MiniTruckin' Magazine March 2003

Originally Published MiniTruckin' Magazine March 2003 Volume 17 No. 3
Psychodelic: The Sickest Carnival Ever
By Mike Finnegan
Photography Mike Finnegan


Whenever you entrust a customizer to have his or her way with your mini, you are taking a chance and risking the well being of your truck and your sanity. The vision you once had for your mini can easily be manipulated and corrupted until you end up with a truck that, if ever finished, might not be what you wanted in the first place.


Luck often plays a large role in scenarios like this one, where the ultimate statement of your truck's style, the paintjob, is left up to the painter. Give a painter like Shawn Ealy a license to wreak havoc on your ride and you might end up with, well, killer clowns! Not that this is a bad thing, in this case, the killer clowns make an incredible statement in airbrushed graphics. Going the extra mile with a paintjob now has a new definition thanks to Ealy, who sprayed paint on every panel he could reach. The nightmarish lunacy that is the carnival-themed paint scheme extends to the farthest reaches of the interior, exterior, and engine compartment of this mini.

Las Vegas residents Shawn Payne and Mandy Brown own this exceptional and outrageous '01 Chevy Blazer, which received one of the wildest paintjobs this side of Bakersfield, California. On top of the paintwork, the body received an excellent shave and haircut that left the panels smooth as silk and free of extraneous parts. In just eight short months, they took their stock SUV from the dealer's parking lot to the Laughlin Motorsports Expo where we set it up for a feature shoot, forever cementing this mini in the minds of our readers. We spent a solid hour following the trail of paint, chrome, audio/video, and air suspension upgrades this psychedelic mini flosses. Check out the photos and The Lowdown portion of this feature and you'll see just how sick this SUV is.

-MT


THE LOWDOWN
Chassis/Suspension Shawn Payne fabricated his own 'bag mounts and 'bagged the Blazer front and rear using the stock leaf springs, spindles, and control arms. The BFG 'bags are plumbed with 1/2 inch air line to a host of SMC 15mm valves and are powered by a pair of tanks filled with compressed nitrogen. At the time of the photo shoot, shocks were not part of the suspension equation.
Wheels and Tires Psychedelic runs a set of the fabled Giovanna Barletta rims. For those that don't remember, these are the rims that were rumored to start things on fire due to the design on the wheel that refracts sunlight all over the ground. The rims measure 20x8.5 inches and have a +17mm offset. The tires are 345/35ZR20 Nitto Extremes.
Body Mods Bob and Dan of Henderson, Nevada got the nod when it came time to smooth out the exterior of the Blazer. They shaved the doors, hood, antenna hole, fuel filler door, tailgate, and third brake light. They also shaved and molded both the front and rear bumpers, cleaning up the overall look of Shawn and Mandy's mini.
Custom Paint Shawn Ealy of Henderson, Nevada, is the man responsible for the incredible graphic work on this mini. Starting with the factory white base color, Shawn used Sherwin Williams paints and his airbrush to alter every single panel, both inside and out, on the Blazer.
Interior Obviously, the painted interior commands most of the attention inside the Blazer. To make it possible for the paint to stick to the panels, Shawn Ealy had to remove, strip, and coat every inch of plastic with fiberglass gel coat. Only then could he work his airbrush magic. The factory seating was ultra comfy, so it was left in place and re-covered in granite-colored tweed and vinyl.
Audio System The speakers are stock, but the factory head unit was removed and replaced with an Eclipse monitor/head unit.
Engine A K&N Filtercharger has been added to the stock motor and lots of hard work went into polishing the accessories and painting the plastic.
Owner's Quote "Shawn named the Blazer Psychedelic, and it fits. We'd like to thank him as well as Ward Parker for the use of his driveway and help with this project. Also, thanks to Jason for his help with everything along the way."

-MT

Sport Truck Magazine March 1996

Originally published by Sport Truck Magazine March 1996
"Hot Paint" By Frank Hamilton

Humans are motivated by what they see. Bright, shiny colors grab our eyes over monochrome every time. And naturally, trucks with wild paint and graphics get our attention at Sport Truck. That's why Las Vegas resident Matt Paratore's crazy '94 Chevy extended cab appears on the cover of our Hot Paint issue.


Shawn Ealy Designs of Henderson, Nevada, shot the out-of-this-world graphics and murals with PPG paint and Concept 20/20 clearcoat. Colorful graphics splash boldly across marble-stimulated graphics on the flanks of the truck, while the hood and the tonneau sport detailed mural graphics. All the paint and bodywork took only 5 weeks to complete! Sixteen Neo Glo neon tubes provide the under-glow after dark.

Body cues are plentiful, from the Stylin' Concepts billet grille and smooth bumper installed by Trickup Trucks of Las Vegas, to the molded ZR-1 roll pan installed by Frank's Auto Body of Henderson. Other mods include a shaved tailgate handle and taillights, Toyota Celica side mirrors, double limo tint and a Gaylord's hard tonneau cover.


The interior is outfitted with every creature comfort known to modern civilization. LaSalle custom seats sport black and gray velour upholstery. Billet panels, a 2-inch Citizen TV, custom glovebox graphics and a Billet Specialties Switchblade steering wheel are amond the niceties inside. A Viper 900/Invisibeam Ultra alarm protects the gobs of expensive sound equipment. Rolling Thunder installed a ballistic 7000-watt sound system capable of producing 153.8 decibals. The system employs a Clarion 9175 head unit, six-disc changer and graphic equalizer and six Kicker 18-inch drivers, eight 5 1/4 mids, four 6 1/2 mids and 10 tweeters. Door panels are armed with Kickers implementing two 6 1/2, two 5 1/4, and three tweeters per door. A custom center console was built to house the controls and switches for the system, while nine amps and six batteries are mounted in the bed. The six Kicker 500Si, two 100Si and one 50Si amps are channeled through a KLW XA27 and XA25 crossovers. A Phantom bass boost is used to enhance low-end bass notes. Other electronics include a Nintendo video game, a Sony VCR and two Emerson 9-inch TVs mounted in the bed-all hooked into the massive sound system for thumping surround sound.

Bell Tech equipment gives the truck a low stance. Lowered control arms with lowered coils provide 4 inches of front end drop. Since the amps and batteries added a lot of weight to the rear of the truck, a Bell Tech 6 inch flip kit and C-notch and an Air Lift system were installed. The truck rolls on Weld Double Knuckle billet wheels (17x7 1/2 front, 17x8 1/2 rear) wrapped with ultralow-profile BFGoodrich Comp T/A radials (255/40-17 front, 315/40-17 rear).

Matt's truck is used primarily for show instead of go, so a 4.3-liter Vortec V6 engine was chosen. Aluminum is found throughout the engine bay in such forms as the tanks, the radiator shroud, the relay box cover, the heater box cover, the air cleaner, the chromed radiator hose and the master-cylinder cover. A Flowmaster exhaust system vents spent fumes efficiently.

In a world filled with mediocrity, Matt's truck grabs the eyes and ears with a hardy grip!

-Sport Truck

LUV2bike magazine feature

Originally published by LUV2bike. "Bike Art for Everyone" by Kristina Woolf.


The decision we all make throughout the year is do we buy a new bike or do we recycle the one we have by putting new components on it. One of the reasons we do this is becuase we like to the look of a new, clean bike. There's something about it that makes us go faster. Similar to when we get a new pair of running shoes, there's just something about those shoes that provide us an extra kick on our runs.

So the question remains, buy a new bike or not? Instead of buying a new bike, why not update the paint job with a new one by visiting Shawn Ealy Designs in Henderson. While Shawn has been adding his artistic touch to anything from custom cars, motorcycles, boats and even helmets for the last 15 years in the valley, his newest endeavor has been coloring bicycle frames for those of us in need of updating our paint jobs or covering up the dings and scratches from years of use.

One such client is John MaGuire of Kirklee bicycles whose art is slinging carbon into one of the most technologically advanced frames on the market. Team Allegiant Air can be seen riding these rigs around town testing out their full capabilities. You'll notice them because Shawn spent many hours ensuring the pearl white with blue lettering paint finish was just right.


Several other cyclists have also taken their bikes to Shawn in the recent past, including someone just wanting a quick touch up to steel frames built by locals enrolled in the frame-building classes at Nevada State College.

Shawn LUVs what he does and wants to ensure everyone is content with the product he provides. "What I'd really like to do is have someone give me a frame and let me provide custom paint for them," said Shawn, when asked how he'd like to help. Checkout all of Shawn's designs at www.shawnealy.com.


If you've already got the new frame and don't need new paint, perhaps you can find something of interest by an East Coast artist, Angela Armstong, whose made it her business to recycle used cycling parts into creative works of art. Wherther it is stained glass, framed art, or greeting cards, you can be sure each will provide the cycling enthusiast enjoyment. Some of her works include chain ring and disc brake clocks. Based on her exceptional talent, Angela ensures each piece is unique. For more information on what recycled Bike Art can do for you, stop by www.mainebikeart.com.

-L2B

Fire Helmet

The Las Vegas Fire Department asked Shawn to paint a helmet for Brian Brown, who has recently retired.

Shawn painted the fire truck and ambulance that he drove, along with the department patches. Brown is a Texas Longhorn fan, so Shawn included the logo on the front.

Melissa is displaying the back, which features the Fremont Experience, and Brown's service dates. The top of the helmet is detailed with flames.

Career Fair: Basic High School

Shawn was happy to be invited to the Career Fair for Freshmen put on at Basic High School.

He spent the day talking with the students and encouraging them to chase their dreams.

He was glad to spend time with them and see the excitement as they went from booth to booth, learning about possible career paths.

Many students inquired about Shawn's sunset painting behind him, and how they could learn to airbrush.

Shawn was full of encouragement and told them to never give up on something they are passionate about.

Thanks to the coordinators of Career Fair.

Chief AJ's Stocks---Part 2

The Chief sent 6 more stocks for Shawn to paint.



This is an atristic image of 'Blue', who lives at the 'Red River Camp' in Louisiana. Once again, Chief AJ let Shawn have artistic freedom with a few ideas.

All of the stocks are similar, but each one is unique in it's own way.





Hope you enjoy! Thanks for everything, Chief.

Greaser's Rod and Kustom 9th Annual Reunion

Patty and Greaser have been putting on this car show for 9 consecutive years to benefit the ROTC program at Basic High School, donating 100% of proceeds. Shawn has helped out each year by donating to the cause. But more importantly, he enjoys spending time with Patty and Greaser and the whole crew. If you haven't gone to a show, next year with be the 10th annual, and every 'hot rodder' needs to participate.

After pinstriping Greaser's hot rod, we had a chance to hang out with Patty and Greaser at their home, and they are the real deal- The true keeper of the flame.

Red, who owns a truck, trailor, motorcycle, and SSR with matching Shawn Ealy paintjobs, is setting up his display, with Greaser motioning him in the right direction.

This is the back of the trailor, and Red is preparing to bring out the motorcycle.

Shawn was blessed with the opportunity to pinstripe for many people all day.





Shawn was called up to the front to help give away his artwork.

Every year, Shawn airbrushes an ice chest to be auctioned off at the show.

Smokey

Camille and John brought in a wooden carving of their beloved dog, Smokey. They hoped that Shawn could bring the carving to life and create the Smokey they love and remember.

This is Little Jake. Don't be deceived by the name; they hope to soon have him recognized as the worlds tallest St. Bernard.

Skull Helmet

Shawn recently painted the helmet for Terence Guzman, who is a drag car racer. He races a 1948 Fiat Topolino powered by a 468 cubic inch blown on alcohol with a 112 inch wheel base.

He is presently living and racing in Las Vegas, but soon will be headed home to the 'Big Island', Hawaii.

Terence's best time with his race machine is 7.85/ 168 mph.

Terence says he's still learning to control the beast and having fun. Shawn says it's always a good time painting and meeting new friends. He wishes his new airbrushed helmet brings Terence luck.

Hope to see you in Hawaii sometime.

Career Fair: Brown Jr. High School

Brown Jr. High invited Shawn back to speak to the students for Career Fair.

The students were excited to see Shawn back at their school, and eager to ask him questions. Shawn brought a black helmet and let the students put pinstripes on it, after showing them a few techniques.

He also brought a blank presentation board, and instructed how to use the airbrush.

For the students that answered a question correctly, he airbrushed their name on a piece of paper and gave it to them.

For others who answered correctly, he let them try the airbrush themselves.

Many students were eager to know how they could make a career with their artwork, and he continued to encourage them.

Shawn was glad to be part of the Career Fair and see the students of Brown Jr. High once again.

Shawn couldn't leave before signing a few autographs.