The hood bird, also known as the Screaming Chicken, is among the most iconic of all Trans Am images. Likewise, so are the pop-art stripes applied to the GTO Judge, and the Argent Grey spokes of the Rally II wheel. But let’s face it, when the sun goes down and dusk turns into blackish night, these integral elements of your prized Pontiac’s personality are lost to the limitations of the human eye.
Not any more! Thanks to new advances in phosphorescent technology, nearly any part of your Pontiac can glow in the dark for up to 16 hours.
1 Nearly any Pontiac part can be made to glow at night, yet still appear stock during the day. For this story, a ’98 Mecham Trans Am will be the subject, but the process works on Second Generation hood birds, Judge stripes, Rally II wheels, engine-displacement badges, or decals … you name it!
As a disclaimer, glow-in-the-dark paint is not new. The pigment zinc sulfate was used to make phosphorescent safety devices in the ’30s, but its glow decayed within minutes. The invention of strontium aluminate meant glow-in-the dark products could have ten-fold the glow time and intensity as the earlier method.
Today, Mark Ferraro of Superior Overlay Systems in Spring Hill, Florida, is one of the country’s leading experts in advancing glow-in-the-dark phosphorescent technology. He specializes in developing and applying a highly proprietary version of this technology onto automobiles and motorcycles.
“Glow-in-the-dark powders and paints are commercially available from a myriad of sources, but some of them are put together with hazardous materials that are hard to work with, and others have a lower glow intensity and a shorter life span,” he says.
In contrast, Ferraro’s new GlowMax, which took two years of intense research to formulate -- the exact ingredients are secret -- can be mixed into many different paint mediums such as pearls, candies, bases, and clears, and will remain transparent until total darkness.
“This is revolutionary for automobile customization, and I’m still finding ways to improve it,” he says. “It really turns the most visual aspects of any Pontiac into a show car that doesn’t pack up and go home at sunset.”
Follow along as we take a look at some of the highlights of preparing a Pontiac for GlowMax, applying it on the vehicle, and marveling (that’s an understatement!) at the results.
It really turns the most visual aspects of any Pontiac into a show car that doesn’t pack up and go home at sunset
2 Superior Overlay Systems cleaned and prepped the surface to be treated using these common automotive detailing products, such as a block-sander, 800-grit wet and dry sandpapers, a spray bottle with a dish soap/water mixture, and wax and grease remover.
3 Mark wet-sanded the hood to bite into the existing surface and create a rough surface to promote adhesion.
4 Using automotive vinyl, he masked off the area where GlowMax will be applied.
5 There’s only one wing and the chicken “scream” to go and the masking will be done! Some masking jobs are easier than others. Since this hood bird is highly detailed, this step took Mark one full day. “Most other Pontiac decal kits, like Judge stripes, would take much less time to mask,” Mark says. “In contrast, masking off a Special Edition Second-Gen Bandit, including all the pinstriping, would take considerably longer.”
6 After putting a blanket across the engine bay and then wrapping the exterior in a second blanket of plastic, Mark and an assistant remove the Trans Am’s hood …
7 … and secure it on a stand safely in a spray booth.
8 Mark prepared a batch of GlowMax for the application. “This isn’t an easy formula,” he says. “I tried every online and off-the-shelf glow-in-the-dark ingredient and one-step product commercially available—they all fell short of my expectations.”
9 Though this photo was taken before masking, it shows how Glowmax, which is mixed with clear as a carrier, will be applied to the surface.
7 … and secure it on a stand safely in a spray booth.
10 After the application, Mark repositioned the hood towards the charging lights… (Note: The sun charges the hood even better!)
11 … so he can verify GlowMax’s intensity and decide if an additional application is needed.
12 Even at an angle, the intensity is just as bright!
13 After reinstalling the hood and removing the protective blanket and plastic, Mark pulls the Trans Am outside of his shop at dusk, and the charged phosphorous particles on the hood bird wait for darkness.
14 Photo by Christopher R. Phillip As night falls, the hood bird glows brighter and brighter for all to see. Since GlowMax can recharge by the heat of a running engine, if the glowing dims, a quick turn of the ignition and a short wait brings it back to full intensity.
