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ChrisBcritter

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Everything posted by ChrisBcritter

  1. Oh, Fred, that's hilarious! That's how I got two AMT '58 Ford convertibles at the same time, minus the cocktail. Are any of your fezzes from the Medinah Temple Al-Malaikah in Chicago? I have a near-mint parade costume from there, but no fez...
  2. The chassis got some simple improvements; I opened up the molded-in trailing arms, added exhaust pipes from the manifolds to the chassis and tips to the tailpipes, and extended the A-arms to add ball joints and cover the front axle (Note the A-arms aren't correct for a Caddy; wish I had an original issue chassis with the correct setup and steerable wheels, but...). Track was widened 5/16"; I used blackwall tires from the Revell '65 Impala. Finally I added 1964 Illinois plates with the correct number, a Chicago Motor Club sticker to the rear bumper, and the American flag to the back window (thanks again Tom!) Hope you guys like it. Now on to the next one...
  3. (Sorry to break this up but I get 404 errors if I don't do it fast enough) I kept the Jo-Han engine but reshaped the valve covers, added plug wires, water pump crossover pipe, upper radiator hose and an alternator bracket, and moved the battery to the correct position. I also corrected the hood opening to match the real thing by cutting it down the middle of the front edge (used a junk hood to make the bottom part).
  4. It started out as a kit I built in the '70s out of the box with a candy blue paint job. I carefully dismantled it and rebuilt it to match the movie car, converting the convertible interior to the coupe version by removing the top bolsters, filling in the rear seat speaker and adding a front bench seat I cast from a '64 convertible promo. I added the pedals, gearshift and turn signal levers, dome lights and door lock buttons, and used some vintage '60s AMT carpeting.
  5. I finally finished this one in time for NNL Milwaukee: Before I say anything else, I have to thank master modeler Tom Piagari for his help and inspiration. He laid down the paint (Krylon Pewter Gray) and the two-part urethane clear that ended up needing very little buffing, plus demonstrated his technique for the vinyl top (a combination of gloss and flat black sprayed from a distance to give a great textured finish). The Coupe deVille emblems were cast from a '70 Caddy - the only time Jo-Han used the correct scripts.
  6. The lesser of my two '60 wagons when I got it, as a $6 special from Model Empire: A lot worse than it looks! Rear 2/3 of the roof is cut off, interior's broken at the top of the back seat, and the gold lacquer resisted nearly everything I soaked it in until I rubbed it down with Testor's ELO, and it still needed sanding to get the residue off. Lost the windshield to the Purple Power as well (I did say "voice of experience", remember). Finally parked it in the to-do pile, and later scored a MUCH better wagon from eBay that just needed a rear bumper. So now I'm thinking I should complete the Ranchero-ization on this heap and finish it as a curbside full custom. It's either that or the firecrackers...
  7. Congrats on a good find! I have a couple of them myself. Preservation with some improvements, maybe? The paint looks like it could be buffed out; you'd have to match the bare spots on the tailgate and hood, and redo the silver paint with BMF. The lower rear quarters can probably be fixed with careful sanding and rescribing; if not get two of the custom rear bumpers from the AMT '66 Mercury and you can cut new lower ribbed sections from them One big warning (voice of experience): DON'T GET PURPLE POWER ON THE GLASS! Hubley used a form of acetate for windows and it will soften and shrivel. If you want to strip it, get the glass out first. Yes, the Deora windshield glass fits the back window opening (no need for the hatch), but nothing fits the windshield frame except another Hubley '60 wagon windshield. Even the '61 Hubley wagon windshield is different. You're going to have issues fitting AMT '60 Ford chassis components due to the Hubley kit being 1/24 scale; you may want to scavenge the engine/trans, front suspension and rear axle from the Monogram 1/24 '58 T-bird, plus the tires and wheel backs to keep the size consistent. Good luck!
  8. No, your grille is fine - just needs to be painted/detailed like so: Yes, that's the wheelcover I want to cast.
  9. The same guy has a second NOS body for sale plus another seller has one for roughly the same price I paid. Go git 'em!
  10. Sweet job, Al! How did you rechrome the bumpers?
  11. Just now got an offer accepted on this NOS '62 Fairlane body: I've had this one for years, stalled with a bad case of lacquer check, so the new body will save a lot of hassle.
  12. Lucky find on the '62 Newport! Are you missing anything, and did you get all the pieces of the windshield frame? Been wanting to cast those wheelcovers for my Metalflake builder.
  13. Yep. At least you don't drive a Simca!
  14. Keith, how did the trunk turn out? I have a '66 promo I could use to mold and cast the trim panel for you, if you can get the basic shape carved out of the glue.
  15. The '65 El Camino got here - neatly done old build; one taillight bezel slightly chipped but fixable. Casting time! By the way, anyone else notice how AMT goofed up the hood on this kit and the '65 wagon? It should be flat across the top where it meets the cowl, but the center section is raised up. I suppose I should tackle this, if Snake hasn't done it already... P.S. to Kit Basher - the Opel GT wheels still haven't arrived yet.
  16. No, this was. Still looks better than the one you posted.
  17. Modern-day equivalent of a Crosley Hot Shot!
  18. Man, you look at these and wonder, "Could they still be produced?" Tim, would Tim Rice know anything about AMT's aborted Continental Mark III and how far that project got before it was cancelled?
  19. Was at Deerfield and Vernon Hills yesterday - no Imperials.
  20. Got outbid today (heavily) on a set of original '65 El Camino taillights and bezels (the ones that have been missing from the kit since the late '70s). So I did the next best thing: Threw out a lowball "Make Offer" bid on this clean build of the original issue Gear Hustler and got it for less than I would have had to pay for the taillights and bezels! Now to cast some copies...
  21. I'll see you and raise you one: My boss's '98 Town Car and a Caddy we spotted on a road trip. Note how the deVille's canvas carriage top AND the fake top boot snap rail extend into the gas cap lid. Classy with a capital K!
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