RancheroSteve

Nothing too fancy here - just doing a (mostly) out of the box build of the Accurate Miniatures kit. I will be using the HRM upper control arms and headers. Yes - I filled the slots on the bottom of the frame: An enjoyable build so far - more soon.

Not exactly "on the road" I guess, but just up the alley from me is a garage that's always closed. I poked my camera over the gap at the top of the door and took this: A vintage Dodge with a coat of dust, last registered in 2003.

I built a few of these "Great Moments in Sports" kits when I was a kid. They're quite well done.

In case you missed it down there under "All the Rest" - I just built a little one as well:

I was just thinking today that I should measure it and scale it out! I'm 6'5" so I ride the tallest frame I can find (25 1/2" or 65cm) and still have a lot of seat post showing. Thanks for the kind words, guys.

Whew! Calling it done at last. One of the more difficult, impossible and nearly ridiculous kits I've ever tackled. Part metal, part plastic, part rubber, with tape, tubing, wire and screws. Some of the plastic stuff I wish would have been metal, especially given the soft, yet fragile nature of the plastic. No matter, sometimes you gotta take what you can get and work with it! My first attempt at real wire wheels (replacing the out of scale plastic castings that come in the kit). I also made the toe clips from sheet aluminum (alright, a beer can) and the seat rails from wire when the kit parts disintegrated. Since I figured I was putting some much time and effort into this, I also substituted a Top Studio 1/12 motorcycle chain for the kit piece - building that thing is another adventure! Paint is Testors Hemi Orange from the rattle can. I scratchbuilt the little stand (under the rear wheel) from brass to replace the goofy kit item. Thanks for looking! Questions, comments, etc. welcome.

It's looking good, Dave! Just to refine that statement a little: Cyclones had silver air cleaners, chrome valve covers and a few other bits. You could order a Caliente with the "Super Cyclone V8" 4V engine, but it would come with yellow air cleaner and valve covers. All Ford blocks were semi-gloss black in 1965.

Well, I'll revise that slightly - I just read that the fiberglass twin scoop hood was available as a mid-year "limited option". But to reiterate, it wasn't the standard Cyclone hood.

The two scoop fiberglass hood was a drag race part and wasn't originally used on street cars. Cyclones had the same hood as the other Comet models.

I don't believe there is any difference between the roof of a Cyclone and a Caliente - both are 2 door hardtops. There were 202 and 404 two door sedans.

Wow, looking pretty darn nice from what I can see! Thanks for the update.

Some more progress - the front and rear bumpers are taking shape: And I finally figured out a way to make the DuVall windshield. I made a paper template, then a plastic template. Once I get the fit a little more refined, I'll photo-etch a brass frame and add some kind of channel for the glass.

Oh right! Thanks for clarifying the chronology - I had missed that distinction.

Yeah, that's the "flip top" Cobra. Bob Peeples was working on a very detailed and correct version before he passed.

Check out the Amos Milburn (1953) and John Lee Hooker (1966) versions if you get a chance.

That's Windward Avenue in Venice, California! http://www.kcet.org/socal/departures/fieldguides/venice/architecturehistory/windward-avenue.html

The FIA Roadster is my favorite Cobra!

I believe you have to enter your card data for your order to be placed (if you're placing it online). Once your order is placed you'll receive a conformation email with details of your order. Keep in mind that The Modelhaus is a small operation that has probably been deluged with orders since their retirement announcement, but Don & Carol are some of the finest and most ethical people in the hobby. In my experience, they always deliver and their products are first-rate. The most recent order I placed took about three months and was well worth the wait. No hurry on my end - I've got plenty to work on.

Part of the problem you may run across trying to transplant detail into the IMC kit is due to its under-sized nature. I haven't measured one out, but I've heard people say it's more like 1/27 scale! Sounds like you have it covered, but this might be another option: HRM makes a detail kit for the GT40 that contains some of the parts you'd need: http://www.stradasportsstore.com/product783.html But again, it's 1/24 scale, so it's going to be a squeeze into the IMC kit. Years ago MiniExotics made a Lola T-70 resin kit in both curbside and full detail versions that I think was based on the K&B slot car body. Not easy or cheap to find these days I'm afraid. In any case, good luck on the project and please keep us posted.

That's right! I sourced the appropriate wheel from the Modelhaus and cut it down when I built my Deora:

Thanks for the detailed info and excellent photos, Tim - I might have to buy it just for the tires and booklet alone!

Looks like the racing scenes were filmed at Ascot Park in Gardena, which closed in 1990. I saw the World of Outlaws race there not too long before they shut down.

Lots of info, trivia, and opinions here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064819/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_11

I've already built two Deoras and have several boxes full of complete and partial Deoras - including an original - so I probably won't be buying this one, but I'd be interested to see a detailed "what's in the box". Glad to see in back in a nice presentation with the original parts and artwork, as well as the new tires. That's right, Bill - the Deora kit has never had a center console, but it does have an overhead console. The interior is one of the many inaccuracies of the kit, which leads me to speculate that the kit was probably tooled up before much of the real car was finished, perhaps due to deadline/promotional pressures. Just guessing here. Having said that, it's a cool vintage kit of an iconic custom - just nowhere near 100% accurate out of the box. I know it's not your usual subject matter Bill, but I'd love to see what you could do with this one!

I'm building a 1/9 scale Protar Raleigh bicycle and it needs a better chain than what's in the kit. I saw the Top Studio chain and figured it might scale out about right, so I bought one for a reasonable price off Ebay. Looks like a crazy thing to put together, but I think I've finally worked up the nerve to tackle it. Report soon!