"Raine's SC300 (KEIRA 2.0) From the Beginning to End."
11-25-12, 10:23 AM
#306
11.07.12
Equip List
- I really don't know how the idea came about (probably one of those random thoughts that fly by only to stick) but before I knew it I had the vinyl cutter fired up and ready to make some decals. The initial idea was to try something subtle - red on red. I knew the red vinyl wouldn't exactly match the red paint on the car, so the idea was that the vinyl logos would have a sort-of "ghost" effect to it. Like always, I first tried some samples in Photoshop:
Notice that the red decals look almost orange? Read for more info.
I also did standard silver just for comparison, and already the red vinyl idea didn't look too promising. I cut out a sample decal in red and went to the garage to test it, and the GT-R red paint shade actually made the red vinyl look more like an orange - just like in my Photoshop tests. The silver looked pretty good, and it also reminded me of the probable inspiration for this whole decal project - Nobuteru Taniguchi's Nissan Silvia S15. Here's some old-school Option 2 magazine pics:
Mr. Taniguchi is a highly decorated accomplished driver in Japan.
Chrome on red. Sounds good and looks good.
Now a little note before I continue: The whole decal project has nothing to do with current-era drifting popularity. Way back in 2000 before anyone in the U.S.A. even knew about D1 or drifting (which didn't come to this country until D1 Irwindale, CA in 2003), I was watching this guy on imported Option 2 VHS tapes (yes, VHS). The car shown above is his first competition car - even before the full-factory sponsored HKS D1 Silvia he drove in the Irwindale, CA '03 event. I liked the look of his car back then, and here I was years later with a red car and soon-to-be chrome decals - albeit not as many as he had.
Alrighty - so with red vinyl out of the question, I opened up Illustrator and began to vector some logos. Some of the logos I found pre-made and ready to cut, while others I had to make myself from scratch - specifically the Fujitsubo logo (easy) and the Battle Version logo (not as easy). With all of the logos ready, it was off to the vinyl cutter and about 30 minutes later I had all of the logos cut, weeded, prepped, and ready:
Not bad.
Out to the garage, I temporarily taped the logos to the side skirt to see how it would look:
But I didn't like it, so I went with the front fender instead:
After some logo rearranging to get the right fit/order, it was application time:
The finished product, first fender all done:
And a previously posted photo on the decals at night in Little Tokyo:
I was happy with how it turned out, particularly the placement on the fender instead of the more common "list below the side mirror on the door" method. And although I was going for subtle at first, hey - it's chrome vinyl. What can you do? LOL
Equip List
- I really don't know how the idea came about (probably one of those random thoughts that fly by only to stick) but before I knew it I had the vinyl cutter fired up and ready to make some decals. The initial idea was to try something subtle - red on red. I knew the red vinyl wouldn't exactly match the red paint on the car, so the idea was that the vinyl logos would have a sort-of "ghost" effect to it. Like always, I first tried some samples in Photoshop:
Notice that the red decals look almost orange? Read for more info.
I also did standard silver just for comparison, and already the red vinyl idea didn't look too promising. I cut out a sample decal in red and went to the garage to test it, and the GT-R red paint shade actually made the red vinyl look more like an orange - just like in my Photoshop tests. The silver looked pretty good, and it also reminded me of the probable inspiration for this whole decal project - Nobuteru Taniguchi's Nissan Silvia S15. Here's some old-school Option 2 magazine pics:
Mr. Taniguchi is a highly decorated accomplished driver in Japan.
Chrome on red. Sounds good and looks good.
Now a little note before I continue: The whole decal project has nothing to do with current-era drifting popularity. Way back in 2000 before anyone in the U.S.A. even knew about D1 or drifting (which didn't come to this country until D1 Irwindale, CA in 2003), I was watching this guy on imported Option 2 VHS tapes (yes, VHS). The car shown above is his first competition car - even before the full-factory sponsored HKS D1 Silvia he drove in the Irwindale, CA '03 event. I liked the look of his car back then, and here I was years later with a red car and soon-to-be chrome decals - albeit not as many as he had.
Alrighty - so with red vinyl out of the question, I opened up Illustrator and began to vector some logos. Some of the logos I found pre-made and ready to cut, while others I had to make myself from scratch - specifically the Fujitsubo logo (easy) and the Battle Version logo (not as easy). With all of the logos ready, it was off to the vinyl cutter and about 30 minutes later I had all of the logos cut, weeded, prepped, and ready:
Not bad.
Out to the garage, I temporarily taped the logos to the side skirt to see how it would look:
But I didn't like it, so I went with the front fender instead:
After some logo rearranging to get the right fit/order, it was application time:
The finished product, first fender all done:
And a previously posted photo on the decals at night in Little Tokyo:
I was happy with how it turned out, particularly the placement on the fender instead of the more common "list below the side mirror on the door" method. And although I was going for subtle at first, hey - it's chrome vinyl. What can you do? LOL
The following users liked this post:
TitanG545 (07-19-20)
11-25-12, 10:27 AM
#307
11.13.12
Wasting Film, Part 4
- Apparently my car got photographed again, this time amongst the 3,000+ cars that showed up at the most recent Krispy Kreme "End of the World Meet" in Burbank, CA. If you've never been, you're missing out.
(continued on post #309)
Wasting Film, Part 4
- Apparently my car got photographed again, this time amongst the 3,000+ cars that showed up at the most recent Krispy Kreme "End of the World Meet" in Burbank, CA. If you've never been, you're missing out.
(continued on post #309)
Last edited by raine; 12-07-12 at 12:28 AM.
12-07-12, 12:28 AM
#309
12.07.12
Video Games
- Did a little more vinyl stuff, albeit a small little thing. I'll let the photos do most of the talking this time:
Weeded and ready for application, a few extras just in case.
Genuine Momo horn that came with my steering wheel, before.
Applying the logo.
Finished in 10 minutes.
On the car. There's a MOMO logo etched into the wheel spoke just so you know it's legit LOL
As for why... did anyone here play Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune at the arcade? If so, then you know.
(continued on post #320)
Video Games
- Did a little more vinyl stuff, albeit a small little thing. I'll let the photos do most of the talking this time:
Weeded and ready for application, a few extras just in case.
Genuine Momo horn that came with my steering wheel, before.
Applying the logo.
Finished in 10 minutes.
On the car. There's a MOMO logo etched into the wheel spoke just so you know it's legit LOL
As for why... did anyone here play Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune at the arcade? If so, then you know.
(continued on post #320)
Last edited by raine; 01-07-13 at 08:13 PM.
12-14-12, 11:52 AM
#312
Not a fan of people using my pics and crossing out my name, but that's a different thread
LOL
Last edited by raine; 12-14-12 at 01:14 PM.
12-16-12, 06:07 PM
#315
I dunno man, a few people have said this but for some reason (and if you can figure it out, let me know LOL) whenever I imagine decals only on the side skirts I think of NASCAR. No clue why, it just happens.