Straightliner59

Great looking engine compartment! Beautiful work!

Awesome work, Ian! This looks beautiful! Glad to see it completed!

Most of the foil is done. Still a few little items to do, but those pesky windshield and backlight surrounds are done! I'm excited to see it completed, and satisfied with it. Thanks for looking!

Thank you, Francis! I am calling it good, now! On to...ugh...foil!😄 It's getting very close!

Thank you, Bruce. I appreciate that! I should get the left side of the car done, later, after work. I said "right" earlier, but, I meant the other "right"!😁 Thanks, Brian! I'm hoping to get it finished sometime, tomorrow. Of course, you know how that goes!

Whoo, boy! All that's left to smooth/polish is the right-hand side of the car. This looks way better than I was thinking it might! Once the other side is ready, I can foil, and apply the rest of the markings. I still need to thermoform the windshield, and backlight. I think everything else is done, and ready to mount. It's getting so close!

Thanks, Pierre! I think we're on our way, with the roof and trunk lid! I used 6000, 8000, and 12000 grits from Micro Mesh, then polished with Wright's Silver Cream, which I started using, after I saw Snake mention it. Compare the after, with the before!

Thank you, Pierre. I am convinced that a big part of why I've been more prolific, over the last several years, or so, is because I've figured out a way to create my own graphics. It makes for a more complete vision, at the start, therefore (I think) a greater desire to see it through. It seems to be helping me, anyway!🙂 That said, the clear coat really makes the gold leaf pop! There's a vat of elbow grease, in my future, though. I was trying to squeeze the last from my can of clear, and it left the roof pretty badly orange-peeled. I should have plenty of clear on it to be able to polish it out, and blend-down the decals, a tad. I build race cars, to avoid this kind of stuff!😂 I just felt like the gold leaf deserves a half-decent paint job. I am confident in saying that you, my friend, paint better with a brush, than I do, with a can! I'm attaching a few photos revealing my shortcomings! I was able to polish the spoon after only about 18 hours, so I plan to start fixing this, forthwith. Thanks, Jimmy!

Well, I shot the clear. I'll see how it looks, after work.

You have a lot more leeway, and can still get a very similar look!

I am almost positive that's what it was, in this case. The clear cracked parallel with the arc of the fender. I went back and cut some new fender slashes from decal paper, then taped them off and shot them with Walmart's now extinct Color Place gloss black. I applied each about fifteen minutes after spraying them, with no clear coat. I'm using Koala transparent decal paper. I really like it, but, the film is very flimsy. It stretches, easily, too. That trait caused me a couple of bobbles in the fender slashes. Overall, I think I can get happy with them, once I've cleaned them up, and flowed some Future into any voids along the edges, and shot some clear over everything! Thank you for your kinds words, David! Thanks for looking!

If you want to run the spoiler, just call it an Altered. The rules state that spoilers, in Gas classes, must be originally available, for the body used, otherwise, not allowed.

Thank you, David. I really wanted Blue Dots on the car, and didn't want to put them in the chrome-plated kit taillights, painted with clear red. Oh, don't worry! All my paint jobs look a little rough!😂 I always tell anyone who asks, "They're race cars! They aren't supposed to look like show queens!" I started putting on the "painted-on" decals, so they can get some clear, over them. I need to make new fender decals, because the clear coat on these had completely cured, and when I applied them, it cracked. I'll make new ones, and apply them, within an hour or so, of clearing them, while the paint is still flexible. Now that I've started applying them, I really like the way the leafing plays off the anodized stacks! I see some touchup that needs to be taken care of, too. Anyway...she's getting closer! Questions and comments are always welcomed. Thanks for looking!

Looks great, Ian! I'm a big fan of "bare bones" and form following function. Nice touch with the fuel tank. Good story!

I love this concept! I have one of those kits sitting here, and had considered something similar. I'll be watching, Niko!

Just solving problems, my friend!🙂 Thank you, Francis! I'm pretty happy with the way that worked out.

Thank you, my friend! Yes, that duct tape is super-useful!

Thanks, Andy!

That'd sure look sweet, with a LaSalle grille!

Thanks, Tim. I used to spend a lot of money in Caboose Hobbies, here in Denver. It was easily the best place to get scratchbuilding supplies. Plus, a lot of railroad detailing parts were very useful--especially before the model car aftermarket took off. I've finished the taillights. The lenses were incredibly slippery and difficult to work with. That made it a real test (which I failed) to sand them flat, on the back, while thinning them to fit the remains of the Badman's bezels. I was able to get a very satisfactory fix using UV activated resin to fill the space between the bezel and the tops of the lenses. A little touch-up with some Tamiya clear red, and voila! I also added the chrome strip that divides the sections of the lights using aluminum duct tape. I think they'll look great, on the car. Thanks for looking!

Thank you, Pierre! I wanted Blue Dots, at the start, which is why I redid the taillights. I got the second round of paint on it, early, this morning, before I went to bed! Waiting for paint to dry has given me the opportunity to get almost everything else done! I still need to thermo-form the windshield and backlight, yet. I still think I may need one more round of paint, but I'll have to wait and see. Nonetheless, it's getting pretty close! There's a contest here, near the end of March that I should be able to debut it at! Thanks, Tony! It's getting there!

I love it! That radiator is a work of art, my friend. Bravo!

Fantastic! The hood strap is some sweet icing on a delicious cake!

Taillights are done. They aren't perfect, but they're definitely better than the kit parts. I used lenses from an AMT Nomad. Blue Dots are model RR pieces. "Headlight" decals are from a MicroScale RR sheet. If I had another pair of those lenses, I would probably replace one of these. Thanks for looking!

While waiting (somewhat less patiently!) on paint--I'll get to that, later today--I concentrated my efforts on what do do with the taillights. I like to have lenses on my lights, whether headlights, taillamps, turn signals, or side marker lights. Also, I've wanted to put Blue Dots on here, pretty much since inception. I ended up cutting the lenses from the Badman taillights, then modifying an AMT '55 Chevy taillight lens to fit (I still need to get it nice and flat), and installed a blue "light" from model railroading supplies. I think this'll work! Comments and questions are always welcomed. Thanks for looking!