Spex84

Thanks for the link; this is very cool stuff. I appreciate when modelers' work is displayed online even after they've passed. CJ Hilton's site still looks exactly the same as when I discovered it as a high school student in 1998, spending my lunch hour in the library computer lab and exploring this exciting new thing called "the internet": http://www.cjhilton.com/Models/ I can't think of any other websites that both stuck in my memory and still look exactly the same as they did in '90s!

Looking forward to seeing where you go with this!

Looking forward to seeing where this goes! I have a bag full of butchered Corvette parts from a conversion attempt back in the 90s...Revell C4 'vette into '57 vette. I got as far as cutting everything up, and then it stalled. Funny, in retrospect I quite like the Calloway C4 and I'd consider buying another to build a version with more modern wheels.

Nice work! I'm loving the 2-tone maroon and white body and monochrome white engine bay. I never would have thought white-on-chrome could work, but in this case it does!! It could use a drop of thinned flat black or grey in the tailpipe tips!

This has been my exact experience. Most of the freely available 3D models online are junk, with the possible exception of cars from high-quality games like Forza or Gran Turismo.

Very cool! Glad to see 3D printing being put to good use. How did you make the new body panels conform to the kit? Did you make exact templates from the kit and scan them into the computer to help in designing the new parts? I could see it being difficult to match all the compound curves exactly. In the 1:1 world, aftermarket body kit companies do 3D scans of the vehicle to base their new designs on-- I imagine there are probably some free/cheap 3D car models available online that could be employed in a similar fashion.

Well that's cool! The Miata looks good with a flame job! Nice work converting the figure, too, she suits the car much better than the stock figure would have. The wheel design is certainly distinctive--it puts me in mind of the metal grilles that surround trees planted on urban sidewalks. Maybe if she washes the car enough, they'll sprout I like that you decided to be creative and come up with something new and interesting rather than simply dismissing the theme as "old". Flamed McLaren P1 next? Haha.

Looks gnarly so far! What kit is that? Is it a Minicraft?

I've always wondered if "Merc" (Mercedes) is pronounced "merse". I mean, it's not "Merkades", right??

I've been having problems with Krylon doing this for the last year and a half or so. It seems to be much "hotter" than it used to be, so I can no longer lay wet coats straight from a spray can without it wrinkling the plastic or primer underneath.

Watched this yesterday It really leaves in a hurry, doesn't it! I love how the car looks mostly stock, but it just runs like an absolute beast. Great sleeper. Gotta love the 10.009 too!

I would suggest wearing latex/nitrile gloves--it's not going to wear off like Alclad does, but the oils from your fingers handling it will dull it somewhat and I noticed when handling painted parts that a small amount was transferred to my fingers, which could have been a problem if I then touched other parts. As with other metalizers, it doesn't look quite the same if clear-coated (ie with Future).

Beautifully done, what a gem. The roll bar is bang-on, as are the other details. I love the faux-original box art too!!

Nope, photos still not showing up, except for the two shots of the blue broken body.

Loving the updates! The new hood side flow is perfect, and the Olds looks killer in the engine bay. Nice wiring job. I like the new '40-style X-member and the spring hangars too.

Looks like it could be done, with adjustments to the roof profile, belt line molding, A pillars, and visor. This also serves to highlight why getting the right curves and dimensions is SO critical on a model A Ford coupe. If just a few things are off--boom, it's a Chevy!

Most of these photos are not showing up for me, but the body in the first post could be Tognotti's King T by AMT?

Canada imported lots of Renaults, too. There's a derelict example in the forest across the valley from me. I was pretty surprised to find it, until I learned how many small Euro cars were sold here in the 50s and 60s. Love these old hobby shop photos. I really wish I had a local hobby shop to hang around at.

No problemo!

James--I essentially dry-brushed the Mr Metal onto the body with a ratty old paintbrush in order to get an uneven splotchy finish. If I had airbrushed it, (or even painted on a heavy coat with a brush) the finish would have been too clean and consistent. The paint dries very quickly; I think it's a lacquer. If you wanted a perfect smooth metal effect, airbrushing would probably help, but I've never actually tried it. This is a very thin paint, but it covers well. It behaves much like Testors metalizers but the colors of the steel and aluminum paints are very slightly different from the Testors product.

Excellent work! The paint, detailing, and high level of finish is commendable. Beautiful. I like the diorama and photography as well.

Well that's creative! I love it. I'm so glad there are people out there with both vision and fabrication skills. Can't wait to hear and see it moving under its own power. It would make a totally nutso drift truck if they could get the weight distribution and steering/suspension geometry right. It has the look!

Here's one taken from a squatting position

Love that car! Here's my bare metal '30. It's Mr. Metal Color "stainless" daubed over grey Plasticote primer and then buffed with a cloth, and Mr. Metal Color "Aluminum" dry-buffed onto the edges of protruding details to highlight them. A hint of copper rub n' buff was buffed onto a couple patches on the lower body to hint at returning corrosion. "Can O' Worms" has a more aggressively stitched-together appearance, but I think you could achieve that look with a slightly textured base coat and metalizer paints like Testors Metalizer or Mr. Metal Color buffed onto it.

Hey Craig-- "Will not fit a stock '50 Olds" was a slightly tongue-in-cheek comment meaning that the lake pipes won't fit in the engine bay of a stock '50 Olds car. Lol. It's confusing though, isn't it...I'll remove that note. I currently have an order incoming that includes those headers. I have my fingers crossed that my measurements and design were correctly executed.