asfastasu Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Bought this kit at a swap meet and immediately tore into it. I was inspired at the time by Steve Bouttes? custom Oldsmobile he was building in a dark green. Don't think I reached his quality but I tried?. Shaved the side trim and most everything else, except the door handles. Lowered it quite a bit, had to raise the driveshaft tunnel in doing so. Removed the rear bumper and wish I would've filled in the rear roll pan. This too, was a strip and repaint as the testors clear I used was an older can and wouldn't dry, even after sitting for 2 weeks. The paint is a duplicolor GM pearl green touch up paint from Canadian Tire cleared with Tamiya ts13. The roof is Tamiya racing white. The interior was flocked and the rear and front seats are the custom pieces from the 62 Pontiac Catalina. The door panels and rear package tray have tuck n roll made from Plastruc panels. The engine is the kit supplied mess. It looks mainly like a big block Mopar to me so I modded the intake to resemble a big block and added the distributor to the front and added my own cast copies of Johan air cleaners from the 62 Chrysler 300 kit. I made my own Lucas style headlights using pieces from the same Catalina kit, the wheels too. I can't stand the front bumper and wish I would've done something different, I might still change it eventually. Was aiming for an early sixties custom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Can-Con Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Cool. ??? Fun sanding all that side trim off, eh? When I did mine I used a Dremmel with a small 80 grit drum ,, wish I had a belt sander for it at the time, it was so thick ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RancheroSteve Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 Beautiful - perfect just the way it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asfastasu Posted April 11, 2020 Author Share Posted April 11, 2020 Thanks guys. Yeah, lot of work taking that side molding off. I think I used a chisel tipped exacto blade to get the bulk of it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 (edited) I like it overall, very cool custom! Per your comments on a different front treatment, I would suggest losing the center of the bumper for a top to bottom grill look and then reduce the mass of the remaining bumperettes to tuck them in. Edited April 11, 2020 by Tom Geiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nazz Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 Love it Aaron, very well done. Beautiful paint, great color and bodywork. Are those the air cleaners that come with the kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asfastasu Posted April 11, 2020 Author Share Posted April 11, 2020 2 hours ago, Tom Geiger said: I like it overall, very cool custom! Per your comments on a different front treatment, I would suggest losing the center of the bumper for a top to bottom grill look and then reduce the mass of the remaining bumperettes to tuck them in. Thanks, that's a possibility. I was also considering a bumper from a 57 Fury, which I think, is available in resin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asfastasu Posted April 11, 2020 Author Share Posted April 11, 2020 1 hour ago, Nazz said: Love it Aaron, very well done. Beautiful paint, great color and bodywork. Are those the air cleaners that come with the kit. Thank you. The air cleaners come from the Johan 1962 Chrysler 300. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moparfarmer Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 4 hours ago, asfastasu said: Bought this kit at a swap meet and immediately tore into it. I was inspired at the time by Steve Bouttes? custom Oldsmobile he was building in a dark green. Don't think I reached his quality but I tried?. Shaved the side trim and most everything else, except the door handles. Lowered it quite a bit, had to raise the driveshaft tunnel in doing so. Removed the rear bumper and wish I would've filled in the rear roll pan. This too, was a strip and repaint as the testors clear I used was an older can and wouldn't dry, even after sitting for 2 weeks. The paint is a duplicolor GM pearl green touch up paint from Canadian Tire cleared with Tamiya ts13. The roof is Tamiya racing white. The interior was flocked and the rear and front seats are the custom pieces from the 62 Pontiac Catalina. The door panels and rear package tray have tuck n roll made from Plastruc panels. The engine is the kit supplied mess. It looks mainly like a big block Mopar to me so I modded the intake to resemble a big block and added the distributor to the front and added my own cast copies of Johan air cleaners from the 62 Chrysler 300 kit. I made my own Lucas style headlights using pieces from the same Catalina kit, the wheels too. I can't stand the front bumper and wish I would've done something different, I might still change it eventually. Was aiming for an early sixties custom. Nice work Aaron. Where in Manitoba are you from? Winnipeg..Email me at moparfarmer@hotmail.com..Have you been to one of our meetings? WINNIPEG MODEL CAR CLUB..Very nice and smooth build.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moparfarmer Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 1 minute ago, moparfarmer said: Nice work Aaron. Where in Manitoba are you from? Winnipeg..Email me at moparfarmer@hotmail.com..Have you been to one of our meetings? WINNIPEG MODEL CAR CLUB..Very nice and smooth build.. You corrected the kit engine..It is supposed to be a big block but they kind of screwed it up by putting distrubuter at the back..That in 1958 was a 350 which morphed into the 361-383 and so one..After I look at your model you've really done a super job..Stare at the pictures and admire your work..Very nice..  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stitchdup Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 Very cool, it looks very slick with the trim removed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisR Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 Very nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koellefornia Kid Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 Sweet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyD340 Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 Outstanding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asfastasu Posted April 11, 2020 Author Share Posted April 11, 2020 8 hours ago, moparfarmer said: You corrected the kit engine..It is supposed to be a big block but they kind of screwed it up by putting distrubuter at the back..That in 1958 was a 350 which morphed into the 361-383 and so one..After I look at your model you've really done a super job..Stare at the pictures and admire your work..Very nice.. Thank you. Love the user name. I'm a bit of a Mopar afficianado myself, I own three of them. Albeit, one is a Caravan ?. I've not heard of the club. I'll send you an e-mail. Wasn't the 350 a one year option? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geno Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 I love everything about this build, it is just way cool. Great job Aaron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 Very nice build. Looks so much better with the side trim removed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espo Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 I like the way you built your custom here. You mentioned the rear roll pan, but I think it looks fine. Sanding the large expanse of the body sides must have been fun. The paint finish is also smooth and looks great. As an aside on the engine. Your engine matches the appearance of the one year only 350 cu in 305 hp 2 four barrel engine. In '59 they increased the bore and became the 361 cu in with the same horsepower rating and a single 4 barrel. This engine was also offered in two versions for '60 with the option of duel four barrels and 310 hp. This block also had another bore increase too 383 cu in. The standard 383 with a single 4 barrel was rated at 325 hp with a 2 four barrel option both rated at 330 hp. The top 2x4 option had a torque rating of 469 lbs @2800 rpm and was called the Ram. The normal 2x4 had a torque rating of 425 lbs @ 3600 rpm. With a difference of 44 ft lbs and at a 800 lower rpm you have to wonder what all they did with the Cam and Heads. This information is from one of my old Motor's Auto Repair manuals copyrighted 1962. More information than you might want, but you got the engine correct on this. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dino246gt Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 Nice custom, cool!!! Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asfastasu Posted April 12, 2020 Author Share Posted April 12, 2020 Thanks for all the comments guys! espo, that was a good read, thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
restoman Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 Very nice work!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moparfarmer Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 16 hours ago, asfastasu said: Thank you. Love the user name. I'm a bit of a Mopar afficianado myself, I own three of them. Albeit, one is a Caravan ?. I've not heard of the club. I'll send you an e-mail. Wasn't the 350 a one year option? I'am not sure how long the 350 went but it could be one year..I have only had Mopars and own a 64 Fury Convertible that was restored to stock in 1991 by Aime/Verna Verrier in LaBrocquerie..Its a 440 cloned to look like 426 street wedge..I've driven to shows in Minneapolis(10) time and won class same and Sioux Falls S.D. about as many..I drive to shows,no trailer queen here..Here is a few pictures from a show two years ago in Winnipeg..Got peoples choice here..Lucky..You could drive anywhere in North America trouble free..I carry no tools when I travel to shows..Just cleaning supplies..I've put about 60,000 miles since restoration..Lots of cleaning when it goes out.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Super nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAMBENNA Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 really cool, looks great, looks like Christine's sinister Brother Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spencer1984 Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 Smooth and clean, that looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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