StevenGuthmiller

Ouch! Always seems to happen after you've already put a butt load of work into something, doesn't it Bill? Steve

Thanks everybody! I really appreciate it! Thanks Harry! I understand where you're coming from. I was going to paint & keep the original top boot, but after modifying some things & adding the boot snap trim, it no longer fits. I would either have to find a different one, or scratch something. This model was never intended to be displayed without the up top. I only removed it in a couple of photos so that the interior could be seen in place. It may be the last time it's ever removed. Most of my convertible builds with up tops have the top more or less permanently installed. I decided to leave this one loose. Steve

I never strain mine. I just leave it in the stripping tub until it gets too dirty & looses it's strength. Then I toss it & refill with fresh fluid. Steve

Fun to look at! The first thing that made me chuckle was the fact that half of the guys posing with their pre-war rides looked like Pretty Boy Floyd! Steve

Thanks so much guys! Steve

Well, this is where I'm going next. I have 1960, '62, '63, '64, '66 & '67 Bonnevilles all waiting in my stash, as well as '64 & '69 Grand Prixs, so it's time to get going on them. With this many Pontiacs waiting, I could make the next couple of years all poncho years! We'll just start with this one. I already removed the front screw posts, added the inner fender flanges & a new radiator brace. The body prep on this one should be no where near as bad as the '62 Chrysler was. I will hopefully be ready for paint rather quickly with this one. Steve

That's kind of a funny story. I really had no intentions of doing pose-able front wheels. It was just kind of a last minute deal. I actually just used the torsion bars from the kit. Cut them to a C shape, drilled a hole through them & the axle for a pin & viola, pose-able wheels. I didn't even bother with a tie rod. Might be a little tough to pick out in the photo. Steve

I finished this literally a few hours after the "ball dropped" so it can't be considered a 2016 finish. But, being as it was finished right on January 1st, I'll hopefully be able to get more than 3 done in 2017! I want to start by saying thank you to Al Rich, (thatz4u) for trading this very nice original Johan '62 300 Convertible with me. For the life of me, I don't even remember what I gave up for it, but I was very happy with the trade! These '62 convertibles are not easy to find. Anyway, I did quite a few mods on this one to get the top to fit correctly. I had to make several cuts on the top & modify the tulip panel area of the body to get it to look right. I also added the boot snap detail to the body & the chrome strip to the leading edge of the uptop. Other modifications included, removing the front screw posts & adding the lip on the inner fender that the hood sits on, as well as a top for the radiator brace & the hood latch panel on the back of the grille. I dumped the plastic grille back in favor of stainless mesh screen painted black to add some realism to the grille. The engine was plumbed & wired. On the inside, I modified the rear package shelf / top well, & added details like a transparent steering wheel, Instrument cluster "bubble", cast window cranks & a scratch made mirror. I also flocked the carpet & added a 300 emblem between the rear seats & door lock buttons. On the outside. a set of correct 300 wheel covers & AMT "parts pack" wide whites were added & the headlights were drilled out & replaced. I also scratch built the mirror & antenna. Underneath, the only modification that was made was pose-able front wheels. The paint is just Duplicolor "Bright Red" lacquer shot from a can, cleared & polished. I've had a number of Johan '62 Chrysler 300 hardtops over the years, but have never completely finished one. When I got my hands on his rare convertible with the correct interior & an uptop to boot, I knew it was a "need to build" kit. So, after all of these years, I finally have a '62 300 gracing my model shelf! It's about time! All comments are welcome. Thanks Guys!! Steve

Agreed! There is nothing about that car that says '49 Mercury. What was the point? You could have done the same thing with any other car from that era. In my opinion, if you can't look at the car and say, "that started out as a '49 Merc" it was a waste of time. I thought the idea behind customization was to "improve" upon the design of a car, not obliterate it. One more reason why I have no love for customs. Everybody thinks that they're a "stylist" & as I see it, they fall flat 90% of the time. I'm a classic car junky & very rarely do I see a custom car that looks better than the original. As I said, just my opinion. Steve

Well I didn't quite make the 2016 finish that I had planned on, but it couldn't have been any closer. I basically just have the antenna & rear view mirror to install & it will be ready to photograph. You can expect it in "Under Glass" sometime later on today. I'm happy with the result. Steve

This is just my personal opinion but I think that if you take away the "dog leg" on a '49-'51 Merc, it ceases to be a '49-'51 Merc. That dog leg is one of the main styling cues that make it the iconic car that it is. Removing it makes it look far too "generic" in my opinion. The red & white Dave Stuckey Merc you posted is just plain butt ugly as far as I'm concerned! Steve

How much do you trust me Bill? Let's test that. Send me "all" of your kits & I'll get them painted & get them right back to you! Steve

Hmmm, I believe I may have been had!

If you're loading directly from your hard drive, you're probably running out of allotted space. You are only allowed so much space to post photos on the forum. As the moderators have said, this is not a photo hosting site. As you post photos, & as you begin to reach your allotted space, the size of the photos you are allowed to post gets progressively smaller until it disappears entirely. I know all of this from experience! That's why you should use a photo hosting site to post photos to the forum. The photos don't take up any of your space because the photo itself is not loaded. A link to the photo on your hosting site is what you are actually seeing. You can basically post unlimited photos using a hosting site. If not, you will eventually have to go back & delete some photos to make room for others. Steve

Sweet stuff Dale! I'm particularly fond of the '50 Olds & the '40 Ford Sedan! Terrific work!! Steve

I'm almost exclusively a classic rock guy, but I do love some of the old country music. Artists like Hank Williams. & I've always had a soft spot for Patsy Cline. Steve

Oops! Sorry about getting you started on "bad habits" Bill! But it paid off pretty well in the end for me. It got me a '69 Roadrunner! Steve

It's coming along well Al. A long 3 day weekend over Christmas helped a lot in moving things along. I've had a few minor fit issues in relation to a couple of the modifications I made, but I believe I have them pretty much resolved at this point. I'm still thinking that there may be a possibility that I can finish it before January 1st! Steve

Nice work Hans! I really think the wheels add a nice touch. I have one question though. Is the front valance pan missing? I can't see it in the photos. Steve

Great stuff Tommy! The Caddy & the Buick really grabbed me! Steve

I'm jealous! I wish I had the time to get that much work done! I'm really liking the 2 Corvettes, & of course the '60 Edsel! Steve

I use a piece of discarded styrofoam from any packing material. Steve

I found this little gem gracing my doorstep this afternoon, placed there be a little elf by the name of Bill, a member of the forum! I didn't know that we were exchanging Christmas gifts this year guys! Thank you Bill! We will "discuss this over a Christmas bowl"! Steve

I did a little research on this early in the process, & found that the Ram intake was apparently available in the '62. The interesting part is that there doesn't seem to be any evidence that any of them actually made their way into any actual cars. So if a factory '62 with a cross ram was ever found, it would be rare bird indeed! Well, that was all I needed to hear! You'll be looking at an extremely rare '62 300 H when it's done. Steve

The last of the larger hurdles is finished for this project. I feel like I'm coming into the home stretch. I still have a few adjustments to make on the chassis, & a little detail painting left & then final assembly can begin. I still have my doubts that I will finish before the first of the year, but I see no reason why I should not be able to move on to the next project by next weekend. Steve