10 replies to this topic

[chuckinredneck]

I got the urge to build a beater awhile back after seeing a Camaro at a local cruise night. With the hood closed it looked ok, but when the guy opened the hood to start the car, it looked like the loser in a junk yard war, oil and grime were everywhere. I decided my victim for this was going to be AMT's 55 Cameo (sounds almost like Camaro). Starting with the frame and an unopened 10 year old Rust-All kit I got to work on my first build that isn't going to look like it just rolled off the show room floor or a trailer queen. The shelf life of the Rust-All obviously isn't 10 years or maybe I was expecting too much from it. I bought some rust colored paint and some charcoal and started experimenting, I think I came up with a system of paint washes and charcoal that are working pretty good.

http://i81.photobuck...vycameo004a.jpg
Next I turned my attention to the engine. For the build I didn't want a beat up work truck look I was thinking along the lines of a truck that was more like somebody's baby that was bought by someone else and then let go, so the engine wasn't built stock. I put on a 4bbl manifold and carb with a chrome air cleaner that i made look like it was starting to rust.
http://i81.photobuck...vycameo004b.jpg

Now I'm getting to work on the interior. Some where along the line I saw some seats that where made to look old and beat up using toilet paper. I decided to give it a try, at first I tried simply glueing the paper to the seat and that was a mistake. I had a spare bench seat from the 55 stepside I built a awhile ago and I thought I would give the water/white glue mixture that I use to apply flocking for carpet. Using a fair sized brush I dabbed the mix on the toilet paper from the center out and this worked pretty good and if you don't like the way that it looks you can easily remove the paper before the glue dries.
http://i81.photobuck...vycameo005b.jpg
After the glue dried I painted the seat and picked out a few rips with a dull Ex-acto Knife and faded the seat with ground up pastels and a wide flat brush.

And this is the point I'm at now. I've still got a lot of work to go yet. Anyone got any Ideas on how to make plastic look like broken fiberglass for one of the rear fenders. Thanks for checking out my progress at this point and sorry about being so long winded.
Chuck J

[Mj-Styro]

Looks great!!!!!

Very nice so far!!!

[walt francis]

I just used masking tape and then dry brushed it with wrinkles

[Wildrice]

Great work Chuck.

[chuckinredneck]

I was able to put some more time into working on the Cameo beater. For some strange reason I've really been enjoying this build. Putting the 7 pieces of the bed together was a bit of a challenge, I'm not sure about the look of the rear of the bed but I can't find any pictures to compare it to. On the other end of the truck I opened up the grill for the improved apperence. The first picture is before I opened it up so you can see the difference.


I thought I was done with the engine but I decided to get the throttle linkage in place and I added an oil dipstick. This is about the best picture I could get of the engine you cann't see it very well but let me explain whats there. The return spring on the carb is new because the old one was rusty and it broke, what was left of the spring is still on the intake manifold.

I'm trying to decide if I should try to build in some damage to the front end as the result of the spring braking.
Chuck J

[JAFFA]

if youre havin problems with the bed fit, n r making a beat up car, why not rusting up n bending the frame, just a little. should make things look right.

the fibeglass effect can be achived by taking hair (from a brush eg.) cutting it to very small pieces, mix it real good, lay it out on a smooth area and make sure its perfectly flat, like a weave. pour melted plastic on it and press it with a smooth piece of "sumthing". alternative to melted plastic is fiberglassplastic.

[chuckinredneck]

Thanks for the idea JAFFA. The problems not getting the bed to fit the chassis, the problem is that the bed itself comes in 7 pieces and 5 peices all have got to go together at the same time so that everything will line up then you have to hold it until the glue dries. Luckily I was able to get the floor of the bed out so I could paint it up seperate from the rest of the bed. I thought I had messed up the floor of the bed when I painted it and then weathered it but in the end I think it's alright I just need to get a can of flat clear to take the shine from it.

I also got the body into primer and I was going to spray it the same red as the interior is but a friend said he thinks it will look better with the body gray and the inside red/black. I'm thinking he maybe right, so now I'm tring to decide that issue before I go any futher on the body.

Chuck J

[chuckinredneck]

I worked on the interior of the Cameo and got it done. I've collected a bunch of stuff over the years and figured the interior of this truck could use some of it, besides what tired old truck doesn't have a few tools and other things floating around in it.


After looking at the picture though I think I need to dull out the dash a little more and make the tools look not so new
Chuck J

[JAFFA]

i just love following progress on this one!!(probably cos it reminds me of the pickup-truck at my home). its a great build and im amazed by that front seat! Have you considdered mud and paint scratches on the floor?

[chuckinredneck]

I finally got around to selecting wheels and tires for the Cameo. I figure on a truck such as this the tire would be a bit on the thin side so I decided to use the dremal and remove some of the tread. I got 3 of them done and sent the last one flying when I went to turn the mototool off and hit the switch in the wrong direction. Somewhere among my piles of modeling stuff is a tire. Now the truck has 3 five spoked mags and a spare tire.

On the body I decide I needed some rust spots so I shot on a little red oxide primer and some baking powder paste then shot the color coat over it. After the paint dried I chipped the paint on the baking powder and set the body in water till the powder desolved out. If I do another beater it will be better now that I know how to do it.


I will tell you AMT messed up the glass in this kit it isn't even close to fitting the winshield opening. I even checked the glass in another Cameo kit I have and a stepside kit and found the same thing with them. I'm tring to make the glass bigger with some Crystal Clear. It's a shame because other than the glass this has been a great kit.

[chuckinredneck]

Ok its time to get r done. I think I'm about done with my beater Cameo. I may add a small detail or 2 but other than that it's done. Regardless of what it started out as, this truck has ended up being a typical shop truck. This picture show the rotted exhaust pipes with the tail pipes being held in place by a couple of coat hangers

In this picture we can note a couple of things. 1-The truck is in need of some TLC , you can tell this by the tools under the hood. 2-The driver likes to keep up with the lastest in the automotive world as noted by the Hot Rod Magazine setting on the dash. 3-The driver is a fan of the TV show Miami Vice, take note of the model box on the seat. 4-The 327 in the back is for something else, just take my word for it

In this picture we can tell that the driver is a little absent minded, if you look at where the gas cap is supposed to be you'll see that there is a shop rag in stead of the cap

This last picture you can't tell much new from it I just like the picture

Thanks for checking out my thread it has been a fun build I might have to try something like this in the future
Chuck J