Volume 67 Number 3

withWINNING PPG

Paint Your Ride Contest Winner

Ridler Award Winner

Big Rig Build-Off Winner

D e p a r t m e n t s

4 Inside Line Randy Cremeans, PPG Refinish marketing director, discusses “winning with PPG.”

5 Team PPG Up-to-date news and announcements from the world of PPG.

18 Tech Talk How TouchMix ® Paint Manager TM helps monitor and manage the efficiency and costs of a refinish paint operation.

20 In Living Color PPG’s Mike Henry discusses the causes and solutions for dealing with OE color variations.

22 Training Update Technician training is now available online at ppgrefinish.com.

24 Taking Care of Business MVP Director Jim Berkey discusses how collision centers can gain the competitive edge when dealing with today’s challenges.

28 PPG Spotlight Holiday gift ideas and 2009 calendars available through PPG Refinish.

31 Gallery A showcase of eye-catching finishes created by PPG customers.

32 What’s New D8152 clearcoat—the ultimate in gloss and appearance is here.

Innovating Repair Solutions

Innovations from Nexa Autocolor

Always bringing you the future

• Non-Stir Waterborne Toners

• Anti-Settle Special Effects

• Spectral Grey Undercoats

• UV Cured Primer

• Engine Bay Repair Process

• Minor Repair Process

The Advanced Dimension in Refinish Performance

© 2008 PPG Industries. All rights reserved. www.ppgrefinish.com www.nexaautocolor.com

PPG Repaint Reporter Volume 67, Number 3 Fall 2008

executive editor Ann Donati

Creative Director T. Jon Worden

Design Director Dave Buffington

Design Staff John Janiec Kevin Nowak Mark Francisco Bob Santoro

managing editor Meredith Simpson

Contributing editor Cristina Fronzaglia

Writers T. Jon Worden

Eli GreenbaumPaul Walter

Production manager Shellie Hill

Contributing Photographer Dave Lehman PPG Repaint Reporter is published by the Advertising Department of PPG Automotive Refinish. Send comments and questions regarding this publication to:

PPG Industries Repaint Reporter Editor 19699 Progress Drive Strongsville, Ohio 44149 refincommdpt@ppg.com Or, fax to: (440) 572-6880

looking for additional copies of this PPG repaint reporter issue?

Limited copies are available via two easy ways of ordering:

1) Connect to ppgCentral via www.ppgcentral.biz

OR

2) Fax a completed advertising order form to 1-800-982-9518

Please reference part number on back cover

6GREEN SHOWCASEMichigan’s LaFontaine dealership goes green

all the way!

10RidlER RAmblER “Ferrambo” rides off with the most coveted

custom car award

26VibRANCE

COllECtiON® GOES WAtERbORNE

PPG offers compliant solution for custom color and special effects finishes

12WiNNiNG FiNiSHESof the PPG Hot Wheels® Spectraf lame® PAINT YOUR RIDE contest!

16FiRSt ClASS

biG RiGFirst Class Services wins

“Big Rig Build-off”

C o n t e n t s

4 5

I N S I D e l I N e T e A m P P G

PPG products featured in eight of year’s top ten green building projects

PPG and Bayer earn environmental honors

Get latest PPG news via e-mail newsletter

You now can receive in your e-mail inbox the latest news on products, programs and services for PPG Automotive Refinish and Commercial Coatings. It’s easy. Sign up for our e-newsletter at www.ppgrefinish.com/newsletter and select the paint brands and topics of interest to you.<

Big Flake is a Winner

Ditzler ® Big Flake™, PPG’s new bold metal flake finish reminiscent of

’70s-era show cars and custom bikes, has been named the 2008 New Product Winner for Paint and Car Care Products

by the Goodguys Rod and Custom Association. The announcement was made at the 11th annual Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, where over 50 companies entered products.<

Chrysler chooses Aquabase® Plus for national training center

Chrysler Corp. has announced it has installed a system using Aquabase® Plus waterborne basecoat at its National Technical Training Center, located in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

According to Chrysler, the move to using waterborne paint brings the training center into conformance with other Chrysler facilities, such as the majority of assembly plants, which already use PPG waterborne coatings.

The National Technical Training Center evaluates equipment and materials and approves aftermarket refinish products for the original-equipment manufacturer (OEM). Implementing the use of waterborne coatings at the center had been considered since California and Canada mandated their use in an effort to reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.<

PPG approved by Volvo Car Corporation as one of the preferred suppliers for global dealership and independent repairs

PPG donates to SkillsUSA

PPG Automotive Refinish recently donated $10,000 to SkillsUSA, a national nonprofit organization serving teachers and high school and college students preparing for careers in trade, technical and skilled-service occupations.

The PPG donation supported the 2008 National SkillsUSA Championships, held this summer in Kansas City, Missouri. The national competition involved more than 5,000 students participating in 91 hands-on skill and leadership contests including collision repair technology and, for the first time, automotive refinishing. Each SkillsUSA Championships contestant is a state-level gold medalist.<

PPG Automotive Refinish has been named as one of the preferred suppliers by Volvo Car Corporation for its worldwide network of dealerships as well as for independent collision centers around the globe. The designation includes PPG’s innovative and advanced waterborne Envirobase ® High Performance, and Nexa Autocolor ™ Aquabase® Plus basecoats.

Volvo’s objective is to provide its customers with premium-level repair quality in the aftermarket. Consequently, Volvo rigorously tests all materials to make certain they meet the company’s strict standards before they are approved.

“Being designated as one of the preferred suppliers by Volvo is something to take great pride in,” said Ken Davis, PPG manager,

OEM business development. “Volvo is well known for its quality and to be one of their approved suppliers is recognition of the quality of our products. We will, of course, work closely with them to provide complete support to Volvo dealerships and independent shops around the world.”

Peter Larsson, Volvo’s deputy director, painted body engineering, said, “One of the major criteria for selecting preferred suppliers is quality assurance which will safeguard the Volvo repair quality in our network. PPG continues to demonstrate high quality and commitment for its paint products and processes. I am very pleased to say this collaboration will bring benefits to our international network.”<

The American Institute of Architects’ Committee on the Environment (COTE) has named its top ten green building projects for 2008, and eight of them feature architectural glass and paint from EcoLogical Building Solutions by PPG Industries. Six projects were built using low-emissivity glass by PPG, and

Pittsburgh® Paints were used in two more.

To learn more about EcoLogical Building Solutions by PPG, visit www.ppgideascapes.com or call 1-888-PPG-IDEA (774-4332).<

(Above) The Baltimore Visitor Center showcases the use of PPG’s energy-efficient Solarban® 60 glass.

PPG Industries and the Bayer Corporation are among 21 companies nationwide that the Wildlife Habitat Council will recognize as Signature of Sustainability sites. PPG and Bayer received the honor

at a reception at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. The companies were recognized for the natural habitat sites they maintain and for the public education they provide on environmental issues.<

CORRECTION: In the previous issue of Repaint Reporter, our story profiling Superior Auto Body misstated the type of dryer and filtration system installed at their shop. They are the Tsunami Dryer System and Tsunami Filtration Systems distributed by Sheppard Mechanical Sales & Service, Inc.

PPG AUtomotiVe ReFiniSh

PPG AUtomotiVe ReFiniSh

PPG AUtomotiVe ReFiniSh

PPG ARChiteCtURAl GlASS

PPG inDUStRieS

PPG AUtomotiVe ReFiniSh

PPG AUtomotiVe ReFiniSh

The cover of this Repaint Reporter showcases three exceptional, award-winning vehicles—great examples of how our customers are “Winning with PPG.” But as you read the entire issue, it should reinforce the many other ways PPG Refinish is working to help our customers

succeed and win at what they do. The amazing article on LaFontaine Automotive Group’s “Green Showcase” is but one example of how PPG leads the way in bringing new, advanced waterborne technologies to the marketplace—solutions that answer the need for greener, more ecologically-sound products. Key to our unrivalled success in winning collision centers over to waterborne compliant solutions has been our very informative “Convert with Confidence” training process that provides shop personnel with all the training and knowledge they need to make a successful conversion as seamless as possible. Providing our customers with solutions for succeeding in stiffly-regulated VOC regions now extends to the custom color segment where custom builders, designers and enthusiasts depend on our Vibrance Collection® line-up of hot colors to create winning finishes. These customers will be glad to know that PPG is again taking the lead in providing a compliant solution for custom color finishes. Thanks to our expert color matchers and the countless hours spent matching all of our custom colors for use with Envirobase® High Performance basecoat—and a new Vibrance Collection midcoat—a complete waterborne system for the Vibrance Collection will be available the first of the new year. Now, with all the focus lately on “green” product initiatives, don’t think that PPG is taking our collective “eye off the ball” in regards to enhancing our line-up of solvent-based refinish systems. Our new D8152 Performance + Glamour Clearcoat and our continued effort to consolidate hardeners required for our premium systems, are good signs that we’re not standing still when it comes to our refinish product offering. This is further supported by our Product and Color teams’ initiatives to bring you the best in color capability. Fruits of their work can be found in the 19 new toners that were recently introduced to help paint technicians keep pace with the OE color space—not to mention PPG’s accelerated effort to offer the latest information on variant formulas. With a new training center in Northern California, the launch of online tech training at our refinish website and our MVP team’s industry-leading Green Belt Training that is helping progressive shops take the steps they need to compete successfully, there should be no doubt that we at PPG Refinish are doing more than just blocking and tackling to help our customers win in today’s highly competitive marketplace.<

By Randy CremeansMarketing Director, PPG Automotive Refinish

Winning with PPG

76

Green Showcase

IF YOU WANT TO GET AN IDEA

OF WHAT THE FUTURE WILL LOOk

LIkE, PAY A vISIT TO LAFONTAINE

AUTOMOTIvE GROUP’S NEW

BUICk-PONTIAC-GMC-CADILLAC

DEALERSHIP IN HIGHLAND,

MICHIGAN. AS GM’S FIRST

GREEN DEALERSHIP IT SETS THE

GOLD STANDARD FOR OTHERS

TO FOLLOW.

“No one required us to do this. We thought it was the right thing to do for our employees, for the environment and for the community. We want to set a good example and we believe in giving back to the community.”

Ryan LaFontaineGeneral Manager LaFontaine Automotive Group

8 9

“Wow!” That’s the immediate reaction of most customers and visitors who enter LaFontaine’s new $15 million dealership for the first time. After all, have you ever seen a car showroom that offers customers the convenience of a café, gift boutique, hair and nail salon, and video-monitored kids play zone?

What’s most impressive, however, is the commitment it took to become one of the first dealerships in the nation to “go green” and achieve Gold LEED certification. LEED certification (Leadership in Energy

and Environmental Design) provides independent third-party verification that a building meets the highest sustainability standards.

Ryan LaFontaine, general manager of the family-owned

LaFontaine Automotive Group, said the dealership had been planning a new facility since 2000 because it was outgrowing its longtime location in Highland, but didn’t look to go “green” until about two years ago. He estimates that the dealership spent an extra $2 million to do what was needed to qualify for LEED certification.

The centerpiece of its green initiative is a 64-well geothermal system that heats and cools the building by capturing energy stored

in the earth, 350 feet below the building. With annual energy savings of up to 54% over conventional HvAC alternatives, it’s estimated that the geothermal investment will be recouped in five years.

Throughout the facility you’ll find evidence of ecologically-wise features. Solid doors are made from compressed corn cobs and wheat. The pavement and metal decking is 60% recycled content. The car wash recycles 85% of the water conventional car washes would waste. Some 85 skylights provide energy-saving, natural daylight, and computer-controlled lighting with sophisticated photocells ensures lights are shut down in unused areas and artificial lighting is turned off when enough daylight fills the facility.

Other environmentally-friendly elements include service bay lifts that use vegetable oil instead of caustic and difficult-to-dispose-of lubricants. A rainwater collection system, powered by a windmill, irrigates the landscaping. Green belts are in evidence everywhere to reduce the “heat island” effect of such a large facility. To encourage recycling, separate bins for trash and recyclables are located throughout the facility. Even the café’s cold drinking cups are corn-based and recyclable.

LaFontaine employees are encouraged and rewarded for adopting green practices. For

example, preferred parking spots are reserved for employees who carpool to work or anyone who drives low-emissions or alternative fuel vehicles. Storage areas and changing rooms are also provided for employees who bicycle to work.

Green body shop

Once the decision was made to incorporate a collision repair center into the dealership’s service capabilities, the search began for the latest technologies and systems that could best support their green initiative.

“After visiting the NACE Expo, we weighed the pros and cons of going with a waterborne paint system versus solvent-based,” said Todd McCallum, fixed operations director for LaFontaine. “In the end, we decided to get a jump start on the technology we feel will inevitably be mandated for the Great Lakes region in the not too distant future.”

After deciding to convert to a waterborne system, settling on

PPG as the refinish partner was not difficult according to McCallum. “They made it easy for us,” he said. “We did our due diligence and brought in all the paint companies, but the overall commitment from PPG, as well as their distributor Painters Supply & Equipment Company, and the excellence of the product sealed the deal.”

Aside from all the environmental benefits of waterborne paint, McCallum said the production aspects were also critical in weighing the move to waterborne. “We wouldn’t compromise on quality and the Envirobase® High Performance system proved outstanding for ease of application and color matching. PPG also gave our paint technicians complete training and support.”

McCallum became particularly impressed with the Envirobase HP waterborne basecoat when he and 11 technicians attended a hands-on demonstration at PPG’s Training Center in Wixom, Michigan.

“They handed me a spray gun and asked me to try my hand at painting a panel,” he recalled. “Given that the only painting I ever did was with a brush, I was surprised and impressed with how easy it is to apply. I thought to myself, ‘if I can paint a good match, our skilled

painters will sure be able to.’”

Paint technician Bennie Miller echoed the praise. “I’ve been using PPG products for over

30 years, and this time they really have outdone themselves with this Envirobase waterborne paint. It offers high productivity, and application is so easy, anyone can spray it.”

To accommodate the waterborne system, LaFontaine installed a state-of-the-art waterborne spray booth with the AdvanceCure™ Accelerated Airflow System from GFS. The curing system uses high-velocity air blower towers to speed flash off and drying times.

After opening for business this past June, the LaFontaine collision center is off and running smoothly. In the first month alone, some 55 customers brought their vehicles in to be repaired and painted at the state-of-the-art, eco-friendly body shop. The success they’re experiencing with waterborne convinced the LaFontaine group to make the switch to Envirobase at the collision center it operates in Dexter too.

Ryan LaFontaine says the “buzz” on its green showcase is spreading far and wide. To date, representatives of some 35 other dealers and body shops have toured the facility. McCallum adds, “General Motors is so impressed, they’re benchmarking this store.”

As one tours the facility, a peek into LaFontaine’s office, located front and center near the showroom, will reveal a sign hanging proudly above Ryan’s desk: “Going green isn’t only the best way to go. It’s the only way to go.”

It’s a statement that’s aptly reflects the spirit and commitment that abounds throughout the dealership.<

(Above) 85 skylights

provide energy-saving,

natural daylight

throughout the facility.

(Below right) Customers

are treated to the

conveniences of a café,

boutique, hair salon, and

kids play zone.

Recyclable drinking cup

made from corn.

(Below) LaFontaine’s

Geothermal system

provides up to 54% annual

energy savings over

conventional heating and

cooling systems.

(Left) State-of-the art

waterborne spray booth

with air blower towers

speed drying times of

Envirobase HP basecoat.

1010 11

HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT WINNING THE “RIDLER AWARD”—THE NATION’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS RECOGNITION FOR CUSTOM CAR ExCELLENCE?

AWARDinG-WinninG “FeRRAmBo” illUStRAteS thAt BeAUty iS moRe thAn Skin DeeP.

Answer. Meticulously customize a tiny station wagon from a long-defunct nameplate, marry it with a full-on Ferrari power plant and

components, then top it off with a flawless, shiny, bright red finish. PPG “Ferrari Rosso Corsa Red”

to be specific. That’s the short story of “Ferrambo” and its

capturing of the Don Ridler Memorial Award at the

2008 Detroit Autorama. But the real beauty is in

the details… “Ferrambo” is the product of

a creative collaboration between builder Tim Divers of Divers Street Rods and owner Mike Warn from Wilsonville, Oregon. As so many inspired projects do, this one began with more than a little speculative fantasizing over the availability of a clean 1960 Rambler American wagon in Tim’s shop and Mike’s taste for exotic automobiles as the owner of Gran Prix Imports. After an initial start as a basic Rambler with a Ferrari engine project, the perfectionist overachievers at Divers ran off with the plot, and soon a full-blown attempt at winning the Ridler was underway.

The flawless finish on “Ferrambo” aptly reflects the exceptional and unique vehicle beneath where you’ll find meticulous craftsmanship, attention to detail and exceptional creativity everywhere you look. Divers started by fabricating the chassis to incorporate a removable subframe for the engine and transaxle. A 2002 Ferrari 360 Modena donated more than its powerplant, surrendering its suspension to complement the 395 horsepower, 3.6-liter v8 and 6-speed gearbox.

Combining features of the two distinctly different vehicles, the wagon was transformed to take on decidedly Italian styling cues reminiscent of the romance of ’50s and ’60s classic European design. The hand-formed aluminum bumpers and grille, the handmade headlamps, taillights and steering wheel are all products of the talent pool at Divers. Even the threaded hardware is a Divers design, evident in the elegant splined fasteners used throughout the car. Tim tapped his brother Scott for the wheel design. The custom center-lock 18” fronts and 20” rears were machined specifically for “Ferrambo.”

Meshing the Ferrari components into the Rambler, Divers did

away with some of the modern technology, such as the paddle shift, electronic throttle and indecipherable Italian electrics. Shifting is now through a gated lever and the butterfly-valved throttle provides a real connection with the driver’s right foot. The original wiring went in the bin and Brian Macy sorted out the Motec CPU that now directs the electrons.

At the Divers shop in Startup, Washington, Shawn McNally and Jim Lykken executed a flawless PPG finish using Deltron® DBC75259 over red oxide DP74LF sealer and topping it with DCU2002 clear. Not only was the body covered in PPG—every single part on the car has been

treated. Rather than plating or polishing, every component of the suspension is body finished and painted to present the cleanest, smoothest finish possible. k38 primer surfacer was used throughout the build. The frame was treated to a chemical cleaning with Dx579 followed by conditioning with Dx520 before applying DP90LF sealer and DCC9300 color. After prepping all the pieces with Dx533 and conditioning with Dx503, the engine was fully detailed using DP48LF sealer, DBC33897 Fine Silver Metallic and DCU2002. PPG custom painting instructor Paul Stoll was enthusiastically

on board, providing support to the Divers crew. The phenomenal finish speaks for itself.

“True to its promise, PPG provided us with the most durable, reliable and beautiful finish products possible,” explained Divers. “The PPG Ferrari Rosso Corsa Red color chosen for “Ferrambo” really delivered.”

Combining the talents of Divers Street Rods and the open-mindedness of “Ferrambo” owner Mike Warn resulted in a stunning cross-platform creation.

Contemporary Ferrari mechanicals wrapped in the much-modified skin of a diminutive Rambler wagon—modern power and technology within an extensively reworked vintage envelope renders an incredible original construction. No part of the vehicle was left untouched and every detail is prominently displayed for all to see. The flawless red finish covering it all is both the introduction to this marvel, and afterward, the indelible memory.<

Ridler Rambler

Winning Finishes

IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST COMPETITIvE CUSTOM CAR BEAUTY CONTESTS IN THE COUNTRY AS THE PPG HOT WHEELS® SPECTRAFLAME® PAINT YOUR RIDE CONTEST LIvED UP TO ExPECTATIONS.

the quality of the entries made selecting a winner very difficult. After whittling the preliminary field down to 12 finalists, the decision naturally got even harder. but in the end, Jim and melinda Cooper’s 1956 Chevy Handyman 2-door wagon was awarded the grand prize at a special reception held at the 11th annual Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus, Ohio.

Paint Your Ride contestants included custom painters, car builders and hot rod enthusiasts who created original paint schemes for their vehicles using any of the 12 vibrant colors of the popular

PPG Vibrance Collection® Hot Wheels® Spectraflame® paint. the co-branded line features colors found on the popular Hot Wheels® line of die-cast toy vehicles from mattel, inc.

the judging panel comprised a distinguished group well-known to street rod buffs: dave Perewitz of Perewitz Cycle Fabrication, PPG custom painting trainer Paul Stoll, larry Wood, chief designer at Hot Wheels®, brian brennan of Street Rodder magazine and Ed Capen of the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association.

Faced with 12 jaw-dropping, wow-inspiring color schemes, the judges did not have an easy time. Wood said, “We were so impressed with the finalist

cars. it was a difficult decision. Everyone has their own taste in cars and each judge had a favorite. but in the end, we all agreed on the Chevy Wagon. it had everything—awesome paint, cool graphics, a great overall look.”

As the grand prize winners, the Coopers, from laguna Hills, California, will receive an exclusive Hot Wheels® 1/18” scale model award trophy featuring their winning paint job. their car’s paint scheme—Hot Wheels® Spectraflame® medium sapphire with silver flames, from PPG’s Vibrance Collection—will also be reproduced on a future Hot Wheels® toy car from mattel, inc. in addition, the car will be showcased in the PPG booth at the upcoming 2008 SEmA show in las Vegas and featured in a 2009 PPG calendar along with the other finalists.

All the finalists attended the annual Goodguys PPG Nationals—the largest, most prestigious show the Goodguys organization sponsors. they displayed their vehicles in the special Paint Your

Ride contest area, and were guests of honor at a ViP-style, PPG Paint Your Ride cocktail party and banquet where the winner was announced. When Jim Cooper’s name was read, his reaction came through loud and clear, “i was pretty excited. i was amazed to see all the wild and over-the-top finishes you can achieve with Spectraflame® paint. All the entries were truly spectacular, so it’s a real honor to be named the winner.”

“All of us at PPG were especially wowed by the entries” said Randy Cremeans, marketing director for PPG Refinish. “And the contest itself proved to be an excellent showcase for the awesome finishes that can be achieved with our hot line-up of Hot Wheels® Spectraflame® colors.” <

1312

PPG hot Wheels® Spectraflame® Paint your Ride Contest

14 15

The 12 Finalists of the PPG Hot Wheels ® Spectraflame ® Paint Your Ride Contest

1956 Chevrolet Handyman 2-door WagonJim & Melinda Cooper, Laguna Hills, CA Medium Sapphire

1969 Chevrolet El CaminoDavid Giles, Arkport, NYMedium Sapphire & Anti-Freeze Green

1903 Custom-built OldsmobileJohn F. Beecher III, Lafayette, INAnti-Freeze Green

1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS ConvertibleTim Doyon, Eagle, IDHot Wheels® Blue

1960 Chevrolet El CaminoJerry Ford, New Braunfels, TXBright Red & Orange

1951 Mercury Sport SedanZachary Hawthorne, Mineral City, OHPurple

1932 Ford High Boy RoadsterTom Paternoster &Brent Keener, Rochester, MIAnti-Freeze Green, Orange & Lime Gold

1953 Ford Panel TruckKevin Young, Byesville, OHRich Yellow Gold, Hot Wheels® Blue, Hot Pink & Anti-Freeze Green

1931 Chrysler 309 4-door SedanKeith & Kathleen Bright, Salina, KSAnti-Freeze Green

1950 Studebaker R-Series PickupRick & Kathy Adams, Backus, MNOrange

1959 Ford Thunderbird 2-door ConvertibleClifford Nicholson, Dassel, MNLime Gold

1970 Chevrolet El Camino CustomJohn Joyce, Germantown, MDHot Wheels® Blue, Hot Pink, Purple & Medium Sapphire

*Finalists shown in no particular order.

16 17

WHEN A COMPANY IS NAMED “FIRST CLASS SERvICES, INC.,” THERE’S A LOT OF PRESSURE ON IT TO DELIvER THE GOODS. AND THAT’S ExACTLY WHAT FIRST CLASS SERvICES DID AT THIS YEAR’S “BIG RIG BUILD-OFF.”

DAIMler TruckS expANDS ppG role AS A ToTAl Source SupplIer

Daimler Trucks North America recently extended its partnership with PPG by selecting Delfleet as the OEM paint system at its Sterling truck manufacturing plant, located in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. Previously, in 2006, Daimler Trucks designated PPG as an OEM Total Source Supplier and awarded PPG all of the paint business at its Portland truck plant.

As a Total Source Supplier, PPG provides a complete range of paint technologies enabling Daimler Trucks North America to

meet customer demands and compete in the heavy-duty truck market. The line-up of products includes PPG’s industry-leading Powercron ® electrocoat and Delfleet topcoats for cabs and chassis.

Approved worldwide for warranty work

Daimler Trucks North America corporate engineering has rigorously tested and approved the Delfleet Evolution system for all warranty and paint repairs on all Daimler Truck brands, including Sterling and Western Star models, in their business and repair centers worldwide. With the approval, the

same quality paint system used on the OEM’s original truck finishes can be

used in the aftermarket creating a unified PPG offering.

Headquartered in Lewisport, kentucky, First Class Services is a highly-regarded, 140-person transport company that carries liquid and dry bulk loads across the country. Randy Stroup, its founder, president and CEO, is a third-generation trucker who believes strongly in premium customer service and all-out fleet maintenance. He also loves big trucks. Even more, he loves making them look good.

It was that love of trucks that led Stroup to enter and subsequently win the 4th annual Pride and Polish “Big Rig Build-Off” truck beauty contest at the Mid-America Trucking Show held this past March in Louisville at the kentucky Exposition Center.

The contest, by invitation only, matched five prominent North American custom truck builders in a challenge to create the ultimate big rig working truck. Participants were supported by PPG and Jones Performance, Inc. with PPG supplying paints and Jones Performance offering design consulting and fabrication services.

“First in Class” paint finish

Stroup’s entry, a 1986 “359” Peterbilt 63’ Flat Top Sleeper plucked out of the company fleet and

appropriately named “First in Class,” easily caught the judges’ attention. (How could it not?) The truck was finished with PPG’s gleaming Vibrance Collection® Liquid Crystal Candy Apple Red and Burnt Orange colors on top of Delfleet® Evolution primers and sealers, and clearcoated with Delfleet Evolution F3905. The paint was supplied through PPG distributor Gipe Autocolor of Owensboro, kentucky. The result is a huge custom truck sporting a “wow” finish usually associated with show-stopping street rods.

For First Class Services, however, a striking paint job is really no surprise. The company has an in-house paint facility in nearby Owensboro and uses PPG paint exclusively. The company’s fleet is painted an eye-catching combination of flame red, high metallic burgundy and stardust gold.

“We have a great relationship with PPG,” Stroup says. “We love the product, love the support. We put four-and-a-half months of custom work into this truck inside and out. When it was time for painting, we wanted something that

would really stand out in the crowd of beautiful trucks that would be at the show. So we decided to use PPG’s Vibrance candy colors.”

“Putting these Vibrance colors together created an unbelievable finish,” adds Greg Boarman, paint shop manager. “They were beautiful in any kind of light, but simply amazing

in sunlight. It’s a look that will last for years.”

While the truck’s paint scheme makes the first impression, it is also a unique creation underneath, with all the radical modifications that Stroup and his crew came up with. The original CAT 3406B power plant was replaced by a Pittsburgh Power 750-hp engine. The frame was stretched from a 260” wheelbase to 305”. The cab and sleeper were converted to a unibilt format. The windshield was lowered by four inches, and the dash, header, door panels, floor boards and rear interior sleeper were all replaced. The stunning paint job was the finishing touch.

Since winning the Big Rig award, “First

in Class” has been on the 2008 truck show circuit strutting its colors across the country. When the tour is complete, “First in Class” will return to the ranks of the working trucks at First Class Services where undoubtedly the drivers will be lining up to take her on the road.<First Class

A chromed and detailed

Pittsburgh Power engine

pours out 750 hp of brute

strength, enough to haul

monstrous loads.

Big Rig

Coming Soon—the 2008 Big Rig Delfleet Evolution Poster featuring “First in Class.” See your PPG distributor or territory manager for more information.

18 19

Controlling paint usage

Paint Manager’s instant access to reports—such as Paint & Material Gross Profit, Product Usage, Repair Order Cost per Refinish Hour and Painter Mix Accuracy—gives managers a true picture of how well the shop is controlling paint usage. But there are also many features available to paint technicians to help manage paint usage on their end. For example, there is a Minimum Mix button that calculates the smallest amount to mix without jeopardizing color match—and there’s a Recalculate feature that can automatically adjust for “over pours” to avoid waste.

One cost-saving feature for paint usage in the mix room is the Volume Estimator. This helps the painter select the right amount of product to cover per panel on the vehicle.

To illustrate how Volume Estimator works, let’s say 4 ounces is the default

With its full-featured paint mixing tracking features, TouchMix® Paint Manager™ provides instant access to all the information required to make informed decisions on job costs, material usage, mixing efficiency, inventory and much more. In fact, Paint Manager can generate over 30 reports for the collision shop manager to work with, including such essential information as:

• Paint and Material Gross Profit • Repair Order Cost per Refinish Hour• Average Employee Cost per Refinish Hour• Painter Mix Accuracy • Product Usage• VOC and HAPS reports

volume for painting a panel. First, the technician selects a panel to repair. One tap on his touch screen will indicate full coverage. TouchMix will respond by showing the formula for a 4-ounce volume of the intermix color. Two taps on the screen will indicate a blended area. This would indicate a 2-ounce volume to mix. If the two adjacent panels are selected, the volumes for a panel and blend repair are added together and TouchMix will compute the formula for a 6-ounce intermix.

With all its features, numerous functions and flexibility, there is not enough space here to detail all

the benefits of using TouchMix Paint Manager. If your shop isn’t already taking advantage of this powerful tool, you may be missing out on many opportunities to save time, money and increase profitability in the paint operation. To learn more, contact your local PPG territory manager or distributor.<

T e C H T A l K

THe lATeST Tool for mANAGING your PAINT oPerATIoN CoST effeCTIVely

IN A COMPETITIvE ENvIRONMENT WHERE MANAGING INSURANCE CAPS AND kEEPING COSTS TO A MINIMUM ARE CRITICAL TO MAINTAINING PROFITABILITY OF YOUR PAINT REFINISH OPERATION, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT A PRODUCTION MANAGER TAkE ADvANTAGE OF THE LATEST COLOR MANAGEMENT TOOLS.

For users without touch-screen hardware, TouchMix software is flexible enough that it can run as a mouse-driven Windows® application for use by the production manager. For example, with a networked system in place, Paint Manager information can be viewed on a computer in the front office, while the technician in the mixing room uses the compliant, touch-screen version connected to a computerized scale. For shops currently using TouchMix Basic Mixing in the mixing room, Paint Manager is an simple software upgrade and will integrate seamlessly with the current system.

managing costs with Paint manager

There are a myriad of ways Paint Manager works to monitor and control costs in the paint booth, giving the production manager the enhanced ability to:

• Customize pricing • Optimize color control • Minimize paint usage • Control volume required per color• Benchmark technicians product usage• Track product usage over time

Many of the cost-managing reports draw from information entered on a Repair Order Entry screen, which can be accessed via the Production screen. At a minimum, the repair order number should be entered to enable any real job tracking capability. The Production screen can be ‘switched on’ as the default screen. This allows multiple painters to select their particular “RO” and assign the color mixing, reducing and final clear application to one repair order.

Paint Manager offers a variety of options for customization, so the system can be tailored to track and control as much or little as you need for your collision repairs.

p A I N T M A N A G e r

TouchMix

Paint Manager’s

Production screen

allows multiple

technicians to enter

data on a repair order.

Volume Estimator enables the painter to visually select the area(s) to be

repainted and automatically calculates the appropriate volume of intermix.

Sample of a 6-ounce formula for a two-panel repair, automatically

calculated by Volume Estimator.

True

20 ©2008 PPG Industries www.ppgrefinish.com

With Envirobase® High Performance.

Envirobase is the OEM original finish on many of today’s high-performance, exotic sports cars

World Leaders In Automotive Finishes

Color matching today’s sophisticated OEM colors is easier than ever, once you’ve made the move to Envirobase High Performance. The Envirobase system of advanced non-stir, high opacity toners is well-proven to offer true matches to even the most difficult colors—a definite breakthrough in color-matching accuracy.

Experience color matching with the industry’s most advanced waterborne basecoat.

• Unparalleled color match

• High-opacity pigments

• Easy to apply and blend

• Anti-settle toner technology

• Spray-applied variant chips

I N l I V I N G C o l o r

CRASH! That awful sound that comes from screeching tires, and then, bumper meeting fender. The vehicle owner’s expectations for the repair are high—they want their car’s finish to be just like the factory, the way it looked on the showroom floor.

But for the painter, any vehicle color can be a challenge, and with the increasing use of metallic and pearlescent pigments, that WOW effect must be restored. In our example, the color of the customer’s fender may be a little bluer and a little darker than a car of the same color that was repaired a week ago. If both customers were to compare their vehicle colors, they most likely would say they are the same exact color. A professional painter however can easily perceive the difference.

There are several reasons for color variation. One is the fact that OEMs might source their paint from more than one supplier and they often use different paint chemistries. Depending on the source, pigments can also vary in their material makeup, and this can often contribute to a color shift.

Another cause occurs at the assembly plants where variation in line speed, application equipment calibration, robotic pathing and spray-line environmental conditions can all contribute to color disparity. Bottom line—no OEM can match a color standard 100% on every vehicle and eliminate process variation completely.

These subtle variances—and sometimes not so subtle—present a challenge for the paint technician who must determine the right color formulation that accurately matches the actual color of the customer’s vehicle should it vary from the OEM standard.

The Color variance Program at PPG identifies variances when they occur, with the goal of providing refinishers with an extensive formula database to cover all the colors they are likely to encounter. The PPG Refinish team proactively seeks out new color variants at import centers as new model year vehicles arrive at our North American ports of entry.

PPG territory managers, distributors and painters play a critical role in partnering together to identify potential

Demystifyingoe Color

Variationb y m I K e H e N ry, P P G m A N A G e r , C o l o r P r I N T T o o l S

variances in the field at the point of vehicle repair. When an unfamiliar color comes into a collision shop, a car part—typically a gas cap or a body panel—is sent directly to PPG’s Cleveland Refinish laboratory where it is analyzed and a determination is made to create a special variant. The PPG Car Parts program targets new and difficult carryover colors and has been largely responsible for our success in developing hundreds of variant formulas each year.

Getting accurate, up-to-date variant color information quickly to the end user is a high priority of the Color variance Program. When a new variant is approved, the formula is entered into PPG’s Global Reflective Intermix Database and immediately uploaded to the PPG Online Color database. Online Color can be accessed in the Color Tools section of the PPG Refinish website (ppgrefinish.com). Within 24 hours of a variant creation, a shop technician, painter or distributor can easily search and find the variant formula.

The new variant formulas are also added to the next quarterly updates of PPG’s e-Fiche, TouchMix® Basic Mixing and Paint Manager™ color retrieval software.

To verify the correct variant for the vehicle repair, a visual representation of the color is the recommended next step. The PPG color retrieval software provides a link to the correct visual color tool for confident identification and accurate color matching. The PPG Color variant System is available for both our solvent-based and waterborne paint lines and is easy to use at the car. Each system contains hundreds of large color chip decks covering exterior body and underhood colors for all major vehicle manufacturers. To assure accuracy, the chips are sprayed using PPG Refinish paint so the match from the vehicle color to color chip to color formula is a reliable and dependable color solution.

If you’d like to learn more about OEM color variation and are attending the NACE Expo, be sure to attend our presentation on “Demystifying OE Color variation” on Wednesday, November 5 at 8:00 a.m.<

22

divided into modules, so the user can more readily absorb the content. Following the video, there’s a step-by-step review to reinforce key practices and tips.

After the content is presented and reviewed, the student is prompted to take a quiz. All questions must be answered correctly to pass. The student can review the course content and re-take the quiz as many times as needed. Upon passing the quiz, the student can download a “Certificate of Completion.”

Registering for a course

Signing up and taking one of the online courses is easy. Simply go to the Training & Support section of the PPG Refinish website, and select the “Online Training” link.

Technicians who have already attended a PPG training course and are currently registered in the PPG database can use their existing PPG User ID to access the available courses. They do not have to re-register to take an online course. However, since the training is only available to PPG customers, students without an existing PPG User ID must submit an application for registration and approval.

After entering their PPG User ID and password, students can select from the listing of available courses.

“We believe these online courses will benefit technicians looking for additional training. They supplement our instructor-led offering and reinforce what technicians learn in

our classrooms around the country,” added Troyer. “They also offer a perfect opportunity for vocational instructors and their students to study best practices for paint repair.”

Another new feature under the Training & Support tab allows users to view their current instructor-led, PPG training transcript. Go to the “My Training” tab; enter your PPG User ID and password for access. Students can also update their personal profile with new addresses or employer changes.<

T r A I N I N G u P D A T e

NeW TrAINING ceNTer IN NorTHerN cAlIForNIA

PPG Refinish recently opened a state-of-the-art Business Development Center in Concord, Californiaserving collision repair facilities in San Francisco, Sacramento, and the Northern California region.

As the only fixed location training facility operated by a paint supplier in Northern California, the new BDC will focus primarily on training and support for PPG’s Envirobase® High Performance and Nexa Autocolor™ Aquabase® Plus waterborne basecoat systems, in response to the new VOC regulations taking effect for Northern California. The new center will also offer training for PPG’s fleet and industrial coatings.

The facility replicates the paint shop of a collision center including the latest equipment for optimizing the process time of waterborne basecoat. Now PPG customers will have the opportunity to learn about this newly mandated technology in a hands-on, “real world” environment.

The Concord center is PPG’s second such facility in California. A training center in Rancho Cucamonga (Los Angeles area) has been in operation for several years.

Concord

Rancho Cucamonga

San Diego •Los Angeles •

San Francisco •

★

★

00:21 / 02:28 00:40 / 02:28

00:54 / 02:28 01:15 / 02:28

Ready online. Anytime.PPG REFINISH WEBSITE OFFERS TECHNICAL TRAINING COURSES FOR TECHNICIANS, APPRENTICES AND STUDENTS.

The industry today demands consistency from its collision repair centers. Critical to productivity and profitability, shops require technicians to maintain a high level of technical knowledge and skills. Collision centers now have another option for continued learning. It’s PPG’s new Online Technical Training video courses, available at ppgrefinish.com.

“It’s always been our goal to extend our training reach; providing technicians with another resource

on best practices for refinishing a vehicle.” Bill Troyer, director of training, PPG, continues, “Offering online training complements our instructor-led classes. This new instruction, now available at the technician’s convenience, will become a strategic segment of our training solution. We’re continuing to build tools for collision centers looking to standardize their repair operations.”

Developing course content

Developed through a partnership between PPG Refinish and 3M’s Automotive Aftermarket team, each

online course is designed to teach an established standard technical repair process.

The video courses teach standard processes from light body repair to polishing and detailing. Eleven courses are currently available with additional ones to be uploaded in the near future.

According to Troyer, the training courses were developed using a proven methodology for teaching students of varying skills and ability. As a result, each video course is

23

PD-0100 Light Body Repair and Surface Prep Process Learning Module ( 00:31 / 06:54 ) ATTACHMENTS EXIT

PD-0100 Light Body Repair and Surface Prep Process

Outline Notes

1. Introduction

2. Benefits

3. Video

4. Review

5. Clean area

6. Sand Damaged Area and Feather

7. Sand Low Spots

8. Use Mixing Techniques Outlined

9. Rough shape Filler

10. Apply 3M Dry Guide Coat

11. Block Sand

12. Rough Featheredge

13. Apply Finishing Putty

14 Block Sand

15. Apply 3M Dry Guide Coat

16. Block Sand

17. Fine Featheredge Around Repair

18. Problem Prevention

19. Quiz

20. End00:00 / 02:28

Drag seekbar to navigate video

SlidE 3 Of 20 PAUSEd 00:00 / 02:28

24 25

B y J i m B e r k e y , D i r e c t o r , mVP B u s i n e s s s o l u t i o n s , J B e r k e y @ P P g . c o m

There’s a “perfect storm” prevailing over today’s collision repair industry—and there can be no doubt that new thinking and new approaches will be required for any collision shop wishing to weather the storm, compete successfully and operate a sustainable, profitable business.

Surviving the “Perfect Storm”Facing Collision Repair

In the meteorological sense a “perfect storm” is the simultaneous occurrence of weather events that combine to create a significantly more powerful storm than the effect of the events taken individually. In collision repair, there are significant trends (events) underway that added together are creating the “perfect storm” in our industry.

Prevailing trends

Pressures on maintaining shop profitability has never been greater. The total collision market is getting smaller—primarily due to the increased introduction of accident avoidance technology, rising gas prices (resulting in fewer miles driven) as well as the increase in total loss rates. At the same time the market is shrinking, there is an overabundance of shops competing for the same business. And today’s consumer is more demanding than ever with high expectations for quality and fast service.

knowing they are a mouse click away from a policyholder changing carriers, insurance companies are under more pressure, as they fight to grow and maintain policyholder

loyalty. As a result, nearly all insurers have developed a much more competitive set of performance-based DRP programs that present new challenges for shops to improve the quality, speed and cost of operations of their repair process. This trend is of critical importance to collision centers given that the top ten insurers (who influence 65% of collision repair opportunities) are downsizing their DRP networks and thus, further reducing access to work for those collision repairers not part of their respective networks.

the challenge of improving cycle time performance

Since insurers now consider fast repair turnaround as a key factor in maintaining their customers’ loyalty—and a key differentiating factor in determining which shops get their business—improving “cycle time performance” is the critical challenge facing collision shops as they navigate this perfect storm.

When you think about it, fast cycle time was often talked about, but rarely considered a key consideration in selecting one shop over another. But now that the game has changed. Some businesses may

require reducing cycle time in half to meet increasing expectations.

Maintaining production efficiency remains important, but the most significant opportunities for improving cycle time center on the reasons why vehicles sit idle. It’s not about working harder or longer. It’s about eliminating the reasons why technicians are not touching the customer’s vehicle more continuously.

Increasing “touch time” efficiency requires re-examination of every aspect of the repair process— from estimating and production scheduling to parts ordering and getting the right parts at the right time to the right technician. It requires better communication to assure that everyone is on the same page. And most critically, it requires the ability to attract and retain the right talent—and effective leadership—to implement the required changes in the repair process and develop a culture of continuous improvement throughout the organization.

This is where our MvP Business Solutions team comes into play. knowing the challenges that our collision center customers face, we have been hard at work for the last several years upgrading and developing our program offerings to help our customers gain a competitive advantage in quality, speed and cost of operations.

A green belt in lean

One of our newest and most comprehensive programs designed to help collision shops improve virtually any aspect of their repair process is the MvP Green Belt Training program. This 4-day course, conducted both in the classroom and on the shop floor of an exemplary collision center, focuses on the proven process improvement science of Lean Six Sigma and how these principles can be practically applied to the collision repair process. Green Belt Training offers an effective balance between teaching enough theory to understand the challenges and providing practical solutions within collision to insure that shops can leave class and actually start down the path of implementation.

MvP Green Belt covers all the basic fundamentals of Lean

Six Sigma, such as workflow and workplace organization, variation, visual control, problem solving and continuous improvement. Attendees also study best practices for eliminating waste and how to use repair order data for process design and resource planning.

Green Belt training is relevant for any collision center business, regardless of the size or structure of their operation. Customers who have gone through Green Belt training come from shops ranging in size from doing $750,000 in business, on up to $10 million annually.

Since it takes more than an understanding of the processes to implement Lean Six Sigma principles successfully, the Green Belt curriculum offers guidance on how to devise an implementation roadmap and how to develop and lead a work culture committed

to change and continuous improvement.

Green Belt Training offers a path toward continuous process improvement. For those shops wishing to focus on business fundamentals like estimating, production management, and administrative management to name a few, there’s the MvP Business Development Series of 1- and 2-day courses. Each focuses on best practices related to a specific business fundamental.

Whichever path you choose that best fits your needs, your partnership with PPG Refinish can provide you with solutions for weathering the “perfect storm” in our industry and providing your shop with a competitive advantage in quality, speed and cost.<

T A K I N G C A r e o f b u S I N e S S

26 27

The Hottest ColorsPPG’S ViBRAnCe ColleCtion® line oFFeRS ComPliAnt WAteRBoRne SolUtion FoR CUStom FiniSheSgo green

As new, more stringent VoC regulAtions tAke effeCt in CAliforniA And CAnAdA, it is rAising ConCerns with professionAls who mAke their liVing CreAting hot pAint sChemes for Custom VehiCles, motorCyCles, helmets And other “one-off” CreAtions: how will we be Able to CreAte speCiAl effeCts And Custom pAint jobs And still meet VoC mAndAtes?”

not to worry.

PPG’s technology and color teams have developed a compliant solution that ensures all the colors and special effects currently offered with the Vibrance Collection will be available for use with PPG’s premium Envirobase® High Performance waterborne basecoat.

“Our customers in California and Canada love working with our Vibrance Collection custom color line and they’re very important to us,” says Randy Cremeans, marketing director for PPG Automotive Refinish. “So we challenged our team early on to make sure that the custom painter would not be hindered in the least bit when it becomes necessary to convert to a waterborne system.

“Our goal was to take all the custom colors now available in solvent-based systems and offer those same colors in waterborne. And I’m proud to say we’re accomplishing our mission.”

For the large majority of Vibrance colors, developing a compliant solution was pretty straightforward. PPG’s expert color-matchers matched the solvent-based custom colors with Envirobase HP waterborne basecoat. The result is a full line-up of “waterborne” formulas available for those who want to create special finishes using Crystal

Pearl™, Luminescence II®, xirallics, Harlequin®, Liquid

Metal or StarFire.

new VWm5555 Vibrance Collection midcoat

Some special effect pigments available in the Vibrance Collection required a new technological solution to achieve waterborne compatibility. PPG developed the answer with its new and innovative Vibrance Collection midcoat. vWM5555 is designed to create a midcoat layer on top of the waterborne basecoat and allows painters to use Vibrance Collection special effect pigments such as Radiance® II dyes, Flamboyance®, Prizmatique®, Liquid Crystals and Ditzler® Big Flake™.

The new vWM5555 midcoat will be available through PPG distributors throughout North America in January, 2009 to create a complete, compliant custom color solution.

For clearcoating, there’s a choice of compliant 2.1 clears available for use with Envirobase High Performance waterborne basecoat.

making a splash at SemA

PPG’s waterborne, compliant solutions for custom painters and collision repair centers will be showcased at November’s SEMA show in Las vegas. If you’re attending SEMA you’ll be able to see examples of Vibrance Collection custom finishes using waterborne basecoats as well as meet with PPG technical experts should you have any questions.<

Tim Divers Divers Street Rods

“Winning the Ridler

Award demands a

perfect finish…

that’s why we went

with PPG Deltron®

and Ferrari Rosso

Corsa Red.”

FERRAmbo. WinnER oF THE 2008 RiDlER AWARD. oWnER: Mike Warn builDER: Divers Street Rods

ConTEmPoRARy FERRARi 360 moDEnA mECHAniCAls WRAPPED by A CusTomiZED 1960 RAmblER WAGon.

Excepti

onal R

odsDemand Exceptional Color.

Productive solutions for every need.©2008 PPG Industries www.ppgrefinish.com

G A l l e r y

31

A tribute to heroism

Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell was the only survivor of a devastating Taliban attack in Afghanistan which killed three members of his squad and 16 rescuers when their Chinook helicopter was shot down. He wrote a book, “Lone Survivor,” about the experience and was being interviewed on television when renowned motorcycle builder Jeri Exner of Jeri’s Springer Front End, happened to be watching. Exner was so moved by Luttrell’s story he decided right then to build a bike honoring the Navy Seals.

Exner donated his time and talent and recruited noted painter Justin Barnes of JB Grafix to finish the bike. PPG was proud to donate its coatings to the cause. Barnes selected Ditzler Big Flake® silver-to-gold basecoat and Hot Wheels® Spectraflame ® Hot Wheels ® Blue—all from the Vibance Collection®—topped with Deltron® DC3000 clear.

He also painted graphic reminders of the event, including the Navy Seal trident logo, on the bike. Dubbed “Lone

Survivor,” the motorcycle has been drawing crowds and winning show awards

wherever displayed.

one Wild WillysThis show-stopping 1941 Willys is a kit car from Outlaw Performance in Pennsylvania. Owner Thomas Arcese of Long Island, New York, and good friend James Mariani built it from the ground up in Arcese’s garage. They enhanced the fiberglass body by adding 1939 Ford Deluxe headlights and frenched taillights. Under the hood, they dropped in a blown Chevy big block 540 cid mill that pours out a whopping 850 horsepower.

Of course, a car that powerful has to have a paint job to match and that’s where this Willys really shines. Arcese went first-class all the way choosing PPG’s Saab Silver paired with six coats of gleaming candied Radiance® II Cream Cycle from the Vibrance Collection ®. He then topped it off with lots of clear and pinstriping by Nelson Medina to finish the look. The payoff? Big-time awards including Best of Show, Best Detail and Best Paint at Boston’s World of Wheels where the car debuted as well as Top 10 ratings from Boyd Coddington and NSRA and a cover spot

on the Hot Rods 2009 calendar.

trailer for BikersCustom paint jobs aren’t just for cars, trucks or motorcycles. Check out this trailer from Wells Cargo, Inc. Its Ogden, Utah plant built this beauty for display at the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, held in South Dakota. The trailer can easily hold two large motorcycles—Harleys, road bikes, choppers, or what have you. But for us, the story is the paint job.

Wells Cargo used PPG Deltron® DBC basecoat and DCU2042 clear over the aluminum and fiberglass body. Then artists Jennifer and Blaine Willardson of Elite Customs in Ogden, and Jason Doll of Doll’s Kustom Fx, Bismarck, North Dakota, applied their talents. The three created head-turning airbrushed graphics using Radiance ® II candies and clearcoat from PPG’s Vibrance Collection ®, along with Global Refinish System® basecoat and clear.

The trailer has since been showcased at various shows throughout the West where it has gotten plenty of notice.

Headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana, Wells Cargo manufactures cargo trailers for

industrial, commercial and recreational uses at six locations across the country.

D8152 offers the ultimate in gloss and appearance—making it the ideal choice for luxury cars and other

high-end vehicles. Compatible for use over Global BC and Envirobase® High Performance basecoats, this

premium performance clear is easy to apply, while delivering superior and best-in-class appearance. It’s the

ideal complement to D8150, Global Performance Clearcoat.

n Ultimate in gloss and overall appearance

n Exceptional holdout n Ideal for larger repair areas

n Superior application properties

n Easy to buff, if desired

n Suitable for hot or humid conditions

n New consolidated hardener package for D8152 and D8150

D8152

HElP STOP WASTEfUl dUPliCATE MAilinGSIf you receive duplicates of the same brochure with different customer numbers, please send us the labels. Be sure to indicate the correct label and we’ll update our records. Thanks so much for your help.

©2008 PPG Industries www.ppgrefinish.com Part no. PAMRR908, 9/08 liTHO in USA

ATTN: PAINT AND BODY SHOP PRESORTED STANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPONTIAC, IL

PERMIT NO. 293

PPG IndustriesAttn: Refinish Group 19699 Progress DriveStrongsville, OH 44149

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W H A T ’ S N e W

Performance Glamour Clearcoat