CabDriver

Spent some time in Manhattan today and saw a few that caught my eye. Harley trike: What I thought was a van with a rocket on top (turned out it was more mundane than that) Liked the paint on this - looked cool in satin! Super clean old Merc: Whatever this is - looked fun! Something practical for NYC gridlock 😂 And another old Cadillac to add to the collection of old Cadillacs in my mostly-old-school-Italian neigborhood: Oh, and an electric unicycle contraption, for when you’re sick of transporting yourself around in a safe manner!

I wonder if the stripes on that box art model were painted rather than decalled? Would be easier to paint that scoop than decal it for sure. Then, a black wash would give you the dark spots in that vent. Of course, some decal setting solution would probably get you pretty close and make those decals snuggle in to the vents and then you can do a black wash over those after you’ve done the clear in the same way 👍🏻

I like using scissors too! Also, if the end will be hidden after you’ve assembled them anyway (say, folded under a buckle and hidden underneath the rest of the belt) I cut them at an angle so they’re pointy - makes them easier to get through the little slots that most PE seatbelt sets have somewhere on the metal parts

Exactly right buddy, yes! I won’t be running fenders on this so that’s one less issue to overcome. It’s mainly a packaging issue of getting everything inside that little trunk (not that there will be a trunk by the time I’ve filled it with an axle and suspension) in such a way that it would be able to work in real life. I really want to not cut away any of the bodywork back there so that the trunk sides look nice and clean so whatever suspension I go with has got to be pretty narrow. I also want it to have as low of a ride height as possible at the back, and a leaf spring loses some of that ride height because, by design, it would have to sit over the top of the axle somehow - so I think that option’s out if I want this thing to have the stance that I want. I did make a rough mock-up of a rear end that would work with the leaf spring, but the stance really sucked compared to what I had in mind: This one will get filed away in the “might be useful another time” box whilst I try some other ideas. I think the compromise is an air ride type system on the rear end only - so I can display it with the system ‘deflated’ and the axle sitting almost on the frame, but so that if this were a 1:1 it would be feasible that you could pump it up a little and actually drive the thing. Mount some bags behind the axle like this and get the best of both worlds... The front end wouldn’t need any such system in this case because I zee’d the frame so heavily in the first place, so it could still have a traditional hot rod kind of look on the outside but with that “looks like it’s almost too low to work” look that you might see on a rat rod or something like that. That’s my engineering challenge here - crazy low stance even with decent height rear tires but done in such a way that it could still function AND it looks traditional and cleanly done from about every angle except laying on your back looking up underneath the trunk. God knows where the fuel tank is gonna go - in the glove box maybe 🤷‍♂️😂. More improbable packaging fun tomorrow! 😂

Welp, I solved my dilemma on which clearcoat to use on this thing...went with the Testors enamel clear that I usually like. The Testors Boyd acrylic clear that I’d tested on a spoon still seemed too soft to polish even after a couple of weeks of drying (and it’s HOT here lately too!), so back to ol’ faithful enamel...just slowly building up the coats here but it’s laying down pretty glossy and slick!

Just some 1/4 by 1/8 inch styrene tube - the top piece is the same tube with the one edge sliced off. Thanks for the kind words! I thought that too! Looks TOO tall, to me...but I like it! I suspect if I had working window glass in those doors it wouldn’t be able to roll all the way down 😂 That would be cool! I had an old-school pastel blue color in mind too - we’ll see how restrained I feel when it comes to shooting some color 😂 Thanks buddy! I’m a little stuck on what to do for a rear end on this one - been messing around with parts for a few days now. I really like the idea of a leaf spring on the back, and actually resin cast a nice narrow one with a fairly extreme curve that I liked from the Boot Hill Express kit (top left of those parts below)... ...but I’m struggling a little to fit that and a realistic rear suspension setup under the narrow rear end of this thing and keep everything tucked under and inside the body how I have in mind. More thinking and plotting ahead! 😂

As good as that kit looks, I’d be tempted to use some pastels (either instead of or in addition to the kit) like Tom shows above to add some tonal variation to the finish. Add in some different browns and oranges to add some interest. Maybe some texture underneath it would be good too? Add some roughness and bubbles and bobbles to make it a little more 3D

I wish they’d put those on their website - $18 plus shipping is likely still cheaper than I can pick them up anywhere else (unless Michael’s starts carrying them)

Looks like it is! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BNDH0M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KCFmFbTWZVF56

Love a Pie Wagon! That color looks about PERFECT for it! Good choice!

Nice build David! Super clean looking! Looks GREAT in those outdoors shots! Cool to see someone else from Valparaiso on the site too - moving there next week!

I’d love to see Revell do their take on a T kit, like they’ve done with the Deuce kits and 29/30s I know they HAVE T kits, but I’d be interested to see a modern-designed Revell take on a T. Bet we’d see a bunch being built then!

I have no idea what’s happening You have my attention tho!

Oh, and I definitely vote for a Horry Barnes replica to use up that green paint! That would be a cool project!

I have a friend in England who’s a fan of him (and oval racing in general) and often sends me old pictures of his cars when he comes across them in magazines and online. I know he was best known for driving an MG sedan but the Datsun is cool too! That’s about the extend of my knowledge on Horry, except that he passed away last year, sadly. Oh, and that he looked kinda like Santa Claus!