‘66 Olds El Camino, Olds El Cutlassino , hmmmmm

[AmericanMuscleFan]

18 hours ago, Steve H said:

I will say now, that this is one of the more difficult kit bashes I have done. Trying to blend the two is a good challenge for me. This is also my most ambitious bodywork project, always good to push comfort level...

You have already proven that you can do it Steve!   Getting out of your comfort zone can be unsettling but it's really rewarding when you take the measure of all the work done to achieve your goal.  You are on a good roll my friend, the mix of both cars works very well for me! ?

[Steve H]

2 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

You have already proven that you can do it Steve!   Getting out of your comfort zone can be unsettling but it's really rewarding when you take the measure of all the work done to achieve your goal.  You are on a good roll my friend, the mix of both cars works very well for me! ?

Francis my friend, nice to hear from you. Yes, it is indeed fun and rewarding to push the boundaries. The challenge with this one is trying to make the body look like a factory “Oldmino”. Obviously the pro touring treatment isn’t factory, but I want to retain a factory looking body, not “custom”. Thank you as always for your kind words and support. 
You my friend, are a true “master modeller” , I admire your craftsmanship, and your amazing humbleness, as you create incredible works of art. 
All the best for 2021, I hope you and your family have a wonderful new year. 
 

Cheers, Steve

[Claude Thibodeau]

Hi Steve!

Great progress, the "sitting on wheels mock-up shot" is nice.

I used those same wheels on a build lately. They are nice, but I always think that Pegasus should have done their front wheels a smidge narrower. The wheels are easy to narrow, but the tires require more work to make it flawless. Even their "big and little" combos are actually "wide and wider". 

You can't have your cake and eat it too, I guess. 

Keep on!

CT 

[Steve H]

1 hour ago, Claude Thibodeau said:

Hi Steve!

Great progress, the "sitting on wheels mock-up shot" is nice.

I used those same wheels on a build lately. They are nice, but I always think that Pegasus should have done their front wheels a smidge narrower. The wheels are easy to narrow, but the tires require more work to make it flawless. Even their "big and little" combos are actually "wide and wider". 

You can't have your cake and eat it too, I guess. 

Keep on!

CT 

Hi Claude, I agree about the wheels. I would also like to see a 20”/22” combo from them. I have some 22” JPS wheels that I have set aside for the GMC Jimmy re-release which should be available sometime this month. The 22’s look great under it, and yes it will be low! 

[Steve H]

Hi guys, 

I had a bit of desk time yesterday. With channeling the body over the frame, there is always modifications to do on the interior. The inner door panels needed a fair bit of surgery. I removed about 2 1/2 scale inches from the bottom of the panels. The “arm rest” was removed from rear and a filler piece installed. I then cut / shaped the panels to match the ‘68 units except a bit shorter, there was some head scratching, but they fit good now.  I also trimmed down the firewall, I still have a bit of work to do on that. Obviously there is a fair bit of clean up to do on the panels, that will probably happen today. I still need to cut the notch at the top/rear edge of panel for the “package shelf” too. One more step in the right direction!

Thanks for looking!

Cheers, Steve

[Misha]

Hi Steve,

Have been following your build and enjoying the discussion relating to the body. I favour retaining the “Olds Curve” as it is such a signature line. It really makes it stand apart from the Elco and, as has been mentioned, it is more than changing front clips. This would have been a great option if GM had pursued it.  Glad to see you retaining it. The discussion amongst members has great along with the photoshop options, really is a good tool.

Your interior work to achieve a lowered or channeled look is very interesting to me. I’ve been concentrating on greater interior modifications and detail. Steven G. Has been a great inspiration with his interior detailing, especially his 442 and your work is carrying me even further with ideas churning in my mind.
 

One of the great advantages of this forum is this type of discussion and input, rather than working solitarily. While club meetings have ended, I find the forum to be very valuable in avoiding the inherent loneliness that our world situation is experiencing.

Looking forward to your build, cheers Misha

[Phildaupho]

Just came across your new project. I have to add my name to the list of those favouring keeping the "Olds Curve" on the rear fenders as it is very distinctive and stylish.

[Steve H]

10 hours ago, Misha said:

Hi Steve,

Have been following your build and enjoying the discussion relating to the body. I favour retaining the “Olds Curve” as it is such a signature line. It really makes it stand apart from the Elco and, as has been mentioned, it is more than changing front clips. This would have been a great option if GM had pursued it.  Glad to see you retaining it. The discussion amongst members has great along with the photoshop options, really is a good tool.

Your interior work to achieve a lowered or channeled look is very interesting to me. I’ve been concentrating on greater interior modifications and detail. Steven G. Has been a great inspiration with his interior detailing, especially his 442 and your work is carrying me even further with ideas churning in my mind.
 

One of the great advantages of this forum is this type of discussion and input, rather than working solitarily. While club meetings have ended, I find the forum to be very valuable in avoiding the inherent loneliness that our world situation is experiencing.

Looking forward to your build, cheers Misha

Hello Misha! Thanks for checking in. I feel like every time I channel a build, and I’ve done quite a few, it’s different. I like to think I learn a bit each time, but they all have their unique challenges. Interesting that you mention Steven G and his interiors, he has absolutely inspired me to improve that part of my builds. My next update will show some of that, nothing like Mr. Guthmiller’s, but an improvement from my own previous efforts. I’ve added cup holders in the console, and improved gauges on the dash. Small steps... Thanks for your encouragement and input. That whole photoshop deal is awesome, I’m not tech savvy with that stuff, but what a great visual tool. I really appreciate those guys doing that and showing the options and what they could look like. More updates later this week.

Cheers, Steve

 

[Steve H]

9 hours ago, Phildaupho said:

Just came across your new project. I have to add my name to the list of those favouring keeping the "Olds Curve" on the rear fenders as it is very distinctive and stylish.

Hello Phil! Thanks for having a look. As I have said here, I really appreciate the guys doing the photoshop, and sharing their thoughts, that is what makes this forum so enjoyable. Heck, without the input on my Anglia build, it would not have had the suicide doors! The Olds curve stays, I think it really makes the overall look of the vehicle “different” and that was one of my goals.

Cheers, Steve

[Claude Thibodeau]

Hi Steve!

I look at your door panels, and I can smell the "new car vinyl odor" that was so typival of new cars when I was a kid. For reasons I can't explain, the GM interior smelled different from Ford's or Mopar... I know because in october of each year, I visited all the dealerships in town to get brochures and colour chips. And climb behind the wheels of some cars in the showroom.

Now, why my mom threw those artefacts away is still a mistery to me. 

CT 

[Dave72]

Wow! You have some great skills! Your build here is looking fantastic!

[Steve H]

Hi Dave,  I appreciate the kind words sir!

Steve

[Steve H]

Hi fellas, hope everyone is in good health.

Just a small update. Seemed like I did more planning and sorting thru the parts bins than working on project. Also spent some time ordering parts from a few suppliers, some of which will be used on this build. Unfortunately, some of the stuff is likely to be a while arriving, but lots to do in the mean time. As mentioned a few posts up on this thread, I have been really inspired to make my interiors better and more detailed. Many builders on this forum build absolutely stunning cars and trucks inside and out, Steven Guthmiller’s interiors however are among the best IMO.  His models are amazing outside too! I wouldn’t dream of comparing anything I do to his amazing work, however I’m inspired to make mine better.

I want to retain as much Oldsmobile as I can, so I modified the Olds console to fit the Elky floor pan. I want to “modernize” it a bit, so I added cup holders, and after final paint I plan on adding carbon fibre decals along the top of it. I also have photo etched Hurst shifters on the way which look pretty cool. For the dash, I added two more gauges, filled in stock radio etc., the gauge faces will be MCG printed units. This will be my first time using them, they look great. I will add a photo etch stereo, and probably another gauge or two. Both the cup holders and gauges are simply thinned styrene tubing. Still a bit of cleanup on both pieces, but they are close... The door panels still aren’t quite complete, hopefully I can finish those this weekend. 

As always, thanks for looking and all comments welcome. 
 

Cheers, Steve

 

 

[Steve H]

A bit more desk time this afternoon. Door panels are complete, and resin seats modified. I removed the bottom of the ‘68 Elky seats, those will get glued to bottom of resin seats to give them a bit more height. I was considering using the black leather (from a wallet) as an insert for the middle of the seats, but after playing with it for a bit, it just didn’t look right. I have some leather decals, I may use those...

[NOBLNG]

Looking real good there Steve. Dang those seats look comfy! 

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Great job Steve!  I think you are on the right track for one of your best cabin interior jobs my friend.  All these details add up and are proof of your efforts to reach your goal!  I like the cup holders, they definitely give a more modern look.  It's not easy to find covering material that can do the job at this scale and decals are often the best option.  Good job on the seats base too! ?

[Sam I Am]

Every part of this build is just spot on.

[Steve H]

49 minutes ago, Sam I Am said:

Every part of this build is just spot on.

Hi Sam, thank you for the kind words, and thanks for looking.

[Steve H]

10 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Great job Steve!  I think you are on the right track for one of your best cabin interior jobs my friend.  All these details add up and are proof of your efforts to reach your goal!  I like the cup holders, they definitely give a more modern look.  It's not easy to find covering material that can do the job at this scale and decals are often the best option.  Good job on the seats base too! ?

Hello Francis my friend! I think this will be one of my better interiors, and maybe one of my best builds, although I’m not sure if motor will be a full detail. Likely just some ignition wires and fuel lines, we’ll see... I should have photos of the finished seats tomorrow I hope ?. I had the idea this afternoon that perhaps golf glove “leather” would be thin enough and soft enough to use in our scale... maybe next build. For this one it’s the decals. Thanks for checking in pal.

Cheers, Steve

[Steve H]

13 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Looking real good there Steve. Dang those seats look comfy! 

Thanks Greg! Hoping to finish the seats tomorrow night. Thanks for having a look sir.

Steve

[Steve H]

Another small update. Most of the interior is now in colour, I will have more photos in the next couple of days. The dash is nearly complete, you will have to trust me that it looks better in person than in the photo. I will take another photo in the  next update. The gauge faces are from MCG, this is my first time using them, hoping for even better results next time around. I often use 5 min epoxy on my gauges for “glass” and did that, I will use a Molotow pen to add a Chrome trim ring around gauges. Added carbon fibre decals, photo etch CD player, a couple of pin heads for knobs, the photo etch “Camino” script got a bit warped but looks better than in the photo. I decided “Camino” was enough, still searching for a good name though....

 

[NOBLNG]

Ol’mino?

[Steve H]

Hi guys, well, it’s been a busy couple of weeks with very little desk time. There has been a little bit of progress, although a lot of the “progress” was in planning. I had to spend a fair bit of time figuring out how final assembly was going to go. I want to have the box molded to the body, which complicates how the interior/chassis fit to body. I think I have it figured out, interior door panels and dash will need to be assembled to the body, not the chassis pan, then everything should slide together.... I THINK.... I will do a final test fit once I have the chassis a bit further along.

I have decided on a motor. The 68 Elky 396 block and heads, intake manifold and Weber carbs from the Accurate Miniatures 64 Corvette. I love the look of this motor. The carbs still need to be cleaned up, I will use aluminum intakes for the carbs. I spent about 2 hours digging thru my stash to try and find some headers, but nothing that would fit, so I am settling on the kit exhaust manifolds.  Found a teal colour that I like, after some test spoons, I decided to use black as a base coat. It’s not quite as dark as it looks in the photo. 
Seats now have the leather decals added, console is almost complete with carbon fibre decals, just waiting for my photo etch Hurst shifter to arrive so I can finish it. The dash is now complete, just need to add the column and wheel. I used pins for the turn signal and “tilt” wheel lever. The sub woofer is a modified unit from a die cast which will get flocked along with the carpet. I also modified an old floor console to be an overhead console, complete with a courtesy light. 
So.... not a lot of progress, but a bit more than what it looks like in the photo.

Thanks for looking!

 

[Steve H]

Hi guys, well, it’s been a busy couple of weeks with very little desk time. There has been a little bit of progress, although a lot of the “progress” was in planning. I had to spend a fair bit of time figuring out how final assembly was going to go. I want to have the box molded to the body, which complicates how the interior/chassis fit to body. I think I have it figured out, interior door panels and dash will need to be assembled to the body, not the chassis pan, then everything should slide together.... I THINK.... I will do a final test fit once I have the chassis a bit further along.

I have decided on a motor. The 68 Elky 396 block and heads, intake manifold and Weber carbs from the Accurate Miniatures 64 Corvette. I love the look of this motor. The carbs still need to be cleaned up, I will use aluminum intakes for the carbs. I spent about 2 hours digging thru my stash to try and find some headers, but nothing that would fit, so I am settling on the kit exhaust manifolds.  Found a teal colour that I like, after some test spoons, I decided to use black as a base coat. It’s not quite as dark as it looks in the photo. 
Seats now have the leather decals added, console is almost complete with carbon fibre decals, just waiting for my photo etch Hurst shifter to arrive so I can finish it. The dash is now complete, just need to add the column and wheel. I used pins for the turn signal and “tilt” wheel lever. The sub woofer is a modified unit from a die cast which will get flocked along with the carpet. I also modified an old floor console to be an overhead console, complete with a courtesy light. 
So.... not a lot of progress, but a bit more than what it looks like in the photo.

Thanks for looking!

 

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Great work Steve, the dash looks awesome!   Nice color on the engine block too, is there a sound box between the seats?   If so, I'm sure the driver won't hear any noise or crackle from the cabin while listening to Sammy Hagar's "can't drive 55", do you know the tune? ?