The Look
The Look
By Bob Steele
We all know it when we see it, that boat/car/motorcycle that has “it”, whether in the water or in parking lot of a favorite watering hole. It draws you in, makes you stop what you’re doing and subtly yells at you to come closer. As you close the distance, you begin to disassemble the work, peeling back the layers to reveal the small details that in combination give the hotrod it’s “look”.
It is that collaboration of all the minor details working together that make you sit back for a moment and truly appreciate the man’s work. Now imagine for a moment, as you walk up on his work of art for a closer look, you discover rusted dull headers with paint peeling off the massive engine and the rigging is crusty and dingy. Your heart sinks as the anticipated polished jewel is not sitting there staring back at you.
I blame this huge let down on the show circuit cars and boats when they set the bar high for how “things” are supposed to look. The problem is that most show boats/rods see little or no action on the water or in the street. In addition, they might have a team of caregivers, wiping and buffing every exposed part to a mirror like finish. Large trophies and cover shots on leading magazines are their reward, not that there is anything wrong with that, if that’s your deal? But consider for a moment, you are a regular guy who dreams of piloting a ride that you built or
rebuilt from nuthin. You worked your ass off to get the “look” and now it has to be finished off right. Not with just some shining pieces that turn colors after the first pass but the detailed look inside that you worked so hard for on the outside. The shining stuff that can enhance the performance of your ride as well as stand up to a season of running the crap out of it.
Something that can be wiped down with Windex and a soft cloth without hours and hours of buffing by hand in small tight hard to reach areas.
If you were searching for such a “look” you might start with a shop that has built it’s reputation on award winning builds and customer satisfaction. A shop that knows where the show quality bar is and won’t release product unless it meets that standard. Such a shop exists and just recently opened a satellite operation in LHC.
I met Allen Fredricksen, owner of The Polishing Shop/Xtreme Preformance Heat Coatings, while rebuilding my 1974 Campbell Day Cruiser. I had worked my ass off to get the exterior “look” I wanted with new gel coat and a rebuilt trailer. I had built all new interior and was in the process of putting the engine and rigging back together when a mutual friend (Pete Giroux) referred me to Allen’s shop. My Campbell is by no means a show boat but there is a bit of a pride factor going on here and we all know how picky Campbell owners can be. I knew sooner or later, there would be a Campbell inspection party sitting on my swim step, cold beer in hand, peering down into the engine bay, looking to find some small misstep.
I consulted Allen, who suggested I coat the pieces I had handed over with ceramic clear coat after his crew had buffed and polished them to life. The coating would withstand the heat generated by the exhaust temps and at the end of the day could be wiped clean of water spots with a soft cloth. If extra help were needed, a quick wipe down with Windex is all that is required to return the part to a like new condition. Headers/logs, bell housing, intake manifold, timing chain cover, rudder, swim step braces along with hard to deal with interior trim were all polished and coated. I can tell you after two seasons in the water; Allen’s work looks as good as the day I picked it up.
Allen gave me some background on his shop and his new operation Xtreme Polishing in LHC. Allen got his start building engines for others working his way up through the business and eventually becoming partners in a full tilt engine shop in Moorpark. While running the engine shop, Allen made several contacts with local metal polishing shops and kept tabs on their operations. Allen saw the potential in making parts shiny and eventually bought The Polishing Shop in 1997. Using the same work ethic he had running the engine shop, Allen quickly established ties to high end performance products like Maguson, Turbornetics B&M, Edlebrock,
Holley, Whipple and Paxton. Before the economy crash, Allen’s shop was working on as much of a 3-4 month backlog of work from Holley alone.
Chip Foose worked with Allen to help get the “look” on the Magnuson Magnatude that was built for fellow local Jerry Magnuson. Magnatude went on to win several big awards and completed the HOTROD Power Tour in 2010.
Just like everyone else in the industry, Allen had to reinvent his business and make changes to try and stay ahead of the slump. Edlebrock and Holley who were main staples before the crash decided to go in a different direction. With the help of his close knit family and always looking for new and better ways to get things done, Allen survived and now has a 15,000 square foot operation with a solid crew of guys who know how to help you get the “look”. While Edlebrock and Holley might be gone, other top names have taken their place. One day I had stopped by to see how things were going and there was a huge pallet of Carrillo Top Fuel connecting rods that had just received the polishing touch.
- Boostpower
- Chip Foose
- Valley Head Service
- Kenny Dutteiler
- Nelson Racing Engines
- Mondello Racing Engines
- H&H Flatheads
Are just a few of the top shelf shops who trust Allen and his crew to help them achieve the “look”.
Allen has partnered with Dave Connolly at Connolly Marine to provide drop off and pickup of polished and coated parts in LHC. If you have a bitcin new project or just want to up date your ride for the new boating season, give Allen or Dave a call.