rsmodels Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 Here's another restoration I finished a few weeks ago. I used Modelhaus bumpers, hubcaps, and tail lights along with a set of Monogram 59 Cadillac tires (from the kit). I found glass on Ebay. It took over 25 years for me to finally do this car as it was badly crushed. There's a long story behind this model and I became a sort of celebrity because of it. I used to sell with my late brother at many shows and around 25 years ago we were at the summer Macungie show in Pa. I had this car painted white and for sale. I sold it for a high price ,pocketed the cash, and set it on a chair to go get the box. My brother decided to sit down. The model was about destroyed. Needless to say, I returned the money. The roof was broken into 6 or 8 pieces and the body had been split in two down one side. I got home and couldn't bring myself to throw it away so put it in a drawer. Once in a while I would look at it but didn't think I'd ever be able to repair it. I did buy parts and used the interior and other parts from the damaged car to build an identical white Olds and it is still in my collection, now displayed along.with this blue one. A couple of years ago I decided to try to see if I could do anything with the broken pieces. I started doing the body work, then it got set aside. Last year I went back to it and was able to finish the body and got it primed and painted. A month or so ago I decided to finish it and you see the results. At that Macungie show there were people coming by the whole time after to see the model. After that at every show I went to there were people talking about it. If you are one of the older guys and go to shows, you may have heard the story. It never stopped, even at the most recent shows I did there were people that would ask if I was the guy whose brother sat on his expensive model. Sorry for being so long winded! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom99 Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 Excellent!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bainford Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 Great story, and incredible reconstruction. Your recovery of the body seems impeccable. Lovely Olds, and a very rarely seen kit at that. Beautiful work, thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsmodels Posted April 1, 2022 Author Share Posted April 1, 2022 11 minutes ago, Bainford said: Great story, and incredible reconstruction. Your recovery of the body seems impeccable. Lovely Olds, and a very rarely seen kit at that. Beautiful work, thanks for posting. Thanks Trevor, i didn't get the vent window surrounds quite right as can be seen up close but considering what I started with I am satisfied. I wish I had taken photos of the body damage before I started the repairs. -Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espo Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 Beautiful looking Olds and the chrome trim looks amazing. Hard to think this has been crushed at one time looking at the body now. So do your brother and you still talk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsmodels Posted April 1, 2022 Author Share Posted April 1, 2022 2 hours ago, espo said: Beautiful looking Olds and the chrome trim looks amazing. Hard to think this has been crushed at one time looking at the body now. So do your brother and you still talk? Hi David, I never held it against my brother. He really felt terrible. We were very close, talked models very often , and kept going to shows together. Sadly, he died from a stroke at 57 years old in 2005. He was a car guy like me and my best modeling friend. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espo Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 2 hours ago, rsmodels said: Hi David, I never held it against my brother. He really felt terrible. We were very close, talked models very often , and kept going to shows together. Sadly, he died from a stroke at 57 years old in 2005. He was a car guy like me and my best modeling friend. Rich Sorry to hear about your brother. My remark was meant to be tung in cheek. Instead I seem to stepped on myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsmodels Posted April 1, 2022 Author Share Posted April 1, 2022 6 minutes ago, espo said: Sorry to hear about your brother. My remark was meant to be tung in cheek. Instead I seem to stepped on myself. No problem at all, David. I took it as you had intended, didn't think twice about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMCMAN52 Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 nice looking Olds, looking at the box art it looks like the kit may be a Palmer box? need a better pic to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#1 model citizen Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 Nice save. Great looking model! Do you have any “before” photos? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsmodels Posted April 1, 2022 Author Share Posted April 1, 2022 25 minutes ago, GMCMAN52 said: nice looking Olds, looking at the box art it looks like the kit may be a Palmer box? need a better pic to see. Yes the 65 Stsrfire is a Palmer kit. I may build it one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsmodels Posted April 1, 2022 Author Share Posted April 1, 2022 5 minutes ago, #1 model citizen said: Nice save. Great looking model! Do you have any “before” photos? No, I didn't take any and wish I had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#1 model citizen Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 37 minutes ago, rsmodels said: No, I didn't take any and wish I had. Me too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisc63 Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 Very nice work, and great looking in that color scheme! Near and dear to me, as I recently purchased a fixer-upper (real car), and have been eyeballing a resin kit. I never knew the origins of the kit, but I see now it must be JoHan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsmodels Posted April 2, 2022 Author Share Posted April 2, 2022 58 minutes ago, bisc63 said: Very nice work, and great looking in that color scheme! Near and dear to me, as I recently purchased a fixer-upper (real car), and have been eyeballing a resin kit. I never knew the origins of the kit, but I see now it must be JoHan. Thanks Rusty, My dad had a 63 Olds wagon, I built a model of it and will post photos sometime. My first car was a 63 Super 88. I have a 1:1 63 and I feel like 16 every time I drive it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kah puts Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 61 was such a great year and your 98 is top drawer. Oldsmobubbles had the coolest steering wheels on the planet. That Palmer Olds is kinda rare, I recently missed out on one on ebay, you've got to do that soon, at least a mock,what a tease, through us a bone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsmodels Posted April 2, 2022 Author Share Posted April 2, 2022 21 minutes ago, Kah puts said: 61 was such a great year and your 98 is top drawer. Oldsmobubbles had the coolest steering wheels on the planet. That Palmer Olds is kinda rare, I recently missed out on one on ebay, you've got to do that soon, at least a mock,what a tease, through us a bone! Thanks for you comments on this and my other models. I'll try to post mockup photos of the Palmer Starfire in the next few days. I've had time lately and have been posting one model each day. The box art for the Starfire is great. The model not so much but it's not one of their worst, at least you can tell what it is when you see it! -Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisc63 Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 Cool stuff. Now talk to us about the gray car with fins hiding in the garage! 57ish... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyD340 Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 Very nice, well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsmodels Posted April 2, 2022 Author Share Posted April 2, 2022 7 hours ago, bisc63 said: Cool stuff. Now talk to us about the gray car with fins hiding in the garage! 57ish... As I've said, I like unusual cars and have examples of five marques that are no longer made. This is my 58 Desoto Firesweep Sportsman. I prefer unrestored original cars but I really liked this one. It had a complete frame off restoration over 30 years ago. I've had it about 20 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMCMAN52 Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 15 hours ago, rsmodels said: Yes the 65 Stsrfire is a Palmer kit. I may build it one day. thank for the update Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisc63 Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 9 hours ago, rsmodels said: This is my 58 Desoto Firesweep Sportsman An absolute beauty. Thanks for the pics! Have you modeled this vehicle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatz4u Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 nice restoration, well done... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsmodels Posted April 2, 2022 Author Share Posted April 2, 2022 1 hour ago, bisc63 said: An absolute beauty. Thanks for the pics! Have you modeled this vehicle? Hi Rusty, thanks for asking No I have not. If the 58 promos didn't warp I probably would have modified one. Mine, being the cheapest model, has the Dodge front end rather than the Chrysler one. So I would have to graft a Dodge front end onto the promo. I've done plenty of that kind of work but would not spend the time on an acetate promo. I do have a couple of Modelhaus 57 Desoto wagons though and plan to build one at some point. -Rich 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted April 3, 2022 Share Posted April 3, 2022 Hi Rich! Great work, bravo! I always felt that this 61 olds rear end, if it were to be mashed with the 61 Buick Invicta front fenders and grille, would make for the ultimate early 60's GM "space age" school of design. Each of those kits is hard to come by, so I can only dream of finding both and proceed with this mash-up. Someday, who knows? CT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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