Part ONE of my ARMY Tribute Car

[Angelsart]

~~Just a little back story first ~~

I have owed my 92 Eagle Talon now for a little over 2 years (and of course I LOVE it! :0). I got it exactly 2 weeks before my only son joined the U.S. Army. He joined under the "split opt" program which is where they join when they are 17 and go to BCT between their Jr. and Sr. years of high school and then AIT after High School. He is now out of high school, turning 19 THIS month and is a Specialist and due to be promoted to Sergent by the end of the year.

The DAY that he signed his Army contract we came up with the idea to turn this Talon into an Army Tribute Car. He has wanted to join since he was 9 years old and this WILL be his career and he has plans to become a U.S. Army Ranger.

I came up with this really bad ass design that I am going to airbrush on the car - and I PROMISE it will NOT be tacky looking when finished.

Here is the plan:

The base of the car will be BLACK

There will be a 85-90% grey 'tribal' design on the sides (so that from a distance you can't really see them)

The sides will also have a wicked skull with a Green Barret on it (that will have the Army star on it) and I may also put the "Army Strong" on them as well - this I'm still undecided on - I think if I do it will have to be in some super crazy font so that it melds with the Skull.

The hood is going to have the Army 'star' on it (only I have designed it to have a ragged edge to it) and in the background the Soldiers Creed will be written over and over again but in a 85-90% grey (again, like the tribal, you will not be able to see if from far away) and at a text size that fits the hood so that it looks more like a graphic element than words. It will also have the "ARMY STRONG" under the flag (the border that is on the actual logo will not be there).

The rear bumper will simply have "If you don't stand behind out troops, feel free to stand in FRONT of them" (cool font naturally)

And then as an added touch, the Warrior's Ethos will be written (like more of a pinstripe from a distance) along the entire base of the car - on the base of the Body Kit.

I want to put some of the Army Yellow into the design, but I want it to be subtle. So I'm still tweaking all this stuff and will have a final design HOPEFULLY sometime soon to post (I'm going to do the whole thing in Photoshop so I know exactly what it will look like when it is all done).

I just need to get the Body Kit put on it so I can start it.

~~THIS IS WHERE I NEED YOUR HELP~~

Before you all start saying "DON'T DO IT" please just respect the fact that I have already decided that the BODY KIT will help with the overall look of my final project (I appreciate everyone's opinion, but we all know what they say about those! )

I have now gone to 2 separate shops who BOTH claim to have experience with putting these kits on and although I quickly found out that the first shop had NO CLUE (and I've already dealt with them), but now I am making a trip to the second shop in the AM cause THEY say they are also having problems. And I have a feeling it is with the rear bumper.

I am not one to spend my money without doing research and I knew that the rear bumper would require the most work and modifications to fit - and from what I've seem most end up putting on the Euro Tail Lights, which I have no problem doing.

I'm looking for the folks that posted photos with the Drifter Kit on their 1G (pref B) kits on their cars. I'm wondering if you can tell me exactly WHAT modifications you ended up doing? I need details here please. I told the shop that honestly, I dont really CARE how or what they have to do to get it on (I don't care if they put 400 screws in it to hold it on! ) as long as it LOOKS good and is on there SOLID!

Don't get me wrong, I WANT it done right, but at this point, I'm frustrated and want it DONE! You can only do so much as far as researching a shop and if they SAY they can do something you expect that they are telling you the truth! Right??

This plan has been 2 years in the making and we are SUPER exited to get it going. I just need this dang KIT put on, why is this so difficult?? I'm about to just say screw it and get my money back and do it myself!!

Again, please stick to the subject I need help on which is the BODY KIT INSTALL. Thanks so much (especially for reading my small novel here!) :0)

Angel

 

[spooling 1g]

Ummm put 1ga tail lights in it,problem solved.

 

[gusu]

I'd call AMS and see if they will do the body kit, if they don't do that then ask them where they get their work done. They are a amazing shop and honestly I think they are one of the best groups of builders in the world. They aren't some small shop either they are known all over the world, plus they started off on DSMs.

 

[GsXdSmKingGsX]

Well this may just have made my day. Mutha ####in Hooah!

 

[burkgonzo]

The body kit won't make that car look any better IMO. Post some pics up.

 

[Angelsart]

Ummm put 1ga tail lights in it,problem solved.

Wow... can't believe I never thought about that! Those euro style ones can look a little gaudy and I think this would be more suited to the overall look of the project!

Thanks for the suggestion! :0)

Well this may just have made my day. Mutha ####in Hooah!

You know that's right! HOOAH BABY!!

 

[projekt1]

1ga tail lights are clean looking!

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[mindset]

Bodykits were never made to fit good. They're made awfully.
And you're missing the American Flag in your design.

 

[Angelsart]

Bodykits were never made to fit good. They're made awfully.
And you're missing the American Flag in your design.

I am trying to incorporate it in... but no matter where I try to stick it, it just looks awkward and out of place. I do have a couple ideas on how to get it on there, and hopefully once the body kit is done and I can actually Photoshop the design on the car and get it to almost exacting standards, it will be easier to see how it will fit on there.

My initial idea was to put it on the back window (sort of like the tribal design in the sense it's not immediately evident it's there) over the window tinting (which will be close to black - cause I have a prescription from the eye doctor! ), with the ARMY STRONG at the base of the window.

Bottom line is I'm trying to keep the design as subtle as possible. I want it to be REALLY COOL, but I don't want the car to be gaudy in the least bit!! And the more 'elements' I put on it... the closer it comes to that G word! Hence 80% of the design being that dark shade of grey so it's not obvious from a distance.

I'll post picts once I get it back from the shop - in about 2 weeks (hopefully!).

 

[EatMuhBoost99]

I wouldn't use the army strong not that it's a bad idea don't get me wrong, but the army changes its slogan so often that it might make the car look outdated faster then it should be. Other then that great idea man can wait to see it. Also what about a tan beret instead of green since your son wants to be a ranger...might not flow well with what you have though. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Angelsart]

HERE IS THE UPDATE ON THE BODY KIT:

The body shop said that the body kit was a horrible fit.

On my way out there I was 'bracing for impact' basically. Expecting them to say they wanted more money out of me for the project (I paid them 2k up front).

I went and saw what they were talking about which was that the side skirts and particularly the rear bumper were not lining up properly. After listening to the guy that was working on it blabber on about how BAD the body kit was, I finally said, "okay, lets cut to the chase, what does this mean for ME??"

He then proceeds to give me the most RIDICULOUS quote on how many hours it would take to modify it... he says "It's gonna take me at least 120+ hours to do it cause I basically have to 'remake' the kit"

WTF??

I just looked at him and tilted my head and said "REALLY?" Then I looked at the Assistant Manager and said the same thing. The FUNNY part was that HE looked back at me like "I have no clue where that came from".

We then went into the office and started discussing the matter. Now I had already told these guys about the "other" shop and how they had basically pulled a number out of their ass (just like their boy just did) and overcharged me for labor (the other shop had charged me 27 hours worth of labor and never even put the kit on - BS! ).

At that point the Manager came in and I began to call BS on them and their boy. He also looked at the guy who quoted 120+ hours and said "you can manufacture an ENTIRE CAR in less time"! EXACTLY!!

I think at that point, they knew that no matter WHAT they said, I would not believe anything they said and would think they were just making things up! Which is RIGHT!

So after the Manager took their boy in the back for a minute (I'm sure to chew him out), he came back and after some joking about the whole thing, I again said, "what does all this mean for me?"

Basically, they are going to rebuild the kit the way they need to (I told them what 'modifications' to it would be acceptable') but that they would need to keep my car for another 2 weeks or so. I got them to pay for the rental car (since they had told me it would only take a week) and I SHOULD get my car with the BK and new paint job on it in a couple weeks!!

I'm excited and will post photos once it is done! They are supposed to send me picts of the progress - I'll post those if I get them also!

 

[tenn-gsx]

Do an american flag that looks like the I flag that we wear when were deployed. It is silver and black. That will go with your paint scheme. As far as the yellow goes I say IF you do it then just do a little door molding trim and calipers in the yellow nothing else. I think it would look best if you just did the calipers yellow though with some wheels about the color of stock EVO8 wheels. That is if the picture I have in my mind is what your planning. Another thought. Rather than doing a bright yellow anywhere why not do a very subdued yellow star? Make it BARELY noticable. Then your star will match but highlight the Creed and Ethos.

 

[Angelsart]

Do an american flag that looks like the I flag that we wear when were deployed. It is silver and black. That will go with your paint scheme. As far as the yellow goes I say IF you do it then just do a little door molding trim and calipers in the yellow nothing else. I think it would look best if you just did the calipers yellow though with some wheels about the color of stock EVO8 wheels. That is if the picture I have in my mind is what your planning. Another thought. Rather than doing a bright yellow anywhere why not do a very subdued yellow star? Make it BARELY noticable. Then your star will match but highlight the Creed and Ethos.

I was DEFINITELY going to do the calipers yellow. I was also going to do the flag as on the uniforms (backwards and all) - and YES I'm expecting lots of people who don't know why it's backwards to tell me I did it wrong!

I'm not wanting to do it the 'intense' yellow that is on the actual logo cause I think that would be a bit much, but I was going to find a decent yellow 'neon' and then try to match the paint to it (cause I did plan on putting some neon on the car, on the underside, some in the cabin and also in the engine compartment - although not a lot, just as an accent).

The interior will also have SOME yellow (still working on that one - BTW if anyone knows a place I can get some REAL customization on the interior, I'd appreciate links!). I found a place that will put DIGITAL camo carpet in (the interior is already grey) and I want to put the Army logo on the seats as well as the steering wheel - possibly even the doors somewhere (maybe the speaker covers). Then of course we are going to turn the trunk (or maybe the not really back seat) into the stereo compartment area.

We will also be completely rebuilding the engine, also incorporating the yellow under the hood as well. Any one that contributes to the final look of the car will be HONORED under the hood with a 'car made possible by' tribute airbrushed on the lining (we have people and businesses that are going to donate parts/money to the project)

All in all, I'm expecting this project to take about 2 years to complete (cause I work full time! ) and for us to end up with about 20K in it (maybe more). But I think that it will be well worth it when it is finally done!

I wouldn't use the army strong not that it's a bad idea don't get me wrong, but the army changes its slogan so often that it might make the car look outdated faster then it should be. Other then that great idea man can wait to see it. Also what about a tan beret instead of green since your son wants to be a ranger...might not flow well with what you have though. Just my 2 cents.

Good idea! Never thought of that one - just green seems to be the color everyone knows! But your right, the tan one would be more fitting I think! Thanks for the idea!

 

[tenn-gsx]

Why not just the Black Beret that EVERYONE in the ARMY wears at one time or another? Most of us will wear that our whole career. Unless we go back to PC caps in garrisson.

 

[Angelsart]

Why not just the Black Beret that EVERYONE in the ARMY wears at one time or another? Most of us will wear that our whole career. Unless we go back to PC caps in garrisson.

Im afraid it would get lost in the background, since the entire car is black!

 

[tenn-gsx]

If you do a dark subdued yellow star with the skull in the center of the star it wont get lost.

 

[army94e]

If he plans on being a ranger id go with the tan beret. special forces wears green berets, and the rest of us wear the black ones. just my .02, should be bad ass tho. Hooah!

 

[Angelsart]

Finally got some photos from the shop! It's looking GOOD so far! I'm getting excited! Hoping to have it back by next weekend - with a little luck!

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Hopeing to get it back by the end of next week! Will upload photos of it all done when I pick her up!

 

[1LLeAgLeDsM OH]

put the flag on the hood, it would be bada$$ if you made it look like soldiers pushing the flag up. almost like the scene from 9/11 but i have seen it interpreted with soldiers. . .anyways just a thought, but give my thanks to your son. tell him that everything he does for our country is appreciated and he will never go a day without being praised for his service.

 

[Angelsart]

put the flag on the hood, it would be bada$$ if you made it look like soldiers pushing the flag up. almost like the scene from 9/11 but i have seen it interpreted with soldiers. . .anyways just a thought, but give my thanks to your son. tell him that everything he does for our country is appreciated and he will never go a day without being praised for his service.

And he appreciates every than you he gets! I'll see what I can do about the flag and hood thing - once I get some photos of it with the kit on it and can get them into photoshop, I'll have a better idea of how it will all work out and ACTUALLY look on the car (right now all I have a sketches).

So I'm picking up the car tomorrow!! I'm super excited to get it back and see how good it looks!! The shop has had her for 5 weeks now (doing it in between other stuff I'm sure), so it better look AMAZING!

I'll post the picts tomorrow and then follow up with some photoshop altered ones of what I'm expecting the project to look like when it's all done...

I SUPER EXCITED!!

 

[Frosted_Ankh]

whats your sons MOS now Id say being in the military my self and wanting to do this type of thing to my Chevelle I would put the flag on the passenger quarter panel and his duty station patch in olive dab on the driver side quarter panel. That way when its moving it looks like its charging into battle like its meant too. Also if your son want to be a ranger the beret should have something like the CAB in the flash or his unit crest not a generals star. If you put a star there people may take it wrong. Leave the hood alone do the Soldiers Creed or the NCO creed like you where going to do but don't over do it and put to much so it take away from the aw factor of the car. I also agree with not putting army strong on the bumper considering the slogan will be changing again soon. Cant wait to see it. But my suggestion is OLIVE dab interior on the accent pieces don't over do it just the trim of the dash, with everything else black and black seats with Olive dab inserts. No need to do red whit and blue on the inside it wont match the theme no matter how much people will argue. Ive seen a lot of tribute cars and drove a few as well but they under and over do it at the same time the key is the calm before the storm the shock and aw I think it will look great. Make people get close and be like holy $h!t that's intense. Have the car make them feel they need to join .

 

[tenn-gsx]

I dont know about putting your duty station on the car. Most of us change locations every 2-6 years.

 

[GsXdSmKingGsX]

Not the NCO creed .. Thats waaaay too long haha.

And probably not his MOS or duty station either. Just make it a general Army car.. Ive been to 3 stations in almost 4 years so a duty station is never anything for sure.

 

[Frosted_Ankh]

Im talking about deployed duty station the one he has been deployed with Also if hes going to be a ranger hes not going to be changing duty stations as often as you think. Also if hes going to be an NCO and the car is his tribute car then it needs the NCO creed besides he said he was going to do the soldiers creed over and over on the hood why not to both.

 

[Angelsart]

The car is actually MINE and MY Tribute car to my son and all who are brave enough to serve their country in this crazy day and age!

I grew up in the military, so I know how often military personel move around! So I don't think I want to put his Duty Station or his MOS on the car, as his MOS may also change eventually.

I am still trying to think of a cool way to get the flag on there and I think I have a good idea...

Did NOT get the car back Friday like expected (OR Monday! ), but HOPEFULLY I will be picking it up today!

Will post the picts when I get it then update them as I put the design on it in Photoshop!

BTW... anyone that knows where I can get any INTERIOR modifications done close to the St. Louis area - or a place I can order online - I'd appreciate the heads up!

whats your sons MOS now Id say being in the military my self and wanting to do this type of thing to my Chevelle I would put the flag on the passenger quarter panel and his duty station patch in olive dab on the driver side quarter panel. That way when its moving it looks like its charging into battle like its meant too. Also if your son want to be a ranger the beret should have something like the CAB in the flash or his unit crest not a generals star. If you put a star there people may take it wrong. Leave the hood alone do the Soldiers Creed or the NCO creed like you where going to do but don't over do it and put to much so it take away from the aw factor of the car. I also agree with not putting army strong on the bumper considering the slogan will be changing again soon. Cant wait to see it. But my suggestion is OLIVE dab interior on the accent pieces don't over do it just the trim of the dash, with everything else black and black seats with Olive dab inserts. No need to do red whit and blue on the inside it wont match the theme no matter how much people will argue. Ive seen a lot of tribute cars and drove a few as well but they under and over do it at the same time the key is the calm before the storm the shock and aw I think it will look great. Make people get close and be like holy $h!t that's intense. Have the car make them feel they need to join .

The entire car will be BLACK with varying shades of grey (for subtlety) and SOME of the Army yellow, but not much - that's it! No other colors (well... the tan baret). The interior is going to be the grey digital camo combo (found digital camo carpeting! ) with some yellow accents (maybe just the lights, have not fully decided yet - need to find out what is actually available in interior customizations - having a hard time finding places so if anyone has suggestions.. I'd appreciate it). Same thing under the hood.. yellow and nothing else! I'm also going to put the Neon under the car for emphasis! Still need to find out how much that fine is going to be when I feel like turning it on though! It's illegal here in IL while you're driving!

I don't want to cluster fu#$ the car up with too many graphic elements or colors. I want it to be something you notice is different from a distance and don't realize how COOL it actually is until you are right up on it! As for the 'Army Strong' tag line... yes it MAY actually change, but I'm okay with that because it is EXACTLY what it is - regardless of WHEN it is!! ARMY STRONG! I think that rings true ALL THE TIME!

I want the car to reflect the bad asses all our Military boys and girls are, not just my son... so aside from the baret color, I'm trying to keep it pretty general so that ALL soldiers get the recognition!!