Casey peered at the rear rendering...
Casey peered at the rear rendering as a reference to locate the exhaust tip notch.
The CGS "ReFlex" was delivered to the crew at Mocata Auto Sports in Bloomington, California, where the modified front fascia and rear bumper would be used as splash molds. After a day to cure, the splash molds were pulled from the front fascia and rear bumper. Mold release was applied to the mold's surface. Before the white gel coat was sprayed onto the molds, there were two hours of cure time. Next, resin saturated fiberglass cloth was applied and laminated to the mold surfaces with brushes and small rollers. After a day of cure time, the parts were pulled from the splash molds and shipped over to CGS.
Casey used a kitchen electric...
Casey used a kitchen electric carving knife to cut through the styrene.
The "ReFlex" was rolled into the CGS paint booth. Casey and Ron began masking and prepping the body for its BASF Aruba Metallic Blue and Dolphin Metallic Gray two-tone paint scheme. This created a subtle and clean apperance. Casey laid down a simple, light gray horizontal stripe separating the two tones ending bluntly under the A-pillars. The blunt, light gray belt line was outlined by Lil' Louie using a medium gray pinstripe with a third light blue pinstripe piercing through the center of the light gray stripe. The stripes go from the edge of the amber front turn indicator, all the way around the back hatch, to the other turn indicator.
The "ReFlex" was then loaded into the Jim Glo trailer and towed to Las Vegas where it was debuted at the '08 SEMA Show.
From The Driver SeatAmajor SEMA project of this magnitude takes many hours and skill to complete. This extensive exterior makeover transformed the factory Ford Flex into a sportier CGS ReFlex. The modified lower front fascia contributes to the ReFlex's lowered, aggressive stance. By laying down the two-tone paint scheme, we obtained a more proportional ReFlex body. Check out the feature in next month's issue.
| YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED |
| Time Spent Working: | Approximately 400 Hours |
| Degree of Difficulty: | Advanced |
Tools Used:
Razor blades, electric carving knife, clay carving tools, styrene grading tools, MIG welder, electric grinder, pneumatic sander, 3/8-inch drive ratchet, with assorted 3/8-inch drive sockets, fiberglass splash mold tools, 3M HVLP paint spray gun, electric disc buffers
Parts List:
*Paint: BASF*Basecoat: Aruba Blue Euro (779117KH)*Reducer: (352-45)*Basecoat: Dolphin Gray (LX72)*Reducer: (352-5)*Clear: Glasruit (DC98)*Reducer: Glasruit (UR70)*Hardener: Glasruit (DH100)*Paint Guns: 3M HVLP*Clay: Chavant Inc. brown modeling clay