Doing a 360 on Custom Vehicles

Vancouver, British Columbia, has no shortage of shops that repair, refresh and reimagine vehicles. But if you want something truly "off the dial," as co-owner Rick Francoeur puts it, you will eventually make your way to 360 Fabrication.

There the accent is on the unusual and the eye-catching. The customizing business opened in 2006, after brothers Rick and Daryl Francoeur, both experienced fabricators, decided "if we were going to kill ourselves with 18-hour days, it may as well be in our own place." They built 360 Fabrication from the round up to meet environmental standards and their own high goals.

No school like the old school

Indeed, "the bar here is set dramatically higher" than in the typical shop, says Rick. Everything is done old-school: hand blocked, primed twice, wet sanded and polished... and the list goes on. Fortunately for the Francoeurs, 360 Fabrication is not a high-volume shop, but the nonstop array of boats, bikes and hot rods can mean pulling some all-nighters.

One project getting a lot of staff attention began with a customer on the show circuit whose only request was for something no one had ever seen before. The Franceours found a pristine 1963 Lincoln in California. They sent for the car, then "had it acid-dipped and stripped down, completely dismantled," as Rick relates. "We chopped the windshield down three inches and stretched the body four inches at the bottom." The Lincoln now sports a custom fuel injection system equal to 1,000 horsepower and a handmade dashboard with digital gauges.

When it comes to finishing the Lincoln, 360 Fabrication is weighing a variety of color and design ideas. But one thing is certain, according to Rick: the paint will be from BASF.

Candy colors sweeten the prospects

Customizing a never-ending stream of vehicles keeps the 360 crew busy using two BASF brands. "We like R-M® Diamont™ because their clear seems so street-durable," Rick says. And for the hardcore attention-seeker, the Francoeurs keep and R-M Carizzma® custom book on hand.

The 360 staff pauses for a picture... then back to painting! Shown from left to right are Daryl Francoeur, Gary Lowe, Rick Francoeur and Greg Bergen.

"Our customers love the candy shades," says Rick. "We're the biggest Carizzma user in Western Canada."

For 360's higher-end jobs, like the Lincoln, Glasurit® is the paint of choice. "It gives these premier hot rods and customs the look that everyone wants," says Franceour. The shop uses 55 Line while their prepper/painter, Greg Bergen, completes BASF waterborne training to prepare for a transition to Glasurit 90 Line.

At 360 Fabrication, the brothers, their wives and even the kids pitch in to help build the business, while employees are valued "just like family." The team's efforts have paid off in customers who come from across Canada and the U.S., driven by word of mouth and the presence of Franceour projects on the show circuit. "We're getting to the pick-and-choose stage," says Rick. "Everyone wants the 360 logo."

Article from the Spring 2008 issue of BASF: The Winning Spirit.