impcon

Well isn't that just lovely! What a shame. Hopefully someone will get into the driver's seat and the molds will remain active. I don't know all of the facts of course but it is never good for the hobby when this sort of thing happens. Yup! I agree - better stock upon all of those Lindberg kits that were on your wish list before the prices go nuts on the stuff.

hi John, Looks like pretty good work to me and as I painted real cars for fifteen years, I understand fully the concept of "it's all in the prep work". Guys - what are your views on rechroming as opposed to buying repop resin parts that are chromed?

Thanks kindly! I think that I have a grasp on the process so far. Now, would you be so kind as to get into how to actually construct the 3 dimensional door with the inner door panel attached?

Thank you Harry.. I appreciate the leads and information. Love your avatar by the way The brother of a friend of mine when I was in high school had a '59 Bel Air 2 door hardtop in those colours.. it was gorgeous!!!

Just wondering if anyone has ever posted a tutorial on installing opening doors on a build? I know that it is a tedious job but it's something that I would like to try to incorporate into some of my builds down the road. Any help will be appreciated.

I have some model parts that I either have to replace with new resin repop parts or else send them away and have them rechromed. Any suggestions as to who is reliable and honest and what does it cost to have parts rechromed? I know it will depend on the size of the part but does anyone have any input on this based on actual experience? I looked at Chrome Tech's webpage but there is no price guide to indicate what the costs are. Are there any other platers who you would recommend?

Thanks for the input guys. I tried the freezer thing and it worked well for the most part. When the original builder put the truck that I am working on together, he seems to have painted a lot of it before assembling which has really helped I am sure.

Amen, Brother!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This has probably been asked before but I have not been able to find anything on the subject. Is there a way to avoid hosting pictures on Photobucket and just upload decent sized images right from my hard drive to this site? I was just in the trucks section and a bunch of photos are gone - there's just an icon that says that the bandwidth has been exceeded. Any ideas?

Your pictures aren't showing.. Methinks you need another photo host... Bandwidth exceeded? What's that all about anyways?

Yeah - I'm still smilin'!

I really adore that era of Chevy. This may seem like a dumb question but is that a resin kit? Lookin' really good!

That is one AWESOME build! The photography ain't bad either , by the way. The color on that car is outstanding and the finish looks to be as good as most of us only dream of achieving. You're a tough act to follow..

I think that I have this phot thing figured out so here are the pictures of the truck before I took it apart and after I got the paint off of it late today. It cleaned up pretty good but as you can see in the photos, the tailgate is somewhat goofed. I'll start off by cleaning up the glue damage and fixing any little things that are wrong over the next day or so. I have to go out to where the real truck is sitting and get the paint codes off of it and take some photos fopr reference - especially the interior. I'll also have to scratch build a rear bumper as her truck has an aftermarket rear bumper on it. More pictures to come...

That sure is purdy!!!!!!!! I really like that colour! So what colour is the interior going to be? Black? White? Burgundy? Or blue? A vinyl top would really be befitting of that car.. It's looking REALLY good! I'll be watching this one.

At last, I have started work on what will be my first complete build in over 15 years. It's an old SMP annual - a '60 Chevy pickup and trailer that I bought off Ebay awhile back for $16.00. The truck was disassembled using the deep freeze method that worked like a champ partly I think because the original builder seems to have painted the truck and then assembled it. There is VERY little glue damage on the little truck - the worst is from what I am thinking was the accessory fender skirts that the truck must have worn at one time. There is also evidence that a couple of things were glued to the bed floor of the box at one time but that should clean up. Probably the worst glue damage is on the tailgate where the builder glued those wretched louvers across the "Chevrolet" lettering. That will be a challenge to try to bring that lettering back. The truck will be built bone stock but I will be sustituting the V8 for a 235 six cylinder and a three speed manual transmission ( column shift )from a newer AMT short box kit just like the real truck has. The real 1:1 truck that this is being built to replicate was my Mom's truck which I now own - although her's is a '61. There are several differences between a '60 and a '61 - a very slight difference in the grilles, the hub caps and the fender scripts that on the '60 say "Chevrolet" and on the '61 they say "Apache". I am not into paying $200.00 for an unbuilt kit and built ups of the '61's are few and far between so I'll live with this I guess. The truck will be painted two tone green and white like my Mom's and it will getting the six cylinder engine as mentioned. I'll be ordering new chrome from the Modelhause just to spruce the old gal up a bit.. I may substitute '61 bumpers and grille for the '60 - I have to decide on that yet. Also, I am not sure what the old annual hub caps were like.. I'd sure appreciate some photos if anyone has any of the '60 hub caps and the '61 caps. These were small dog dish caps - not full wheel covers by the way. If I could find a scrap '61 fender or cab to try to get a casting of the "Apache" script, I'd do it in a heart beat and replace the Chevrolet script with the proper '61 script. My mom's truck had the full chrome package - bumper, grille, hub caps and deluxe side trim - it sure was a pretty little truck. It has been apart for many years since my brother started working on it and then gave up - plans are to refurbish the truck in the next couple of years. it wont get a ground up restoration but i will reassemble it, clean it up, paint it and get it driving again. This will be a lengthy build as I am limited in time but I'll post as I go along.. I welcome constructive criticism and helpful hints. The little truck will be primed and painted with autoimotive paints - probably a urethane enamel.. wish me luck.

Just wondering if you could please post pictures of the "poverty" hub caps? Thanks in advance.

I think that we can all benefit from your knowledge and you are to be commended for being so willing to share it. Thank you. I'd really like to see a very detailed and simply written tutorial on casting parts - both from scratch and reproducing hard to find pieces from available and obsolete kits. Perhaps it may be important to include in detail the methods used to scratch build as well as what materials are and may be used to cast parts. I am sure that there are many different techniques.. and maybe others can contribute their experience and knowledge. One thing I would like to know for example is say for instance, how to duplicate the side trim from a '57 Fairlane hardtop so that it could be used to build a phantom '57 Ranchero with Fairlane 500 side trim. Also, casting tail light lenses - how is it done and what materials would be used? Sources for these materials ( online ) would be good to know as well as many of do not live near a major center where there is an abundance of hobby and craft stores. Many of these questions are probably pretty triviall to the seasoned scratch builders but to many of us, it is all new knowledge. I'm in and appreciative of anything that you post. Gary

That little truck is going to be an AWESOME one of a kind build!!! I love those old Ford cab overs - the local packing house had a fleet of them when I moved here to this area and they were only driven in the summer! Talk about rust free!!! I admire your craftsmanship and determination - and creativity.. this will be one sweet build! Hang in there - don't lose focus and please keep postingthose pictures for the rest of us who do not share your talent or abilities. Guys like you inspire and challenge the rest of us! Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge and experttise.

I don't know who made the parts - but d'ya wanna sell those hubcaps? I'm right now in the process of trying to get an old SMP '60 Chevy pickup apart to redo and I need hubcaps! Seriously, though - that was a good score!

Now THAT has class, charisma, character and it's oh so sweet!!!!!!!!!! It should be left just as it is - preserved, cherished and loved as a piece of history! Personally, I wouldn't change a thing - I'd just maintain it and drive it! Hopefully it goes to a good home. there really is something quaint and real about an old car in it's natural state. They really do lose their charm and character once they have felt sandpaper and wear new paint.. This little truck is a veteran - a survivor.. and should be kept just as it is. To change anything would rob it of it's identity and uniqueness and make it just another hot rod. Just my opinion...

A local guy who does all of my towing uses the name Eagle Towing - he has a black outline of an eagle on the side of his truck which is painted yellow. It's really decent looking.. and I like the name. I know it's pretty mundane when compared to "Get Toad", but I thought I'd throw it in.

I was on a road trip on the week end and when my wife and I stopped for lunch, there was a pretty sharp looking forest fire fighting truck on the parking lot. It was a 2005 F500 4x4 with the fire fighting box and equipment.. Our son fights forest fire here in B.C. during the summer months so the truck is of interest to me.. The owner was kind enough to let me photograph his truck in detail and I would like to test my scratch building by attempting to build a replica of that truck. But I need a new style F350/F500 extended cab and a four wheel drive chassis for a newer heavy duty "small" truck.. Does anyone resin cast a cab and interior for such a truck or is there a kit on the market? I can post a photo or two of the unit if that would help..

I should have mentioned that the '63 that I bought is an annual convertible with the year stamped bumpers - not the hardtop. And it is CLEAN!!!!!!!!!!! I am totally thrilled with it!!!

Just wondering what techniques you guys use to take an old glued model apart? i have heard some say thatthey put the model in the freezer ad the glue becomes brittle.. any suggestions will be appreciated. I know that heavily glued styrene fuses itself together making disassembly a real problem.. just wondering how you guys do it.. Thanks in advance..