coopdad

Well said Art! I think the part that means so much to me (and should to others) is that people in this country have volunteered to risk or even lose their life for the principles that the founding fathers set out. Sitting in my comfortable home, eating as much food as I want, it is easy to forget. I know it is easy to say but thank you veterans for your personal sacrifice. John & family

Great job... two thumbs up (I would give more but only have two thumbs). I just noticed the Washington plates. Did you make them or were you lucky that they came with the kit? John

And more pix... The color of the cage is straight-out-of-the-can Acapulco Blue, a Ford color from that time period so I believe it to be the right color. And with the rear plumbing added (test fitted). I have not used Testors Model Master Lacquer paints before now. They lay down very nicely, stink though. Now on to the front plumbing. John

Romell has been hounding me for an update (kidding of course) so here it is. And thanks everyone for the kind words. Been working on all those tiny little things that make scratchbuilds just look home made: seams that don't line up perfectly, rough filler under paint, holes not perfectly round, etc. I really admire the guys that make these things for model companies. A few photos of the first test fit of the body... A big problem showed up yesterday. The top wing had, for some reason, become warped/wavy. The thing was no longer flat and since it will be chrome, it will be very obvious. I bit the bullet and made another... I figure now is the time to make it right rather than after is done. This time I decided to use thick parallel ribs rather that horizontal. Also, used super glue rather than weld as it caused so many issues in the first (technically second) wing. The areas between the ribs were a problem in the first wing so I super glued very thick styrene to them to help with the flatness. Forgot to post the rear axle before... lots of stuff that attaches to it. It is a three-link system connecting at the top of pumpkin and to the front bottoms. On top of those mounts are the shock mounts connecting to the spring mounts. At the rear are the sway bar connections. On top of those are large plates that hold big rubber bump stops. And there is a Panhard Bar connection on the back too (can barely see it at the top rear). Also here are some new things... the spare tire mount and a thing that I am not sure what it is (think it holds a highlift jack). The unconnected sway bar can be seen flopping underneath. Thanks for watching, John

Gray sandpaper is what I used... splattered with flat black (and some white) using a toothbrush. Plus a few other "clues" for pavement (burn outs and pit marks). Really easy and quick to get realistic results. Let me know if you want me to get some pix of it without the car. John

Great! Wonderful creativity! Is there going to be a number on the side? John

Great job! Love it! john

I am toying with adding figures to one of my dioramas and ran across this kit at the LHS: Has anyone built it and can recommend it? Any photos of the contents or built figures? I am looking for a 70's driver and/or a helmet and this might just fit the bill. Thanks all, John

Sweet! I just love two-tone Ford trucks. Keep posting. John

Thanks much for all the kind words guys. And yes Matthew, I made the decals using Adobe Illustrator. I am a graphic designer for a living so decals were the easiest part of the project. Getting tired of everything being styrene white and resin tan I decided to treat myself and get paint on something. In this case I picked wheels/tires and under the hood. The wheels came from RMS Resin (Ryan's a great guy to deal with). They started out very deep so I cut them down to a more realistic depth. Note, fronts and rears are different. Top is the original, left is the rear, right is front. Ryan threw in the knock offs for free. And after paint I think they look pretty close. The wheel with the red knock off is the spare... not sure why they made it a different color. Was also able to get some paint on the motor: I also finished the front of the motor. Scratch built the pump, pulley and belt. Also added mounting brackets to the alternator. The fan in real life looks like it was quickly painted with a spray can so I tried to do the same by painting over bolt heads. Scratches on the blades (and oil pan) showing metal underneath are intentional. They will be mounted later... gotta make sure I can get the motor into the frame with that stuff attached. I would hate to have to take it off. As always, any questions, feel free to ask. John

Curt, I believe I found out about the "hood ornament"... Parnelli's sig on top of a horseshoe. I will be running out decals soon if you would like a copy (PM me with your address). Of course I won't put it on gold, will make it white. By the way, great job! Can't wait to see more. John

I just realized I have not been keeping up my WIP here... so here is my next installment. Obviously have made a lot of progress since last year.... On to the rear of the car: Added the radiators, and fuel fullers. I have braided lines and vent hoses ready to put on too. Will post pix. So, to day date this is all the parts I have hand-made: And the decals: John

Oly is going slowly but wheels worked out great! I will post an update soon. Don't steal your thunder with such a great project. John

Ditto, watching with great interest. Have always loved your weathering. Can't wait to see more. John

Awesome! Love everything about it. John

Awesome! Can't wait to see what you do with them. John

Curt, does the decal sheet have the tiny little hood ornament "thing" that is in the center of the nose? I have been searching Google images for months to figure out what it is. Thanks, John

I have a dumb question... what would happen if I don't use a clear layer? John

I just picked up my first can of Model Master Lacquer paint and noticed on the Testors site that I need to add a coat of clear. But after reading a few horror posts about paint reactions, what brands of clear can I use? I have always liked Tamiyas clear. Thanks for the advice, John p.s. I used Tamiya gray primer and had no problems.

I really love this truck! I wonder how many hours it to get it to look like this. I when through most photos and did not see an owner's name. Peter, would you know who owns it? I would love to show it in my 1:1 truck magazine. John

Great job! Excellent scratching! Sorry to highjack but what tires originally came with the kit? John

What a cool truck! I gotta get one. How much do they retail for? I did not see it on this site: motorcityresincasters.com Do I have the wrong Motor City Resin? John

and don't forget to tip your waitress! (I love this site!)