautiful, new finish on your vehicle! 

Happy Motoring!

Larry and Dee

More about → Prepping For A Show Quality Finish - How The Pros Do It

The Best of Our Custom Paint Jobs Go Really Fast!

What Happens After We Do The Custom Paint Job?

Here's A Couple of Our Customers Doing What THEY Do Best!

Good Morning and Happy Easter to all of our readers!  

I was working in the office yesterday morning and catching up on some seriously overdue paperwork when the phone rang.  "Well hello there stranger, how the heck are ya?" was the answer to my greeting.  The voice sounded sooooo familiar, but, I guess age really is catching up with me because, embarrassed that I couldn't put a face to the voice, I answered, "I'm fine, who's this?"  A belly low, but obviously very real belly laugh was the response along with, "Well, I guess it didn't take long for you to forget your favorite customer!  This is Hollis!  I was just thinking about you guys and thought I'd call and wish you a Happy Easter!"  "Hollis Jones!", I replied with an enormous smile on my face that immediately took over for the previously confused look I must have had.  "It's great to hear from you! Happy Easter and what's new with you?"  His answer and the conversation that followed got me thinking and reminiscing about all the wonderful people we've worked with in the past and led to the writing of this article.

Larry and I have been in this great business for over 37 years now and we have met and had the opportunity to work with thousands of people.  Many of those people have gone on to fame and fortune with the cars, trucks, and motorcycles that Larry has painted or worked on and we're very proud of all of them and the work we've done to help them along the way.  So, I've decided to look up some of those great people and share their accomplishments with you here and since his phone call was my inspiration to do this, the first one I will tell you about is none other than Hollis Jones!

Hollis, a long time friend of mine and Larry's and one of our very first customers loves cars and racing.  His love of cars and racing led him to start his business, City Suburban Auto Parts in Joliet, IL, some 30 odd years ago and turn it into one of the largest used auto parts suppliers in the southwest suburbs of Chicago.  In our recent conversation, he told me he had since sold the business and was now dedicating his time to his real passion, drag racing.  He went on to tell me that he has taken the 1966 SS Nova, that was one of the first custom paint jobs to come out of our shop, from a backyard project to a low 6 second semi-pro nationals winner!  Yes, at 63 years young, Hollis is living his dream and driving that same vehicle at speeds around 250 mph and loving every minute of it!

I jumped for joy when he told me I could find some videos of that very same car on YouTube and gave me permission to include them in this article!  Hollis Jones' 1966 SS Nova is an ongoing "labor of love" that we're sure, with his determination and skill, will bring him straight to the top!  When we first had the car in the shop back in the '80's, Hollis had just begun her transformation from an original '66 SS Nova with very minor modifications to the semi-pro Nationals winning car she is now.  And it all started with a "pure white pearlized" paint job that is still on the car today!  Of course, Larry had repainted the car a few times, but, always the same "pure white pearl" that has become Hollis's trademark with everything he owns.  Not a complex paint job, to say the least, but, perfect in every way.  Both Larry and Hollis's wife tried to get him to add some "color" to the car, but, Hollis stuck to his guns and insisted that it remain pure as the driven snow and as you can see in the videos, he still hasn't changed his mind!

What HAS changed on the car is the engine!  We've watched Hollis and his love for the 1/4 mile track go from 8 second passes in the 1980's to the unbelievably low 6 seconds and 250 mph passes she makes now!  So, without further ado, here's some video footage of this great car.

Here she is as we last saw the car.  Shown here in a bye run that took only 7 seconds!



Wow, sounding great and looking even better!  Now, Hollis Jones loves to go fast.  Back around that time, while he was tuning and working on the performance of this great car, I can remember the "promises" to his wife and his family, that once he reached 7 seconds in the quarter mile, he would hang up his fire suit and that would be that!  Hmmm, I guess that wasn't the case......in this next video, I think you'll see a few differences in the car!  The huge, stainless steel blower hanging out of the hood is one of those differences! LOL

Speaking of blowers, check out Vivid Racing's great prices on everything "race ready"!  The below link will take you to a page chock full of blowers and blower accessories at some dynamite prices!  AND, you can speak live to a customer representative right here! to find out more about exactly what you'll need to improve YOUR car's performance.  Just click on the "Chat Live Now" link to speak directly to one of Vivid Racing's professional technicians.










Back in the '80's, when Larry first started working on Hollis's car, I can remember the two of them enjoying a cold one while trying to figure out how to fit the car for the huge racing slicks that were necessesary to keep him "glued" to the pavement!  Larry is quite the magician when it comes to modification of these cars and after some thought and "Blackman" engineering, he tubbed the quarters and they modified the chassis to hold the slicks.  It was a job that Larry is proud of to this day.  As anyone who has seen a '66 Nova knows, the body lines are beautiful, but, very intricate.  The line that travels down the lower portion of the body of the vhicle is a double indentation with a raised point above and below the indent.  In asking Larry how he managed to duplicate that line in the portion of the quarter that he had to fabricate, his answer was....."I found somethin that worked....".  We also fabricated from scratch, the hood scoop to house the huge blower that then took up residence above the engine block.  That particular 1966 Nova had become one of the first "Larry Blackman originals"!  As usual, Larry's experience and engineering skills paid off and the rear slicks fit perfectly and the hood modifications were flawless.

Once again the vehicle was repainted, but, this time, the car was stripped down to bare metal and an absolutely flawless, pure white, pearlized paint job was put on the car.  Hollis Jones is one of the only people that Larry has allowed to help out with the paint job.  Larry's almost fanatical obsession with perfection usually does not allow for any type of assistance.  But, Hollis insisted and Larry agreed and the two set out as a team to produce one of the finest paint jobs ever to speed down the 1/4 mile strip. 

Hollis Jones' car is just one of many that we have on the drag strip or circle track.  Check back often for more success stories!

More about → The Best of Our Custom Paint Jobs Go Really Fast!

Our Other Great Sites for Cars, Trucks, and Motorcycles! News, Parts, Pics and More!

Don't forget to check out our other great websites too! 

Get some great tips and pointers about all things automotive, including cars, trucks, suvs and motorcycles in our newsletter, LDJ Auto Body's Car, Truck and Motorcycle News.   Check out the latest, greatest automotive and motorcycle accessories at places like Andy's Auto Sport, Auto Parts Warehouse, Cruiser Customizing, Auto Anything, J.C. Whitney, and Auto Sport Catalog.

Our affiliates are offering the best prices on everything for your car, truck, suv or motorcycle. Our newsletter will give you links to some great deals from these suppliers.  Check back often for new deals and great savings like free shipping and unbelievable sale prices!  Sign up for our newsletter and make sure you don't miss out on any of the great savings! 

Don't forget, here at LDJ, we'll give you the absolute best prices on the installation of all your accessories.  We offer the lowest prices on full body kit installation, ground effects, spoilers and much more!  You can even have your accessories shipped directly to us and we'll call you when they come in to schedule your installation.  Our technicians can match any factory or custom paints so your body kits, ground effects and any other accessories will match flawlessly.  We can also mold in any accessory kits for a seamless finish! 

Your chrome motorcycle accessories will set your bike apart from the crowds and with our low installation costs and the great savings you'll get from our affiliates, you can increase the value of your bike without decreasing the value of your wallet!  We'll paint your hard sided bags and luggage carriers to flawlessly match any custom or factory color and install them for prices none of the dealers can match!

You can see the latest updated pics of our ongoing projects at LDJ Auto Body and Custom Shop!  See pictures of these restorations from start to finish along with explanations of how and what is being done to these fine cars. 

Remember, you can speak to our technicians at any time.  Our techs are always happy to help you with any questions you may have regarding your own projects.  Feel free to email us your pics for questions or a phone estimate of anything you might need!

Don't forget, LDJ Auto Body is a full service auto body repair and collision repair center.  From dents and dings to heavy collision and frame work, we'll give you the best deal on all your automotive repairs!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Larry and Dee Blackman
LDJ Auto Body and Custom Shop
Your "one stop shop" for everything automotive!

More about → Our Other Great Sites for Cars, Trucks, and Motorcycles! News, Parts, Pics and More!

LAST UPDATE! 1970 CUTLASS 442! COMPLETED, HER BLING HAS ARRIVED!

As I told you last time, the chrome bumpers and eyebrows arrived over the weekend and she was sooooo beautiful in her new bling, I just had to run the pics!  So here for your enjoyment is the finished 1970 Cutlass 442 Convertible in all her "chrome bling"! To see the original vehicle, go to our post from November, 29th.

We also want to thank her owner for letting us show her off here! 

Many of you have asked about whether or not this great car is for sale!  As far as we know right now, she is going to be his driver for awhile.  We'll be sure to let you know if we hear anything about the car going up for sale!

We'd love to hear your comments and see some of our reader's projects!  Please let us know what you think AND send those pics in!  We'll publish them right here so we can all discuss these great cars!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Larry and Dee Blackman
LDJ Auto Body and Custom Shop

More about → LAST UPDATE! 1970 CUTLASS 442! COMPLETED, HER BLING HAS ARRIVED!

1970 Cutlass 442 Convertible! The Finished Product!

I promised finished photos today, and here they are!  Unfortunately, due to a mishap with a shipping company, her bumpers did not arrive yet, but, because she turned out so beautifully, I decided to go ahead and post these anyway.

As we anticipated, the car turned out great.  She is shown here with a base coat /clear coat black mica metallic finish with a pearlized white 442 racing stripe configuration. 

The car took approximately 3 weeks to complete and came within budget.  So everyone is happy.  That's the way we like to see things go!  Her owner says the bumpers should be here within a couple days and that should put the finishing touches on this beauty.  She sits on 275R16 Goodrich tires mounted on aluminum alloy rims.  A look that we personally think is a very good one for this particular car.

As you can see from the above shots, the body on this car is just sheer perfection.  Congrats to Larry for the unbelievable straightening job on this one! 

A great big hand to Larry Blackman and Adam Stratton for another great job well done!

The next vehicle to go under Larry's hand will be a 2005 Mustang!  Look for it in about 2 weeks.  We'll be following that one through the steps too!

Thank you to everyone that watched this car go through her transformation.  We'd love to see your projects too!  Send your pics to Dee Blackman at ldjautobody@yahoo.com.  We'll post them here.  Please send us the story that goes with them.



More about → 1970 Cutlass 442 Convertible! The Finished Product!

We Do Motorcycle Accessories Too!

Our last post here was for our car, truck and suv customers to accessorize.  But, our bike customers shouldn't worry!  We've got you covered too!


Denney's is your one stop shop for ALL your accessories too!  Our custom fabrication shop can literally create anything you need for your custom cruiser or chopper when it comes to the basics.  But, with all the bolt on accessories out there, why make it when you can buy it?  Custom tanks and fenders are one thing, but, when it comes to bike accessories, our affiliates at Cruiser Customizing have EVERYTHING we can think of, and then some!


After you're done having your "purrrrrrfect" cruiser painted, why not check out some of the most interesting and useful accessories we can recommend!  From bars to foot pegs, Cruiser Customizing has your part, whether it be a luxury or a necessity, you can find it here!


Building that perfect chopper was no picnic.  You started out picking out frames, then a motor. You tuned it, ported it, bored it and it is puuuuurfect! The hard part is done!  Now it's time to have some fun!  Reward yourself with a little "chrome".  From bars to footpegs, everything looks better in chrome!  Chrome nuts, chrome screws, chrome headlight shrouds......did we mention chrome???


Just like everyone else, we are addicted to the shiny stuff too!  So we talked to Cruiser Customizing and they let us be an affiliate!  And THEY SELL CHROME EVERYTHING!  And we MEAN everything!  AND they sell it cheap!  Click on the banner below.....



  




Then call HERE (813) 644-4497..........LDJ Auto Body and Customs to have it installed.

We're LDJ Auto, we're in Tampa, FL, we'll do the best job at the lowest price....and.......we'll leave the light on for ya!

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