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Everything posted by Peter Lombardo
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Here's my first attempt at painting True Fire
Peter Lombardo replied to Brian Nehring's topic in WIP: Model Cars
Brian, you may have a real future in painting flames on model cars.....Oh, that's right, you do! Great job, first time out, it can only get better. I don't see how, but I'm sure it will. -
2010 Mustang
Peter Lombardo replied to MrObsessive's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Personally, I could take it or leave it. I do not see me purchasing a “pony†car anytime soon so it matters very little to me. And besides, it just gives us the opportunity to change them around to look as we want them to look, not necessarily, the way they designed them. Of the three, I like the Camaro the best, but it all means very little. These are not the cars, or the model segment that will or will not keep the Detroit three afloat. These are nitch cars that will appeal to a small segment of the buying public. That is Men 18 to 40 for the V8 model and Women 18 to 40 for the V6 models; these are not the bread and butter family cars and trucks that support the industrial complex of any vehicle manufacturing company. I think, even if the government gives into the pressure of the “Not so big anymore†three and advances the loan guarantees, the Detroit gang is going to have to cut back on all of the frills and extras. I expect the concept car designs to be cut way back. There will be a consolidation of the design studios and the engineering departments will have to find the cheapest, maybe not the best, way to get something done. Don’t expect to see design cycles of fewer than 6 or 7 years at the earliest. We are entering a brand new era of the American automobile, and I think you guys will not be happy. As the Japanese and German builders continue to gain market share, the dollars spent on design and engineering will shift also toward the imports. That will translate into more exciting vehicles coming from them and more mainstream family oriented product coming from the US studios which will be fighting the “cash shortfalls†all the time. Just look at what GM did today….they announced that they are holding up the incentive payments to dealers by at least two weeks. ( now realize, if the incentive on any car is $4,000 or $5,000 per, if they sell 10 cars in a weekend, that is $40,000 to $50,000 more of cash flow shortage to the dealer for that period) This means that the dealer must front the money for two or three weeks more. The cash requirement to a dealership is already out of control. GM said that they have a serious cash shortfall between now and yearend. Now, some of this is just posturing to make them look to the government all that more needy and it will force the dealers to get on the phone and attempt to light a fire under their Congressman to approve the loans. But having said that, these guys really need the cash and that means, future designs will suffer because of lack of cash. So, what does all this have to do with the look of the 2010 Mustang, well, maybe not a lot, but on the bright side, we will have a lot of time to get used to the look of it as I don’t expect a replace anytime soon. -
What is not to like??? Great color, big wheels, lowered and shaved. Very nice street custom...very clean. I assume there is a nice little orange/red 396 under the hood.
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Dave, you have to be the most prolific modeler on this site. Every other day there is a new killer car for us to enjoy. The paint on this is just perfect…black and chrome is like gin and a splash of vermouth…a classic combo. I am always impressed with a car, real or model, that looks close to, but somehow better than normal, but in reality hides many carefully executed modifications that point to a deeper understanding of the design and “flow†of a car. A ’32 Ford is so common and recognizable that it is difficult to create a new take on it. The changes to it must be well thought out and done with care. This has that quality. Nice job. P.S., thanks for the mention, and I agree with you…Art Deco was, and is, a great styling discipline that produced some of the most impressive vehicle and industrial designs ever.
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Great looking Mustangs. The convertible conversion is first rate, but I really like the T Top model…..I know T Tops were an 80’s thing….but that looks just so right on that car. The roll bar and the Camaro wheels look perfect on the car. Very innovative build’s. But I have to agree with Harry, why cut the top after painting...why not just pickup a new model and rework that body....no matter, great job, before of after paint.
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GM on the critical list
Peter Lombardo replied to Harry P.'s topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Well, this thread has sure come a long way from where it started. It is good to see that all of us seem to be informed and engaged. That is a good thing as this set of circumstances will change our world. The bottom line as I see it, America is entering the most volatile and dangerous time in its history, short of the Civil War which threatened to tear the union apart. I must say right up front, this is not intended to promote or criticize a political view, just point out the differences. With the result of the past week’s election, it is clear that our country is now headed in a very different direction. The economy has not just faltered; it is now on life support. I truly believe that the new administration is inherently extremely leftist. That means that rather than allow the economy to work out the kinks and problems, the government will intervene and, I fear, throw gasoline on an already out of control fire. I say that because, a left or liberal government tenant is that big government is good and people and business cannot be trusted to correct problems. Their ideology is that only government knows best. In their eyes people must be lead and told what to do. Having said that, a liberal government can’t help but intervene and start throwing money, which means “ownership of†around to “cure†the problem. A few weeks ago, the Democrat controlled House and Senate approved the bank bailout which, if you will remember, was over the objections of the true conservatives in those ruling bodies. I only point that out for context. Conservatives believe in the market system and Liberals believe in Socialism…that is not a knock or slam on either belief that is just the facts. So, we began the government hand outs, which I believe will be shown, in the light of hindsight, to have been major mistakes, but what is done is done. AIG was next, and that is a very curious situation. It is a glaring example of corporate greed and un-trustworthiness’. As the American taxpayers were being forced to bail that company out, the executives, not once, but three times went on expensive retreats, seemingly at taxpayers’ expense. It is perfectly logical to expect our government to bail out the automobile industry, rather than expect the market to cull the weak from the heard. As I said yesterday, we are at the precipice of a new world order. We, America, have made a sharp turn to the left. This is a deliberate shift to Socialism which the new government has always said is their plan. The reason I say that is that should be perfectly clear when you think about the campaign that just ended. President-elect Obama ran on a platform of higher taxes, income redistribution, healthcare for everyone and government reliance for all essential services. If that is not Socialism, than what is? The American people voted for what is basically the European style of government. As this government begins to flex its muscles and bring their ideas to “law†there will be changes to our economy. Couple those changes to a rapidly changing world economy where Asia and South America are certainly on the rise. I believe America will be firmly entrenched in a second class position when all is said and done. As we move into a more socialist style of government, we will see more government owned/operated entities. Government owned banks, have now become a reality, government owned Insurance is underway. The Auto Industry is next and then the Healthcare Industry as more Insurance companies begin to falter. The mainstream news and broadcast companies are already in lockstep, so we already have a state owned news media, and once the Fairness Doctrine in instituted, talk radio and maybe even the internet will be stifled. Make no mistake, gentleman, this is a whole new world that we are entering and when the full scope of the plan is known, the bail out of GM or Chrysler or any other business for that matter, will appear very insignificant. This is the next logical step toward the One World, One Government and One Currency, that I spoke about yesterday. For that vision to become reality, a Capitalist America must be torn down….I fear the wrecking crews are moving into place. Time to put on your hard hats everyone! Ok, many of you think I am a wacko conspiracy theorist with an active imagination. Maybe I am, or maybe, just maybe I am right…are you willing to take that chance? Go on, I dare you Google George Soros….Google Maurice Strong. Get an Idea of the money and the philosophy behind the headlines today. Remember…â€Change you can Believe in!†Well not all change is good. -
GM on the critical list
Peter Lombardo replied to Harry P.'s topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
A few months ago, during a discussion on the forum about high fuel prices, I clearly explained that I was in favor of environmental controls, and still am. I have seen the evidence of the effect of hydrocarbon pollution on the environment, so I agree it is a concern. The automobile manufacturers have lived up to their responsibility for the most part as emissions have been tremendously improved. But now, I fear the situation has changed dramatically. Harry, I agree with your statement that the others conform and compete, why can’t our auto builders? The US builders cannot be profitable building small cars because of the high cost of labor, brought about by the union’s demands. The imports can do it, but not the domestics at this time. GM was making money building big SUV’s and pickups, not with economy cars. Now if GM is allowed to declare chapter 11, they could start over and renegotiate the deal with the unions, which is just another reason why I am against the bail out. We need to let GM try and become competitive rather than bail them out and allow the union to keep their unreasonable demands. Like I keep saying, this is a big worldwide mess that our government caused and our businesses need to work out of it on their own. Government is not the cure, they are the problem, and with an all Democrat Washington, we are in for a hard time. I do kind of like the idea of 50% off to by American, it would never happen for more reasons than I have time to list here, but it is a unique and outside of the box way of thinking. -
GM on the critical list
Peter Lombardo replied to Harry P.'s topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Harry, I think you are a little too sensitive with your strong defense of the “Radical Environmentalists†who are helping to kill our economy. Sure I want clean air to breathe. I just think we have a larger problem. Think of our economy like it’s an accident victim wheeled into the Emergency Room with serious internal bleeding and a broken leg. We need to stabilize the internal bleeding (destruction of our economic base) before we concern our self with the broken leg (environmental concern). The leg must get fixed and reset, but not until the patient has survived the most serious threat to its survival. An effective manager knows how to prioritize the issues facing his company or country. If the economy and the automobile industry is a major component of it, is not fixed and set right, the air we breathe will be of little concern while you are standing on the unemployment line. The Environmentalists have effectively blocked the exploration of new crude oil sources. Sure, no one cares today because the gas at the pump price is at or below $2.00. I guarantee it will rise again, and soon. One interruption to supply, or one misstep in the Middle East, and bang, its $4.00 at the pump overnight. Then what? We must think progressively with our economy and be concerned with getting out of this mess. Government got us here, forcing banks to write loans that could not be repaid. They stopped the real exploration of oil and they are doing more damage with the continued restrictions to business and bail out schemes. China, and India burn tons of coal and pollute the ###### out of the air. Their economy will not be put on hold because of radical environmentalist. Two or three wrongs do not make a right. Bad behavior should not be copied, but, and you can quote me on this, the American economy is on life support….quick call in a priest, and get ready to administer last rights…..IT IS JUST THAT BAD. Today the Dow is at 8,465 as I write this and headed down even more….three months ago it was just off a high of 14,000. This time I fear Chicken Little may be right….The sky may be falling. If our survival depends on relaxing some of the environmental controls, I know which side of that argument I come down on. -
GM on the critical list
Peter Lombardo replied to Harry P.'s topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Art, your obvious deep insight into the Auto Manufactures is “dead on the moneyâ€. GM is at a critical time in their history, begging for financial life support. I believe Chrysler, as we once knew it is about to “flat line†and die on the table. Parts, kind of like an organ donor, will be transplanted into other healthier recipients. Nissan is working to get the Dodge Ram pickup as we speak, Volkswagen already has the Mini Van technology, purchased from Chrysler for their Mini Van. Tata of India has expressed interest in Jeep, so parts may live on, but I doubt Chrysler as a whole will. Ford, clearly is in the best position. They are the only of the 3 who own 100% of their finance arm, Ford Credit, they have a big and profitable European operation, and are about to infuse much of that product into the US market. Ford stock at $1.90 is most likely a smart buy right now. GM stock most likely will be worthless, and Cerabus (mis spelled I know) will be lucky to get anything from the sale of some of the Chrysler name and assets. What a mess. Poor management and personal greed have lead us here, and I am seriously concerned that the rest of our “Bubble†economy is in similar shape. On second thought, “Concerned†is not strong enough a word to describe my feelings…â€Down Right Scared to Death†is closer to it. -
GM on the critical list
Peter Lombardo replied to Harry P.'s topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
I just started reading a book that I think should be required reading for anyone, even remotely interested, with American politics and our place in the world. It is entitled “A post American World†written by Fareed Zakaria….now before you get crazy about the authors’ name, he is an American, born in India. Fareed is the editor of Newsweek International and has written a few books, most recently, ‘The Future of Freedomâ€. Fareed clearly gets it. He has tremendous insight into the workings of International business and politics and quite frankly he paints a very real and profoundly disturbing picture of what lay ahead for America in a world where we are no longer the preeminent economy and political powerhouse. Asia is rapidly overtaking North America as the future of growth and prosperity. He feels that we, and I agree with him, will follow in the footsteps of The Netherlands (1600’s), Spain (1700’s), England (1800’s) from the pinnacle of world power to second class status. Remember, those who do not learn the lessons of the past, are bound to repeat the failures of the past. As I said in an earlier post today, we are following in the British business model. The British Auto Industry, first taken over by the government and now for all practical conversation is gone, destroyed or sold off to others….we appear to be following that pattern here and now. This is very scary stuff, I think we are heading into…a perfect storm of political and economic failure and we may not ride it out without taking on a ton of water. We all may need to get a copy of the Rosita Stone software and learn to speak Chinese like that Michael Phelps commercial. -
GM on the critical list
Peter Lombardo replied to Harry P.'s topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Bill, you are so right, the Commercial Real Estate market will go the same way as the Home Real Estate market is going…down…down…down. The problems are so out of control. Look, here in New York, they just spent billions on a new Yankee and Giant stadium. WHY???? Greed, that is why. Does a baseball player really desire twenty five million a year to play a kids game? Why do we (not me, definitely, not me) pay hundreds of dollars to attend one baseball of football game? As Crazy Eddie, long gone now after jail time, was fond of saying…its Insane!!!!†Everything needs to come back down to reality. I want to point out that even though I mentioned Obama by name, he is not the specific problem. It matters not who is in the White House; it is the philosophy of our “entire body†of elected officials. Everyone one is “holden†to the powerful and wealthy that paid for their campaign. I have said this many times before…we now have a government “Of the wealthy, by the wealthy, for the wealthyâ€. Think about this, the McCain and Obama campaigns together raised over one point two billion dollars just to run for the Presidency. When you factor in the local, state and other federal elections, the dollar amount is staggering……this is not big business…..this is HUGE business. We are all held captive by elected leaders who for the most part have their own, and their financiers’ interests at heart. We, the American people take a back seat to this entire process. Look, I did not vote for Mr. Obama, but he is our (my) President and I want him to succeed very much. I fear that there are too many dark forces at work behind the scenes for that to happen, but I can hope. As a very wise friend of mine continues to remind me, “Hope is not a strategyâ€. He is right, we need a plan and leaders who have OUR best interests at heart. People who are not controlled by the money behind the campaign by really want this country to continue to be the beacon of prosperity and progress in the world today . We have created a system that is just not working the way the founding fathers envisioned….remember that thing about being “of the people, by the people, for the people†Well its gone, sold to the highest bidder, just like a sale on Ebay. -
I just went back and looked at your photos and something occured to me.....did the side of the VW "flex" in any way? If the surface you apply to has any flex in it, it can break the bond of the new putty. Just a thought.
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Well, I have used Bondo for some time now, both over primer and bare plastic, with no problem. I do two things that I think help guarantee a good result. One, I always “rough up†the surface that I am puttying onto to give it “teeth†to hold onto and two, I tend to use a little more of the hardener when mixing a small batch. Maybe these two points mean nothing, maybe it helps, but I use a lot of Bondo to do my “heavy lifting†of reshaping my models, and it works every time.
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Very nice work Bob…I really like the white background in the engine compartment. It makes the engine and detailing really jump out. The rather “plain†exterior paint (and I do not mean that in a demeaning way) helps to draw your eye to the interior and engine. I like it very much…oh yeah, very nice period correct wheels too.
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GM on the critical list
Peter Lombardo replied to Harry P.'s topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Oh no, here he goes again. After spending over 30 years in the automotive business, I can tell you that everyone in the business knew GM as “Arrogant and Out of Touchâ€. And that is a quote. They never listened to the dealer body, which was at “ground zero†of the retail business. GM always knew better. As we went into the 1970’s with the American auto companies spitting out market share to Europe and Japan, GM was in complete denial. They always had the attitude, “we are GM, and they will buy itâ€. Sorry not so. All through the 1970’s and 80’s, GM was the “Wizard of Redundancyâ€. Every brand repeated each others line of cars with a slightly different grill and taillight combo. In the 1990’s GM threw Oldsmobile (which in the 1980’s had the number one selling line of cars in America, the Cutlass) to the wolves in favor of Saturn which lost money on every car they sold. Rather than take a hard line with the unions which were crippling (along with under funded health care and retirement funds) them, they chose , as usual, poor management practices and put the problem off to another day…guess what, that day is here. As much as they do not desire it, the government, also making many poor decisions, will bail out GM, because the argument is that GM is too important to America to allow to “go awayâ€. The old saying is, “As goes Detroit, so goes the countryâ€. Obama, has already said, we will bail out the auto industry. So here we go down that very slippery slope of one, rewarding bad behavior with more bad behavior, and two, we, my friends are taking giant steps toward Socialism. We are headed down the exact same road that the British went down in the 1960’s and 70’s, as they lost their way on the way to socialism. Our, WE, our government will own the banks, the healthcare (Insurance) and the automobile industry. This is a losing plan, but the die is cast. The one thing you will be able to say to your grandkids, besides, “I remember when…..†is that you had a ringside seat to the end of Capitalism. I know you think this is an extreme view, but look at the facts. We gave the banks a Trillion dollar bailout, which will grow; we are giving AIG (ins.) a massive bail out and next will be an auto manufacturer bail out. These are “bailouts†of money American just does not have. We are just “Printing†more of it. It will become virtually worthless. Do you guys see this! Our dollars are becoming worthless and that will bring deflation. Deflation will kill our economy, at least, what ever is left of it. More bad behavior by our pitiful elected leaders who have to bow at the alter of “Payback Timeâ€. The Obama campaign raised over six hundred million dollars during his campaign….most of that from very powerful entities, mainly like one Mr. George Soros, a committed hard Lefty who wants a one world, one government and one currency vision for the world…sit tight my pretties, its coming eat your lunch!! I know many of you are thinking I’m crazy, how did I get to this point talking about the GM problem? Well, the problems are all tied together and they all lead to a place you don’t even want to think about, so you (who do not believe this is. coming may be just like GM)…refuse to see the problem coming so you keep your head in the sand. Look, here is the point of this rant… Government go us into this mess, it is the American economic force that should be “bailing us out†. Government intervention into the business world will stifle their ability to get out of this mess. The hole is just getting deeper. Look, if your kid is failing in school, would you think it is wise for you to do his homework? No, he has to do the hard work in order to survive. Same is true of our business world…learn to survive or die…there can be no other way….natures’ law of the jungle…the strong survive. -
To all the guys that responded to my posting, thanks…I am glad you appreciated my concept. I really enjoyed this build, especially because the Greyhound models meant so much to me. Thanks.
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Elden Titus passed yesterday
Peter Lombardo replied to RodBurNeR's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Unfortunately, I fear we are going to hear lot more of this in the coming months and years. The “Hot Rod†craze began in earnest in the late forties and early fifties. These guys were in their early twenties then so that makes most of the pioneers of the custom and hot rod boom to be around seventy eight years young. It’s sad, but time marches on. Also, I bet these guys were sucking in all kinds of dangerous toxic fumes building, welding and painting cars back when there was little concern for personal health. That couldn’t help their longevity on this planet. It is also true of the modeling hobby. The “Golden Era†is considered to have begun around 1960. My first car model experience was a 1959 Mercury Convertible that my older brother gave me for my tenth birthday. The leaders and pioneers of our hobby are all reaching “that†age. We owe it to those guys to keep the hobby, and the custom car/hot rod scenes alive and vibrant. I know I am doing my part. -
Fabrication of this car began with the Lindberg 1935 Auburn Boattail Speedster kit. I stretched the chassis about 3 scale feet just behind the front wheel wells. The main body area was moved back on the chassis to give it the long hood that I wanted. Obviously, the fender “pods†were increased in size with the front fenders being extended all the way back to the beginning of the rear fenders. The rear of the body and the front flowing fenders were filled in with a “ton†of Bondo and the rear deck and rear fender teardrop design was sculpted by hand. I was very careful to create a raised edge along the top surface of the fenders running from under the front grill to the trailing tip of the rear fender pod. This was a key element of the design incorporating a muted edge along the large round voluptuous fenders. The taillights were cut into the fender topsides both inside and outside of the fender edge with a round dremel tool cutting bit. A new hood was fabricated from sheet styrene and two sets of HO scale staircases were inserted to form the louvers on the sides. The doors were cut open and hinged with “Piano†style hinges, although because the car is displayed as if in motion, they really did not need to open, but I could not help myself…I see a door and I want it to open or was it “I see a red door and I want it painted black.†Oh well, anyway, the headlight pods were molded into the front fenders, then I used HO MU jewel lens for the light itself and the “stock†Auburn grill surround was used. I opened up the grill front and filled it with a wire mesh Bentley style grill. The one of a kind V16 motor was created from two Plymouth 440 V8 blocks Siamesed together. The “new†engine has six 2 barrel carburetors and one large air cleaner box. As a side note, here is a neat little tip for making the filament for an air cleaner…maybe you’ve seen this, maybe not. I cut an extra long length of strong paper the height of the opening on the air cleaner, then I ran it through a couple of gears. I used the gear box from a Tamiya motor kit used to motorize various projects. The paper, as you can see from the photo comes out perfect for the air cleaner filament. I just glued it in the air cleaner and set the top on it. The tires came from one of the AMT “Rides Magazine†Edition kits, I think it was the reissue of the 1949 Mercury, but I am not completely sure. The wheels were made from a couple of buttons that I picked up in Wal-Mart. The large disk was adjusted to fit the tire opening and then painted to match the main body color. The smaller button, inner cap was painted to contrast with the trim color and a small center cap to create the hub was then installed, and the whole thing is held together with epoxy…I like how they work here, very “period†correct, I think. The seats are narrowed Chrysler 300 rear seat units and the steering wheel was lifted from a Revell Cuda kit. The side moldings were made from strip styrene softened with glue and applied to the body, after painting they were bare metal foiled, as were the taillight cavities, which were later filled with a mixture of 5 minute epoxy and clear red paint to create custom taillight lenses. The windshield was stolen from the AMT 32 Ford Phantom Roadster kit and the door handles were liffed from the 1941 Revell Chevy pickup truckThe “trimâ€, or top color is plasti-kote GM 7202 (Cream White) and the main body color is Mopar Chili Pepper red pearl coat, after sanding, they were covered with gloss clear coat and rubbed out with wax. But that was the easy part….the hard part was creating the Cybele figure and the three Greyhounds. The Cybele figure started out as, I think, as “Fast Women†figure. I don’t recall where I got her from, but she was sitting with her arms resting on her knees crossed in front of her. I cut her apart at most joints, drilled holes and super glued wire between the joints so they could be moved where I wanted them and then used putty to fill in the joint and reposed her as sitting in a car driving. Because the figure was wearing some style of Hot Pants, I needed to create a dress out of masking tape. I mixed up a blue to match the shoes and top for the dress and matched up a flesh tone for the limbs that I rebuilt. All easy enough, but then came the challenge, Cybele’s hair. Cybele had wild full hair that was to be flowing behind her as if the car was moving. I mixed up a small batch of Tamiya Epoxy Putty, quick type. This comes in two “sticks†kind of like chewing gum sticks. One white and one golden yellow. You cut equal size pieces of each and mix them together to form a small ball of light tan colored putty. This stuff likes to stick to your fingers so if you use this stuff, have a small bowl of water handy to help keep your fingers wet so the putty will stick to you less. By working small bits of the putty between my fingers, I was able to roll out small thin strands of putty for the hair. I carefully pulled and stretched small strands and with the aid of a knife, stuck them to her head. I continued to build up her hair until I had the look I was trying to achieve. I painted her hair with a red brown mix and then threw on a few light colored highlights to help with the contrast. She was then epoxyed into the drivers seat and the steering wheel was attached. Now for the Greyhounds (My favorite part of the build) Please allow me to give you a small history of the Greyhounds in this build. About three and a half years ago my daughter and son-in-law, rescued a greyhound. Greyhounds are raced in a number of states here in America. The way these majestically beautiful and gentle animals are treated is a huge national disgrace. Kept in small cages, feed slop, they are only kept around if they win. Once a dog stops winning, they are literally taken out back and disposed of. The dog owners and the tracks are ruthless and in it for the money only. Fortunately, there are a number of organizations around the country that rescue these wonderful dogs and keep them in foster homes until a permanent home can be found. Locally, they schedule periodic “Meet and greet†picnics where people can see the dogs and perhaps adopt one. I have NEVER met a person who has adopted a Greyhound and not been totally thrilled with the experience. They are kind, gentle, loving and great with children. My daughter and son-in-law went to a “meet and greet†with the express intention of getting a young (under 4 years old) dog, but at the event, my son-in-law saw Jay. Jay was an old timer. He was an 11 year old brindle (brown, black and tan spot mix) with a light grey face. He was very thin, scared, shaky and looking very dejected. Jay was a champion racer until the age of 5 (old for a Greyhound to still be winning) when he was retired and rescued. He spent the next 5 ½ years with a man who, unfortunately became terminally ill, so Jay was returned to the adoption group who placed him in a foster home where he spent the next few months. But he was not very happy there and didn’t eat very well. Immediately, my son-in-law felt bad for Jay and thought, even if he did not have long to live, at least they could make his last few years happy ones. Jay was adopted and came home with my Daughter and Son-in-law. Jay quickly settled in to the new house and was very happy. When my daughter and son-in-law would go away for a weekend, Jay would come and visit with us. I would take Jay, along with our dog, Molly on long walks in the woods where the two were taken off their leashes. The two of them would run around, chase each other and sometimes the local deer that would come through that wooded area by our house. You could see that he was enjoying himself so much. Sadly, last year, Jay was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor (not too uncommon for a Greyhound) and earlier this year Jay left us but not before fulfilling my son-in-laws wish of making Jays last few years happy ones. As a small tribute to Jay, I modeled him as one of the three Greyhounds with the Cybele Special. Jay is the male Brindle closest to the car, the next one out is a female Fawn colored adult and the outside Greyhound is a young male white with dark brown spots. I did a fair amount of research on Greyhounds as I really only knew Jay, a red brindle and have seen many others, but I wanted to understand the normal colors of these dogs. To create these dogs, I drew out the basic body shape (without the legs and tail) to scale, then cut out the shape on a piece of sheet styrene which would form the “backbone†if you will. I then mixed up a batch of the Tamiya Epoxy Putty, as mentioned before. I applied this to both sides of the styrene to form the body and the head of each dog. Once dry, I drilled holes to insert wire which would form the leg and tail bones. The wire was super glued into the holes, then bent to the shape I wanted for the limbs and tails. I then mixed up a new batch of the putty and formed the limbs and tail. Once this was all dry, I used various bits and my dremel tool to carve the muscles and overall shape. The ears were cut from masking tap, glued on and then shaped the way I wanted them. Once I was happy with the shapes, I painted each dog to represent the color of the type of Greyhound I was looking for. Jay, the inside dog and the fawn colored female have extended wire from one of their legs. These wires are inserted into two receptacles attached under the running boards on the drivers side so that the dogs can be attached to the car. The outside dog is epoxyed to the fawn middle dog. My desire was to create the look of the three dogs, off the ground, running alongside the car with the driver, Cybele’s hair blowing in the breeze. Obviously I am thrilled with the result. I was able to bring life to my vision. Not only is this a car I wanted to build, I got to create an ever lasting tribute to Jay, a very special dog that my daughter and son-in-law miss very much.
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1936 Auburn Cybele Special If any of you guys have seen my posts before, you know I am very long winded. This is no exception… but please read as much of this as you can. It all works as part of the build. This is more than just a model car. This is a concept…a creation and a tribute. I honestly think this art. This is a performance piece. In 1925 Errett Lobban Cord took control of the Auburn Automobile Company in a leveraged buyout maneuver. Soon there after Cord partnered with the Duesenberg Corporation which was famous for producing racing cars and the rest they say is “historyâ€. But there is a little untold saga that culminated in the production a “one of a kind†special automobile…. Until now, this story has not been shared with the public…but now, here is that story and here is that spectacular automobile. During the early thirties, Errett Cord was struggling with his wild, rebellious and stunningly tall and beautiful daughter named Cybele (pronounced Sib-ill) Divina Augusta Cord who was in her early twenties. She had quite the reputation as a “play girl†and in fact, Cybele was a fixture in the high society gatherings through out Newport, Rhode Island, and Long Island’s “Hampton’sâ€. It was well known, in those circles, that Cybele had very little love for rural Auburn Indiana. Cybele was often heard remarking that “My flower will die if it is planted in Indianaâ€. All could see that she wanted nothing to do with the Midwest and her fathers “boring†automobile company. Even though many around her were suffering the effects of the great depression, Cybele showed little concern for the terrible state of the economy in the early 30’s. Despite her fathers numerous futile attempts to rein her in and control her wild spending and all night partying, Cybele only grew more rebellious. There was hardly a tabloid that did not contain wild and sordid accounts of private all night drunken parties and debauchery. In fact, the only things in this world, other than partying, that Cybele showed any love for were her 3 stately and blindingly fast Greyhounds and her Auburn Boattail Speedster. In one last ditch effort to control Cybele’s wild ways, Errett offered her his two famous auto designers, Alan Leamy and Gordon Buehrig to design a spectacular “one of a kind†speedster for her, if she would settle down and stop embarrassing him and the family. Reluctantly, Cybele agreed to the offer, but that was a roux as it was later learned that she had already decided to settle down with Jean Armando Lebrun, the affluent son of Albert Lebrun, President of France, who had captured her heart. The two met months earlier at “The Elms†mansion, the summer home of Mr. and Mrs. Berwind of Philadelphia in Newport. In the next few weeks, the designers came to her with many ideas and concepts. Cybele settled on one that was unbelievably long, voluptuous and beautiful. The “Cybele†as it would come to be known, was remarkably long, at just slightly under 18 feet in length with an exaggerated hood to house the one of a kind powerful V16 engine. The dramatically large curvaceous fenders concealing huge 30 inch tires with massive disk wheels painted to accent the body colors. The smooth body sat so low to the ground that the rear wheel skirts were just inches off the ground. Cybele loved to fly around the estates in Newport in her one off “specialâ€, her long and full head of gorgeous brunette hair flowing behind her with her 3 beloved Greyhounds running alongside her. Just about everything in this beautiful roadster was custom made for this one and only car. The designers began with a stretched out Auburn Speedster frame and fabricated a hand formed aluminum body, panel by panel. The only parts, beside the stretched out Auburn Speedster frame, to come from production vehicles were the grill housing, headlights and doors. Everything else was custom built for this “one of a kind†roadster. Today, the whereabouts of this “one of a kind†roadster is unknown. Some think it was taken to France after Cybele and Jean Armando were married in The Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, France in a fairy tale wedding. Many think that it was later sold into a private collection when the marriage ended in a bitter divorce. Some think it was taken back to America to be driven by Cybele’s father. No one is sure. But either way, no one in this century has seen this car in public until I am presenting it to you here and now. So without further delay, here is the 1936 Auburn Cybele Special with Cybele driving and her three Greyhounds running alongside.
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Great paint, I love the "barbed wire" look to the separation, I'm just not sold on the exposed rear end look, but you get lotsa' points in my book for trying something different....very nice looking truck.
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Hey All...
Peter Lombardo replied to ddonaca351's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
Welcome back Dave, modeling is just like riding a bicycle, you never forget, but just like riding a bike; don’t forget to wear your helmet. But seriously, welcome to the zoo. And don’t let the high quality of most of the work here intimidate you, just because many of these guys are producing amazing stuff, they are all down to earth guys ready to help with all of your questions. Jump in and start postin’ pictures, man. -
Dan, I don’t know how I missed this post before…very nice. Personally, I don’t care which engine is in a car. As long as it looks good, that is all that matters. I think we get a little too hung up with dotting every I and crossing every tee. These are “modelsâ€â€¦they are not real. They are for our enjoyment. If you want to install a VW 4 banger in a Roadrunner, so what. Anyway, very nice build and beautiful paint, no not beautiful paint, perfect paint. My only comment would be that I would have liked to see a little more chrome trim, like the door handles (since you did not shave them) and the vent windows. Around the tail light area and the letters for Plymouth on the back panel, but that is just me…either shave them or foil them. Still, it is a beautiful street runner…great job.
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COMPLETE: Whit Bazemore's MATCO TOOLS Funny Car
Peter Lombardo replied to David Thibodeau's topic in Model Cars
Ok, David, it is offical, I hate you....you are just TOO good. Once again, absolutely perfect. Amazing! -
Paul, I can't exactly tell you why, but something about that build gets to me. I like it, as simple as it is, it all works very nicely. The paint is beautiful, but a rather bland color, the interior does not really contrast the exterior and the wheels a very plain disks, but it all works very nicely. The stance is perfect. I think this is a classic example of the old saying: Less is more. Very well done.
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What Would You Do?
Peter Lombardo replied to FloridaBoy's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
I really don’t think there is much of an issue here. There were 19 other juniors who, it sounds like, followed the rules and built their entries themselves. It would not be fair to those entrants to have their work judged against an adults work. The greater good is served and if the father could not come to grips with the reality of that then too bad. Personally, I think the father needed to be pulled aside, away from the son, and explained to facts of “model building†life. If that is how it was handled, than you absolutely did the correct thing. You should not of lost any sleep over that situation…rules are rules. Our society is built on the rule of law. You, in my opinion, were correct in your decision to disqualify the entry.