Project Deli – It’s all about branding – and curiosity

What is in a name? Well, some would argue everything. But after putting four years of content out on my blog, it is time to make GoatBoy a household name. At least in Glacier Park. Without it, there would sadly be no GoatBoy in the world. 

The Chamonix winter package of the Delcia does come with its own factory branding. A couple of tags on the rear and those on the back quarters. But that is not how it left the factory floor in Nippon in 1997.

Yow-zah! Yes, back in the day, there was no mistaking you bought a Delica Chammy. The prior owner likely removed those large splash decals because thinly striped Japanese stickers don’t age or weather well and tend to peel back at the edges. All I know is they saved me a LOT of work.

The first thing is personal plates. At the time I ordered them, I was unaware of a license plate shortage in Washington state. Yep. It took nine months before they came in the mail. Just in time to pay the annual tabs again!

Then I picked up some engine tags for the front fenders. To me, the sound of a diesel is very unique and identifiable. But everyone I meet asks, “Is that thang a die-sill”? Now they can figure it out for themselves. Provided they can read.

The other is a little shameless marketing to drive people to read my wonderful stories about Glacier Park (and so much more). I created a brief splash page that will give the curious a little idea of what this entire van is about and insight into that boundless beacon of happy energy known as GoatBoy.

Now, for the main branding tag, I wanted to play off the original Chamonix decal. Integrate the white on silver, letter shadowing, and font size so that each would complement the other.

For continuity, I kept it above the two-tone and in the black. I also laid it into the style line crease in the middle of the door to give it a more 3D look. And keep it at the ride height of the average car on the road. Of course, I opted for commercial-grade reflective vinyl, so it should really stand out at night.

A good start. Simple. Clean. And best of all, intriguing. My goal is to attract all those still curious about the world, and repel those who are set in their ways and just waiting to die. I’m always looking for stories that are so good I could never have made them up.

Now comes the mountain graphics. It took me a long time to source what I wanted in the size I wanted. I see every Subaru and Tacoma out there with these cheesy mountain and tree decals on the lower panels. All of them are simple block designs, boring, and the same.

I separated the massive one-piece decal into workable sections by cutting out the parts that I considered too cluttered. I wanted to opt for a streamlined look with minimal detail to avoid confusing the initial impression.

I was going for the look of a Himalaya mountain range that started at the rear of the van and rolled into the vast Tibetan Plateau by the time it hit the front fenders. Or something along those lines.

I don’t care how many YouTube videos you watch. Decals this size are a LOT of slow, time-consuming work. I used the spray bottle method, which added to drying time, but gave me a lot of wiggle room for getting everything aligned.

The tricky part was placement. I didn’t want the mountains to have a hard border at the bottom like I see on every other vehicle on the road. I wanted them almost to float and appear fluid. And again, use that natural contour line in the lower panel to give a touch of 3D and texture.

I liked how it turned out. It catches the eye, but not like a gaudy and tacky-looking Red Bull billboard. At the same time, it allows me to add some tweaks here and there. It’s always good to have a little spare canvas for future fun.

This side was the worst. If I did my job right, the door seam and the fuel door seam don’t stand out. That took a LOT of micro-cutting and dabbing with a sponge. And too much time down on one knee. But the result warranted the effort.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked in the rearview mirror of both the Delica and the Figaro, and I see someone mouthing the words “What is that?” Which I find amusing, because there is really no way for me to respond. Until now. One last decal.

I also put one of these on the Figaro. When people climb up on my bumper to read the make and model tag, they can scan this QR code for the whole story. It leads them to a different splash page on my website, directing them to my numerous posts on both JDM vehicles.

Alas, branding is done. I do have a handful of decals that I like to rotate through. Of course, I put them all on magnetic sheets and cut to fit. That allows me to swap them out and change placement as my mood directs. But for now, the Deli is where I want it to be visually.

Just a couple of coats of wax to seal everything up, and I’ll be ready for that burning Montana sun up at Logan Pass this summer!

Goat-Mobile out!