Custom Build: 1965 Ford Econoline Van by LBCustomz (Dino Laspada)

Custom Build:  1965 Ford Econoline Van by LBCustomz

By: Dino Laspada

8-9-2015

 

When M2 Machines released the 1965 Ford Econoline Van to the collecting world, it became a popular casting for customizers immediately.  Here is my build process for the 2 pieces I made for the Hot World Customs Staff.

First I disassembled the casting by removing the screws from the base of the van, and carefully popping off the plastic accents and headlights.

Next I soaked the body is stripper, removing all of the paint.  The body is then washed in soap & water, and scuffed up a bit to help with the next step.

The next step, was to add primer to the casting for a nice base for the paint to settle on.

After the primer was completely dried, I laid down a nice coat of House Of Kolor’s “Meteor Maroon”

Next was to print the decals.  These are custom decals, designed by myself.  Micro Sol was used to soften the decals, for better fit into grooves and curves.

And here are the decals, cut and trimmed for application.

The custom decals added to the Econoline.

The second to the last step, was to hand paint details, such as the brake lights.

The final step, was to clear coat the casting with a mixture of ACME “Finish 1” Automotive Clear Coat and Hardener.  This was repeated twice, to give a nice clear finish.

 

After the clear completely dried, the headlights and bumpers were reattached to the body, and the chassis was screwed back toegether.

 

And here are a few more views of the finished build.

–Thanks to Dino for the contribution.  These look great on our desks!