ChrisBcritter

I wanted to build a '65 sedan, but only the convertible is available. The '64 and '65 roofs are the same, and I happened to have two '64 sedan gluebombs I was combining to make one good car. A usable roof and glass were left over from the lesser of the two bodies so I added it to the '65 convertible by cutting it on the trunk line at the rear, and in the "gutter" between the fender tops and windows along the sides. Thanks to AMT's engineering it all lined up well! On your '62, keep your eyes on eBay - '62 parts seem to show up more often than any other year, for some reason.

Aha! Another little item to correct on mine - duly noted. Are you going with power windows? The original Revell '57 Ford Country Squire has them; I could copy a set of switches from a gluebomb I'm dismantling for you.

Here's the '59 Dodge dash (huge thanks to Ronn Pittman): And here's how it lines up. Obviously it needs some mods but it's the closest thing I've found to start with.

I'm doing the same conversion (as a 2-door hardtop) and I'm using a '59 Dodge dash. It's a bit narrow but the shape is close enough to modify into the DeSoto version. Steven, how are you handling modifying the tailfins so they extend to the new door jamb?

Pete, what did you use to thin the Plasti-Dip?

Porsche tractor, hmm... Gulf livery is a no-brainer, but how about silver with red trim on the rear fenders, the number 130 atop the hood, and on the hood sides the name...

Or, taking another route (like the Pan-American Highway?):

Looks like the barn fell on it! Great job, and the street rod version is a cool surprise. What were your sources for the modern running gear?

Another black diamond! Tulio, what did you do on the body to keep the sanded-off trim from ghosting through the primer and paint?

And here's my example, in progress:

The hardtop's never been reissued, so I'm guessing convertible with the station wagon custom version like always. If you find a gluebomb '64 or '65 sedan the roof can be swapped onto it; the package shelf in the rear will need to be extended. Edit: Casey, Rob - one more and we have a barbershop quartet!

Too many '32 Fords? Not till I see a stock and street rod woody, pickup, and B-400!

It does mention - so it wouldn't surprise me. I have one of the chopped glass units from an old kit; has anyone ever been able to use it and make it look good?

When I was at Model Empire's big sale last year, there were a lot of '57 Chevy Styline front and rear ends in the parts pile - maybe I should grab a few next time.

Roof donor for a '62 Coupe deVille kitbash, if you're ambitious and have a Jo-Han Fleetwood gathering dust...

There's another homage to a long-lost kit, if a less memorable one. The Polyglas Gasser was basically a new set of tires and decals tossed into the mostly complete '62 Bonneville hardtop 3 in 1 kit - minus the Styline parts but with the convertible's roll bar added - to give it one last hurrah before they scrapped the molds. I'm guessing the only other change was the wheel backs may have been modified to fit the deeper tires, since the instructions don't seem to show any new wheels: http://public.fotki.com/drasticplasticsmcc/mkiba-build-under-c/amt-instructions/automotive-cars--pi/pontiac/1961-1970/amt-the-polyglas-gasser/?view=roll#1 Anyone have an original Polyglas Gasser kit to compare the wheels?

Nice job of fitting that windshield/cowl! Wonder if the injected Hemi from the Predicta would be a drop-in?

Door handles are different as well, IIRC. I had a '50 coupe conversion in the works once that I was building as the Turnupseed car, and I remember deciding it would just be easier to swap the '49 roof onto the '50 body.

If it was originally curbside I'll leave it that way, for the most part - especially if it's going to be a custom. Then I put the effort into the body and interior. If it came with an engine I'd feel like I was cheating myself of the challenge if I glued down that hood. I'm making exceptions for the '58 Ford because it's not often done, and the '64 Malibu Craftsman because the wagon and El Camino had all the underhood parts (seriously, why didn't AMT make the wagon a Craftsman and the Malibu a detailed kit? Anyone know?).

A little addition: You can tint Bondic! I used Alumilite clear red dye and it seems to work quite well; a tiny amount goes a LONG way. As a test I put down a 1/8" drop of Bondic, then I opened the sealed bottle of dye with a poke from an X-acto knife. This left a 1/16" smear on the tip of the blade; I stirred it in and it immediately mixed and turned the Bondic a nice dark ruby red. Gave it a ten-second shot with the UV and it solidified OK. Looks just as good as any AMT taillight (and better than a lot of Jo-Han ones ).

Odd - the Catalina's dog dish caps look a bit oversized (bigger than the ones on the AMT '62)? I'll just use the wheel covers from the old AMT Bonneville. Nice box art though.

That roadster was used in Loving You (1957). As much as Elvis was a Cadillac guy, I don't recall him ever driving one in his non-concert movies - not unusual because Chrysler was so active in getting its products on screen.

The '64 Comet was just a bit early; it would attract some more buyers now that the Moebius '65 is available. Were all the '59 Imperials eventually sold, or is Model King still sitting on a pile of returned kits? Glad I got mine when I did.

Cool! Looking forward to seeing you do your magic with it. I imagine larger headlights are the first order of business?

Have you ever owned the Troll '59 Ford kit, Tulio? I'd love to see the box art. ETA: Was it the hardtop or the convertible?