The Island of Dean

Images by Dean McLaren

We first met Dean McLaren a few years back near Sacramento, California.  There, he had a lovely piece of land with a spectacular shop with a massive array of restoration projects – from a 1965 Mustang convertible to a trolley to a full-service soda bar to a gas pump island and on and on it went.  Dean, a restoration expert hailing from Australia, seems to bound around from project to project as time, materials, and interest allow.  Always a sucker for pushing the envelope and finding new ways to make things visually interesting, Dean loves to light things up – even the paint.

“A while back, I started using paint that is electrified, you can turn it on and off with a switch,” he said.  “It’s a little hocus pocus, but it’s so cool!”

He built a Shelby Cobra with electrified racing stripes, a Porsche-branded oiler with the same paint, a Cobra-branded gas pump, and more.  He’s truly enjoying this stuff, and we wonder if he might paint the trim on his house with this stuff – wouldn’t THAT be fun for the HOA to debate around.

“I love it, but so do my clients and buyers when they see it,” he said.  “It’s a way to have something really cool that pretty much no one else has.”

Most recently, Dean has been working on one of his famous gas station islands, this time in the Esso livery complete with twin pumps, two tigers and a whole lot of paint and light.  The base of the island is underlit, creating a glowing, floating sensation, while the overhead barrel is finished in white with lighted “Esso” lettering.  The pumps were restored from relics, everything was, all by hand.

“I love making the islands because there’s so much that can be done,” he said.  “And who doesn’t want an island?  These are a lot of fun, everyone loves them.”

Stripping everything down to the bare metal and making sure the panels are straight and clean, Dean primes them and paints them giving them a whole new lease on life.  The paint is always durable and shiny, reflective because that’s the look he says everyone is after.

“The point is to create something new, something fresh and enjoyable, something the wife will allow in the living room, if the living room is big enough,” he said.  “So I strive for that, it’s a work of art and infinitely better than what was originally put out there to the general public.”

This particular Esso island will be coming up for sale at the Mecum Auction in Glendale, Arizona March 28-April 1, check it out here.