StevenGuthmiller

Now that the '59 Edsel is in the final stages of construction, It's time to gear up for the next few builds. The '60 Mercury convertible has already been started. Painted basic black, it will have a red & black interior. Looks terrible right now! Been collecting dust for a few weeks, & you know black! The '59 Mercury is another "Jr. Craftsman" kit. Going with a medium metallic green & black on this one. The '60 Edsel will be a medium shade of metallic brown. Not a factory color but I couldn't find a factory color for it I really liked. Also have a '58 Buick Roadmaster I've got pretty close to completion. Just waiting for chrome to come back on that one. That'll give me a good start on the vintage kits I have yet to build. Probably at least a dozen more will bring up the rear. That is, as long as I don't add anymore to that list! Steve

Like I said some where on this forum before Gary, I believe a lot of what the model companies are doing is producing kits that they can do over & over again in slightly different configurations to maximize profit. With the new Mobius kits the recipe seems to be factory stock & racing vesions. Every kit they've produced so far has been closely followed by a race version. Nothing wrong with that mind you. They need to make a profit to stay in business, but that's where the decision lies "not" to do a '59 Chevy wagon. Not a real good candidate for a custom & nobody ever raced them. Although, Revell could do one with a minimum of new tooling from their hardtop & convertible kits. I think they do listen to some extent. I've seen a few model car surveys done by the companies. Problem is, in this day & age, the '57 Buicks get booted in favor for some new super car kit. Steve

I'd thought about that. Just didn't know if it would work in this scale, or if you could get a light enough tint to look stock. Steve

I spent the past two days failing miserably at tinting the glass on this build! I can't quite figure out the malfunction, but I've come to the conclusion that this old glass was never meant to be painted. After several attempts which ended with everything from "fogging" to "beading" I've decided this one is gonna have clear glass. Tried two different types of paint with two different delivery methods, (airbrush & spray can) and got several results. None of which were good. I've tinted glass on kits in the past & have had few issues. I even tested the Testors clear black I was going to use on this one on a scrap windshield with terrific results. When I tried it on the '59......No go!! Oh well, I built models for 40 years without tinting the glass & never had an problem with it. Steve

Very cool color color Jeff! I don't know, I think the steel gray look of the bumpers works nicely with it! Steve

Beautiful!!! & the background reminds me of grandpa's old Oldsmobile sitting in storage in a warehouse some where. Fantastic! Steve

I would love to do the same Richard, & I've also been working towards that goal. Unfortunately, The kit manufacturers have left us with far too many holes from that era, some of which will probably never be filled. I would love to see a '56 Desoto Adventurer, or a '57 Buick kit some day, but I'll tell you, I'm not gonna hold my breath! The resin casters can fill some of these holes, but I'm afraid some of the great old cars of the 50s will never see 1/25th scale. Steve

Wow Gary! I'm not sure what to say except thank you! I agree with you 100% I Haven't been excited about the design of any car in many many years. Even the much nicer looking modern muscle cars, (ie. Camaros, Challengers, Mustangs) don't really do a thing for me. To me, they're just "warmed over" designs that have already been done. The class of the cars from the 40s-60s is gone and, I fear, will never return. Thank you Gary for you're very kind words! Steve

Yes Charlie. The uphlostery pattern was done with just masking tape & paint. Pretty simple pattern, but very time consuming. A lot of very thin pieces of tape! The scripts on the rear quarter & the Edsel lettering on the hood were done before the last color coat Doug & then cleaned off with a little thinner before clear coats. Steve

Well, the interior is finished! Body is foiled. Just have the details to finish up. Should be "under glass" within the next few days as long as I can get a little bench time during the "work week". Steve

Thanks Guys!! Froghawk, I actually lowered the front suspension just a tad. It looked to be a little high in the front, for my taste anyway. From what I've seen, The lighter color on the bottom/ darker on top configuration seemed to usually be reserved for the convertibles for some reason. Not sure if that was by design, or just my observation. Any way, I've always been a very big fan of whites with a darker accent color. The '59 Edsel I'm building at the moment is testament to that! Steve

I pretty much use "Model Car World" (MCW) paint, almost exclusively Hector. Especially if I'm building factory stock. I like the fact that the "metallic" in the paint is to scale. Most of the automotive touch-up paints have larger metal flake in them & the Testors metallics are, for the most part, wildly out of scale. Some of the metallics from MCW are almost hard to tell that they are metallic, but they give you that great "sheen". Steve

Looking great so far Tom! I've gotta get me one of these kits. Everybody seems to love the '65-'67 or '70 Chevelles so much. To me, they look like a Yugo next to the '68-'69s. My preference has been '68, but '69 will do nicely! Keep up the good work! Steve

Here's something a little newer from me than you're used to. A Monogram 1955 Chevy Belair hard top. This one is also box stock.....Duh! Painted correct "Shoreline Beige" & "Neptune Green". Steve

The paint looks terrific Mitch!! You picked a great place to shoot the pics! All that "diffused" light from the trees overhead really shows off the shine! Great job! Steve

A few more interior pics. Not completely done yet, but close. a few more details to pick out & some steering wheel work. The Edsel lettering on the conny kit are photo etched pieces from "Model Car Garage" as well as the window cranks. Steve

Thanks every body!! I appreciate all of the great comments! Actually Mark, my inspiration for this build was a 1:1 convertble I saw online painted in this color with a red & white interior. If it wasn't for that picture, I probably would not have gone with the silver. Yes, the hubcaps are rechromed originals from the annual. Steve

Took a few outdoor shots a while back & I guess I never posted them. I think they always look better in natural light. So here's a couple of pics for any one who's interested. Steve

I just heard about Mobius' plans for the next year & I almost soiled myself! I knew about the '61 Ventura, '67 Merc Comet & the '69-'71 Ford pickups. But I had not heard of the '54 Hudson & the '65 Plymouth Satellite! I think I'm in love with these guys!! Steve

Here's an original AMT 1960 Buick Invicta. One of the very first AMT kits to be offered with an engine. I had a ton of fun building this kit but it also offered it's challenges. Some things didn't fit together real well! I'm usually not a big fan of silver cars, but with the white top & red & white interior, I thought it was a real "stand out" color combo for this car. Painted in correct MCW "Silver Mist". Steve

Another nice one! I've never been much of a Riviera fan myself, but a lot of people really love them. I remember people growing up who were "religious" about their Rivs! It's almost like a "cult" thing. A lot of people who like them seem to be bonkers over them! Good job Lucas! Steve

Very nice Al! I personally love the look of the '67 Pontiacs. Very unique body style. Of course, I've always been a bit of an "odd duck" when it comes to styling. I love the old late 50s & early 60s Mopars. They don't get a lot more "odd" than that. I've been slowly looking for an original MPC '67 Bonneville. Eventually I'll find one. They're out there, but not cheap. Modelhaus does cast mirrors if you're interested. Mostly just repros of old AMT & Johan original kit mirrors. They're not exactly cheap either! Steve

They did the '61 in '61 only Andy. So if you want one..... well, let's just say they don't come cheap! Keep your eyes peeled though, Mobius is doing a 1961 Pontiac Ventura that should be out some time late this year! Steve

I do have one critisizm Randy. You seem to have forgotten to foil the bright work trim on the lower rear fender ahead of the rear bumper. Steve

Nice job Randy! They can be a little challenging, especially the interiors which can be little more than a "blob" but I feel it's the sign of a really good builder if you can take a simple kit like this & make it look this nice. But, then again, I may be a little bias. These old kits are right in my wheel house! I think you passed with flying colors! Steve