Troilo did extensive research...
Troilo did extensive research locating countless old images of the Swindler II and had them blown up in size to allow Hook the ability to capture the fine details of the original artwork by Ed Roth. This assisted him in generating the full size templates to guide him through the recreation process.
Every rodder knows that old race cars were purpose-built to rip-up the strip and generate as many wins as possible. They were abused, blown-up, wrecked, and then rebuilt countless times over their lifespan. Many were never seen again once their race duties were completed, often being parted out or sold as rollers to other owners who would run them in different classes. In the case of the Stone, Woods & Cook gasser (pictured here), once its usefulness to the team had reached its end, the car was sold-off to new owners where it continued to run in various classes with numerous engine combinations. It finally wound up in the hands of Joe Troilo in '72. Answering a blind ad in a local paper offering a Willys body and parts for sale, Joe came face to face with the long-retired historic Gasser which he immediately recognized since he was an avid race fan. Even though the $1,000.00 asking price was steep for its time based on what was left of the car, he recognized the cars significance and purchased it. With history in mind, everything that he stripped off the car as he prepared it for life on the street he kept, including many original hand fabricated race parts. Years passed, his family grew and the car was sold off to good friend Mike Wales who later opted to re-chassis it and bring it up to Pro-Street specs. During this time frame, other parts which were no longer going to be used were sold off to Mike's friend Howard Radtke who wished to preserve them based on the cars heritage. The parts included the seats and door panels from the Ed Martinez interior and the original chassis. This is where the story gets interesting. Joe never forgot the cool times that he had in the Willys and had often hoped of buying the car back as time marched on, but Mike couldn't bring himself to part with it. In '01, Joe met up with Mike at a national rodding event that they talked about bringing the car back to its original '62 glory. Joe offered to do all the labor and to contribute back the original parts that he had as did Howard to make it all come together. In January '02 the reconstruction commenced and by later summer '06, the car was sent off to Larry Hook's striping shop in Cumberland , Rhode Island , to have it completely re-lettered to original race form. Hook being one of the most accomplished stripers in the country was up to the challenge. His concise artistic abilities enabled him to duplicate Ed Roth's lines and the visual impact that gave the car its soul.
Full size templates were created...
Full size templates were created on white transparent masking paper which would later be matched up to the car to assist in the image transfer. Here a pounce tool was used to gently perforate the paper outlines while the templates are on a mildly padded surface.
Hook met with Troilo to go...
Hook met with Troilo to go over the final templates for accuracy, letter size, and form before getting started. The original Roth layout was extremely tricky to follow as Ed's lettering was extremely unique.
Hook measured and hung the...
Hook measured and hung the templates on the car to help visualize the final orientation on letter size and placement to the original cars artwork.
There were numerous enlargements...
There were numerous enlargements of the original Swindler II taped to different areas on the car to act as a direct reference. The fine details of the original artwork required numerous check-backs (sometimes with a magnifying glass) to be sure that it was heading in the right direction as the work progressed.
With the templates securely...
With the templates securely in place, Hook began to powder the perforated areas with fine white talcum applied to some soft cotton. This laid down a residue which would act as a reference for the next step.
Generating an outline with...
Generating an outline with a grease pencil acted as a guide to continue with the recreation process. The use of the grease pencil easily allows changes or updates to any of the lettering or lines prior to the final paint being laid down.
Hook taped off certain areas...
Hook taped off certain areas which would require striping to give him reference lines to follow. For this he used 1/4-inch masking tape. With original images in hand, it was all freehand along the beltline of the door to lay down lettering and graphics without the use of a template.
It took multiple types of...
It took multiple types of brushes ranging from 0 quills to a #12 lettering brush to get everything just right. Here, 1-Shot paint in a dark blue color (which is an exact match to what Roth used on the original layout) gets laid down.
With a size #3 brush in hand...
With a size #3 brush in hand it took nerves of steel to flow the paint since no two letters on the car were alike.
Note the spelling on the doors...
Note the spelling on the doors beltline of Equp being misspelled; perhaps this was Ed trying to be funny when he laid down his masterful lines.
Here Hook worked with a thicker...
Here Hook worked with a thicker a #5 brush as he laid down the wide lines on Doug "Cookie" Cook's name.
Imagine how many competitors...
Imagine how many competitors were intimidated as they sat on the line waiting for the lights to drop. Many would long remember the name Stone, Woods, and Cook as it flew past them in a blur.
Working with an ultra fine...
Working with an ultra fine quill brush, Hook brought the cartoonish character to life once again handling the shifting duties on the B&M Hydro-stick. . . ah, the brilliance of Roth.
Using a 000 Mack brush, the...
Using a 000 Mack brush, the final striping captured the original artwork completely.
With the Cal Automotive hood...
With the Cal Automotive hood on a workbench, Hook accessed the tiny corner area where the Stone, Woods, and Cook crest needed to be recreated using a quill brush.
One of the most difficult...
One of the most difficult parts on the whole job to recreate required referencing a vintage plastic kit model water transfer decal sheet to get the details just right.
With the original Ed Martinez...
With the original Ed Martinez interior once again in place joined by the original gauges, steering wheel, and shifter you get a real sense of history.
A 425ci Olds V8 topped with...
A 425ci Olds V8 topped with a Hilborn 4-port mechanical fuel injector feeds a 6-71 GMC blower perched atop a Weiand intake. Spark from a Joe Hunt magneto lights the fire while a B&M Hydro transfers the power to a'57 Olds rear.
With the re-lettering and...
With the re-lettering and striping completed, the car looks just as it did during a time when it was campaigned hard at drag strips across the country.