Okay, so, today I wanna talk about something I did that was pretty cool – giving a McLaren F1 a Gulf livery. You know, that classic blue and orange look? Yeah, that one. It’s iconic, and I’ve always wanted to see it on an F1.
First off, I had to do some digging. Turns out, McLaren used this livery way back in the ’90s, and it’s a real head-turner. They even brought it back for the Monaco Grand Prix in 2021, not on an F1 but still cool. Apparently, it was a tribute to Ayrton Senna, a legendary F1 driver. That got me even more pumped to do this.
The McLaren F1 itself is a beast. It’s one of the rarest cars out there, only 106 ever made. And get this – it’s still the fastest naturally aspirated road car. Ever. That’s insane! So, wrapping this thing was a big deal, I couldn’t mess it up.
Getting started was the hardest part. I had to make sure I got the colors just right. The Gulf blue is very specific, and the orange stripe has to be the perfect width. I spent hours mixing paints, trying to match the photos I found online. It was a pain, but I finally got it.
- Color Matching: This was probably the most time-consuming part. I used a bunch of different paint samples and compared them under different lighting conditions.
- Design Planning: I studied pictures of the original Gulf liveries, especially the one on the #41 McLaren F1 GTR Longtail. I wanted to stay true to the classic look while also making it my own.
- Prep Work: Before any painting could begin, I had to thoroughly clean the car’s surface and mask off the areas that wouldn’t be painted.
Then came the actual painting. I started with the blue, which covered most of the car. Laying down that first coat was nerve-wracking. I had to be super careful to avoid any streaks or drips. But once it was on, it looked amazing. The orange stripe was next. It sounds simple, but getting it straight and even was a real challenge. I used a ton of tape to mark it out and then sprayed it on, layer by layer.
The Final Result
After days of work, it was finally done. And man, it looked good. Seeing that McLaren F1 in the Gulf livery, in my own garage, was surreal. It felt like I had brought a piece of racing history to life. I took a bunch of photos, and even took it for a little spin around the block. People were stopping and staring, which was pretty awesome.
This project was a lot of work, but totally worth it. I learned a ton about painting, design, and the history of McLaren and Gulf. It was a dream project, and I’m super proud of how it turned out. If you have the chance to try something like this, I say go for it. It’s a blast!
