Ask a guy how cool his custom is, then watch his chest puff up as he tells you about the mile-deep paint, slammed stance, chromed-out engine compartment, and tuck 'n' roll Naugahyde. Now ask him how cool he feels--literally--when he's driving it. He may very well give you a blank stare.

Bob Call knows the feeling all too well. Years ago he built his dream car--a '49 Ford customized from nose to tail and crafted for long-distance cruising with a Mustang II IFS, 302 V-8, power seats, tilt column, air conditioning, and all the other amenities. Then he loaded up his wife, Barb, and drove from Denver to the Goodguys Heartland Nats in Des Moines in early July. It was a great trip in many respects--the car performed well the entire way, and even made the top five in Custom Rod of the Year judging. Yet all of that became irrelevant because, despite the air conditioning, Bob and Barb were cooking inside the car's cabin.

"Going out there it was hotter than Hades," Bob says. "Barb wasn't really pleased. Neither was I. I thought, `This is really stupid. I can build a car that a lot of people think is really neat, and I can't even insulate it. I can't enjoy driving the car!'"

The sweaty experience inspired Bob. He knew there had to be a way to make custom cars and street rods cooler, quieter, and more comfortable. So he embarked on a long and winding research and development journey that eventually led to the creation of Lizard Skin, a liquid ceramic insulation and sound reduction material. Yeah, we know what you're thinking--"liquid ceramic" sounds pretty space age. Quite frankly, it is. It also works.

What exactly is Lizard Skin? In simple terms, it's a sprayable, brushable, water-based compound comprised of microscopic, air-filled ceramic and silica particles that are held in suspension with acrylic binders. The particles not only reflect heat, but the air inside them also helps dissipate both heat and sound. Additionally, the dense acrylic binding material contributes to the product's sound-absorption capabilities, while also helping it withstand significant temperature swings.

The Lizard Skin name comes from the texture created when it's applied. Comparable to an orange peel, it looks similar to spray-on undercoating at first glance, although the Lizard Skin surface cures so it can be topcoated with paint (it does remain pliable enough to endure normal contraction, expansion, and flexing). The product will adhere to nearly any clean, dry, oil-free surface, and it's recommended that you prime bare metal prior to application. Best of all, it's water soluble, biodegradable, and non-toxic, making it ideal for the do-it-yourselfer to apply in his garage.

Bob is quick to point out a few advantages he feels Lizard Skin has over cut-and-paste-style insulation materials. First, it can be applied to both the top and bottom side of the floor (or firewall). Since it can be sprayed, you can minimize or eliminate insulation seams and separations, while also coating areas that are unreachable with other materials. Once cured, Lizard Skin becomes a durable moisture barrier, so it can even be applied inside doors and in other potentially moist areas. It also takes up very little room--typical applications require a coating that's just .040 to .060 inches thick.

We caught up with Bob and got to see his product firsthand as he performed a demonstration for one of Lizard Skin's newest dealers, Stitz Street Rods, in Upland, California. In addition to original Lizard Skin, Bob showed off Lizard Skin SD, a new material specifically designed for sound dampening (which, as we learned, is different than sound absorption). It can be used on its own, or in conjunction with regular Lizard Skin, in which case you apply the SD material first, and then top it with Lizard Skin. Take a look and see what you think.

It may look like Aaron Ohama...        read full caption It may look like Aaron Ohama is simply spraying on undercoating, but he's actually insulating his Nova roadster project with Lizard Skin ceramic insulation

Bob Call created this sample...        read full caption Bob Call created this sample board to show the surface thickness and texture of Lizard Skin, plus various topcoating options. Check out the lower right-hand corner, where five to six coats of Lizard Skin were block sanded, topped with filler primer and catalyzed primer (three coats each), and then painted.

Lizard Skin materials are...        read full caption Lizard Skin materials are sold in gallon pails. The spray gun kit comes with a stir paddle for mixing up the compound. This is Lizard Skin SD (sound dampening only), which is very thick and dense, yet still somewhat fluid.

Lizard Skin can be brushed...        read full caption Lizard Skin can be brushed or rolled on, but spraying is the preferred application method. It requires a professional-quality spray gun designed to handle high-density, thick viscosity materials. Lizard Skin offers a spray gun kit with a gun, hose, mixing paddle, and other items you'll need to get the job done.

The demonstration at Stitz...        read full caption The demonstration at Stitz was done on the shop's Nova roadster project, which was on a rotisserie for optimum accessibility. All of the bare steel surfaces to be insulated were first coated with PPG DP-40LF epoxy primer. Here we see Roland Gutierrez spraying the first coat of Lizard Skin SD on the interior floor.

The pebbled texture earned...        read full caption The pebbled texture earned Lizard Skin its name. When sprayed, the SD material is applied in one heavy coat, which should dry to about .020-inch thickness. Regular Lizard Skin should be applied to about .040- to .060-inch thickness, which usually takes three or four sprayed coats.

Spraying the material allows...        read full caption Spraying the material allows the most thorough coverage, especially on curved and hard-to-reach surfaces like wheelwells and braces. The flexible spray wand lets you shoot into tight areas like inner doors and quarter panels.

Regular Lizard Skin is thicker...        read full caption Regular Lizard Skin is thicker than SD--Bob calls it "marshmallow cream consistency." The Nova got a coat of SD on the inside, followed by three coats of regular Lizard Skin. The underside was treated to four coats of regular Lizard Skin. Bob says it never hurts to go thicker (around .080-inch, or about the thickness of two credit cards) on hotter spots (near the exhaust, etc.).

The more thorough the coverage,...        read full caption The more thorough the coverage, the better Lizard Skin works. The Nova was completely stripped to the bone, allowing access to virtually every inch of the underside.

The Stitz crew even Lizard...        read full caption The Stitz crew even Lizard Skinned both sides of the firewall. Per the manufacturer's recommendations, they planned to prep and paint it for a smooth, insulated finish.

To demonstrate the product's...        read full caption To demonstrate the product's effectiveness, Bob got out his display griddle, which is bare in the middle and coated with Lizard Skin on each side (.040-inch on the left, and .060-inch on the right). With the griddle set at 300 degrees, the center ice cube quickly became water, while those on the sides barely melted. In fact, this photo was taken at least a minute after the side cubes were placed on the griddle--that puddle of water is the second cube we put down in the middle.