As you have undoubtedly read, when we last left off with Project Novakane (Throwdown Thrash, Volume 37, No. 10, page 92) it was painted and in the capable hands of Chassis by Aaron Iha for the final stages of the trucks performance transformation. All the paint and bodywork completed before that fateful trip were barely mentioned as the focus of the story was on the incredible fabrication and truncated time schedule necessitated to get Novakane running and competitive for Truckin’s 2011 THROWDOWN.
| project Novakane 2004 Gmc Sierra Paint And Body front Angle
Take a step backward with us as we recant the tale of L&G Enterprises in San Dimas, California, and how the crew there managed to bang, weld, fill, grind, sand, and paint over the abused skin of our 2004 GMC Sierra. With nary a straight panel in sight and many of the stock items being ruined beyond repair, it was necessary to gather a few items to prepare for this mission. LMC Truck sent enough parts and accessories to make us feel like giddy children on Christmas. Included in the build was a paintable front bumper, valance, projector headlights with dual halo rings, grille shell, paintable door handles, roll pan, and all necessary hardware to mount the entire nose. Smoked LED taillights from Recon and LED turn signals from ANZO finished up the lighting array. Inside the LMC grille shell went a T-Rex grille insert, while out back the tailgate received a smooth Sir Michael’s skin with a handle flip kit from Street Scene keeping the gate’s functionality. The final piece of the custom bodywork was the through-the-body exhaust tip from Stylin’ Trucks.
We are well aware that the satin finishes and “murdered-out” theme have been running their course in the industry, but the sinister look achieved was too much to pass up for Novakane. In keeping with the newer laws in California and wanting to do what we could, even if only in small part, we sourced Auto Body Color and Supply in Nashville, Tennessee, for PPG’s latest and greatest water-born paints to get the dark and flat coloring necessary to finalize the GMC’s rendered look. Follow along as L&G breaks down the steps necessary to bring this desert beaten body to the arrow straightness required for our dark horse as it prepares to ride.
| project Novakane 2004 Gmc Sierra Paint And Body rendering
From The Driver Seat
A fresh new look has given us renewed desire to drive Project Novakane again. Before the paint and bodywork, our GMC suffered from its damaged exterior and gave off the impression that the truck was a pile of junk. Nobody would have known that underneath all those bumps and bruises was a solid suspension backed by a playful engine combination that could really get the heart rate up. Now the murdered-out satin finish turns heads almost as fast as the raging exhaust note of the LSX and Magnuson. The bare metal stripes look perfect against the dark sheetmetal and match up quite nicely to the machined and black coating supplied on our BMF Novakane wheels. We couldn’t be happier with the way the vision came together. Great job L&G.
| 16. Now we’re getting somewhere! We waved adios to the pewter metallic and said hello to basic black. Every inch of the truck not getting painted was covered in paper and tape ensuring a tidy finish and no overspray.
Your Questions Answered
Time Spent Working:
3 weeks
Degree of Difficulty:
advanced
Tools Needed: Multiple grades of grinding discs, multiple grades of sandpaper, body filler, spray equipment, paint booth, the list is a long one. Additionally, standard and Phillips screwdrivers, an assortment of metric and standard wrenches and sockets, and wiring tools and accessories will be necessary.
Parts Used
Anzo
LED Turn Signals 511073
$217.50
LMC Truck
LH Door Handle 34-649
$24.94
RH Door Handle 34-6493
$24.94
Front Bumper 39-5224-T
$249.95
Bumper Bolt Kit 31-0053
$37.44
Bumper Valance 39-7413
$124.95
Valance Hardware Kit 31-0099
$24.94
Air Deflector 39-7432
$74.94
Grille Shell 39-4187
$162.44
LH Fog Light 37-4464
$74.94
RH Fog Light 37-4465
$74.94
Projector Headlights 37-4533
$312.44
LED 3rd Brake Light 37-4570
$62.44
Roll Pan 37-7867
$124.94
Recon
LED Taillights 264173RBK
$299.95
Sir Michaels
Tailgate Skin 2276117
$125.00
Street Scene
Tailgate Handle Flip Kit 950-61130
$104.84
LED Turn Signal Mirrors 950-11910
$160.49
Stylin' Trucks
Twin Tube Exhaust Tip ST2814
$156.66
T-Rex
X-Metal Grille 6712001
$495.00
Total:
$2,933.68
(Prices are MSRP and do not include the cost of paint, tax, shipping, or installation)
| 17. Normal clearcoat was layered over the black to lock the color down tight. Another session of sanding was necessary to provide the flattened clear with a base to stick to. A number of additional modifications are going to get handled before the inner bed is finished and ready for coating, so it was left untouched as you can see here.
| project Novakane 2004 Gmc Sierra Paint And Body rear View
