John Goschke

Great looking build!

Those panels might look good in Dusk Mauve. Was probably a factory "recommended combination."

I remember seeing one of these in the '70s at a toy show. While the proportions are pretty good it's more of a glorified toy than a model. The mold was done very simply, without any undercuts, somewhat like a Tootsietoy diecast.

Nice clean build. The brass looks very realistic!

This kit is common enough that it would probably be easier to start fresh with a new one if you want to build it to suit your taste than to undo what's been done to this one. Might be kind of cool to finish it as is. Just polish out out the paint and foil it up. The back isn't bad if you can live with the fact that it looks like he filled in the decklid panel line. The front's a little crazy with that "lantern jaw" lower pan. Maybe something other than the '53 Ford pickup grill/headlight combo would help.

I love vintage kits and consider myself something of a collector, but do have intentions of building all of them. I'll just have to stay in perfect health until I'm 150+ years old! The kits I do have that I've no intentions of building are the ones that are so horrible they're not worth the effort. At the top of that list – the infamous AMT '58 Plymouth Belvedere!

I can't believe how great this came out, Ron! With all that body detail sanded off I'd have cut the roof off for a conversion and parted the rest out – really great that you were able to make something cool out of it instead!

I finished shaving the fake vents off the passenger's side front fender, along with lettering from the hood. Next up for removal are the "flying wing" fender ornaments! What turned into the most challenging project with my worsening hand and arm tremor was using a Dremel to ream out the molded-in headlights for replacement with lenses from a Monogram (now Revell) '59 Eldorado ragtop kit. These are the most accurate GM quad lenses available, complete with nicely- done fluting and a representation of the Delco T-3 logo. After a little cleanup the housings can go to the plater. Hopefully I'll manage to get the lenses in straight during final assembly!

Finally got the hardtop roof permanently attached after repairing the crack shown last post with Plastruct cement for ABS and styrene flowed in from the inside. I reinforced the repair on the inside with some 1/32" ABS plastic. Plastruct cement was also used to cement the roof on, with the joint between the front edge of the roof and the convertible windshield header reinforced on the inside with a narrow strip of 1/32" ABS. Some minor gaps at the header were filled with thin cyano then the windshield header was filed down and the front edge of the roof shaped before the panel line for the upper windshield molding was scribed in. The damaged driprails were shaved off and replaced with some Evergreen strip. Also managed to scratch a rear window from clear PETE plastic from an egg carton. I made a pattern from a '58 Impala window, then the pattern was adjusted to fit the Bonneville. The pattern was used to cut a mockup "window" from a business card and further adjusted. The dummy window was used as a pattern to cut the final piece from the PETE. To protect the clear plastic during the cutting process I covered both sides with masking tape. Now I just have to decide whether to replace the windshield with a matching piece! Trim removal continued with shaving of the "Pontiac" lettering from the decklid along with the chrome fake handles. More kit inaccuracy trivia – AMT's kit spells out "Pontiac" on the hood and deck while the lettering spelled "Bonneville" on the real car!

Good work, Steve.

Nice build and brilliant color choices. Love the stock height roof - they don't all have to be chopped!

Outstanding build! This kit may be old but it's got "great bones" and this beautifully done model shows just how great it can look when built by a true craftsman.

Great job, Steve. The added details and great color choices really set it off.

Nice clean job!

I say spear. Do the seat when you get to the truly insane '61! BTW, never noticed those little reflectors in the upper trailing edges of the fins, those're pretty cool.

Stunning piece of craftsmanship.

Good save!

Nicely done!

Just keeps getting better! You've got me thinking about stripping and rebuilding mine (as if I need another project!)

Wow! That's a kit you don't see built to often! Thanks for bringing it back from the dead, Alan!

Nice project, Steve! The original build actually looked unusually well done, at least in the photos. I have an original '59 Pontiac color & upholstery selection guide if you need any reference info.

Nicely done.

Love that color! After final assembly will the car have more ground clearance? Kinda reminds me of a vacuum cleaner with the nose that low...

I like that color in any light. Coming along nicely, Steve.

Looks great! That color is perfect. Nice job attaching the roof!