95 replies to this topic

[Gluhead]

This kit is too nice to leave sitting in the box. I have to start picking away at it.

I almost always start with the rolling stock...no different here. Modelhaus Goodyear w/w's. I forget the stock number. The wheels are, I think, supposed to be a rendition of the '61 Caddy caps? They're closer to those than Caddy Sabers. Either way, they're from the AMT '64 Marauder kit. I gave them a hard wash of metalizer brass and shaved off the Olds emblem from the kit hubcaps. I threw the decal at it just to see how it would work out. I can't say I'm really all that happy with the decal so I may end up pulling it off and trying it with paint...or possibly making bullet caps. We'll see!

The thread title prob'ly gives the colors away - cream roof over a root beer body. Other than some altitude adjustment I won't mess with it too much. It's a great kit so I want to give it a chance to shine on it's own merits before I start hacking them up.

Enough yakkin' here's pics.

[Dr. Cranky]

I like them, they are looking good. Looking forward to more.

[TooOld]

Those wheels are cool !

[frozono]

love it........they look awesome.........

[fatkidd]

i really like the wheels.
for the center cap decal, why not try a dab of clear epoxy over it?

[John Goschke]

Love the wheels! The whitewalls are a bit "gangsterie."

[AzTom]

You made those wheels look Great!

[bryan_m]

the caps look great!!

cheers
bryan

[Danno]

Wheels look great!!

[Gluhead]

Thanks, guys. Sorting out just how I'll handle the altitude adjustment now...with any luck I'll have some progress to report tonight.

[bryan_m]

go GH go!

cant wait to see more
cheers
bryan

[H.A.K]

Nice.

[Draggon]

I love what ya did with the hubcaps. All these years I never realized they were caddy caps. Awesome!

[Gluhead]

Alright, altitude time. Revell really did a nice job on this chassis. Here's the unmolested lower a-arm/spindle/steering linkage piece. As I said before, I want to let this kit shine on it's own merits as much as possible, but it's got to come down so I'll modify what's here wherever I'm able, and only add/subtract where I absolutely have to.



Once the piece is cleaned up (not like that takes much on this kit), I trimmed the bolt detail and drilled for pins. Then I carefully cut the a-arm free. This is a delicate piece so it takes very little effort.



And here's an animated gif to show the articulation once it's pinned back together. The pins are just stretched sprue that's been heated on one end to create a rivet head.



No, I'm not going to make the suspension functional...but this was the easiest way to reposition the lower a-arm. The way this thing is done, it would not take a crapload of effort to make it working, though. I bet we'll see a few done up.

[bryan_m]

oh, very cool!

cheers
bryan

[Gluhead]

The lever shocks/control arms simply set up on 1/8" blocks. Along with this drop and the modified spindles, there's a total of a 6" scale drop. I also wound some new coil springs.

[Gluhead]

Oh, and I also went back to the kit tires. It was getting pretty tight in those wheelwells.

[Danno]

Looking good.

[Futurabat]

I'm with everyone else her...diggin those wheels! Decided to check this one out because i'm actually having a Root Beer float right now. I'm guessing this will have a Root Beer paint job with a cream or off white roof?

Edited by Futurabat, 13 October 2012 - 08:46 PM.

[crazyrichard]

wheels look great and love the suspension