Red Calipers: after all these years…

As many of you may know I have always been interested in cars. Maybe you read one of my articles or saw pictures posted. Since early 2007 I have owned a brand new 2007 Pontiac Solstice. I have kept this car bone stock; aside from a dealer installed front end stiffener. The car is with me when in New York or Florida and to date has covered 80,000 mostly top down pleasurable miles. The car is pampered from detail to mechanics and driven as it was meant to be. It took about 50,000 miles for it to develop a well muffled throaty sound ripping through the gears of its 5 speed automatic transmission. This car still has a bumper to bumper GM service contract kept in force and renewed every 3 years. From all I have said you would believe that I totally love this car just the way it is not exactly.

I have always paid attention to small details that set any car apart from others. This car gets scheduled cleaning inside-outside-under the hood, seals rubber gaskets are treated twice a year with paste silicone, the original top is treated once a year, nicks and scratches are meticulously attended to, all plastic lenses are polished twice a year, the optional 18″ wheels and 245 directional tires are polished and prepped monthly, alignment camber/caster/ toe-in-out checked annually, all black trim is treated as needed, and because it only has the Pontiac chevrons I am often asked “is that a—-?” My reply is usually no it’s not a “this or that” it’s a 12 year old Pontiac; and they reply “they made that” and I smile. Because of its short 3 year run this car never evolved like many of our iconic brands however a vast after market of products does exist. I have always admired a minor detail on many high end sport imports; colored coated calipers. This was a detail I wanted for my car. The following is an account of how I did it.

I have a fairly well equipped garage and workshop however I did need a few things that I made or sourced new and used. I needed a breaker bar, torque wrench, electric impact wrench, jacking pads for my car that I made, wheel lug impact socket, and of course a red caliper ceramic paint kit. I had my Cowrc TurboJet blaster, low profile hydraulic jack, work lights, creeper, 3/4″ ply wood strips to raise the car 1 1/2″ inches to clear the jack and jacking pads, buffer for the wheels, polishes, cleaners, etc. I did one side at a time over 1 1/2 days. You could save time if you lift the whole car at one time. I started by breaking the lug nuts on the ground, then inserting the jacking pad in the front position and lifting one complete side, then positioning the jack stands as pictured and lowered the car onto them, I then removed the wheels with my impact wrench, I marked the tire position and put the wheels aside. Cleaning the calipers was easy with a small wire brush and emery cloth, using my air blaster to blast away all the dust, then I drenched the area to be painted with cleaner and again blew it dry. Using a 1/2 inch lettering brush I applied the caliper paint waiting 20 to 30 minutes between coats, 3 coats were more than adequate, because of my art and graphic skills I did not need to mask anything. Between coats I used my pressure washer to clean up my wheels back side first then front, I then polished and buffed them put tire dressing on and put them aside, I also cleaned and dressed the wheel tubs. After 24 hours of drying I replaced the wheels using the impact wrench and once on the ground set torques for each wheel in a star pattern in three stages 55 lbs-80 lbs-100 lbs. I also checked the tire pressures and adjusted as required. I hope this was helpful and simplified your preparation to do this project. I am very pleased with the results and sure you will be too!.

My AKC…Gallery

After almost 2 years the gallery has grown and now displays over 70 of all the AKC Breeds. It is time to focus on building a fan base for the future. Please follow the link to the gallery and start to follow my progress as I complete new illustrations. You can also complete a fan form or commission a portrait of your own special canine.

Thank you for your interest,

alan b. messchkow

abm gallery
moving to Pinterest

Re-Discovering an Old Talent; or Back to Basics…

alan at work
Back to being an artist and enjoying it!

If you read my story “adman’s chronicle” I talk about my love for pencil artwork. You will also learn in other blog posts how for my entire career I created and produced a myriad of advertising and marketing campaigns and materials that I referred to as “art that works not works of art”. For nearly 6 decades my call to action has been a client based need, answered by my plan of action. That plan of action typically involved a graphic element; at that point my artistic ability was put to work and returned to my tool box till needed again.

In June of 2016 our Grand Dog Ceazar succumbed to the horrors of Canine Cancer. Soon after we accompanied our Son to a dog breeder where he selected a beautiful Whippet Puppy; during this engagement we fell in love with the runt of the litter. Within weeks after 14 years we were back to being dog owners. Zara immediately took over our life our home and our daily routines. Whippets are a great breed; smart, impetuous, quiet, clean, loyal, loving, and beautiful; however their biggest joy is, running like the wind in pursuit of what they are focused on. If you own a whippet part of their daily routine should be some form of running, walking, and fetching activity. To do this you need to find dog friendly parks, trails, and beaches. With 2 whippets in our family, we do many together activities, especially when we are home in New York.

Zara and CJ our Whippets
Zara and Champion CJ; brother and sister Hiking mates

Early one morning in august of 2018 on a 3-4 mile hike I mentioned to my son “I really wonder if I could still draw” some other conversation continued. That thought kept coming back…again and again over the next couple of days. You cannot believe the stress that developed in my head. No matter the reason I had not picked up a pencil, pen or brush to do anything that wasn’t fee based in over 50 years, art was not a hobby, art was for one purpose “being the end to a means” arts only joy was a completed paid for retainer, period.

      It took a few days and I relented. I went into my art supply storage bin. I took out the basics; a non repro-blue pencil, a pink pearl eraser, and 2 #2 pencils and some bright white paper. I sat down at my desk not a drawing board and froze. What should I draw? Oh S—T!… OK! as a kid I loved to draw and design cars. After a few minutes I pulled out a photo I had taken a few days earlier of a 1947 Hudson Yute…after an hour or so the sketch was done…OK I can draw!  “No big deal, my early career involved all sorts of industrial illustrations in; pencil, pen, ink and airbrush.“ nuts bolts, industrial equipment, the LEM, scientific experiments, buildings, electronics, appliances, graphs, charts, ships hulls, you paid I drew it!” This was not what I wanted; I guess I wanted to see if I actually could enjoy drawing.

My very first dog illustration Breed-Whippet

      I thought for a while and decided to challenge myself, except for a few requirements I rarely needed to illustrate people and animals in realistic forms. So rather than insulting my Grand Children! I pulled out a photo of Zara and worked for quite a while. In the background I listened to a little Margaretville and Wow! I found it…Since then I have worked on many 8”x 10”s of AKC breeds and some of Zara’s Friends. My intention is to illustrate every AKC breed. With Zara, and her original portrait as my inspiration. I have launched a “Pinterest” Gallery to exhibit all AKC breeds as well as one for Mix Breeds. I am working on a website offering commissioned portraits of your dogs. If you would like your dog to be part of the AKC or Mixed Breed Collection there will be special offer.

If you would like Your Pet to become part of my Gallery or would like to be on a list of my gallery special promotions please Login Here…

Thank you for your interest,

alan b. meschkow

Commission an Original Pencil Portrait…or become a fan

gallery opening
Zara and alan

Please fill out the contact form. If you would like me to call include a US Phone Number. I will call or email you upon receipt. Please Include Dog Name, Breed, Age, any discount code in Message Block. Or to become a fan just include in the message area “make me a Fan

alan at work
Thank you I will be in touch soon…

    For your security please give me permission to contact you in reference to your pets portrait by entering (please contact me) in Subject Block.

    Contact me About Advertising Then and Now!

    If you’re a business owner, student, advertising and marketing professional; or if you just need a sounding board. I may be able to help. My career has been full of interesting conversation. So contact me and perhaps, we may start a dialog that is beneficial to both of us. Just fill out the contact form and I will be in touch.  
    alan at work
    thinking about advertising…

    The Big “SALES TAX” Dilemma!

    “Wow…Geee…I can’t believe…B.S….Not Fare….I give up…Great…It’s about time”…Yes yesterday June 21st 2018 marked the day that the United States Supreme Court put into law that all states should collect sales tax on internet sales. Everyone who is Continue reading The Big “SALES TAX” Dilemma!

    speaking from experience

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