Spex84

Wow, love this! I like his style Looks like it's well preserved, considering! Has all the kool mods and accessories, down to the fuel/oil/water cans and swivel buckets. So sculpted, it must be about 60% body filler! The roof looks like '36, the fenders...hard to tell! Custom survivors like this are one of my favorite things; I have a folder of photos of cars like this that I'm gradually adding to as they pop up here and there. Every so often I see one for sale online, but they're rarely so well preserved as yours. I agree with Bernard on the date...It all looks like early 60s AMT parts, not to mention the styling which closely matches show cars of about '58-62 and the model cars in the magazines of the early-mid 60s. One of my favorite details here is how the headlights have been made to look like the frosted white lucite covers that showed up on the show circuit around that time, as in Gene Howard's '50 Buick: Not to hijack this thread, but I just had to post a pic of the '40 I started building a few years back --it's inspired by the same cars and magazines that probably inspired the builder of your survivor model.

Thanks for this thread-- all incredible stuff and I look forward to digging through that Rik Hoving Fotki album.

Very clean build of a back-to-basics hot rod! Congrats on the retirement

Beautiful paint! I'd say it turned out pretty well I'd love to be able to match that...maybe someday.

Spectacular! I kept scrolling down, looking for photos of the actual model, then realized I was looking at it. Love the attention paid to keeping the weathering and materials in scale...usually panel gaps and plastic-y headlights are dead giveaways on late-model supercars models, even well-built ones, but your rendition is extra convincing in those departments.

Those are stunning models indeed! Looks like they're mostly large-scale? The big question is...$$$! Looking at any of these, I wouldn't bat an eye if you told me the finished model was valued at $15k+ and the kits were $1500+. There's an absolute ton of labor in these, from the design and engineering to the construction of the kit.

How about real wood trim that has been clear-coated/plasticized to the point where it might as well be plastic? Apparently Bentley's wood burl dash veneer is very carefully applied and treated so it still has the surface texture of real wood. Yawn. I think I'll go fondle a birch, and save $200k

Thanks Douglas. I'll keep looking!

Interesting. I might have to try that on a spoon sometime...I have been finding lately that Krylon dries with an orange-peel-like finish regardless of how glossy the initial coat is. It's like it gets rougher as it gasses out. Rustoleum doesn't seem to have the same problem. I'd love to be able to use Krylon without having to wet-sand the heck out of it!

I had that idea in 2002 and I'm still sorta jealous that someone else actually made it. Good thing I didn't spend much time on the idea, because it seems to have gone over like a lead balloon. Too bad--I think it's really neat!! I was aware of porta-walls, but hadn't seen the metal versions before. Cool!

I've had little luck finding sources for decorative photo-etch mesh so I thought I'd ask here. It's relatively easy to find photo-etch packages targeted towards specific kits, and generic radiator mesh/round holes/diamond holes etc, but I'm looking for something more like a vintage heater box, or the below photo of cupboard doors with patterned perforated metal. I swear I saw something like this on a scale model in the last few years... I have a '50s hot rod model in progress with a round-hole mesh grille made from a coffee strainer...but I'd like a more mid-century-modern pattern if possible:

That's why I said the photo was "cherrypicked", haha. It's the usual Effie overhang, plus maybe a bit extra, PLUS the 3-ton fenders with large wheel arches. If ever there was a truck that needed to be rollin' on 30s...this would be it!

My first ever auction site purchase was an empty box. The listing was very long, and had "box only" at the absolute end of the description. The auction was ending soon, so I jumped on it. Lol. Live and learn. More recently, I bought a vintage kit and completely neglected to notice that the engine was missing. No worries, I'll be building it as a custom anyway, have lots of other engines to swap in. Still felt like an idiot though! It definitely pays to pay attention! Just yesterday I scored (ok, paid a solid price for) some junker AMT customizing kits from the early 60s. The photos were tiny and couldn't be enlarged, but by poring over them pixel by pixel, squinting at the patterns made by the layers of parts runners in the box, I was able to determine that the custom parts I wanted were in fact present. No doubt there will be surprises when they arrive (ie, tire melt marks).

Very evocative build Love all the little touches. There's a Blazer for sale a few hours away from me that looks much like this one, even similar color. I want it...but there's sadly no place in my life for it

I'd buy a Cheetah kit!

Wow. Definitely frustrating...I mean, I have cans of other brands of spray paint sitting around from the 1990s, maybe even the '80s, in the exact same storage room, and none of them have ever exploded. Just Testors.

I have purchased a bunch of nail polish over the years but have yet to get a project finished enough to paint! I just wanted to point out what was briefly mentioned above--maybe check with the wife before borrowing nail polish. I was shocked when I went looking around town and discovered how expensive some nail polish is. Total daylight robbery! Makes hobby paints look cheap! Dollar stores are the place to go if you want the more affordable stuff.

Saw some pics of the car this morning, but hadn't looked at it side-by-side with a GT40...wow. Some major similarities there! I'm not complaining though...it's an eccentric but attractive design, so I'll call that a win!

Neato! I think it's pretty cool that we're starting to see the early days of hobbyists printing entire model cars for themselves. For the next ones you print, I'd suggest maybe skim-coating them with a layer of 2-part body filler (like Evercoat, etc) and sanding to smooth over the terraced deposition pattern! It will help create a smoother base for gloss paint.

Creative! Looks like a delivery vehicle for the West Coast's newest herbal industry

Awesome. I'd love to see those WIP photos...and it's cool to know that the side molding was intentional and design-based, not just a convenient solution for covering up the seams from the section job, haha.

Ultra slick! For a while now I've been wanting to do a Euro sportster/Ghia/Comete-styled '49 Ford, but you beat me to it Love the fade job and Keystones, and the Chrysler grille works surprisingly well. Smooth integration of the nerf bars too--how were those done? Are they optional parts from another kit, or sprue, or ??? The molded side trim/accent line is inspired--I almost missed it because it's disguised somewhat by the paintjob. Love how it blends into the fender flares. Do you have WIP pics of this model?

I don't have one of these kits yet, but the corrected wheel position is a major selling point for me! Looking forward to getting my hands on one. IMHO the stock front wheel arches/wheel position ruins the Effie...stock they're OK, but when guys put little street-rod tires on the front with a heavy forward rake, the trucks just look like they smoked a curb. (Photo example below, cherry-picked for dramatic effect)

This is exactly why I build. In fact...the only reason I want to finish some projects is so I can start more!!

Beautifully done. I like the subtle weathering, the paint and gold decals, roof light, etc etc. The towing rig looks like it's ready to hook up some cars! Is there a WIP thread for this awesome truck?