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buffalobill

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    Bill Mathewson

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  1. A '69-'70 Cougar's roof (incl windshield opening) is wider than that on the '67-'68 Cougar. Ditto for the same year Mustangs, so one would be best to use a '67-'68 Mustang (or Shelby) to make a '67-'68 Cougar fastback, while it would be best to use a '69-'70 Mustang's roof to make a '69-'70 Cougar fastback. The rear glass from a '68-'69 Torino fastback could be used in lieu of a '69-'70 Mustang for a '69-'70 Cougar fastback. . . re: the rear spoiler / wing on your Cougar, it would look better w/out it, or you could use a modest, molded-in place rear decklid spoiler - perhaps even not quite as tall as that on the '67-68 Shelby. I'll be following your build - like it thus far!
  2. Thanks for the info. Those are the headlights that I'm after. And, it looks like there are other parts such as side trim, bumpers, grill surround, tail lights, hub caps, windshield frame, dash board & interior panels, etc., that could be useful for kitbashing. Gotta get that diecast. . .Again, thanks!
  3. Does anyone know of a source for resin (or plastic) '55 Olds headlight buckets & trim rings in 1/25 scale)?. Want to use separate clear headlights in them, so old promo parts won't work for me. They were a popular headlight found on many customs back in the day. . .
  4. (all 1/25th scale) - some of these could be based on existing tooling, or most of the bits in existing kits - some are but wishful thinking, but 'ya never know. Also, some on this list have been done before, but not anywhere up to today's standards. . .) '56 Chevy Bel Air hardtop & convert '55 Chevy Nomad - new tooling, please! '70 AAR Cuda / 'Cuda 340 (optional to build either in same kit) '55 Ford T-Bird '57 Ford Ranchero '57-'58 Studebaker Golden Hawk '62 Pontiac Grand Prix '63-'64 Studebaker Hawk GT (w/ engine options: R2. R3, & R4, plus bits to do Granatelli's Bonneville racer) '67-'68 Cougar (w/ options to build an XR-7 GT, a 427/428 GT-E, and Gurney's Trans Am racer) '70-'73 Firebird (w/ options to build a base model, Formula 400, & Trans Am version in same kit) '57-'58 Chrysler - non-300 hardtop versions (Windsor, New Yorker, etc) '57-'58 DeSoto Adventurer hardtop '66-'67 Buick Skylark GS 400 hardtop '65-'66 Corvair Corsa coupe & convert / and incl bits to do a '66 Yenko Stinger (AMT's current kit, based on their '65 annual, is long in the tooth) * '56 Buick Century 'Riviera' 2 door hardtop '56 Olds Super 88 'Holiday' 2 door hardtop '57 Cadillac (non Eldo) Coupe de Ville & convert '33-'34 Ford (roadster, 3 window coupe, 2 door sedan, Vicky - in other words: Revell should do this like their ''32 series) '27 Ford Model T roadster (possibly stock, but definitely hot rod variants incl. modifieds, track Ts, dry lakes racers, etc) '53-'56 Porsche 550/550A Spyder (incl bits for race versions: headrest fairing, windscreen, race wheels/tires, engine & exhaust mods, etc) '61-'62 Austin Healey 3000 Mk II (2 seat roadster/not the 2+2) '55-'56 Lancia Aurelia B20 2.5 litre coupe '65 Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce 1600 Spider '66-'69 Alfa Romeo Duetto 1600/1750 Spider (like the car in the film: "The Graduate")
  5. As always you are way too modest. Your '69 Chevelle looks incredible! btw - I've seen other custom decals that Tommy has done, and his artwork is spot-on, and the quality ls excellent. Take a look here: http://www.speedwaydecals.com/
  6. This illustration is more or less a composite of an evolving design study that was actually done by Bob Koto who had been working on alternate designs, along w/ Bob Bourke, during the early stages of designing what was only to have been just a show car, but later was developed into the '53 Studebaker coupe & hardtop (ref "Studebaker's Finest" by John Bridges pgs 46-52). It was done up as a 1/4 scale clay model - just one side of the car - while Bob Bourke worked on his ideas on the other side of the same clay model. The hint of a bullet nose can be seen - that was Bourke's idea that was later - thankfully - dropped in favor of the much more attractive front end on the '53 production cars. . .(fyi - my very first car - when I was 17 yrs old - was a low mileage, but horribly rusted '54 Studebaker Commander coupe that I paid $50. for in 1962. Owning that car made me learn the fine art of slinging Bondo, and how to keep a car running using only junk yard parts; and after nosing & decking it, adding Fiesta hub caps, narrow Porta-walls, a '55 coupe's red vinyl interior, a Schaefer Beer tap for a shift knob, and black primer shot thru a reversed-flow Electrolux 'bullet-type vacuum cleaner, I had what I thought was the best looking car in my high school!)
  7. There's much misinformation as who designed what @ Studebaker in the late '40s thru the mid '50s. . .Raymond Lowey was under contract w/ Studebaker during that period. Lowey was a promoter-type razzle-dazzle showman, and grabbed all the glory for any successful design work that came out of his studio - even if he hadn't anything to do w/ those designs. He was not prone to share any of the glory w/ his talented employees, either. That also pertains to his studio's industrial design work, and the massive, art-deco styled locomotives he 'designed' for the Pennsylvania RR. To give proper credit where credit is due - it's true that Raymond Lowey largely styled the Avanti, but he had almost nothing to do w/ the design of the '53-'55 Studebaker cars, esp the hardtop & coupes. Most of the design work, esp the styling, was done by an employee of Lowey's named Bob Bourke, who had been a Studebaker employee before joining Lowey when Studebaker decided to cut costs and contract out their design & styling projects. Mr. Bourke has never received the accolades that he so highly deserves for what many consider one of the finest & refreshing designs from any US automaker in the '50s. Bourke also contributed to the design of the then revolutionary styled '47 Studebaker cars, and is credited w/ doing the revised '50-'52 Studebaker passenger cars, the '49-'55 Studebaker trucks, and the original '56 Studebaker Hawk (that were closely related to the '53 coupes & hardtops). It's worth noting that Bourke unsuccessfully fought Studebaker management re: the gobs of chrome that they insisted be lathered all over the '55 cars, ruining the styling of the elegantly styled multi-award winning '53-'54 design. Anyone interested in more info about Bob Bourke, I recommend "Bob Bourke Designs for Studebaker" authored by John Bridges (and, there's much more worth learning about Mr. Bourke, such as how his drawings on some napkins & clay modeling on a Formica-topped kitchen table were enthusiastically adopted by Ford for their '49 cars - and, that Bourke did that behind the scenes - so to speak - to help out a close friend & former fellow employee of his (Dick Caleal) to land a job w/ George Walker who had been under contract w/ Ford at that time. . . Walker ultimately hired Caleal based on his submission for what became the '49 Ford. Unknown to Walker then, it was actually the collaborative work of Dick Caleal, Bob Bourke & Bob Koto, who later worked w/ Bourke on the '53 Studebaker cars. Although Walker hired Caleal, he never paid him a dime for his work, Not only did Caleal not receive any recognition for his '49 Ford design, it was Walker who claimed 100% credit for it; just like the showman Lowey had been doing. . . Walker later joined Ford as their VP of Styling)
  8. More photos, please! That's an awesome build!
  9. Incredibly realistic looking - esp the beautiful paint & chrome work! My very first car (when I was 17 yrs old) was a low mileage, but very rusty, '54 Commander post-coupe that I paid '50. for in 1962, That car taught me all about Bondo and how to rummage thru junkyards. Many of my high school mates laughed when I told them I bought a Stude - that is, until they saw it in done up in flat black primer (that I shot thru a jury-rigged, reverse-flow old Electrolux torpedo-shaped vacuum cleaner). And, it never failed to start, even in below zero winters in upstate NY. I customized it a bit: $10./ for a nice original '55 Studebaker red vinyl-pleated interior, and other than some mild de-chroming, a Schaefer Beer tap handle for a shift knob, some grill mesh out of a '58 Ford, and a set of '53 Fiesta hubcaps (found on an abandoned '50s Olds in a field), it was otherwise stock). Funny thing is that I'll about the same amount of $$ invested in an AMT '53 Studebaker kitbash that I'm about to start on that's being done up as a what-if factory concept car w/ an Avanti R3 drivetrain and other subtle upgrades. But, your superb factory-stock build has convinced me to go easy on any mods to the original '53 design - it was that perfect then, and now! Your model is the finest build I've ever seen of AMT's '53 Studebaker kit! Congrats!
  10. The way that you did the windshield frame on your model is perhaps the best that I've seen to date on AMT's '51 Chevys, as that's been a 'problem' area on this kit, and other versions of AMT's '51 Chevys. A super clean build, overall!
  11. Totally agree w/ everyone else's comments - beautiful color combination, and the interior is especially terrific!
  12. Beautiful work! Maroon paint & wood - tough color combo to improve on. . .
  13. Greg - If you haven't already placed a dehumidifier in your Mom's basement, you should seriously consider doing that. . . Make sure to size the dehumidifier to the square footage of the basement. It won't remove any existing mold, but it should stunt the growth of any new mold from forming as long as you keep it running to maintain a humidity level around 50-60%. Mold only grows if an environment is humid enough to support it's growth. Quality dehumidifiers are designed to run continuously, if needed. I recommend Whirlpool dehumidifiers due to personal experience w/ that brand in my wife's dog grooming shop that had an awful humidity problem, including mold on the walls when she purchased the business. It's internal timer turns it on whenever the humidity level gets to 50%, and you'd be amazed at how many gallons of water it sucks out of the air every day. She no longer has any mold on any of the surfaces. (I'm in the Atlanta area, and have a similar climate as you have in DC in re: to humidity) Whirlpool dehumidifiers can be found on Amazon at very competitive prices, and w/ free shipping. Also, Whirlpool is the only manufacturer that offers a 5 yr warranty on the sealed system in their dehumidifiers; most all other dehumidifiers come w/ only a 1 yr warranty. (note: I do not have any affiliation w/ Whirlpool, Amazon, or anyone except my wife - lol) Assuming that the heating system's air ducts are in the basement, seal up any leaks in the ductwork, as introducing heated air into that space would most likely increase the humidity. Use aluminized tape, and not duct tape, to seal any leaks. Common gray duct tape is not for sealing duct work, despite what it's usually labeled. . . To remove mold - esp. black mold - can be hazardous, and is best left up to professionals. . .Unfortunately, that's a very costly proposition, as it usually involves the crew having to wear specialized protective clothing, air-extraction of the affected space, tenting of the entire structure, disposal of most floor & window coverings, and proper disposal in monitored hazardous waste facilities, etc. That work can easily cost in the several thousands of $$s, depending on the affected space. (beware of mold-remediation contractors, as the industry has it's fair share of scammers) Mold can accumulate on exposed wood framing, such as overhead floor joists and the underside of sub-flooring, on ductwork, pipes, walls, and most anything in a basement. During removal it should not be allowed to become airborne. There's another way for a homeowner to deal w/ removing mold, and that's by encapsulating it by over-coating & thus, sealing it, w/ the appropriate type of paint, after killing any existing mold w/ a solution of bleach or other specialized products designed for that purpose. Consult w/ a major name brand paint retailer, seek advice from experienced house painters, and do some research online to determine if that is something that you want to tackle by yourself. Just be careful to wear protective clothing, gloves, a hat, eye protection, and a respirator. Prepare to responsibly dispose of any clothing you had worn after doing the mold removal. Another important consideration is that when one discovers mold in their property, it becomes that person's liability to have it removed. Due to Federal and other municipality laws, the liability can not be passed on to a new owner when the property is sold, so it's best to deal w/ remediating it as soon as possible so that it doesn't get worse than it already is. . .Keep this in mind when you're discussing this situation w/ your insurance company (as they might cancel your coverage), your neighbors, and esp if you should involve the media, as it could adversely affect the resale of the property now, and at a later date. All the more reason to discuss options w/ an attorney (as much as most of us hate to), since it seems evident from what you've written that your Mom's property (and it's contents) have suffered significant & on-going damage caused by your neighbors. The neighbor(s)' homeowners insurance policy might very likely be liable for damages that their insured's actions have caused your family, whether or not the neighbor(s) violated any building codes such as set-backs, not securing permits, etc. Take pictures, keep dated records of any damage (esp when the flooding scenario first occurred, coinciding w/ when the neighbors altered their structures, backyard, and so on), and construct a record of any verbal discussions & written correspondence between members of your household and the offending neighbors. I wouldn't be at at all intimidated by the neighbor who is a building inspector, as his career could be in jeopardy if he's violated any of the laws that he's employed to enforce. Like someone else wrote: "building inspectors have bosses", and they won't want adverse publicity concerning their department's personnel, and esp if they ignored the issue, as it's also would involve the health department. . .To ignore the mold is going to affect the well-being of your Mom, and anyone else in the home, including pets. PM me if you need any more info, as I've had to deal w/ this subject on more than several occasions as a Realtor, as a contractor, & a homeowner.
  14. Very clean workmanship; it looks super realistic, and it's hard to believe that it's only 1/24th scale!
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