‘2 FACE’ Holden Ute Resto Is Harvey Dent in Car Form
The visual effect shows just how much work goes into fully restoring a classic car.
Restoring a classic car can be an intensive process. There's typically rust holes to be filled, an entire interior that needs replacing, and the whole body need to be sanded back and repainted. All that on top of the usual mechanical work makes a full restoration a huge job. Geoff Luck of GC Restoration found a neat way to show off just how much work is involved, however, leading to the glorious build that goes by the name of "2 FACE."
Also known around the shop as "Harvey," the build is a reference to the Batman character that bears a half-disfigured face, as seen. The Holden Kingswood Ute, with its 5.0 liter V8 engine under the hood, replicates that same aesthetic. One side is pristine, perfect, and new, the other damaged and worn.
The driver's side of the vehicle has been treated to a full restoration, back to the bare metal. Everything has been panel beaten, straightened and repaired, and bears the better-than-factory look typical of a show car. However, there's a line that splits the car straight down the middle, and the passenger side has been left virtually untouched after sitting in a paddock in Mount Isa for years on end. Dirty and rusty and weathered, it serves as a great contrast to demonstrate how much work was done to get the other side looking so shiny and clean.
Geoff didn't phone in the project either, committing to the bit to the nth degree. The split continues throughout the whole car, even under the hood. One side of the engine bay is fresh, clean and tidy, the other tired and worn out. The line goes right down the middle of the air cleaner, and it's fun to look at the pristine rocker cover on one side and the crusty part on the other. Even the radiator sticker is brand-new on the driver's side, while faded and unreadable on the other.
Those riding shotgun will quickly learn that the interior got much the same treatment. The driver gets a newly-upholstered leather seat and nice gauges, but that same dividing line runs right down the middle of the car. On the passenger side, filthy old carpet and a badly-worn dash show what the car was really like when the project started. It's also amusing to note that the floor shifter and center console sits half-restored, half-not.
It's a unique concept that will easily stand out at the local car shows, and thus should serve as an excellent rolling advertisement for GC Restoration. "2 FACE" goes to show what's possible when it comes to bringing back old cars to their former glory. Perhaps more so, however, it demonstrates that Geoff and his crew aren't afraid of getting a little creative and having some fun.
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