Danno

Verrrrrry nice!!

Now that we’ve looked over the Cosma Ray kit somewhat, let’s get started on the build-up! The body was dead-on, square, and virtually perfect as supplied. There was minimal effort required to prepare for painting. As with any resin product, I soaked my Cosma Ray overnight in Westley’s Bleche Wite, then washed it with Dawn and warm water. If anything, the body’s finish was so smooth and polished as delivered that I had to sand it with 4000 polishing mesh just to assure the primer could bite. My first step was to join the front and rear pans/clips to the body, then apply catalyzed filler to the seams. Because the seams are at the sharp body lines, this is an important step; there’s no other way to conceal the joint. The trickiest spots are where the joints intersect with the wheel openings. Careful work in these areas will produce a smooth lip with no evidence of the joint between the body and the pans. Once the filler was worked to perfection and spot-primed, it was time to paint the interior of the body. I shot the inside surfaces with Tamiya TS-31 “Bright Orange†which is a dead-ringer for Chevy’s Hugger Orange. After it hardened, I cut a piece of flat cardboard to fit the body’s interior. Attached with masking tape, I then attached the cardboard platform to a high-technology paint stand (an empty spray can) for handling. Priming, re-sanding, re-priming, and re-sanding again produces a smooth canvass for the final paint finishing. I paint as much of the body together as possible, while paying attention to the panel edges, etc. After a couple of coats of TS-31, I was happy with the appearance of the body. I had painted the bubble top hoop separately, but now it was time to tape it to the body for the next step; pearl clear coat. I next built up three coats of Tamiya TS-65 Pearl Clear. Wow! That made the otherwise plain, solid orange color really pop! It has been commented that the images made the finish seem rough or “pebbly†but in fact it is quite smooth; the apparent texture is actually just irregular light refractions from the embedded mica chips in the pearl clearcoat. I’ll take some images out of the sun in order to convey the complexion of the finish. Much like the 1:1, this finish is deceptive – in some light it appears to be just plain Hugger Orange but in other light the gold tone pearlescent overtone becomes apparent. Next, a couple of wet coats of Testors 1834M Wet Look Clear and this baby is looking show-car fine! I’ll be flipping a coin for days to decide whether to polish or leave her like she is. By the way, I get nothing from the marketing of the Cosma Ray resin kits. The Master Caster, Greg Wann, is a friend of mine who was receptive to my suggestion that he master and cast the Cosma Ray. He did a terrific job and I can highly recommend his products! My only interest in it all is in seeing that anyone else who has desires a Cosma Ray, as I did, has access to their own kit and at a reasonable cost. Next time, we’ll select the proper wheels for this version and build up the chassis and interior. Thanks for following along; hope you’re enjoying.

More pix are always welcome; Thanks, Alyn. I've always wanted to get to the KKOA Salina show. Maybe next summer. The paint job looks interesting or 'pebbly' because the sun is reflecting off the flakes in the pearl, causing it to appear to have an irregular surface. It is actually quite smooth, but the pearl effect is very subtle ... until bright light (or, sunlight) hits it. I'll show more pix later.

INSTALLMENT 1 - Building the Cosma Ray Greg Wann, known around these parts as The Master Caster, has produced a resin Cosma Ray kit. Here are some of the parts his kit includes. As you can see, he casts in a high quality white resin. It looks as good as a styrene kit. His bodies (all of them I’ve seen) have no pinholes or flaws and require very little work. His kits include amazing clear resin bubble tops! I did not photo all the parts, because it is a lot of pieces! He cast every part from the original master, including two wheel options, except tires and the metal coil springs for the front suspension. The first view shows some of the major parts, including the one-piece body, interior tub, the top hoop, the front and rear bubbles, frosted clear (just like the 1:1) headlight lenses, and the interior “waterfall.†The waterfall shown here was slightly warped because I left it in the sun, not because it came that way. Careful application of a little warm water and it easily straightened out. I broke my top hoop, but Greg quickly provided a replacement for it. More of the supplied parts, this view shows the interior tub, seats, dashboard, the waterfall after correction of the sun-induced warpage, the front and rear body components, the headrest pods, the red-clear taillights, and the chassis. Another group of the parts provided in Greg’s kit, this view shows the wheelwell/firewall component, front grilles and bumpers, frosted headlight lenses, two fuel injection options (factory Rochestor or Hilborn mechanical), the side pipes, and two wheel options (Corvette turbine style and wiremag style) with 3-prong knock-offs. Closer view of the wheel options. These represent two of the three styles of wheels the Cosma Ray has worn over the years. The wheel inserts on the left are Corvette optional turbine wheels; the wheels on the right are American Racing Wiremags. The knockoffs work on either set of wheels. Here are those spectacular clear resin bubble tops. They are clear and blemish free. Greg’s castings are marvelous! As I mentioned, Greg’s Cosma Ray kits are complete, requiring only that you provide a replacement for the original kit’s metal coil springs for the front. That’s easy enough; you can rob a third generation (1963-1967) Vette kit of its plastic springs, or you can rob a suitable ball point pen of its spring. Either way, you add front springs and tires and you’re well on your way to a beautiful, unique model of one of the winning-est show cars ever! You certainly aren’t going to see a bunch of them everywhere you go. Next installment, we’ll start building. Stay Tuned.

Hey, Toby! Phones are for calling. Cameras are for pictures! LOL. Good start; looking forward to seeing this build out.

Finally getting to this. I have been remiss; promised my good friend Greg Wann that I'd build up one of his superb resin cast kits of the Cosma Ray ... but life has been in the way. Now this baby is underway. Sneak preview: V V V V V Okay, I admit that wasn't much. I have a bunch more photography to upload, but the brand new computer has to go back to the computer doctor for a few hours this afternoon ... seems they forgot to upload some of the big bux software I paid for! But, either tonight, or tomorrow, I'll start uploading a series of pix as I take Greg Wann's outstanding resin kit and build up a replica of one of my all-time favorite show cars ... Darryl Starbird's Cosma Ray! In the meantime, here's a little more ... Ciao, baby!

That's kewl ... but, I keep looking for Donald Duck and Pluto and Goofy! Fun looking, must have been fun building.

Looking good, David!

LOL! Yup. Buh-bye! (Although that appears to be a small family. Only one truck.)

Dang! I wanted to be the first to say 'stunning.' Okay, I'll say 'outstanding!'

I'm happy. And the oysters are happy.

Hi, my name is not Jeff Sauber but I am a plastiholic. Time to revisit a golden oldie: "It's simple, the way I see it. 1. It's the rule. 2. I don't pay the bills to provide the forum. 3. Therefore, I don't get to make the rules. 4. Gregg pays the bills to provide the forum. 5. Therefore, Gregg gets to make the rules. 6. Gregg made the rule. 7. Therefore, it is the rule. 8. If I don't like the rule, I don't have to post here. 9. If I don't follow the rule, Gregg won't let me post here. 10. Because, it's the rule." Quoth the raven.

I know GM was experimenting with metallics in the early 50's on their "dream cars," concepts, and Motorama cars, but I didn't think they used metallics in production cars until the mid 50's, and then fairly limited to Cadillacs. I'm real sure they never used urethane clears in the 40's or 50's.

Unreal.

Very cool, Wayne! Nothing like modeling your old ride! Looking forward to seeing it finished. 10-8.

Wow. It would have to spray itself and cut/polish itself out to be worth that.

That's what I want: "Magic In a Spray Can!" Great product idea, Bob! LOL.

Steve, Are you referring to local pricing or Tamiya's MSRP? I don't know about the TS-83 and TS-84, but I bought a regular can (TS-29 Semi-Gloss Black) at the Hobby Bench a few days ago ... at $6.49. I've been paying $4.99, so I thought that was quite a mark-up. I was even upset about paying $5.49 at Hobby Depot the other day. But it doesn't compare to the occasion a few months ago when I tried to buy a regular can at Hobby Lobby and it was marked $24.95! Turned out a newby clerk had checked-in and priced a fresh shipment of Tamiya sprays and had marked them all $24.95. The correct price was verified and my purchase was remarked $4.95. Again, I don't know if the TS-83 and TS-84 are considered premiums (like the tall cans of white or gray primers) or if you got hit with a mis-priced product. Full Disclosure: I generally use Dupli-Color for rattle can basic colors (Black, Semi-Black, Flat Black, Pure White, silver, aluminum, etc.). I generally reserve the expense of Tamiya prices for specific body colors I'll likely use only once or twice. Then there's that unused contingent of airbrushes that I've got to get around to ...

Add me to the list that thanks Dave for wearing pants when he photos his builds! And, not only can I see Mark's house ... but I can't get its image out of my head ever since Steve Keck posted that pic. I'm trying spraying with 1psi. I set it up yesterday. I'm still waiting for the paint to arrive; I think the air is about 1/2 way through the water trap now. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Maybe I've whiffed too much urethane. Good discussion, people. Carry on.

Mike, That H-060-N just might be one and the same ... or, very close. I'll have to order one and see. Good show, old chap! Pip-pip. Thanks!

I see they've scrapped its original name in favor of Eva GT. It was originally called the Morgan Aardvark RT , a more appropriate although less marketable moniker.

The appearance of the running board in this image is consistent with how I recall the sweeping curve at the front.

To my knowledge, the rig owned by LA County Fire Museum is a (the) 1972 truck. That's assuming it is the one and only one they have or have had. Several years ago, Squad 51 and several of the Emergency! people including Mantooth and Tighe made a national fund-raising tour. After the tour was completed, that truck (the 1972 Squad 51) was sent to us at the National Hall of Flame Fire Museum and she resided here in Phoenix on loan for a year. I worked at the museum as one of the volunteer docents who took care of the apparatus and displays. It was like having a celebrity in the house! I spent a lot of time with Squad 51, and although she was on static display only, I had the opportunity to drive her when we moved her in and out of the gallery where she was displayed. Talk about EXCITING! Something like that reduces a grown man, retired firefighter, to a very basic babbling kid! The information that has been related here is consistent with what we knew about her. She was built by the studio's fabrication shop to LACoFD specifications; after the TV series ceased production, she was donated to LACoFD; they later pressed her into service for a time; she eventually was donated by LACoFD to the LACo Fire Museum; she was restocked with period-correct equipment and travelled on the fund-raising tour then returned to LACoFM; she came to Phoenix for an all-too short year; she returned to LACoFM. I have no further information about her history (or what has happened to her since) beyond those basics, and I do not know the fate of the reputed other two rigs. I'm not enough of a Dodge truck scholar to even know for certain whether they were separate vehicles or whether the original 1972 was refitted with 1973- or later vintage grilles/hoods to appear to be current model year rigs. From the photos that have been posted there are some subtle differences that clearly suggest there were different vehicles, which would not be surprising, and it appears there were two or three different rigs who played the role of "Squad 51" in the series. I agree with Steve, the best course is to settle on one set of images and replicate that version of her. As I previously indicated, I am looking forward to seeing Dave's resin rendition!! PS: I took a ton of photo images and measurements with the idea of eventually scratch-building a replica. I never got around to that, and I have no idea precisely where my resource material is at this time (other than being a couple of discs among a several boxes full of photo storage discs). As soon as I locate those images, I'll be happy to post them.

Dennis, Doug, Thank you for your comments. As a matter of fact, Dennis, the 'home base' of the department depicted is a foothills tourist town (small city, actually) at the base of Pikes Peak. Older than its larger neighbor, the joke was that Colorado Springs was a suburb of Manitou Springs, once known as just 'Manitou.'

Thanks, Chris, David, for your kind comments. David the Lindberg kit is considered to be based on the 1996 model year, as I understand it.