This is the first week that I've been back in the office in over 3-weeks, and now it's time to eat lamb and honey like a Pagan god raising up out of the asphault working at Wal-Mart in the plus-sized woman's department... Whatever that means.

This trip with the exception of Reno was entirely in California. I have about 3,000 photos to sort through and prepare a plan for future edit in upcoming editions of Custom Classic Trucks. That said, I do have some stuff that will appear on here as web exclusive material because its stuff I want you all to see right away. Oh, and what's the blue screen of death all about? According to our IT guy my poor little Dell computer is about to crash. I'm hoping the company will pop for an external hard-drive, we'll see. Did you guys see the cow that kicked the bear's ass because he didn't want the bear getting to his apple tree? I'm not making this up, it's true. Well, my dog's just came into my office wagging their tails and expecting me to feed them, i've gotta go. I'll be on here later today and check out the forums.

Let's see what kind of goofy Google ads pop up with one. One thing is for sure this is the last time I drink coffee before I go to bed.

Why write a truck feature when I can get on here, and blog about something that no one will read. This one is only going to be up for a few hours, I just wanted to see what kind of ads would pop-up. Hey remember that old expression "too-pooped to pop?" ... Or was it, "too popped to poop?"

Nope, I didn't get fired. I've been on the road for 3-weeks that's why I haven't been around on this here website thing... Is that proper English... whot cares?

I' just got in from Fresno yesterday, and I've got a provervial crapper full of neat things to share with you guys. It all started about 3-weeks ago when I headed out for Louisville, KY. My truck's covered with bugs and she has a few more leaks and hell of a lot more chips. It's parked in my front yard and that's where she'll stay for the weekend because I'm on a plane to Oakland for the weekend. After I have a good nap I'll be back with the leg-wettin' details of the last 3-weeks.

"I don't care if there's an earthquake, get back in the building we have a magazine to finish." Okay I don't want to get fired for being insensitive, but it sure crossed my mind as people were running out of the building.

The October issue of CCT is just mere hours from being shipped to the printer, and I'm out the door for the NSRA Nats in Louisville. I've never been, so it should be a real neat deal with close to 12,000 vehicles expected to show up. Well I've gotta cut this short and head over to Wal-Mart and buy a spray-can of flat black, and some Dr. Seuss heel pads for my Red Wing boots. I'll be in MN. today to switch planes and then its down to KY. Oop, Coffee's  not done yet, I've got an extra minute or two to babble like a cheap Chinese coffee pot from a discount store with a bunch of vintage motorhomes parked in front... whatever that means. No I don't, the coffee is done, and I've gotta go. If I get a  chance, and there's not some dork playing cards on it, I'll use the hotel computer and attempt to meet my blogging requirments  for the week. You didn't think the editors were on here because we are caught  up in this  blogging stupidity did you?

I guess just like the pot can call the kettle black, I can say all custom painters are crazy. And while I'm at it, should I mention we are lazy too?

First I would like CCT Website readers to know I am a live human "contnet generator, and not "spam" software. Mommy what is a content generator? Google content generator little shavers and here's what you get "Fortunately, Markov Engine WRITES content like a human, on any subject, at any length. As a result, pages created with Markov Engine will rank well in search engines. Because the pages are virtually indistinguishable from actual human writing, you can include monetizing banners/etc directly on the Markov Engine created pages. And, by using Templates within Markov Engine, you are assured that your outputted pages are totally unique in structure, layout, and content. Markov Engine works for text in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and just about any other language that uses a Latin-based alphabet with or without accented characters. Well, I'm too depressed to write (blog, as the Volvo driving masses call it) about the psychology of color right now, besides its Sunday and I have to finish a tech story for the October issue. But first I'm going to the gym and getting in a swim. I'm not going to say when, but I will get on here and ramble about how to pick out a really bitchin' color for your truck. Until then, Markov, Kitty Mar-Mar, Commie Pinko plot, Russian are pretty.

Okay, so the title and SEO don't match the editorial content, and maybe I've put myself on the Mothers Against Drunk Mechanics hit list.

Craftsmanship is a state of mind. If you don't mind how bad something looks after you are done with it, its likely your truck is rough around the edges. Here's a few good tips on how to find a little extra time to do a cleaner job the next you work on truck. Lets start with Sunday evening and you still need to put a set of plugs into your truck. Instead of watching 60-Minutes for the entire length of the show, just watch the last part when that goofy old Andy what's his name comes on and talks about something stupid. Bingo. you picked up 50-something extra minutes to do a cleaner job of routing the crummy universal plug-wire set you got from Autozone. Got an engine with some plugs that are hard to get to? Forget about eating dinner a couple of nights a week. Before you know it your fat little fingers have shrunken in circumference (bet I spelled that wrong) and now you can screw the plugs in easier. You see, there's lots of handy little tips within the pages, and archived on Custom Classic Trucks Website to make your life easier. Take it from me, the moronic magazine editor that left for the office an hour late because he could'nt think of decent subject to blog about. Which brings us to another handy little tip. Instead of leaving for work at 8AM with all the other poor bastards that will be stuck creeping along at 5MPH, leave at 9:30 and there will less traffic and you will be able to buzz along at 90MPH like I like to do. Remember: The sparkplugs you change might be your own. If for no other reason, "do it for the children" (Its not good for them to hear you scream at your wife because your fingers are too fat to pull a sparkplug).

Prueba Requerida: Mexican radio, the TV screen turns green and it has nothing to do with cheap coffee pots sold at Mega Sprawl Mart. Make something... Rebuild the un-rebuildable.

Otto Suspension was a quiet lad, who could have ever guessed he would nut-up in the Wal-Mart parking lot? I'm leaving for Louisville, Kentucky next Wednesday for the NSRA Nats. I've never been there before, it should be pretty neat. My friend Bob Ryder from Truckin' is going too. Did any of you guys check out the Harley-Davidson ads on here? Too-hip huh? What's that one tagline on the Super Glides. "Like a guitar. Three chords. The truth oozes out of the spokes of life... or something like that. John Clinnard from the Ford Motor Company just called, and they want me to write ad copy for the re-introduction of the brand new 1956 F-100. Here we go: Unlike a Chinese coffee pot from Mega Sprawl-Mart. Three-gears, and the truth is found on an open highway to Barstow. Buy a new '56 F-100 and save the green whales. Naw, that one was too long. I'm gonna try it again, and then I'm jumping in my '05 GMC and heading to work. Oh, I lied about John Clinnard calling me. I met him once, hell of a nice guy. He;s not crazy though. Can you guys imagine FoMoCo letting me write ad copy? It wouldn't be anything negative, I have a lot of respect for Ford, they are more aware of their products heritage than the folks at Generous Motors. Okay one last shot at winning the Ford ad contest and then I'm in my Jimmy with the great as-mileage, and the cheap crappy K-Mart worksock upholstery. Don't buy new, boys and girls. Rebuild an old truck with new technology and win! Win what? can't tell I'd get fired. White Ford Bronco, Denver Broncos. 91 Freeway, slow-speed pursuit. Orange juice, where's my damn cup of orange juice, you spinelss commies in Chinese Buicks? Did I get the job?

I guess somethings just get lost and forgotten, but not these trucks. For some reason these three truck features never made it to the site. Thats no problem there here now, come check them out.

1971 Chevy K5 Blazer Link
1951 GMC Truck Link
1956 Ford F100 Link

Alternative fuel, or fool? I don't think I mentioned this in my last blog, but my little '00 S10 with a 2.2 four-banger dynoed with 149 horsepower to the rear wheels on Nitrous. After I drove away from the dyno my "Check Engine' light came on.

In 2000 when I bought the little S10 it cost less than twenty-dollars to fill the tank. The other day it wasn't even cose to empty and it cost me over 50 dollars to fill it. I don't think I've put more than 2,000 miles on the S10, in the last five-years so the the check engine has been on for quite a while now. The reason the light came on was Nitrous has a real knack for knocking out O2 sensors. When it comes to gas-mileage an O2 sensor plays an important part because it controls the air/fuel mixture which, long-story-short translates into fuel-mileage. With the a bad 02 sensor my 2.2 was averaging 19MPG. After I changed it my gas-mileage went up to 22MPG, and that was driving the truck as hard as I wanted to, and included running it on the dyno to get a smog certificate. The day after I smogged the S10 the check engine came on, and it started to run real bad, as in almost doesn't run. Well its getting late, I'll get back on here maybe tomorrow and continue this. Meanwhile I'm driving my '05 GMC, and '56 Ford F-100 around town which aren't that hard on gas either.

It's not a knee-jerk response, but I have a side project going right now its a 2000 S-10 I bought eight years ago. The little bugger has a 2.2 4-banger with a Tremec 5-speed.

I bought my S-10 because my '88 C1500 was getting a little ragged around the gills, and I didn't have the time to mess with fixing it. The very first thing I did to the S-10 was to lay it down on 18s and run the wheels off of it. I drove it to Austin, Texas with a brick on the gas pedal, and the computer did the rest by keeping me pegged at 93MPH. In 2003 I quit my job as the editor of Tailgate magazine, and parked the S-10 with a little over 50,000 miles on it. About a month ago I was going to sell the S-10, but decided it was worth more to me than the bucks I would get from selling it. This truck has always handled real good, but this time around I've decided to tweak it as far as I can to squeeze out more mileage, and handling. The battery weighs around 40-lbs and it sits right on the nose. Performance Distributors sells a high-performance battery that weighs 16lbs. I'm going to start with one of PD's batterys, and try their hot igniton kit for the 2.2 and see what I get. When I have an update I'll get back on here and let you guys know the results.

Today was the first day of California's Hands-Free cellphone law. While most people went out and bought a Bluetooth, I'm using the cheap headphone thing that came with my Blackberry... I call it a Bucktooth.

I know the idea is to make the roads in California safer, but you should have seen me try to drive my truck this morning as I was shifting gears with that long skinny wire on my Bucktooth wrapped around the shift-lever, and caught under my seatbelt. I saw several cops hiding out on side streets on the way to work, I'm sure they were waiting for someone to drive by with a cellphone stuck in their ear with a hand attached. As I passed one unit I was fumbling with the Blackberry and sort of crossed two lanes, I couldn't help but laugh thinking that I'd be the only person in California that got a ticket today for driving with a headset. I think the ultimate setup would be something that uses the truck's radio, and blasts out through the speakers. Too-bad half of my trucks don't have a radio. It's 11pm and I'm tired as all get-out... this was a stupid blog. They won't let talk about stress induced constipation on here for some reason. Blog rhymes with clog. I'm going to drink a big refreshing glass of ice-cold Metamucil and go to bed... maybe drop-in a bindle of Goody's headache powder. Google "they kill dogs in Denver don't they?" and you'll see a photograph of my morning setup. The coffee is my favorite part of the mix.

Only two-years later, and now its painfully obvious: In September of '06 when I titled the CCT cover story "Grilles Gone Wild" on my 1988 Chevy C1500 known as "Future Shock 88" there were some people that got it, and a bunch that didn't have a clue.

The September '08 issue of CCT was my first issue as editor. I had worked on 6 or 7 editons before it as a freelance contributing editor, but I had little to do with the editorial direction of CCT. The first thing I wanted to do was make readers aware that Rich Boyd the previous editor, and D. Brian Smith, interm editor were long gone... What better shock to the system than featuring a Chevy C1500? Beyond the obvious shock value was the reality that the times are a changin'. Now over 20-years old the C1500 series introduced the buying public to the first fullsize truck that could get over 20MPG on the highway, and looked damn good doing it. The C1500 and GMC were the Typhoid Mary of the Sport Truck movement. Boyd Coddington had one of the first '88 GMCs in 87. Some years later Jesse James ended up with the little Maroon shortbed... I'm getting ready to bail, but I'll back on here tomorrow morning and continue about C1500s in general and Jesse James' '88 GMC in particular.

I'll get to the gas-mileage part; but Cool or Uncool is the question. Form follows function is the answer. Or is it, when the subject is longbed vs: shortbed?

I've called longbed trucks "wrongbeds" within the pages of CCT but the truth is I like 'em, or CCT wouldn't have more customized classic longbed trucks in it than perhaps any other truck magazine out there. The decision which trucks make it into a magazine are ultimately that of the editor, but based on how many longbed classic trucks I see at the shows, and out on the road I'd wouldn't be a very good editor if I didn't place a representative amount in the magazine... Was that a run-on sentence, or what? Long-story-short, you can't beat the sporty looks of a shortbed, but a longbed usually has more fuel capacity in 70s and 80s trucks. Add this to a longer wheelbase will always deliver a better ride than short and the decision which is best for you might become a little clearer. How about more carrying capacity, does the abililty to haul a larger load matter? Okay, narrowing it down to my '88 Chevy Scottsdale known within the pages of CCT as "Future Shock 88" owning a longbed was a given when I bought the truck in '93. Now that the truck is laid out hard on air, can it still function as a hard-working truck? Time's up, I have to work on the print side of things. I'll get back on here and finish up the long versus short deal, plus get to the killer gas-mileage the '88 gets with a TBI 305, and Gearstar 700R4.

Independent Rear Suspension is not a subject that is new to me, but I have to admit there's a few things about it that I had forgotten.

A universal desire all gearheads hold common, whether they be bikers, street-rodders, or into classic trucks is an affinity for goodies that increase performance. High-Performance is a catch-all expression that can be applied a vehicles's engine, transmission, braking, or suspension. In the early 80's IFS and IRS was all the rage when it came the latest and greatest big-ticket item to sling under a classic truck. Breaking it down into front, and rear for this blog I would like to focus on IRS, and my personal thoughts about it. And yes, before I move any further, I have owned IRS but only to a limited degree. My first IRS was on a '68 Jag XKE roadster, a Lotus, and then on a string of Mini-Cooper S's which I'm not sure count because they were FWD, and the rear independent suspension is just a simple mono swing-arm setup like nothing ever seen on a RWD truck. Okay, enough coffee induced babbling, and blogging uder servitude I'll get to the point. The first thing I forgot about IRS is the rear-wheels have to be aligned just like the front. With this in mind I say give me a simple live-axle 9-inch Ford, or a 12-Bolt Chevy and I'm happy. I don't think there are any real gains to be achieved in handling or ride quality. One thing is for sure, anyone with a tape measure can string the rear-wheel alignment on a live axle and then forget about it forever. Preventing rear tire wear on an IRS isn't as easy to address.The next, and this one is only a theory because I have never pushed an IRS on a truck like I used to drive my XKE, but I imagine especially on a panel truck that the IRS wouldn't handle as flat as a good live-axle. Phew, I'm glad this over now I can move on to a tech story that is do for the September '08 issue.

Me thinks, someone was a victim of too-much potty training as a child: There's no chronological rhyme or reason to the order things appear on Custom Classic Trucks' Website. That said, totally disregard the uptight Editor's note that instructs no pets, or people in the Reader's Rides' guidelines for photo submissions.

Editor's Note: Getting your truck into Readers' Trucks is a snap, of the camera, that is. All it takes is a couple of good-quality photos of your ride that are in focus and well lit. Due to the volume of mail we receive, we regret that we cannot return photographs. Please shoot and send photos of your truck only (no people, pets, Polaroids, or printouts) to: CCT, Readers' Trucks, 774 S. Placentia Ave., Placentia, CA 92870. It is important that you include a detailed description of the modifications you have made to your truck, including any interesting stories behind it. Okay, did you notice the part about "no people or pets?" Forget about it, everyone is welcome at Custom Classic Trucks. If you want to be in the picture with your Reader's Ride, or have your dog, pet iguana, or scantily clad miniture pony with your truck that's cool with me. Please pay attention to the part about "No Polaroids, or computer printouts" because we can't publish them. I thank you, and Bongo thanks you.

It's not quite as sleazy as it sounds, but I guess I proved that I'm not above sliding onto Street Rodder's Website and attempting to steal some traffic.

Its cool, actually. In my spare time I like to check out one of the many Websites we have in SIM's ruthless media empire, and see what the other magazine guys are up to. Among my favorites are Street Rodder and Rod & Custom. Street Rodder's Eric Geisert aka "The Raging Geezer" blogged about some real famous custom painter types that were in a photo he took at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona. At the end of Eric's blog he assked if anyone had a "special" story about any of 'em. Well, I have lots of great stories about a bunch of famous custom painters, because I used to be an infamous custom painter. Hmmn... Its time for me to head out to a Miller welder roundtable, so I'll get back on here later and tell you guys a story about Watson that was told to me by David Mann. It took place in the mid-60's and Dave was with "Big Daddy" Roth.

After having some major disappointments with buying brand-new trucks, I think I might almost be a little excited about the new Ford F-100.  Cheap  materials with killer gas-mileage describes my '05 GMC Sierra best. I wonder how good the new Ford will be?

All of us Ford “freaks’ have heard the recent reports that Ford may revive the F-100 name on a new mid-size truck built on a modified version of the 2009 F-150's platform. The new “Effie” rumored to be a little less than 9/10th the size of the ’09 F-150, the F-100 would also feature extensive use of aluminum to save weight. Unlike the current Ranger, which shares no interchangeable parts with the F-150, the proposed F-100 would share many of the same parts, and be built on the same assembly line as the F-150. The new F-100 would offer Ford a good solution for the upcoming change in CAFE standards that will require a fleet average of 28.6 mpg for light duty trucks by 2015.  Of course one of the things we are all wondering is what will be under the hood. Again this is rumors, but the F-100 offering might be a twin-turbo V6, a fuel-injected V6 and V8, and possibly even a diesel.
As for what will happen to the Ranger, who cares it was a disgrace to its namesake found on earlier F-100s as a high-level trim package.

Just to throw my two-cents in, I would like to see Raven Black, and Torch Red revived on the color chart and maybe some kind of special Custom Cab Big-Window option… what do you guys think?

Its Sunday morning the day after the F-100 Western Nats were held at Featherly Park, and I got up at 4:30 AM to drive back out there and shoot two truck features. If this isn't a boring lead-in then what is?

Man, this heat wave we are having in So Cal right now is hotter than a motorcycle cop that just got pinned in between two Soccer mom's high on Starbucks Double-Shots while trying to talk on the phone and creep down the 91  Freeway.  For  those of you that aren't familiar with So Cal's freeway system, the 91 is the route that takes you right to Featherly Park where the Western Nat's are held each year. This year was really great with Pat Ford pulling in a trailer full of Dennis Carpenter's reproduction parts, and giving us the news that Dennis Carpenter starting with 2008 has stepped up their involvment in the F-100 Western Nats. I'm not mentioning this to plug an advertiser, but because DC's involment means that next year's event is going to be better than ever... Enough said about that. The two trucks that I shot at 6:00 AM this morning were a '65 F-100 Flareside, and a '57 Big-Window Flareside that were both cover material. Tomorrow morning download the photography and see it came good enough to use for the cover. Also before the heat makes me pass out, I'd like to mention it was really great to meet Garbz, and Doug from the "Slick Sixties" at www.fordtruk.com.
There will five-pages on the Western Nats in the October, or November issue of CCT. I think there's a sign on the 91 that mentions the Nixon Library... maybe it's the 60.

I grew up just over ther hill from where President Nixon was born in Whittier, Caifornia. As a kid growing up in the 50s and 60s it wasn't uncommon to spot Richard Millhouse Nixon driving his dad's 55 Ford pickup down Highway 39 with a blonde...

When folks would see our future President driving the '55 around town at night they always used to say "that boy's lights are real dim." They didn't mean that the young Nixon lad was an idiot, they really meant that the lights on his 55 Ford F-100 weren't real bright. The reason, and here's where this blog turns into a handy tech-tip is the electrial system on '55 Fords were 6-volt, Positve ground. In 1956 the Ford Motor Company went to 12-volt. Negative ground. If anyone wants to know more on this subject and how to convert from a Positve to Negative ground system on their truck leave a comment to this blog, and I'll jump back on here with more vital facts and information.

Yikes, the heat is on! The first day of Summer is day after tomorrow, and So Cal is in the middle of a heatwave. Hey I'm not complaining just getting ready to hang out underneath a shady tree at the F-100 Western Nats at Featherly Park in Corona.

Right now we are knee-deep in getting the September issue ready for the half-way mark we have to meet on June 20. No big deal we are going to make it no problem. Saturday morning I'm meeting up with some of the guys from Slick-Sixties at the Donut Derelicts in HB, and then I'm jamming to Irvine for a little cruise we are all keeping on the hush because we don't want it to get too-big, too-soon. I'll turn you guys onto it when its legs get stronger. I'm really looking forward to the Western Nats, and checking out a bunch of F-100s. Hopefully I'll beat my friends at Classic Trucks, Street Trucks, Truckin', Sport Truck, and damn, I better get there early there's going to be a bunch of editors looking for trucks to shoot. Thats good, because it means everyone stands a good chance of getting their Ford into one of the magazines. If any of you know of something else that is happening this weekend let me know, and I'll assign a guy to cover it if I have one close enough... Or if its in So Cal, maybe I'll go to it. Later you guys, take care

Posting a weekly update on here every Thursday to share with Custom Classic Trucks' print and online readers what we are up to behind the scenes has been something I have wanted to do since 1964.

But since I've only been the editor of Custom Classic Trucks for two years time, and I was only 12 in 1964, we had to wait until now. And of course since this still Wednesday The CCT Thursday News won't be on here until tomorrow afternoon. That said, I need to take some dietary supplements and go watch the TV news.

It's pretty bad when I can spot a real dog with just a few crummy photos on the Internet. Nevertheless the supply of people that fall for a rusty heap thinly veiled under primer never seems to dry up.

After I checked out our forums on here to see if there were any new posts, I moved onto checking out some trucks that were for sale on the Internet. Holy Moly, good golly Miss Molly, you should have seen some of the rusted junk people were trying to sell. For you folks that are new to the classic truck game, and are shopping for an old pickup, I thought I would list some pointers on what to look out for. Starting with the trucks that are listed for low-buck, or sometimes good money, be on the lookout for a truck that is in fresh primer. The really bad ones usually have every single thing like the bumpers, grille, completely doused in primer. The truck that inspired me to post this blog had primer overspray on the tailight lenses, window glass, and even the license plate. Inside the cab was fresh primer, but there was no hiding the rust holes... Big enough to Drive Tiger Wood's Mom's Buick through.

Two-weeks ago I was on World Talk Radio and had mentioned that a '56 Ford F-100 had gone through Barrett Jackson at a 100-grand. Who could have possibly known that...

Joe McPherson's '56 Big-Window would sell for $380,000 on June 14, 2008? The powerplant in Joe's '56 is a SOHC 427 Ford. I've got a bunch of old Fords, Chevys, and even a Dodge or two, so it's obvious I'm pretty neutral on brand bashing... But I had to laugh when one of my hardcore Ford Freak buddies said "it would have only brought a hunert-grand if had a Chevy in it." I figure my "Barn Find" '56 must be worth about $200,000 grand. I'm putting new plugs in it this weekend, so I'm gonna hafta add about a grand, don't you think?

I'm not quite sure how I associated Jack in the Box onion rings with cockroaches, and steel wool in my mind just now, but I did.

What got me to thinking about this strange mix of indgredients was  how the onion rings at Jack in the Box have evolved from the last time I bought them. At lunch time I jumped into my '05 GMC and headed over to Home Depot to buy some 0000 steel wool to polish the chrome on my '66 Chevy pickup. Using 0000 steel wool with Mother's chrome polish is a killer combination when it comes to getting the best results. So anyways back to the onion rings, boy have things changed in that receipe. Instead of the real onions that I used  find with a thin coating of batter only a few years ago, the ones they sell now are like onion flavored dental floss with a heavy application of grease fried batter. The only thing that seems to survived change in the 21st Century is cockroaches, and the quality of steel wool. Please don't tell me they shrunk the size of a wad of steel wool.

Mothers don't let your cowboy grow up to be a baby. "Simple as pie, or making a batch of frozen ready-baked oatmeal cookies is how I would describe how easy the process of claying the paint job on your truck is. Of course if I wasn't hungry maybe I wouldn't put it into these terms.

There's a story on here somewhere that I did at least a year ago where I clayed the factory paint on my '72 Ford F-100 with Mother's products. Nothing has changed I still consider Mother's clay to be one of the best car & truck detailing products out there, but I did think of a few things to add. I've only bought three new trucks in my life, and never a new car. Its not because I think cars are only for girls, or anything, I just think its a lot of money to spend for something that can only haul people around. Ever tried to get a '49 Harley-Davidson into the trunk of a Toyota Prius after the Hog lunched a transmission? Hogs, lunch? Sorry you guys I'll eat something before I get on here next time and blog. My 2000 S-10 is pure white, my '05 GMC is pure black. I just spent the last two days after I got home from work claying out the paint on 'em. Both colors have problems that are unique to light, and dark colors (Colours if you are Canadian, or some English guy that landed a gig on one of those Biker Build-Off shows) respectively. Starting with black, the presence of all colors in pigment theory, and the total absence of color in light theory the big problem is getting swirl-marks in the paint. Don't worry about swirl-marks at this point because they are addressed in the very last stages of a detail job. White on the other hand always seems to have a problem with rust spots caused by anything from fallout from a nearby highway, or freeway to parking next to some idiot that's running a body-grinder... Well I'd love to finish this, but its 8:30 at night and the little woman just rang the dinner bell. She used to honk the horn in one of my classic trucks until I went to Sears and bought her a Bob Villa Model dinner bell. I'll be back tomorrow and finish this I promise.