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The white-primered body shell, up on sawhorses, awaits the heavy silver metalflake that will make it sparkle.

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Meridith Dale, Trixie Tee's owner, peeks through the firewall of the steel-bodied Model T bucket. Note the added tubular bracing used to strengthen the assembly.

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Trixie Tee's dashboard is ready for paint; the instrument bin recalls the heyday of "kustom kars" with their decidedly non-traditional shape.

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Freshly 'flaked, the modified '22 T shell begins to come to life. The smoothed-out firewall was predrilled for the steering shaft, before painting commenced.

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A close-up of the glittery finish shows just how much silver metalflake went into the process.

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The rear radius rods that will locate the rear end assembly will attach through another set of pre-drilled holes in the body of the T.

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Now, to prepare for the scallops that will fulfill Trixie Tee's theme of honoring Meridith Dale's special Trophy Queen purse. The silver-flaked body shell is covered with tightly burnished green masking tape.

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Builder Jack Marinelli lays out a diagonal guide line to define where the scallops will end.

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With the scallop pattern laid out, the masking material is carefully trimmed away to expose the areas that will receive the teal/blue-green metalflake paint.

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Here, Marinelli has shot on the color for the scallops, which will be revealed when the tape is pulled.

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Marinelli begins the unmasking part of the custom painting process, which he says is the payoff stage.

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More fun as the unmasking of the scallops continues; we see a pattern developing here.

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Finally, the three pronged-scallops snap into focus, giving the Trixie Tee an old-school vibe.

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A perfect match to Meridith Dale's custom-made Trophy Queen purse, Trixie Tee's scalloped paint job is a vision in metal flake. Jack Marinelli said the teal color was achieved by using a royal blue base filled with both blue and green flakes. Now the body is ready for some clear coat.

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