The Black Mamba
The laser-like vibrance of the red stripes is difficult to capture in photographs. It must be seen in person to be fully appreciated.
The paintwork on the Black Mamba was never intended to be merely decorative. It was developed as a complete visual system - one that had to support the car's long, low, aggressive stance while giving it the dramatic identity that ultimately defined the Black Mamba name.
All painting was performed by Troy Costa using PPG materials. Final finishing and detailing were performed by Aaron Larson of Larson Auto Detailing.
The process began with PPG DMD 1683 black base coat, followed by two coats of clear. The entire body was then wet sanded with 800-grit paper to open the surface for curing and prepare it for the next phase of the paint process.
At that point, the car temporarily left the booth for headliner installation before returning for re-base coating, stripe development, and final clear work. This sequencing ensured that nothing later in the build would compromise the final finish.
The Black Mamba's finish was never simply black paint with red stripes. The final combination was carefully developed, with Laura Taylor playing a central role in the selection. Her eye for color balance and proportion shaped the visual identity of the car in a way that is still immediately apparent.
Several stripe combinations were evaluated - from gray to gold to ghost red - before the final direction was chosen: vibrant candy red over silver metal flake. What stops most people first is the stripe package itself - an aggressive, high-contrast visual signature that defines the car as much as the body shape.
The Super Snake stripes were laid out using an 11-inch center stripe with two 3-inch companion stripes, separated by a precise 1-inch gap. The side GT-style stripes were painted on to match and then cleared over permanently.
Stock GT500 stripe decals were sourced and reproduced in reverse image as vinyl templates. These were temporarily positioned on the car and sprayed using the same silver metal flake and candy red combination so the side treatment would remain visually consistent with the over-body stripes.
The final stripe system was built using PPG DMD 1690 coarse silver beneath DMX 213 vibrant red tint / toner, all buried under additional clear. Color control was critical: too many layers of red would push the color toward maroon, while too little would make it appear pink.
That balance had to be exact. Painter Troy Costa was the only person who could reproduce this red correctly. In direct sunlight, the silver flake activates beneath the candy layer, producing a vivid, almost laser-like effect that photographs can suggest but never fully capture.
After the stripe and graphic work was complete, five additional coats of clear were applied. The car was then color sanded and buffed to achieve the depth, gloss, and sharpness that define the final finish.
Final paint finishing and detailing were performed by Aaron Larson. After years of use, the finish was protected with a ceramic coating, later updated with a graphene coating to preserve clarity and surface depth.
In photographs, the red appears strong. In person, it is something else entirely. The silver metal flake beneath the candy red activates in sunlight, creating a vibrance that has to be seen to be understood.
This is what most people notice first about the Black Mamba: the depth of the black, the intensity of the red, and the way the stripe system energizes the shape of the car. The finish is elegant at a distance, but intensely detailed up close.
