Bill J

Awesome build, inspiring!

If I weere building one of those 1963 Lotus kits, I would see about getting Michael at Indycals to get some more of the upgrade kits produced. https://www.indycals.net/parts/indyparts/63lotus29upgrade.html

Mark, back from about 1962 until maybe 1967 the Ford race cars used what is called a Bostrum seat. It is a smaller, simple bucket that they used in vans and police cruisers. Most were a champaigne gold color upholstery.

That is an awesome bus! Very nice restoration and beyond. Nice work. Seeing the buses reminds me when I was very young and invited into military service with the US Army. Made several bus journeys around the southwest to get home and back to the Army. Quite an adventure back then. Once they sent me to Germany for several years, I began my long list of airplane flights. At one time I had been on at least one flight of every airliner version flying at that time. Sorry, I was carried away by being reminded of all that travel.

That looks great Mark. To make it look more like aluminum used back then, a semi-gloss clear over the material gets very close. Curious, what glue did you use to glue the streamer material to your door panel area??

Mark and Pierre, that blue looks as close as I could imagine. I wanted to let you know I stumbled onto an inexpensive product that is ideal for that textured aluminum they all used for interior panels in that era. I was walking around Hobby Lobby with my girlfriend, she makes things, and I noticed this material on the end of an isle. It is a party streamer material, come on a 100 foot roll, about 2 inches wide and costs $2 per roll. It is shiney and textured metalish material. You have to glue it in place, it's like a tape without any sticky. Then you have to coat it with a semi-gloss clear to tone it down. It is called Streamer snf can be found with the party supplies at Hobby Lobby. I'll try to get a pic up for you of the material. https://www.hobbylobby.com/search/?text=silver+streamer&quickview=80789929

Pretty sure the real car was Ford Guardsman Blue. The same color most racing Cobras were painted.

Mark, super nice work on the 64 Galaxie. Best rear end fix I have seen also. As for the exhaust, the rule changed some time after the Fireball Roberts crash at Charlotte. NASCAR determined that the exhaust through the frame contributed to the damages to Fireball's Ford. Some other rule changes that came from that wreck were fuel cells and elimination of the asbestos mats on the floorboards. I think they decided the ruptured gas tank which allowed the gasoline to go eveywhere, much ended up soaked into the asbestos matting, acting as a giant wick. The fuel cells were mandated by 1965. I am not sure when the exhaust rule took effect but it was after Charlotte in 64.

It's a 1986 Olds Delta 88. Monogram made a kit of the 87 Olds Delta 88. The difference is an 86 street version had 4 retangular hedlights and the 87 version had flush special headlights. NASCAR allowed the 87, like the kit, to have flush lights. You need to modify the headlights to replicate a 1986 Olds Delta 88. Some people have used Monogran 83-86 T'Bird headlights to make that mod. https://www.mikesdecals.com/copenhagen-foyt-1986-powerslide-099-p-183.html '

Thank you all for the inputs on the small parts tools. I bought one of the above, the 2 ended version and I love it! For sure, the best 7 bucks you can spend on a model making tool.

NASCAR allowed the Fords to run 2 four barrel carbs in 1967 and 1968. In 1969 they went back to a single carb, which is when the Holley Dominator carb came along and the Boss 429 engines. The Daytona winner in 1969 was a Ford with a 427 and a single four barrel. The Boss 429 was not allowed until the 69 Atlnata race.

I first used a 2x4 manifold from the 66 Galxie kit. I had the whole thing together I noticed the carbs interfered with the hood. I popped the manifild off and used the 2x4 manifild from the AMT 60 Starliner custom kit. The manifold is only in the "custom" Starliner kit.

Really awesome Gerald! Great job making the Montego for us too

Really looking good Gerald. I wish someone would make those decals again. A really neat looking car.

Very nice!