[ Dark Grey 1953 F-100 Customised ]

[1972coronet]

My first completion of 2020 ! Actually , first completion in too many years ! 

AMT 1953 F-100 , box stock *except* for the tyres ( Parts Pack with the thinner white wall , which is period-correct for an early 60's vehicle ) .

Primer is Hot Road Grey ; wheels are the stock steelies , painted Krylon Chrome with Tamiya Black Panel Line Accent .

Interior features instrument 'decal' by Best ( I accidentally Mod Podge'd it over the kit's clustre , when I meant to hollow-out the kit clustre and inset the 'decal' , then flow some Mod Podge in for a dimensional effect... GRR ! ) . Interior paint is Tamiya Cockpit Green and Testors Zinc Yellow with a lace decal inset from the Donk version of the 1970 Chevelle . Dash is Tamiya Gold Leaf over Testors Zinc Yellow base ; same decal from the aforementioned Chevelle ; Molotow chrome highlights . 'STP' decal is from the kit's sheet . Steering column and wheel are Tamiya Gloss Black ; floor is Tamiya Semi-Gloss Black spray over Hot Rod Grey Primer . I obviously used the phone/ radio and the accompanying speaker from the kit ( antenna was added after I snapped the photos ) .

I had to wing-it with the tail lamps . I used the kit's chromed "push-bars" for lamps ; Tamiya Clear Red ( 35 year old paint that's still good ! ) with Molotow surround / upper-embellishment . The kit's club plaque is the de facto licence plate .

The kit's Flatty-8 is painted a mixture of Tamiya Lemon Yellow with Cockpit Green mixed in a 50/50 ratio . Air cleaner is Testors Zinc Yellow ; Tamiya Flat Red for the distributor cap and the oil filtre housing . Molotow chrome on the oil filtre housing lid , and on the generator . Then the whole shebang was washed with Tamiya Panel Line Accent Dark Grey and Black .

I built this to resemble a "retired" custom pickup which was pressed into service as a work truck ( hence the primer , and the somewhat customised interior ) .

Enjoy !

Critiques welcome as well as accolades !

[1972coronet]

Man alive ! So many visible flaws that aren't recognisable on the actual finished kit ! 

It looks much , much better in person... Looks quite atrocious here .

[Jantrix]

5 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

Man alive ! So many visible flaws that aren't recognisable on the actual finished kit ! 

It looks much , much better in person... Looks quite atrocious here .

I've had the same realization many times. Every little dust spec on full display. I like it a lot. Great kit. Can't go wrong with a primer grey hot rod.

[Tom Geiger]

5 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

Man alive ! So many visible flaws that aren't recognisable on the finished kit.

That’s why I take a lot of photos as I build. A lot of flaws show up in photos, especially close ups that are larger than the model

[ewetwo]

Nice build

 

[PappyD340]

Nice!!

[slusher]

Cool build!

[1972coronet]

On 6/5/2020 at 6:38 AM, Tom Geiger said:

That’s why I take a lot of photos as I build. A lot of flaws show up in photos, especially close ups that are larger than the model

I'm going to start doing that . So many blemishes that are apparent in these photos that aren't at all noticeable on the actual finished product . Oddly , the super-dark panel lines didn't reveal themselves ; and in some instances , they are darker than in actuality ( e.g. , the dirty air cleaner assembly --- its dirt is actually lighter in person ! ) .

This is the first finished-in-primer build that I've done in at least 30 years . My original plan was to paint it Tamiya Gold with Tamiya Pearl Clear ; however , with all of the inherent flaws of a tooling which dates to c.1962 , I "couldn't" give it a nice , glossy finish without all of the inaccessible sink marques popping-out . 

This is still my number one favourite 1950's F-Series kit , and I'll certainly build another one or five of them .

[1972coronet]

Thank you to all of you whom have taken the time to comment on my '53 F-100 "jalopy" . 

I was really attempting an exercise in colour balance and contrast here ; dull , but with some brightwork ( chromed generator and oil filtre housing lid )  ; dirty , but with hints of bright colours ( red distributor cap and oil filtre housing , and ; grungy , but still somewhat clean ( the gold dashboard with the lace "paint" on its lower-portion ; the chrome speaker ; the classic 'STP' decal , and ; the two-tone seat in Cockpit Green with Zinc Yellow , and the lace decal continuing the theme from dashboard-to-door-panels-to-top-of-seat ... which I'd failed to photograph before gluing the cab to the floor... ) .

Feel free to share photos of 1953-1956 F-100's that you've built or are building ( WIP ) .

**ADDENDUM**

I'd like to suggest adding Tamiya 'Rubber : Black' to your paint selection if you haven't already . Its finish is absolutely perfect ! Worth every penny !

Edited June 7, 2020 by 1972coronet

[Tom Geiger]

13 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

Feel free to share photos of 1953-1956 F-100's that you've built or are building ( WIP ) .

 

I only have one finished 53.. 

I do plan on building more. It’s a great old kit.  I do own three built 50 Ford pickups.

[1972coronet]

2 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

I only have one finished 53.. 

With an opened driver's door , too ! That's a great '53 , Tom ! Reminds me of some of the trucks I'd see when I was young .

[Tom Geiger]

30 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

With an opened driver's door , too ! That's a great '53 , Tom ! Reminds me of some of the trucks I'd see when I was young .

Thanks! I opened the doors on this truck, probably the last time I did that!