- Story by Sean McIntyre Photography by Don Denton
From West Shore Life + Style magazine
Disco can inspire some bold moves, and that香蕉视频直播檚 not just on the dance floor.
Metchosin香蕉视频直播檚 Jody Dick had only just began his gig as a keyboard player in a popular Victoria band called Tight Hair when things started getting groovy.
The band quickly began lighting up dance floors across the Victoria area. They had the sound, they had the look and they had the moves, but it felt like a little something special was still missing.
It was the band香蕉视频直播檚 guitarist, a 30-something Englishman by the name of Christopher Lloyd, who nailed the missing ingredient.香蕉视频直播� The band needed a 香蕉视频直播減impin香蕉视频直播� ride.香蕉视频直播�
| Photography by Don Denton |
香蕉视频直播淗e香蕉视频直播檚 an old soul who digs retro things,香蕉视频直播� says Jody. 香蕉视频直播淗e香蕉视频直播檚 the one who pitched this crazy idea.香蕉视频直播�
Nearly two years after the bandmates were tossing around ideas for Tight Hair香蕉视频直播檚 wheeled mascot, 香蕉视频直播淢onica香蕉视频直播� is nearly ready to hit the streets and, quite possibly, make an appearance at a disco night near you.
香蕉视频直播淪he香蕉视频直播檚 a lot of fun to drive,香蕉视频直播� Jody says. 香蕉视频直播淚t just literally glides likes it香蕉视频直播檚 on air. She screams mid-70s with this long hood, the way the windshield tapers back and these really cool lines.香蕉视频直播�
You might miss Monica香蕉视频直播檚 distinctive look, but you香蕉视频直播檙e highly unlikely to miss her colour. Pagan Candy Apple Gold is every bit as bright as it sounds. The colour seems to illuminate the surroundings, halo-like, on a wet and dreary West Coast spring afternoon at Jody香蕉视频直播檚 home in the forested hills of rural Metchosin.
香蕉视频直播淚t looks pretty intense,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淚n the sun, you literally cannot look at it without sunglasses.香蕉视频直播�
Monica is a rare breed, a 1976 Mercury Cougar XR-7, which Dick found stowed away by the grandson of the car香蕉视频直播檚 original owner.
| Photography by Don Denton |
Jody was flabbergasted to discover that, as a teenager, he香蕉视频直播檇 worked as a part-time detailer at the very same dealership where the car was purchased more than 40 years ago.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 a chance I could have touched her then,香蕉视频直播� he says.
Jody has come a long way since he cleaned cars as a high-schooler. These days he香蕉视频直播檚 the general manager at Victoria Hyundai. Whether in the shop or in the showroom, he香蕉视频直播檚 covered a lot of ground in the automotive sector. The experience and relationships he built up along the way served him well when it came to rebuilding his new ride.
Dick saw promise in those iconic lines and near-mint details, like the rear seat 香蕉视频直播渙pera windows香蕉视频直播� that are stencilled with the silhouette of a fierce mountain cat on the prowl.
As is the case with any creative project, the artist must begin with raw materials from which to carve out his or her vision. From the moment he saw it, Jody was confident the Cougar hit all the right notes.
香蕉视频直播淚 play a lot of music, I香蕉视频直播檓 fairly creative and I come from an artistic family, so I just looked at it and said 香蕉视频直播榦kay,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 he says.
The car had a pair of minor door dings and a few bubbles of rust. The low mileage was a positive, but years of sitting idle silenced the car香蕉视频直播檚 original purr. Dick says the car香蕉视频直播檚 long-expired gasoline had turned chartreuse green and wreaked havoc on the carburetor. The entire tank had to come out, and the original 351M engine underwent a near complete overhaul.
The gray body colour was peeling badly and needed to be completely stripped and repainted if the old Cougar had any chance of lighting up the dance floor. The Pagan Candy Apple Gold called for three coats of base, six coats of tint and three coats of clear to really make it shine. It香蕉视频直播檚 set to receive a coat of gloss before the job is complete.
Jody went to see an old friend, Doug Thompson, at an upholstery shop downtown to source some chocolate embossed paisley material for the car香蕉视频直播檚 roof. He also found some dark-gold velour for the bucket seats and accents.
| Photography by Don Denton |
As if that weren香蕉视频直播檛 enough eye candy, the front headlights now feature multi-colour LEDs designed to flash in synch with the beats of funk and disco tunes playing on the car香蕉视频直播檚 stereo. Despite the high-tech upgrade, however, Monica remains true to her 香蕉视频直播�70s roots with no air conditioning, hand-cranked windows and an AM radio.
香蕉视频直播淪he started as a low-budget custom and morphed into not-so-low if you know what I mean,香蕉视频直播� Jody says. 香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 want to gaudy it up or anything, but I think we香蕉视频直播檙e at that line.香蕉视频直播�
With the sunny driving season and a full schedule of gigs right around the corner, Jody is nearly ready to call the project done. The car香蕉视频直播檚 inaugural test spin through the winding streets of Metchosin has already got people talking. Jody says a nearby motorist actually rolled down her window to scream, 香蕉视频直播淥h my god!香蕉视频直播� while stopped at a traffic light.
With some wide, white-wall tires, a little clean up and a stretch of sunny weather, this cat will be ready to prowl.
香蕉视频直播淪he香蕉视频直播檚 turned a lot of heads already and believe it or not, has a following of sorts,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淭his isn香蕉视频直播檛 a Camaro or Chevelle or Mustang. There香蕉视频直播檚 a ton of those cars out there, but nobody is crazy enough to customize a 1976 Cougar.
香蕉视频直播淓xcept me, of course.香蕉视频直播�
| Photography by Don Denton |
