Ever noticed how jobs you think will take ages can sometimes occupy just a few minutes, and yet others that you’re sure can be achieved fairly swiftly, multiply and grow to take simply hours ?

            This is definitely true of applying graphics to a vehicle.  Two hours it took, just to place two 4” wide stripes on the nose cone of the F.  Two whole hours during which time I became closely acquainted with every square inch of the compound curves that make up the front of the MG.  It’s these curves that make application of the “Shelby” stripes so damn difficult, since the stripes are flat, parallel sided vinyl strips, but you’re asking them to cling smoothly to a surface that curves, sometimes in three directions.  Faint recollections of schoolboy geometry and how it could solve the problem do little to ease the pain of applying and re-applying the self adhesive material until it’s flat, straight and in the right place.  To do justice to the job, I’d completely removed the nose cone from the car, and then removed from that the grills filling the apertures in the moulding to allow the ends of each piece of vinyl to wrap around on to the rear face wherever it came to an edge, before refitting the grills.

Neat, but desperately time consuming.

            Completing the rest of the car was, by comparison, simple. The longest section is obviously the bonnet and I was dreading attacking that. I had visions of crinkly, bubbled sticky backed-plastic and being haunted forever by childhood memories of Valerie Singleton.  Blue Peter are clearly amateurs though.  Applying vinyl to larger areas is actually easier, and within a quarter of an hour I’d severed the bonnet with a pair of equidistant, brilliant white stripes from striker plate to windscreen.  The boot lid soon followed, and I carried the stripes down over the rear and on to the Kylie-esque rear scuttle moulding with no problems at all. (Have a look at the way it curves at each corner you’ll see what I mean)

            With just the Shelby stripes it has to be said the car looked a bit, well, naff really, unless that is you hold a McDonalds loyalty card and have a “Reserved” space in their car park.  It had an air that’s best described as “Cheerleader Chic”. Bright, contrasting colours;  sharp, uniformed lines; pretty damn sexy when you see it for the first time but ultimately a little juvenile and something you could never live with on a permanent basis.  Thankfully the Cannonball graphics, although equally at home in a cartoon, lend  a degree of meaning  and sense of direction to the overall colour scheme and now complete, the car looks almost professional and nearly business-like.

            A few other details have dropped in to place this week.  Finally, late last night I found a supplier of vehicle electrical adaptors of the variety that terminate in a plain, domestic 240v socket.  Ideal for running the numerous bits of electrical jiggery-pokery that top our inventory, but needless to say, not all at once.  Amongst the usual mobile phone, digital camera and camcorder, we’re taking a laptop with Microsoft Autoroute on board and also hope to send updates and e-mails of progress whilst we’re away, possibly whilst on the move.  My biggest fear on the techno-geek front was simply running out of battery power hence the search for an adaptor.  Possible loss of power on the automotive front is now covered; Cannonball Run HQ have brokered an agreement with the AA to provide event-wide cover at a reduced cost to entrants.

            And I even had a phone call from the tailor today saying the alterations to my DJ are complete…..quicker than expected.

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WHOSE STRIPES ARE THEY ANYWAY ?

If any one fancies stripes similar to Bob's then the man to contact is Carroll Shelby at the following website :-

http://www.thecarsource.com/shelby/shelbycontents.html

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Not quite every surface of the car was covered in decals  so Bob & Wes have now enlisted the support of The Fighter Collection based at Duxford to enable them to fill even more space. The stickers just arrived in time for the start on Saturday.

Click the Spitfire to see what The Fighter Collection is all about.