Alan Barton

Sorry for the late response Misha, but thank you for the kind words. My wife, Ute, and I started our 11 week odyssey by visiting Phil Dauphinee and becoming involved in the Deuce Days in Scale show. Words cannot adequately describe how fantastic the shows are - both the 1:1 and the 1:25! We were treated like royalty and shown amazing friendship and hospitality the whole time we were there. The modelling scene on Vancouver Island is very strong and the standard of build is amazingly high. if anyone on this board has ever thought about attending, I can only say you will not regret it for one moment! Plus, you have three years to save up for your holiday and get a few new models built to join in the display. Might I add, the Deuce Days in Scale is held in a magnificent convention room at the hosty hotel with art deco fittings, deep pile carpet, crystal chandeliers, the whole nine yards. This is THE classiest model show you will ever attend. All you have to do is take about ten steps outside the door of the convention room and you are surrounded by the most exquisite array of hot rods you have ever seen. This is an event not to be missed and was well worth the long flight from Perth Western Australia. Cheers Alan

I've wanted to build one like this for a while now. You nailed it! Cheers Alan

I love it. Just shows what happens when you don't follow the rules! Cheers Alan

I figured this was the best place to put this as it is definitely part of the racing scene. Misha asked me to pop up some photos. I built this about ten years ago, I think, based purely on photos from old books and magazines. I imagineered the whole thing from photos in books and magazines and used the size of a tyre to scale it accordingly.. You can imagine my surprise when I walked in to the NHRA museum in Pomona some years later and there sat the real thing! I think I got it pretty close but the photos showed a light colour that hinted at being made from galvanised pipe. The real thing in the museum is painted with red lead or red oxide so either I misinterpreted the colour or it was repainted years after the photographs I used. It is basically constructed from Evergreen rod and angle with Billings boat wood for benches and deck, and some fine cloth for the shade cover. A variety of Revell Truckers figues and others filled the benches and an old AMT tape recorder is the basis of the timing equipment. Hope you enjoy it! Cheers Alan

Thanks Misha, I will start a new thread now under this category! Cheers Alan

What a magical recreation of the box art, Jim, I love it! The Double Dragster is my second favourite kit and I have built multiples of each version and still have a few more in mind. I've never used the low profile hood before - maybe I need to try a different that version next? When I built the streamliner earlier this year, I took a different approach to inserting the body in the chassis. If you cut the chassis right at the firewall, you can insert the back half through the cockpit opening and the front half can be glued down inside the front body halves. Because the belly pan is a snug fit against the body, you offer the front body section with glue on the inside edges just in front of the back wheel, up to the body and adjust everything until it is in its final position and then leave it overnight. Afterwards, you can't tell that the chassis has been separated! Cheers Alan

Wow! Like everything you build, the restraint is admirable. Using Racing White instead of Pure White gives that perfect 50s touch. But the thing I really like, that a lot of people don't do on their models because they haven't noticed it on the real cars, is sanding and rounding off the edges of the fenders. All Fords from 1935 onwards had a pronounced rolled edge to make them stronger and to minimise damage to tyres. As they come from the kit, that edge is always very square and sharp. It's a simple detail that adds a lot to your build. Cheers Alan

I love this thing - you have captured the spirit of the salt by designing a unique car to just enjoy the thrill of going flat out. Bonneville must be one of the last places where you can build whatever you like, safety obligations considered, of course. You could just imagine this creation pulling up to the starter - and can you imagine the noise! And best of all - the name!!! Genius! Cheers Alan

Wow, that brings back memories! When I was a kid there was a racing team that we passed on the way to school each morning. Three bright red and white Mini Coopers sat on the front lawn of an old house. Pretty sure it was the Terry Lemay Race team here in Perth Western Australia. I imagine they included many of the features of your blue model Phil. Very cool! Cheers Alan

I have one of these in primer just waiting for inspiration - this might just do it! What a cool model from an unlikely source! Cheers Alan

That roadster is to die for! The aluminium hood is such a great detail - it really adds to the raw image of the car! Cheers Alan

I have one of these kits still sealed in the shrink wrap but when my friend Tom from Pennsylvania sent me a gently gluebombed example I decided I had to rescue it! After doing a bunch of complex builds this year I needed to do something simple. The temptation to super detail the model was huge but I held firm and just added a few visual tricks to wrap it up. I didn't like the open hole in the top of the fin so I added an extended radar dome thingie with two protective covers from the probes off a multi meter. It also needed a jet motor so I fabricated an exhaust cone using the compression fitting from a garden hose and a piece of an old rusty cake icing tool! Finally I cut away the sides of the interior to put a fit a slightly undersized driver albeit substantially larger and more to scale than the one that came with the model. Comments and critiques welcome. Cheers Alan

I just finished one of these earlier in the year! They are a great piece of modelling history, especially with their connection to the GM concept cars. I love the lowdown photo you took - so many feature articles on Bonneville cars used this angle and yours is a perfect example. Cheers Alan

You had my attention at Salt! This is such a nice rendition of an early salt car. I have also tried flour to create a salty tire look - it looks a little closer to scale, even though it doesn't sparkle as well as the real thing! Cheers Alan

No worries, Dave, happy to help. Trust me, any firewall you glue to the outside of the body will be too thick. The only solution is to go back inside the cowl to give the engine the clearance that it needs. My water pump pulley on a short water pump is bare;y and inch or so from the radiator and the back of the engine is still under the cowl. Cheers Alan