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Steve_L

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    Stephen L. Linngren

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  1. This project was completed for the IPMS show in Marietta, Georgia, on March 19, 2016. I built a 1963 Chevy Impala as a custom car; it is de-chromed throughout and features a seriously lowered suspension and custom wheels and tires. The highlight is a one-of-a-kind candy red metal-flake paint finish. It was a fun project that brought me a lot of enjoyment! The grille was enhanced with The Detailer Black wash:
  2. 2012 Silverado Custom I often have my "radar on" for model car projects and I found this one in the toy section of our local Walmart store. I spotted a number of Adventure Wheels Pullback Racer toy vehicles that looked pretty close to the 1/25 and 1/24 scale models I usually work with. I looked closely at the Silverado pickup and said "I could make a neat custom out of that..." I bought it and set about to customize it. I removed the door handles and tailgate handle and slammed the chassis to the ground. I used the 5-star custom 1949 Mercury wheels and tires and covered the body with Spaz Stix Candy Red and Rustoleum 2X clear. I made a bed cover out of styrene clapboard plastic and painted it flat black. I am pleased with my late model pickup custom project and did I mention it cost $4.99 at Walmart?
  3. This project was built from the Monogram 1932 Ford Roadster Street Rod kit and was stalled for quite some time. I recently pulled it down from the shelf and saw that it was almost ready for final assembly. Three day’s effort gave me a completed project. I originally painted the body with Duplicolor sandable white primer, Spaz Stix silver base coat, Spaz Stix Candy Red color and Rustoleum clear and polished that to a high gloss.
  4. 2014 CORVETTE GASSER I completed this project to supersede my 1957 Corvette Gasser. This build combines the chassis and drive train from the Revell/Monogram K.S. Pittman 1941 Willys with the body from the Revell 2014 Corvette snap kit. The chassis and drive train and associated parts were completely chrome plated by ChromeTech USA. To match the body with the chassis, I moved the rear wheel openings forward. I opened and hinged the driver’s door and the hood. I added quite a bit of detail installing a distributor and coil, wiring the engine per the firing order and installing spark plug boots. I also added fuel lines to a front-mounted fuel tank. I installed battery cables from the rear-mounted racing battery and plumbed all of the brake lines. I enhanced the fuel and brake lines with compression fittings. I added the accelerator linkage to rear of the fuel injection ports. The wheels received miniature valve stems. The four wheels and front tires are from the Revell 1962 Corvette gasser and the rear tires are aftermarket wrinkle wall drag slicks. The paint is Duplicolor primer with Spaz Stix Silver Base, Spaz Stix Candy Apple Red and Rustoleum clear. It was a fun project with plenty of challenges along the way. I took it to the Magic City Modelers show in Birmingham and was very pleased to receive a Top 5 award. Enjoy!
  5. This is my latest 1949 Mercury custom, constructed from the Revell 1949 Custom Mercury kit and a custom resin body from ModelHaus. I like the ModelHaus body because the roof has a more pleasing appearance than the Revell kit and it also has custom side trim and revised fender lines. I lowered it to the max and added a Chevy small block engine. Just to be different, I used the Kelsey Hays wire wheels and wide white wall tires from the AMT 1957 Thunderbird kit. I also adapted 1955 Chevy parking lights for the taillights. The finish is Duplicolor white sandable primer, Duplicolor Ford Sonic Blue Pearl color and heavily polished Rustoleum clear.
  6. 1941 FORD GOLD CUSTOM When I saw the Bandit Resins 1941 Ford Custom kit, I knew I wanted to build it. I bought it, checked it out with the Revell 1948 Ford Custom donor kit and found that the two were a perfect match. I did a lot of work with the chassis to lower it right to the ground and added chrome wheels and detailed tires. The resin body was already chopped so I added frenched and tunneled headlights and 1949 Ford taillights. I used the Revell interior as is with flat black upholstery. I used the Revell kit drive train painted in the kit-specified colors. I covered the body with Duplicolor Sandable Flat Black primer, VHT High Temperature Engine Gold and Rustoleum clear, polished to a high gloss. It was a fun build that has a prominent place on my display shelf! Enjoy!
  7. This is my interpretation of a Jimmy Flintstone resin kit, the Black Force Custom Dart. It was scheduled to be finished for the SCMA show in Lexington, SC on July 11 and for the ACME club meeting the following day. Oh well, better late than never. I built this project as a slammer with added details of wheels/tires, headlights, side-mirrors and taillights. I shot the exterior with Krylon X-Metals bright silver base, X-Metals red color coat and Rustoleum clear. The clear interacted with the color coat and yielded an unusual texture. I liked it and decided to go with it. (I hate stripping and repainting model car finishes...) Enjoy!
  8. It wasn't easy, and it wasn't fun. But the spoiler is on right, and now I am done...
  9. Back in the day, when I was becoming a car guy, I learned the meaning of "chopped," "sectioned" and "lowered." Those custom features are the direction I went with this 1949 Mercury. The body is chopped 3 inches, sectioned 3 inches and lowered to the max. I used an AMT 1949 custom Mercury as a donor kit and fitted a Cheez Cast resin body to it. I borrowed the Cadillac engine and transmission from a Revell 1949 custom Mercury kit for the drive train. I used the custom rims/hubcaps from an AMT 1951 Chevy kit along with parts box Goodyear tires. I experimented with rolled/pleated upholstery for the seat backs and installed a chrome dashboard. I installed a custom bullet/bar grille and round concave taillights. I painted the body with Duplicolor sandable white primer, Spaz Stix silver base coat, Spaz Stix Candy Red color and Rustoleum clear. Extensive polishing took me where I wanted to go. Enjoy!
  10. This project is one of the stalled projects I am working on for 2015. It is a Monogram 1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am build mostly stock, except for the interior and exterior paint. My friend Paul reminded me that these cars came in two paint schemes, blue and white and white and blue. I responded that I liked the look of the car better in black and that I was experimenting with a new paint/polishing process. Black was a good choice to let me know how the experiment was working. I have a couple of additions to try and then the process may be complete. Stay tuned.
  11. This is my 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing Gasser that was built for an SCMA show in Simpsonville, South Carolina. I combined the chassis and drivetrain from the R/M K.S. Pittman Drag Coupe 1941 Willys with the body from the AMT/Ertl 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing Coupe. The chassis, drivetrain and interior parts are completely chrome plated (by ChromeTech USA) and the exterior paint is Duplicolor primer, Duplicolor Metalcast Silver Base, Spaz Stix Candy Red and polished Rustoleum Clear coat. I revised the hinges for the doors, hood and trunk. I wired the engine and added fuel lines to a front-mounted fuel tank. I installed battery cables from the rear-mounted racing battery and plumbed the brake lines. I also added steerable front wheels, wrinkle wall drag slicks and interior detail items of a racing seat, tachometer and seat belts. Enjoy!
  12. While wandering through the automotive kit area of a local hobby store, I noticed an MPC Fire Chief 1940 Ford kit. When I saw that it was a snap kit, I almost passed on it. Then I noticed the chrome smoothie wheels and lakes pipes and decided to buy it to rob those items for another project. The kit (minus the wheels and exhaust) sat on my shelf for a few weeks. One day I took it down and looked for more parts that I might use for other projects. I looked it over and began to think about how I might build it as a custom. I visualized frenched and tunneled headlights and taillights, mild de-chroming, filled rear quarter windows and a "down in front" stance with big and little tires on five-spoke wheels. I got the project going and decided to add megaphone exhaust tips and bullet bumperettes. I finished the interior with Duplicolor Tan Upholstery paint and Bare Metal foil. I finished the exterior with Duplicolor primer, Rustoleum Bright Gold base, Spaz Stix Candy Red and Rustoleum clear paint. It was a fun project and proved to me that "snap kits need love, too..."
  13. How to make an Atlanta Car Model Enthusiasts (ACME) Model Car Paint Tool Materials: (I found mine at the Home Depot.) (1) Flat 1/8 inch thick by 1 ½ inch Wide by 96 inch long Aluminum Bar. (1) Roll Rubber Foam Weather Seal Self Stick Tape ¾ inch wide by 7/16 inch thick. Measure in 8 inches from one end of the Aluminum Bar and draw a line across it. Measure another inch and draw a second line. Measure another inch and draw a third line. Measure another 8 inches and draw a fourth line. Use a hack saw to cut the bar at the fourth line. Clamp the 18 inch bar in a vice with the middle line at the top of the vice. Use a hammer to bend the bar to a 90 degree angle. Do the same at the other two middle lines. When you are done, your tool should look like this. Adjust the outside bars so that the gap between them at the end is about 2 ¾ inches. Place a 1 ½ inch length of the Weather Seal tape on each outside edge of the tool so it looks like this. You can now paint your model car bodies with great flexibility and coverage. And when you’re done, you can hang the tool/model so that dust or mites won’t get into your paint job while it dries.
  14. Atlanta Car Model Enthusiasts (ACME) was well represented at today's show and swap meet at Hobbytown USA in Kennesaw, Georgia. I was very pleased that my 1957 Corvette Gasser won First Place in one of the two Automotive categories and also very pleased that three of my models cumulatively won Best Paint for all categories. Other club members won awards, as well. Go ACME!
  15. This is my 1951 Chevy custom, patterned after the second custom car I saw. The 1:1 was slammed, featured frenched headlights, a cool sounding exhaust system and 1957 Corvette taillights. I started with a Flintstone 1951 Chevy resin 2-door hardtop body that features a radically chopped top. I enlarged the windshield and back glass areas to improve the appearance. I slammed the suspension and added a Chevy 350 small block / automatic transmission drive train. For a smoother look, I removed the front and rear bumper guards. I have seen very few Desoto grilles on 1951 Chevys so I went that route. I finished the body with Duplicolor primer, Duplicolor Ford Teal Blue Metallic (I can't paint all my builds Candy Red, can I?), and highly polished Rustoleum clear. Enjoy!
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