Mark and Wendell received the body of Project "X" (sans chassis) along with all its individual pieces, just after it left Orange County Sandblasting. However, this was not destined to be a "shoot and scoot" operation. Quite the contrary, as we had grown tired of the car's age-old custom rear wheel openings. As you can imagine, lots of cutting and welding was done, since the C.A.R.S. Inc. quarter panels are over seven-feet long. The boys also welded in a new set of rockers, as the originals were damaged by someone who wasn't very proficient in the art of jacking up a vintage vehicle. In order to refinish "X" in a bright and shiny fashion, the folks at PPG joined our party, offering up the primer, sealer, reducer, paint, and hardener necessary to take Project "X" all the way back from "tired" to "tremendous." Several weeks of labor went into the refinishing chore, as that's what it takes for a show-quality paint job these days. And though Mark Mahood has painted magazine cover cars too numerous to mention, he joined our list of recruits for the pride-to be able to say that he refinished Project "X.
Darryl Nance and the crew at D&P Classic Chevy, in Huntington Beach, California, became involved for the same reason-pride of workmanship. This bunch of Tri-5 cool cats embraced Project "X" like it was the most important job they'd ever taken in - and for that, we're very grateful. D&P received the freshly painted body from Mahood's, as the rolling chassis (with its new suspension) was trailered over from John West Fabrication. After re-joining the two major components, one by one, hundreds of pieces to this puzzle were bolted back in place.
Luckily, lots of parts from the D&P Classic Chevy inventory were also used to finish things off-some of which include the special headers, aluminum radiator, and tinted glass, along with countless trim items and fasteners. D&P Classic completed everything from installing our American Autowire electrical harnesses, to performing the system upgrades, such as Specialty Power Windows and RainGear wipers, as well as outfitting "X" with a complete Vintage Air A/C and heat setup.
As the "to-do list" was getting shorter, D&P also installed our new interior kit from C.A.R.S. Inc., and our comp-style buckets from Scat, while a crew from Wanda's Upholstery was stretching the headliner around the confines of the roll cage, and carpeting what used to be the back seat area. Once the interior trim was just about wrapped up, a crew from Custom Autosound arrived at D&P to install a powerful stereo system and CD changer, with all the bells and whistles. After the creature cabin was filled with sound, its last install trip took it to Borla Industries, for a custom stainless steel exhaust system.
Having an impressive new list of aftermarket components installed by many of Southern California's most talented craftsmen, Project "X" has begun yet another chapter in its well-chronicled existence. We sincerely hope you like the outcome. As far as we're concerned, it's very well dressed, and definitely Born to Run.