Lace Paint Legacy

In 1967 Allen Duke began to feel that he needed a paint job that would stand out more by utilizing some of the spectacular techniques that were becoming available to custom car painters. He contacted Carl Darling, who had closed his shop but was working out of his home garage in North Redondo Beach. Though he didn’t know Carl well, Allen nevertheless delivered up his ride, and over the next several months, a full-on custom paint job was applied to the Impala.

The sides and top were done in a purple Moreno pearl that reflected a gold hue. The inset panels along the sides received a purple metal flake followed by many coats of clear. The horizontal surfaces of the hood and trunk were painted pearl white with a lace pattern overlaid in candy purple. Lace panels on the top were also sprayed in pearl white. To finish the car off in style, it was taken to Walt Prey in Van Nuys for pinstriping. As an extra added touch, Walt painted the visage of that 1960s counterculture icon, the ZIG ZAG MAN, right in the middle of the hood! These incredible photos come from the collection of Howard Gribble. A treasure chest when it comes to 1960s custom car history… read more >