John Goschke Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Did some bodywork this morning while swilling my daily adult requirement of coffee... Had this '58 Sunliner for quite awhile, and every now and then work on it a little. So far it's got a '59 Ford chassis and a PMC '58 wagon front bumper replacing the broken original, along with some work reshaping the front fender tops and lower windshield molding. Now it's got new lower rear quarter panels from an AMT '57 Ford to replace the glue-scarred originals... The '57 I used is from an early '80s(?) issue, molded in bright blue. First I cut the replacement piece from the '57, including plenty of excess material to allow for fitting into the '58. Then I cut out the '58 quarter and cleaned up the edges. I trimmed, filed, shaved and sanded the new piece until it fit nice and tight, then cemented a piece of styrene strip on the back side of the edge of the opening on the '58. A little more shaving on the back of the '57 piece, and it was ready to be cemented in with Testors liquid cement. After the cement was dry, I flowed a little cyano in the joint under the trim molding. After a little light sanding here's the result... Still needs a little work at that back corner under the bumper and some finessing at the dogleg. Looks pretty good now, without primer! Just in case, I do have a backup plan; Cruiser skirts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Nice post, John, all around. I love seeing these old glue bombs - first as they were, but then how they're made better. Cool idea and kinda 1:1 replacing the quarters. Looks good just as it is right now with the blue. I do got one question tho, and it might be coz I drank probly more'n my limit of coffee already, but....... how do you keep that Ford floatin in midair like dat? don't it wanta move away from ya when you go to work on it? just had to say sumpin' bout the pics--really cool, it looks like it's floatin in midair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruz Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Looks like this is already going in the right direction John, good luck!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdrodder Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 wow. how much did you pay for the ford, the 58 i mean . I wanted one but everytime i bid it goes to like 150 dollars and get outbid . Nice to see ur restoring one. cant wait to see more of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Goschke Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 Nice post, John, all around. I love seeing these old glue bombs - first as they were, but then how they're made better. Cool idea and kinda 1:1 replacing the quarters. Looks good just as it is right now with the blue. I do got one question tho, and it might be coz I drank probly more'n my limit of coffee already, but....... how do you keep that Ford floatin in midair like dat? don't it wanta move away from ya when you go to work on it? just had to say sumpin' bout the pics--really cool, it looks like it's floatin in midair Thanks! You get the floating effect by using the lazy man's photo setup... a scanner! Stick the model on the scanner bed and lay a sheet of white paper over it. Way quicker than setting up the light tent and tripod and all that jazz for stuff like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Goschke Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 wow. how much did you pay for the ford, the 58 i mean . I wanted one but everytime i bid it goes to like 150 dollars and get outbid . Nice to see ur restoring one. cant wait to see more of it. At least ten years ago I picked this car up in box lot of models at the flea market in Lambertville, NJ for about $40. It was the only restorable one of the group and the only one I really wanted, but I had to buy everything. Seemed like a real pain at the time, but now it's turned into a pretty good investment! Keep looking, you might luck on to a decent one, and don't reject one that got skirts glued on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Excellent bodywork on that one John! I've got a '59 Mercury that's got ruined quarters (The ribbing's got glue spots)-------I wish there were a plastic kit out there that I could replace 'em with. Only thing I could do I guess would be to buy a Modelhaus body, and use those quarters but that would be a waste--------it would be better to just go ahead and use the whole body instead! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordRodnKustom Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Very nice save. That one's well worth the effort to restore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordRodnKustom Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Excellent bodywork on that one John! I've got a '59 Mercury that's got ruined quarters (The ribbing's got glue spots)-------I wish there were a plastic kit out there that I could replace 'em with. Only thing I could do I guess would be to buy a Modelhaus body, and use those quarters but that would be a waste--------it would be better to just go ahead and use the whole body instead! Hey Bill, If you can borrow a clean body you can make foil castings of the washboards and apply them to your damaged one after sanding the area smooth. Not a perfect solution but I've done this on a '61 'Liner and it worked out fairly well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Goschke Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 Hey Bill, If you can borrow a clean body you can make foil castings of the washboards and apply them to your damaged one after sanding the area smooth. Not a perfect solution but I've done this on a '61 'Liner and it worked out fairly well. Thanks, Bill & Ron! Bill, if Ron's foil casting technique doesn't work you could always convert your Park Lane to a Monterey! AMT's 59 Merc interior has "issues" anyway; The buttons on the seats are where the pleats should be and vice versa! I know, as that little problem (and a succession of hot rods) have bumped mine off the workbench for about three years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrObsessive Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Thanks, Bill & Ron! Bill, if Ron's foil casting technique doesn't work you could always convert your Park Lane to a Monterey! AMT's 59 Merc interior has "issues" anyway; The buttons on the seats are where the pleats should be and vice versa! I know, as that little problem (and a succession of hot rods) have bumped mine off the workbench for about three years now. That's what I'll probably end up doing! That car begs for fender skirts and that aluminum ribbing seems to get in the way of what should be a clean flow of lines. I never knew about the interior issues with the kit...........I'll have to dig up some reference photos before I do anything. Ford sure was going through some heavy duty changes then! Just look how quickly they went from the '58, to the '59, and then the totally new '60! Much like what GM did, although I think Ford's changes were much more radical considering what they had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodBurNeR Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 (edited) i love '58s! i think the blue '57 you are talking about was the Bonneville issue. i have partial of one and a box and instructions. the parts were the same color. i think that the only issue in that blue was the Bonneville car and was also the only issue with the essential parts to build it. don't know why they never added them parts into a re-issue. anyways....i can't wait to see this one done, keep it going! since i mentioned it http://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc...7-ford-bonnevi/ Edited September 23, 2008 by awbcrazy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Goschke Posted September 26, 2008 Author Share Posted September 26, 2008 i love '58s! i think the blue '57 you are talking about was the Bonneville issue. i have partial of one and a box and instructions. the parts were the same color. i think that the only issue in that blue was the Bonneville car and was also the only issue with the essential parts to build it. don't know why they never added them parts into a re-issue. anyways....i can't wait to see this one done, keep it going! Thanks, Bob. Made a little more progress on this puppy a couple months ago. Here's where it stands now, with cowl vent from the '57 grafted in... Passenger's side quarter replaced, and license plate recess notched in below the deck lid... Looks pretty cool with '61 Dodge caps from an early issue '49 Ford kit... Re. the '57 box art, I'm pretty sure the kit I used isn't the one you've got, but I'll check. Pretty sure it's one of the ones from the '80s with seriously mediocre art. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george 53 Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Welp John, Too late for this suggestion, but, the Revell 59 Skyliner, has that same area you replaced in a seperate chrome peice that looks like it woulda fit , plus the hubcaps you got on it(the 58) are in the same kit. Your doin a heckava job on it, so I hope we get to see it finished up! Lookin Good!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajulia Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Hello there friend! Just wanted to stop by and say that its not a matter of hope ....in yer hands it will be a beaut!!! Keep on wit the keepin on!!! will be nice to see her done... peace ajulia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfhess Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Thanks, Bill & Ron! Bill, if Ron's foil casting technique doesn't work you could always convert your Park Lane to a Monterey! AMT's 59 Merc interior has "issues" anyway; The buttons on the seats are where the pleats should be and vice versa! I know, as that little problem (and a succession of hot rods) have bumped mine off the workbench for about three years now. To do a Monterey conversion properly you would have to trash the chrome trim in the erar quarter coves and fabricate the proper "rocket pods". Monterey: Park Lane: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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