Greetings All!

M

Mister 4x4

Guest
My name is Eric and I'm in San Angelo, TX (but 'from' Sandy, UT).

I've been airbrushing off and on (mostly 'off') for about 15 years, but have never really had a dedicated work space to get serious with it. I'm working on that right now over the holiday break from work, so hopefully I'll have more opportunity to grow my skills and enjoy airbrushing.

I'm also a computer nerd, model builder, gear head, and can draw/paint very well with other mediums (mostly pencil, charcoal, and more recently Photoshop, PhotoPaint, Windows Paint... you get the idea). I used to be an avid four wheeler, but turned my Jeep into something more of a car show queen and recently restored (more like resurrected) a 1971 Mach 1. I'm establishing my airbrush work space more to support my modelling habit, but to also have fun creating all sorts of other cool things along the way.

Can't wait to poke around, get to know everybody, and learn some awesome new tips & tricks I'm sure have been collecting here over time.

Thanks for having me!
 
Welcome home Eric.
71 Mach . Boss 351 or 429 or the ram air 429? 4 speed or automatic ? Yeah I use to own one of them back in the 70's mainly due to I won it in a race LOL the good old days.
But I had to take a double read due to you talked about a Jeep then the Mach 1 So now what jeep and why a trailer queen ?
 
Thanks, Herb. Great to be here!

My Mach 1 is nothing special - 'just' an H-Code (351C-2V) that I warmed up with just about all of the Edelbrock and CompCams go-fast goodies they make - it's putting out around 400hp at the crank. It's backed up by an AOD automatic from an '89 5.0 GT, along with all sorts of other cool modern performance and creature comfort mods, but old school cosmetics (Cragar S/Ss and louvers, for instance). It was a complete mess when I got it, literally a pile of rust in the shape of a '71 Mustang (Fred Flintstone floors and trunk, seized engine, flogged transmission, solid brake pedal, no keys, no title, and no way anybody else was going to buy it. But, I had the Mach 1 goggles on and took it 'home' to the Auto Hobby Shop on Goodfellow AFB. Spent about 4 years getting it restored and brought back to life, and have spent the past 4 years finishing up the nit-noids. My wife renamed him from 'The Rustang,' to 'Frankenstang,' since I removed all the rust and resurrected it from the dead, and used some parts from other cars to do so.

I'll post up some pics when I get past the probation period. Pics and 'a blog I'm not quite finished updating' are on my website, though.

The Jeep is a 1980 CJ-7 that I bought while still in the Air Force back in '95. It was bone-stock when I got it, but it grew up a bit with a 4" Pro-Comp lift, 33" TSX Swampers, and all sorts of fun stuff I've done over the years. I 'wheeled it for a long time, but the local 4x4 club wore me out, since I couldn't afford to break it every weekend and have it ready to go the next weekend like all the car dealers, insurance guys, and otherwise 'way richer than I' members could afford to do - it was my daily driver for many years, after all. Back in 2005, I kinda gave up on the extreme 'wheeing the guys were doing and decided to just keep it nice and putter around on the trails, as I'd always intended. I still drive it now and then, but it's currently in a storage unit until I get my garage squared away - the Mach 1's taking up all the space, along with all sorts of other stuff that needs organizing. My pal Jim had a '75 CJ-5 Renegade that we made nice again, and I've done some airbrush art on it - it's more of a show Jeep than mine is, actually... we had lots of fun going to local car shows together the past several years. Sadly, Jim passed last year, but his wife is keeping the Jeep and might even take it out to a local car show now and then. We had a few more ideas for it as well - I hope she'll let me add those things to it ('Renegade' lettering on the hood with some cool skulls and Tru-Fire accents, for instance).

Over the years, I've done some various things like: hot rod flames, Tru-Fire (with varied results), cartoons, and some other basic things, mostly when someone's asked me to do them (I'd do some research, learn all I could, then just dive in and give it a shot - mostly everything worked out like I'd hoped, but we're definitely our own worst critics, as I've found). I'm hoping to expand my horizons a bit and get a little deeper back into model building, as well as do some more cool things (like helmets, motorcycles 'tins,' and some car stuff here an there (I have an underhood mural of The Predator planned for my Jeep, since one of my mods involved the fenders opening up - Jim always thought a Pred would be fitting and look cool under there).

Thanks again for the warm welcome!
 
Not sure if Bob's son is still running his old shop or not but it was called Bob's big boys toys home of the Mustang located in El Paso. Brent is his son's name , Bob owned Number 1 64 and a half pony car and he is also the one who bought my 71 351 boss while I was still in the Army. But any part NOS or other wise you wanted or needed for a Mustang Bob had. I like the old CJ's But when I was a whole lot younger I had an old Willy's jeep which was a blast out in the woods.

I use to run a 67 Chevy extra heavy half ton. I ran 2 ton military axle on front and rear with 54" Gumbo monster mudders on it rock crusher 4 speed with a blown 388 stroker under the hood pushing right at 650hp at the wheels. I own and drove that daily when I lived down in El Paso Texas.
I also have 2 429 cobra engines up in my big garage and 4 409 409 HP Just cause ya never know when ya might need one LOL
Currently I am working on a 54 Pontiac 2 door HT but that is a long term project , I just helped a neighbor finish building 2 71 split bumper camaro's and before that we did a 59 El Camino .
I look forward to seeing the pics of your Jeep and Mach1
On your Buddies jeep you could do a ghosted portrait of him on the rear gate to honor him . I have done that for a few people over the years and doing it all in white makes it a lot easier to make it look like who it is supposed too LOL .
 
Welcome from the U.K. Eric! I’m really looking forward to seeing some pics of the cars. I’ve built a couple along the way, usually because I wanted more power than I could afford Haha, so it meant buying something nobody wanted and getting it straightened out. I’ve never done anything as in depth as your Mustang project though. Man that sounds cool.
I hope you enjoy your time here on the forum.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Welcome to the forum, sounds like you've had some fun with the cars and 4x4's I'm more into bikes myself and I'm restoring a couple of 70's Honda's. I used to have a 3.5L V8 range Rover Classic which I worked on upgrading with a 4" lift kit, bigger tyres, steering guard, dif guards etc. what a great off roader. Had to sell it in the end as I couldn't afford to keep my Other land Rover Discovery and the V8 on the road at the same time. Well your in the right place to get back into Airbrushing, we're a diverse bunch here but between us have a universe of skills, experience and Talent so whatever your iissues or questions we can usually help.

Enjoy your stay with us

Lee
 
Thanks for the warm welcome. guys! Pics are on the way shortly.

The tribute portrait sounds like a great idea, Herb! I'll need to figure out where something like that could be done, considering the rear gate is fixed, and there's a monster spare tire rack (along with the Hot Rod Flamed Jerry Cans) hanging off the back. You'll see what I mean soon enough.
 
OK, so I think I'm good to post links now.

Here's a few of the Jeep (and the reason for the Mister 4x4 handle was because of my favorite off road store in SLC, UT - when I got my first e-mail address in 1996, the guy at the local ISP made a suggestion based on the windshield decal he saw through the window):

As purchased in 1995:
jeepnew1.jpg


As it sits today:
ericjeep1.jpg


The inspiration for the Predator underhood mural:
2005carshow1.jpg


Here's one of the Mach 1's Craigslist pics - and why my pal Jim tried to talk me out of buying it:
schlep1.jpg


Frank's come a long way, for sure:
IMG_0274.jpg


This was at a local car show back in September 2018. Tom Smith from Misfit Garage was the celebrity guest. My buddies Dave and Gonzo, myself (pharoah skull shirt), and Tom (l to r):
IMG_0282-1024x768.jpg


And finally, my pal Jim's '75 CJ-5. Old pics first:
18.jpg


17.jpg


14.JPG


15.jpg


1.jpg


2.jpg


I have some better pics of the Jeep stuff... somewhere. I just realized I need to put together a tribute page on my website for Jim - I have a bunch of fun pics from over the years of stuff we did.

I've also done a few other things with Tru-Fire. My buddy Dave's '98 Ram 2500 - he wanted purple Tru-Fire (before the clear coat - the clear was almost too shiny... can't even make out the flames on the pic I have):
RamPurpleFlames2.JPG


A cool computer case-mod for my nephew:
HellfireRight1.JPG


HellfireTop2.JPG


Thanks for indulging me.
 
OK, so I think I'm good to post links now.

Here's a few of the Jeep (and the reason for the Mister 4x4 handle was because of my favorite off road store in SLC, UT - when I got my first e-mail address in 1996, the guy at the local ISP made a suggestion based on the windshield decal he saw through the window):

As purchased in 1995:
jeepnew1.jpg


As it sits today:
ericjeep1.jpg


The inspiration for the Predator underhood mural:
2005carshow1.jpg


Here's one of the Mach 1's Craigslist pics - and why my pal Jim tried to talk me out of buying it:
schlep1.jpg


Frank's come a long way, for sure:
IMG_0274.jpg


This was at a local car show back in September 2018. Tom Smith from Misfit Garage was the celebrity guest. My buddies Dave and Gonzo, myself (pharoah skull shirt), and Tom (l to r):
IMG_0282-1024x768.jpg


And finally, my pal Jim's '75 CJ-5. Old pics first:
18.jpg


17.jpg


14.JPG


15.jpg


1.jpg


2.jpg


I have some better pics of the Jeep stuff... somewhere. I just realized I need to put together a tribute page on my website for Jim - I have a bunch of fun pics from over the years of stuff we did.

I've also done a few other things with Tru-Fire. My buddy Dave's '98 Ram 2500 - he wanted purple Tru-Fire (before the clear coat - the clear was almost too shiny... can't even make out the flames on the pic I have):
RamPurpleFlames2.JPG


A cool computer case-mod for my nephew:
HellfireRight1.JPG


HellfireTop2.JPG


Thanks for indulging me.
Cool looking work and I can see what ya mean on finding a place to put a tribute to your friend on his Jeep.
Tom is a funny guy did he bring food ? LOL I like watching Misfits garage mainly due to it is more entertaining then Gas Monkey is.
Since Arron left the show Gas Monkey is just not worth the time.
 
From early on, I was convinced that "Fast & Loud" described Richard Rawlings more than anything. LOL! Tom's a character for sure, but I'm more of a Count's Kustoms kinda guy - a few years ago, both Ryan and Horny Mike stopped by. They're awesome and exactly how they are on the show. The Mustang won People's Choice that day (I'm 6'-5", BTW):

peopleschoiceaward.jpg


Last year (2017), Horny Mike came by, and was WAY hungover the next day on the flight out of San Angelo (I was travelling that day as well for a business trip and sat next to him while he was recovering):

HornyMike2.jpg


Now ya got me thinking I might pull the glove box door for the tribute portrait (actually, probably just make up a spare I have in the garage somewhere and give it to her as a surprise). Thanks for the AWESOME idea, BTW.
 
That’s some great looking work! I’m a sucker for Mustangs and the Mach 1 is looking great. Thanks for sharing the photos. I’ll have a proper look once the Christmas craziness has settled down lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Welcome from Australia, I can see your brains being picked for tips and tricks if you’ve been airbrushing that long, :)
 
Don't read too far into that claim of "15 years," Jack - I'm still pretty much a n00b! I still got lots to learn, but I'm happy to share what little I do know. :thumbsup:

SiRoxx - when you find the Mustang's page, be sure to click on the link to my Facebook album (won't need to sign in), since that's where I was posting all the pics (with commentary) of the restoration from the beginning (something like 400+ now).

Cheers, Mates.
 
From early on, I was convinced that "Fast & Loud" described Richard Rawlings more than anything. LOL! Tom's a character for sure, but I'm more of a Count's Kustoms kinda guy - a few years ago, both Ryan and Horny Mike stopped by. They're awesome and exactly how they are on the show. The Mustang won People's Choice that day (I'm 6'-5", BTW):

peopleschoiceaward.jpg


Last year (2017), Horny Mike came by, and was WAY hungover the next day on the flight out of San Angelo (I was travelling that day as well for a business trip and sat next to him while he was recovering):

HornyMike2.jpg


Now ya got me thinking I might pull the glove box door for the tribute portrait (actually, probably just make up a spare I have in the garage somewhere and give it to her as a surprise). Thanks for the AWESOME idea, BTW.
Mike is a riot to talk with I have spoken to him a few time on the phone . Ryan is just chill all the time But yes Count Kustom's is a good show.
 
Great Mustang, I do prefer that shape to the others. Jeep looks good, never had one but I had a v8 RangeRover with a lift kit, big tyres etc..
I met horny mike at the KKBO (a Kustom Kulture show here in the UK) a few years back, he is a nuts as he looks but a really nice guy.

Lee
 
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