THE CAR: Mercedes AMG C63 THE PROCESS: Carbon dipping and custom painting
Renowned for seducing former BMW and Audi disciples, the Mercedes AMG-C63 is a car that has brought incredible power, torque and efficiency to the table. With undeniable character and a fierce reputation for a sub four second 0-62 mph, the C63 is an undeniable beast. This month, we were asked to undertake an extensive customisation project to turn one such beast into a thing of beauty! With a wide range of Mercedes Benz original parts to customise, our specialist Hydrographics and custom painting team got to work in the factory.
Luckily, we have some before and after shots to give you an idea of exactly what we did – see below for an overview:
1. Interior aluminium trim in tru weave carbon fibre
2. Engine air boxes in tru weave carbon fibre
3. Mirror caps in gloss black
4. Front grille in gloss black
5. Front daytime running lights redone in gloss black
6. All lettering and badges in gloss black
7. Rear bumper diffuser in gloss black
8. Rear number plate trim in gloss black
Mercedes C63 BEFORE CUSTOMISATION BY WICKED COATINGS…
Mercedes C63 AFTER CUSTOMISATION BY WICKED COATINGS…
Lettering and badges in gloss black
Lettering and badges in gloss black
Lettering and badges in gloss black
Interior aluminium trim in tru weave carbon fibre
Interior aluminium trim in tru weave carbon fibre
Interior aluminium trim in tru weave carbon fibre
Interior aluminium trim in tru weave carbon fibre
Front grille in gloss black
Front grille in gloss black
Engine air boxes in tru weave carbon fibre
Engine air boxes in tru weave carbon fibre
Client fitted 4x 19" 2015 c63 s turbine alloys with continental contact 6 tyres staggered fit 8.5 inch front, 9.5 inch on rear
Mirror caps and front grille in gloss black
17mm wheel nut covers to all wheels by client
Mirror caps and front grille in gloss black
Fancy a bit of this for yourself? Just give us a call on 01202 622258 and talk us through your ideas – we can offer advice and suggestions as well as a quote with approximate timescales. If you don’t have time to chat just contact us here and we will get back to you. If you fancy browsing through more of our case studies take a look at our customer gallery here.
THE BIKE: The Rocky Mountain Flatline World Cup THE PROCESS: Custom Paint Spraying THE TIMESCALE: 10 days THE COST: Approx £150
Excelling on the hairiest of terrain – the Rocky Mountain Flatline World Cup is great bit of kit to have beneath you when challenging the great outdoors. Smooth lines are complimented by awesome suspension and a general feeling of lightness which has made this bike such a popular choice over the years.
However, considerable time spent toughing it out on mountainous tracks will do no favours for a bikes appearance… When our customer came knocking at Wicked HQ for a much needed facelift for his Flatline, we were keen to seen what could be achieved with some expert custom painting.
The brief was simple – to bring the look of the bike up to date with some intricate customisation that would turn heads on the circuit…
Using a satin black colour with matting agent, our team got to work with a full respray of the frame parts as well as the suspension fork lowers.Custom made decals were then cut in gloss black to contrast with the satin effect. The seat, chain guide and chain were also customised to fit in with the overall look of the bike.
The result was stunning and with upcoming races for 2016, our customer is all set for a new season of gruelling hillside climbs – only this time, with a bike that has a fresh appearance to match its legendary performance.
Having sent back the customised parts, we were delighted to receive some pics of the bike at Wicked HQ and our customer was kind enough to say a few words about our service.
“I found Wicked Coatings and Lyle in particular great to deal with, he always returned my calls and took time to properly discuss what I was looking to achieve, whilst giving advice along the way. Lyle helped to quickly work through any difficulties that arose during the work. It just needed the right look and an update which Wicked Coatings helped out with brilliantly!”
Another happy customer and another awesome bit of customisation – keep your eye on this blog to see what we get up to in 2016 or contact us today to discuss your own project!
An exciting new partnership between market leading trolley brand Motocaddy and custom design ace Ziegler will now allow golfers to inject some serious individuality into their game.
Up to now the mention of “golf customisation” has failed to inspire much excitement in the sport with the pinnacle of cool being limited to the odd personalised tee peg, club or ball.
However, style conscious golfers everywhere can now finally add some flair to their equipment with the unique new online service available at Ziegler Custom Designs. This incredible new customisation service will allow golfers to personalise leading electric trolley models from the Motocaddy S-Series range with an enormous choice of colours and pattern combinations – with the option to add company or club logos if required.
Using high quality durable paints and strong polyurethane lacquers, the wizards at Ziegler will create eye catching and long lasting finishes for the S1, S1 PRO and S3 PRO Motocaddy trolley models.
Golfers can take advantage of the many benefits of this service including:
Matt, Gloss, Candy & Chameleon finishes
Hundreds of different colours to choose from
Durable finishes that have been tested in extreme conditions
Trolley delivered within 4 weeks of being ordered
Each Motocaddy trolley is handcrafted in a specialist UK facility giving golfers the peace of mind that they will be ordering a premium piece of kit with the added advantage of some head turning customisation.
Visit Ziegler now to start your personal journey into the new era of golfing cool!
As many successful businessmen say – “No one gets rich working for someone else.”
If running your own business is something that has crossed your mind then why not take things a step further and visit Wicked Coatings at the National Franchise Exhibition this October at the NEC in Birmingham.
Our management team will be exhibiting on the 2nd and 3rd October at this British Franchise Association supported event and would be very interested to meet anyone with a passion for customisation and a shrewd head for business. Come and meet us at stand L210 in Hall 9 where you can chat directly to our founding Directors and really get a taste of how lucrative a Wicked Coatings franchise could be for you.
The opportunity to take up a regional franchise of Wicked Coatings is a very real chance to make some serious money doing something that you love. You can read all about our franchise model here and learn more about what is involved from the outset. Having the power of a strong brand behind you is a crucial leg up when it comes to running a successful franchise…
Make no mistake – starting your own business can be daunting which is why the National Franchise Exhibition is the ideal event to fast track your knowledge. From in-depth yet easily digestible seminars to the chance to have a “one to one” chat with experts at the Finance Clinic – this event will give potential franchisees the best start in their franchising journey.
Tickets to the National Franchise Exhibition will be completely free of charge if you book in advance here. What’s more – there will be a fantastic “children’s activity centre” at the exhibition that will be available to all visitors and at no extra cost so bring the whole family along to see what the future could hold!
If you would like to speak to someone today about a potential franchise then please call us on 01202 622258. Otherwise – we look forward to seeing you at the NEC on 2nd or 3rdOctober 2015!
THE BIKE: A unique Buell X1
THE PROCESS: Hydro dipping
This month was a particularly exciting project as the bike in question went on to win a “Best in Show” award in Belgium! We love a success story and this one has a pretty interesting history… The customisation only came about due to a few technical issues which led the owner to stripping it right down. As a result, what started out as a standard Buell X1 is now a “one of a kind” custom machine that you won’t see anywhere else in the world.
But now for a little history….Buell motorcycles was actually founded in 1983 by an ex-Harley Davidson engineer called Eric Buell.
Unfortunately, Buell was quickly labelled as just a “starter brand” option and had to endure the frustration of seeing innovative technology that had been developed by Erik Buell – and destined for the Buell brand – taken over by Harley and modified to fit higher profit machines in the line. Not surprisingly, in 2009, a new CEO declared that sports bikes would only ever produce a small profit when compared to cruisers and an end was put to the production of Buell motorcycles by Harley Davidson.
But on November 15, 2009, Buell won its first NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle World Championship, and the rest as they say, is history…
So, moving onto to our customer and his awesome Buell X1. This chap had bought the bike about 5 years ago and following a few technical difficulties he decided to embark on a pretty dramatic strip down. The bike was expertly stripped back to component form and rebuilt to a very high standard with a few unique modifications. Various components were machined from billet form to create a custom street fighter look and give the bike an incredible head turning presence.
Having decided to go all out for a full on transformation, our customer was keen to try the process of hydro dipping and spent time on the Wicked Website to see what could be achieved. Having chosen a colour and sent the parts over to our factory in Poole, he then waited anxiously for the dipped parts to return so that he could finish his intensive project. Weeks later he admitted that picking a colour that he had only seen on a Website was a little scary but having witnessed the final result he was absolutely made up with the quality and vibrancy!
“I must say that wherever I go the bike brings in a crowd and it makes me very happy to tell them the story about the bike and its hydro-dipping adventure! Many others find it totally amazing!”
As a keen Buell enthusiast, Nick is a member of the UKBEG which is a UK Buell enthusiast group with links throughout Europe. Once the parts were fitted and the bike was ready to be shown off, Nick drove to an annual Buell meeet in Belgium with 60 other like minded bikers – reaching their destination at a small place called Lauwe.
Excitingly, this year Nick and his custom Buell X1 won the “Best bike of the meet” and it was collectively decided that this was down not only to the look and quality of the engineering, but the ultimate effect of the hydro dipping.
WHAT A RESULT!!!!
Hi all,
I would just like to show you my new plastics now fitted to my Buell that you dipped earlier this year.
I can’t tell you how happy I am with the finish. It’s amazing how much attention my bike gets and visiting Belgium the other week to a Buell meet and winning best bike. Thanks again and hope you publish these pictures on your website.
Many Thanks
Nick Bland
James Hillier and the Quattro Plant Muc-Off Kawasaki team ended the Isle of Man TT Races on a fantastic high when the Hampshire rider took second in both the Lightweight and Senior raceson Friday. The 30-year old also became the third fastest rider in the history of the event with his final lap in the Senior being a stunning 132.414mph.
James opened his account for the day with his second rostrum finish of the week when he took a close second in the Lightweight race. He claimed a new record of 120.848mph on the final lap but ended 3.9s adrift of race winner Ivan Lintin. With a win in 2013 and second in both 2012 and 2014, it was James’ fourth successive podium in the class.
With only 45 minutes before the Senior race start, 6 laps was going to be a big ask for James but with the race only a lap and a half old, it was red flagged due to an incident and eventually restarted over 4 laps at 2.45pm. When it did, James was immediately on the pace and an opening lap of 131.467mph placed him in third, just three seconds behind race leader John McGuinness.
Another 131mph+ lap second time around maintained his third place but as the race wore on, he was able to close in on second placed Ian Hutchinson. With the fellow Kawasaki rider suffering from a damaged exhaust, James moved ahead at the beginning of lap four but he really flew round the Mountain Course and lapped at over 132mph for the first time to claim his third podium of the week and sixth in total.
On Wednesday, James put in his best ever performance in the Supersport class when he took an excellent fourth in the second 600cc encounter. Leading in the early stages of the race, James was locked in battle with Guy Martin for the final podium position and although he had to settle for fourth, he did set his quickest ever lap in the class with a speed of 126.709mph.
James Hillier: “To be sitting here with second in the Senior is unreal and it’s hard to explain that final lap. I kept pushing, hit all my markers and the 132mph lap happened! I’m overwhelmed and am made up for the team as much as myself as they’ve put such a massive amount of effort in. I can’t believe it and it’s been a mega week for all of us. We’ve been battling at the front of all our races but hats off to John today. The race pace this week has been crazy but it’s been a cracking week and we’ll be celebrating later for sure!’
“The last lap of the Lightweight didn’t feel as fast as what it was but I was riding the wheels off the bike and had a few moments. I’m happy to get the lap record but a little disappointed not to win and perhaps I could have been a bit quicker on the opening lap. I gave it everything I had the whole way through but just wasn’t quite quick enough to get the better of Ivan. The gap was close on the last lap and it kept going up and down, which is hard to get your hear around but it’s another podium and full credit to the team who’ve been mega.”
Pete Extance, Team Owner: “It’s been an incredible day. We believed we could finish on the podium in the Lightweight class if the bike behaved itself and James rode a great race to bring the bike home in second. With the Superbike race starting less than an hour later, I was slightly worried for James getting back on a bike so soon and the red flag played into our favour.”
“A four lap race probably suited us better than six and he showed his potential by setting an incredible pace. He did all four laps on his own, without a tow from anyone, and to join the 132mph club is amazing. Finishing second in the Senior TT is pretty special. James has taken two Superbike podiums, one in the Lightweight class, two fourths and a sixth and so it’s been an amazing event for us. I’m pleased for all the team and thanks to all our sponsors for making it happen.”
The team now turn their attention back to the British Superbike Championship with the fourth round taking place at Snetterton on June 19-21.
Hi all,
Please find attached photos of my rebuilt Honda VTX 1300, after the brilliant job you did for me. I am so pleased with the finished result I just had to share them with you.
Everyone that I met and had contact with at Wicked Coatings was very polite and also very helpful, especially your custom paint pro. I will definitely recommend you to everyone.
Thank you again
Brian
THE CAR: DDR Motorsport GT4 Mclaren F1 replica kit car
THE PROCESS: Carbon dipping
Popular since the 1950’s, kit cars are certainly not a new phenomenon. But what can be achieved with a little prowess is literally mind blowing.
Fast forward over 60 years and the results that are now being achieved by passionate kit car enthusiasts with a desire for the exotic, are beyond impressive. The beauty of replica kit cars is that they allow motorists to have a little slice of the super car pie without the crippling price tag! What’s more – the build is something of a labour of love for many. However – there is one thing that nearly all kit car enthusiasts will agree on. Without careful planning and a lot of restraint – the cost can get a little out of hand to say the least.
James Shipperly – the lucky chap who stands beside this month’s project and calls it his own, came to us in February with great vision and a shrewd plan to bring the project home within his budget. Having discovered the process of hydrographics online – his research led him (understandably) to Wicked HQ where we were delighted to discuss his options.
Being local to Poole made it easier for him to pay a visit to the factory floor – to see where the magic happens and gain a little inspiration from some of the effects on show. James has since mentioned to us that: ” Once I had seen the quality of the work in person my mind was made up before I even had all the parts.” With such a perceptive customer, we were sure that this kit car build was going to be one to remember….;)
Having talked through hydrographics in general and the considerable merits of carbon dipping, James was keen to press forward and start the process that would bring an authentic look to parts throughout the car. Our brief was to carbon dip the wheels, front splinter and head light surrounds to add a little flair and a lot of “expense” to the overall effect of the kit car.
James has been kind enough to send in some sensational shots of the finished car and the Wicked team was delighted to see it bigged up in “Complete Kit Car” mag last month in a sweet little 5 page feature. His final thoughts are here:
” I was incredibly impressed with the service from Wicked Coatings and also the pricing compared to even normal wheel refurbishment. The quality spoke for itself when I went to collect the parts. Everyone who sees the finish is always amazed by what was achieved.”
Hi guys,
As promised – here are some pictures with the tank on. You knocked it out of the park. Thank you – I love it!
The finish is stunning.
Once the build is complete, I will have the bike shot professionally and I hope to show it at the next Bike Shed event. Any reviews I get asked to do I will make sure you get a mention.
Thank you very much.
Darren
James Hillier and the Quattro Plant Muc-Off Kawasaki team enjoyed a solid evening of racing at the International North West 200 road races on Thursday with the Hampshire ace recording eighth place in the six lap Supersport race.
With qualifying on Tuesday held in mixed conditions – the Causeway Coast saw rain, sunshine and strong winds all within the space of a few hours – and Thursday seeing far more favourable weather, James qualified strongly in all of his classes, particularly the Supertwins where he qualified on the front row in second place.
With Thursday evening seeing perfect conditions, the 600cc Supersport race got proceedings underway and, starting from 14th on the grid, a good start saw James move into the top ten immediately. Running in close company with John McGuinness, Conor Cummins, Keith Amor and Jamie Hamilton, positions changed hands regularly and at the conclusion of the six laps, James crossed the line in eighth place for yet another top ten International finish.
The second race of the evening was for the Supertwins race but a technical problem towards the end of the morning’s qualifying session saw the team opt out of the race in order to rectify the issue for Saturday.
That just left the Superstock race, again to be held over six laps, and with qualifying times incredibly close around the 8.9-mile road circuit linking the towns of Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush, a close race was expected. Running just on the edge of the top ten at the completion of the first race, James was handily placed only for the race to be stopped due to a crash and with the road closing order time running out, organisers opted not to re-start the race and run it on Saturday instead.
James Hillier: “I’m a little bit rusty still as I haven’t been out on the bikes much this year but all of them have been going really well, especially the Superstock bike – it’s without doubt the best Stocker I’ve ever ridden so that bodes really well for the races. I hadn’t ridden the Supertwin bike since last year’s TT but the team have done a bit of work to it and it was flying in qualifying so it was a shame we had a little problem. We’ve another race on Saturday though so hopefully we’ll be able to show what we can do then.”
“I’ve been a bit weak on the brakes these first couple of days so need to improve that for Saturday’s main race day but we’re in the ball park in every class. I’ve been pushing hard but also looking ahead to the TT and making sure we’re in the best possible position when we get there. It’s a shame we lost tonight’s second race but Saturday’s a busy day and we’ve got plenty of chances to get some good results and that’s exactly what we’ll be aiming for.”
Saturday’s schedule sees two Superbike races, two for Superstocks and one each for the Supersport and Supertwins. Roads close at 9.30am.
Potential franchisees are celebrating along with the whole Wicked Coatings team having achieved an incredible SILVER at the recent SCOOT headline business awards ceremony in London.
As runners up in this prestigious campaign, we have been nationally recognised as one of the most successful businesses in Britain – which is no mean feat considering the company was formed less than five years ago.
It’s a mind blowing achievement – and something that will give franchisees of the business a valuable insight into what can be achieved in their own territory. We have always followed a very simple but 100% genuine formula when it comes to Wicked Coatings. The satisfaction of our customers will always come first and there will be no compromise when it comes to quality of materials or standard of finish.
By not cutting corners, we have not only built an awesome reputation in the Hydrographics scene, but are now runners up in a prestigious National Business Campaign!
Having recently achieved ISO:9001 accreditation – Wicked Coatings is flying high in 2015 and there has never been a better time to get onboard. If you are interested in discovering more about a franchise opportunity with us then give us a call today on 01202 622258.
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