James2

Stunning craftsmanship here, very nicely done...

Yes I am My friend has just the right parts for it! Thanks for the interest....

Great looking model, the interior is nicely done too!

No offence taken, this was just a fun way to add interest to a hotel build. And see what I could do on a tight budget. For those who are interested I have a 56 Nomad on the way and may have located a 57 as well. I'll be doing the same style with them as this build. Refresh with a shoestring wallet!

Thanks Craig, here's a better before and after.

Very nicely done, love the story behind the build.

Nicely done!

Here is the link to what this is about, Thanks Carl!

I purchased this at the last model show/swap I went to for $10. It was a little rough around the edges with heavy glue points just about every where. As you can see it had a few missing parts and rear bumper that needed help. But, the glass was in great shape and though the body still had all of the scribe lines and flash you would expect from piece like this, the overall appearance was appealing. After a quick disassembly I decided to polish the paint, clean up the windows and add some BMF to the trim. I was able to find some bumpers in my stash and with the help of a friend the tail lights were replaced. (They did not survive the break down) With a new stance and the mounting of true 55 wheels and the tires from the latest AMT PolyGlass kit, I think this little gem sets just right. I left the interior alone except for some dull coat to tone things done. And here it is... Not to bad for a $10 investment and maybe another few bucks for the changes.

Been hit or miss for me, I’ll try again today. Thx

Anyone else having problems with Fotki? Can't sign in and pix aren't loading sometimes...

After a couple evenings in the hotel this is where the 55 is at... So far I've spent $10 for the car, $2 worth of BMF and a few cents of glue. I did find some bumpers and tail lights in my stash and my buddy gave me some new tail light trim pieces. I need to find some front turn signals still. Not to bad for a swap meet build.

Very tastily done, clean and proper...

Nice clean build and the color is a stand out!

Pure joy to watch the process. Your patience is only matched by your skills...

Finally we have accomplished what we set out to do, keep up and we'll all be better for it....

Before leaving for work, I found the Wheel/Tire Combo in the spare parts box. Got the stance just right...

Looks real nice. I like the clean no thrill look.

Thanks

Very nice

Thanks again guys, here's todays update. I managed to finess the interior tub free and removed the glass with only a small break. This piece had a lot of glue on it as did most of all the other connections, which came apart relatively easily. Next up I decided to clean up the flash, most young modelers miss this step. I carefully scraped and cut the inside edges to remove the unwanted flash but leave the paint intact. There are a of couple scribe lines on the front grill area and rear quarters that will have to stay since my plan is to not repaint. Then I thought I'd try a small amount of polish. I taped the rear door line and polished the quarter panel, you can see the difference in the photo. I am resisting a clear coat for cost and the no paint theme, but we will see. So far I have not spent any more on the project Next I'll be looking for that just right wheel/tire combo!

Looks like a wet weekend coming my way so perhaps I'll get some bench time in. I'd like to get this ready to take on the road and hopefully work on it during the week. Thanks for the interest...

Some pics aren't loading for me, would like to see what I'm missing. Looks like a nice build...

Sunday I took a few minutes and started the dis-assembly. I'm pretty happy with the shape the body is in and I believe the interior will be easily updated. Let's hope the glass is ok and comes out in one piece. The glue was typically thick in most areas but brittle enough to separate the pieces easily. At least until I turned the body over. These spots were pretty heavy and I didn't even try to break the interior tub free. I used a small razor saw blade mounted in my knife handle and was able to saw through one of the front connections without damage. After returning home from work this weekend I'll try the other side. But the rear point I think I'll try scribe it loose with a x-acto blade in reverse. One of the other things I'll be doing is working on this sometimes from the hotel where I'm staying during the week. Should be interesting! And I think I found some bumpers in my spare parts box, which adds no new cost to the project so far. And thanks for the interest and comments everyone...

Had a good time with friends Saturday at the "Stark Scale Model Club" Show, I found this little gem in the swap meet area and it just seemed to call out to me. So what I thought I would do is, a restor/fresh'n up. I kinda like the color so I will attempt to polish the body or maybe clear coat it. I was thinking about a white roof also. Some Bare Metal Foil will be added, along with a new set of wider tires and keeping the stock wheel covers. I'll be fixing the rear bumper and searching for the front bumper and turn signals. A couple of things under the hood perhaps but mainly working on just the appearance for now. Not sure what to do with the interior just yet. Also I thought I'd make it more interesting by tracking the cost involved as the build progresses. Initial cost $10