by Liz French / Harrydidit

A professional artist will be faced with difficult tasks many times in his career. Sometimes those most challenging can be the most personally rewarding. Artist Hairydidit had just that kind of experience when he took on the task of giving “The Browns- mobile” a new look.

It all started with a phone call. The call came from the local high performance shop, Performance Unlimited, owner Jim Wolf. Jim asked if Harry had the time to come take a look at a hotrod he was working on. The owner, Dan Hesseling, wanted the air cleaner to look like a dog’s head, using a plastic head he already had. Jim told him, “I know just the guy.”

Needless to say, when Hesseling began talking with Hairydidit, the dog head on the engine was a forgotten topic and the cre- ation of the new looks for “The Brownsmobile” had begun. It wasn’t just the new look, it ended up being a major “recon- struction” of the home made hot rod. The complete job was a team effort between Performance Unlimited (Jim Wolf and Dan King) and artist Hairydidit (aka Harrydidit); Jim, the master mind behind the mechanics, Dan, meticulous with wood work, trim and other cosmetic features and Hairydidit genius with the airbrush. This is “The Brownsmobile” the day it arrived at the shop:

www.lizardco.com

In the artist’s usual style, outline is done in white, then the col- ors are gone through: yellow, orange, red, green, blue, purple and black.Detail is added in the same manner ending with black then last but not least white highlights. The panels that needed to be replaced were painted off the vehicle, clear coated then installed, as in the interior.

The interior had to stand up to the exterior so besides the re- placed panels, carpet was replaced, trim was either replaced or refinished; joins in the wood trim were squared; hardware and instrumentation were replaced. It all made the difference. Even a new sound system was added. Above the before and after pictures.

The before vehicle was covered with many different materials. Preparation included removing vinyl, glue, tape, body fill, enamel paint, layers of plywood, one shot, plastic, fur, and some things that weren’t even identifiable. Some panels were completely re- placed. The wood trim, which King would give a new finish to, was taped off, then everything was painted with a black base and the artwork began.

As the owner of this vehicle drives in parades and shows, his favorite player, the famous #32 Jim Brown, rides right along with him. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32