John Goschke

Really glad that you're back on this one! Love the look with the Moons and salt flat/dry lake tires.

Yeah, Chris, I've always found that interesting and wondered whether Ford somehow kept a much closer rein on the design approval and control process and perhaps PMC, AMT, and Revell all may have used a common master pattern. Whatever the process it sure went out the window the following year with the much different interpretations of the 1960 designs from Hubley and AMT!

Thanks, Peekay! I use a Nikon digital SLR with an 18-70mm zoom lens for most shots, including these. Occasionally I'll use a macro closeup lens to highlight the detail of some small part, but try to avoid that because it unmercifully shows every little imperfection that would otherwise be invisible under normal model viewing conditions. The camera is mounted on a tripod and I use a remote shutter release, with the camera set to auto-focus with aperture-priority so I can use the smallest possible lens opening for the best depth of field. The background is a large sheet (23x40) of heavy white paper I received as a sample for a graphic design project. It has an interesting embossed rib surface. One of the narrow edges of the paper is tacked to the wall above my display case and the sheet is draped over the top of the case to create a seamless backdrop. I have two stand-mounted photo flood lights for main lighting that have white drafting vellum taped loosely over the front of shades to diffuse the light somewhat. No flash is used and the tripod and remote shutter release are a must with the relatively long exposure needed. All the photo files are processed and adjusted in Adobe Photoshop. Hope that helps! I'm sure others have simpler solutions to good photos.

Looks great so far!

Thanks, Ron! The conversion to four-door hardtop (aka "Town Victoria") should be relatively easy since the four-door and two-door used the same roof stamping. The four-door just has that little chrome-trimmed kick-up into the C-pillar. I think the upholstery pattern is even the same, except for a non-folding front seat.

Thanks, guys! Yep, ChrisBcritter, you're right. The chrome front bumper extension was standard on the Fairlane 500 and Galaxie models and probably offered as an accessory for others. I'm still thinking about a good way to add that horizontal rib detail.

I'm not sure it's an exaggeration to say this is one of the most meticulously crafted hot rods ever! Here's a link to the Jalopy Journal HAMB forum thread that shows the whole build process.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=378992&highlight=emerald+tide

This project is moving along again after I finally decided on a grill treatment using a piece from a vintage Aurora Custom Grill & Trim parts pack that featured, among others, a "drawer pull" style grill with little squares that looked like an oversized '58 Buick grill. With the background blacked-out the chrome squares seem to float in the opening. The bumpers were rechromed by Dale Horner. The rear bumper is actually from a Revell '59 Skyliner retractable hardtop kit. Big bullet taillight lens came from the '50 Ford ragtop kit I think, and are fit into the drilled-out stock housings. Bullet backup lights are cut-down from AMT '57 Ford custom parts. '54 Olds Fiesta-style caps are from the Roth issue of the Revell '56 Ford pickup. The interior uses Revell Skyliner side panels adapted to the original AMT interior along with a Revel Skyliner steering wheel on an AMT '57 Ford steering column that more closely resembles the real part.

Really neat little car and a clean build!

Beautiful build of this obscure kit. Interesting to see one built - I like how the too-low roof actually improves on the appearance of the real Granada.

Really liking this one!

Nice job! Might want to correct your thread title, though, since it's a '62 Catalina, not a '61.

The AMT/SMP '60 El Camino kit isn't particularly accurate (or even symmetrical!) in any respect, so I'd vote for it's being too big and the later Trophy Series '59 being just about right. Though I doubt the real '59 Elky had star-shaped bolt heads similar to those in the engine compartment of AMT's kit! That said, I'd love to have a simple, curbside Snap-Tite kit of '60 with an accurate body and interior.

Beautifully done model!

Really clean work!

Nice job! Don't forget to foil the vent window frame!

'53 Lincoln Capri. Make it a race-prepped hardtop.

Great build!

Maybe they did it that way so they could more easily produce a kit of Pontiac's glorified Nova, the Ventura? Can't remember if they ever did though...

Yep, but this guy's '27 T "baby" is still ugly at worst, and badly proportioned to the point of being silly at best, no matter how much the owner loves it or how many others think it's wonderful that he does. It's cars like this, and even more "creative" eye-sores like "Thunderflite," that ensure that the number of vehicles worth looking at at the average car show will be about 20%. Only one owner/builder of the '57 Chevies below gets credit for saving his car from a fate worse than the scrap crusher, no matter how much he may love it...

The industrial look of the car in the original post immediately reminded me of one of these... While the '32 posted by lordairgtar probably cost a pretty penny to have built, it is possible for a backyard builder on a very limited budget to build a similarly great-looking car, all it takes is an eye for proportion, stance and line and subtle design details. Look at the way the curve of the rear wheel follows so beautifully the curve of the wheel arch, and the way the line of the exhaust header echoes the angle of the frame rail and flows so nicely into the bottom edge of the door. Check out the way the tailpipe parallels so perfectly the rear frame horn.

If there were any justice in the world the TV Batmobile would still be the Lincoln Futura and the TV Batmobile would've been something else. Like a black '60 Chrysler Windsor convertible. But that's my inner crotchety old man talking.

Very crisp, authentic-looking build, beautifully photographed!

I have a fairly large collection of automotive car books. I've had difficulty collecting non-automotive car books.

Most of the TV shows and movies those cars were in were really awful. At least in the case of "Corvette Summer" the car is just as horrendous as the movie. How 'bout a list of three memorable cars from great movies... William Hurt's Corvette from "Body Heat," Jimmy Stewart's Pontiac ragtop from "Anatomy of a Murder," Paul Newman's Cadillac from "Hud." Honorable mention goes to the TWO '55 Lincoln's in "Picnic" with Kim Novak and Susan Strasberg...