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.