Rocking Rodney Rat

Chop it!!! -RRR

Not sure how I missed this one! Coming along swimmingly. How have you been? Hope all is well with you and the fam in So Cal.... -RRR

Like it? LOVE IT!!! Nice work on the BMF, a process that has always bedeviled me... -RRR

Gerald- Thanks for posting this. I was unaware of these parts, so I guess, technically, one can't fully duplicate the Mr. Speed kit fully with available parts. I was wondering if there was some mechanism for hoisting/hingeing the body. I will make a similar setup.... -RRR

The old AMT 'Mr. Speed' Stude kit has always been a favorite of mine, probably from looking at pictures of the box art in the Auto World catalog as a kid. The rear engine version has been long out of production and commands stoopid money ($300.00!!!) on auction sites. Luckily, with the recent reissiue of the Stude with the old decals being reproduced, and the availability of the Piranha kit, a reproduction is possible. So, I figured if I can't get my hands on the original kit I can at least build a replica of it.... Here's the original box art.... with the parts.... I started working on the body, chopped the top, glued on all of the 'delete' panels, sprayed it Testors One-Hit Emerald green and added decals....clear coat will be added.... Thanks for looking.... -RRR

Build it. -RRR

Here's the form from LMKco. As you can see it's a few years old now. I used ChromeTech for years, met Bob once when I was in WI through a mutual friend. I decided to give LMKCo a try. The plating was fine except for four hairpin radius rods (from the Revell Parts Pack 'Chassis Speed Equipment') which came back all bent and warped. I'm not sure why that was. I can say that overall the LMKCo plating seemed to be thinner and smoother than ChromeTech. As I recall, the turn around time with ChromeTech was a few months while LMKCo was 30 days or so. My $.02 and worth both pennies... -RRR

That should buff right out.... -RRR

I'll play. One of my fave builds..... -RRR

Thanks Alan (and all) for your kind words. I was painting it during our Independence Day (Fourth of July) celebration time and got into the spirit with a red, white and blue colo(u)r scheme.... -RRR

Yeah that Icy Blue is interesting. If you lay it on too heavy it will get darker and it's easy to get lighter and darker patches if you're not careful. I was having trouble getting my i-phone camera to co-operate today so the color might not have come out so well in the pix. I should have set up outside but it was too hot and threatening rain..... -RRR

Howdy campers...I finished this one up about a month ago and just got around to taking some (crappy, sorry) pix of my latest build.... -Body is from the Revell '27 T Touring kit, shortened about an inch to make a "Shorty T". It's painted Testors 'One-Hit' Icy Blue. -Engine is from various kits, block from the AMT '41 Willys Woody Wagon with heads from a Revell kit, headers and frog mouth scoops from Replicas and Miniatures, other parts from the parts box. -Frame is scratch built from Evergreen pieces. Spartan interior, bench seat hacked out of an AMT interior tub of unknown origin, scratch built fuel tank... -Tires from Modelhaus (RIP), wheels from Reps and Mins aftermarket chrome plated. Thanks for looking..... -RRR

It's got that East Coast style going on, reet Daddy-O!!!! (steering is completely over rated) -RRR

Well done, sir! I like the RHD conversion as well....-RRR

Another ADL home run (well, it is baseball season, after all....). Perfect stance, very tough looking... -RRR

A lot of imagineering going on here!!! This is amazing......can't wait to see more.... -RRR

I was wondering if anyone would pick up on the remote filter. that engine is set up for a remote filter and since a filter would have interfered with the steering I figured I had to go the remote route. Unfortunately, there wasn't much room for it. Gotta love "through the frame" wiring and tubing.... -RRR

Thanks for the kind words. MAGS last show in Tampa was this past April. they decided to pull the plug on it. Mike Alvarez is vowing to pick it up for next year and I hope he does. The MAGS guys always did it up right, but after two decades they got burned out on it.... -RRR

Thanks, bro. Yeah those front wheels are hard to find an optional tire for, I've had those Satcos for years, I believe Satco is no more... -RRR

Thanks, gents...not the best chop I've ever done but it was a quick enjoyable build... -RRR

Just finished this one up. Based on the Revell kit (that we may see again some day???). I made several mods, chopped the top to where I think the kit should have been chopped originally, about 4.5 scale inches. I filled the roof to make it smooth, used a Ford small block originally in the old Matt Hay prostreet T-Bird. I used a 3 x 2 intake, headers from the AMT Phantom Vickie [sic] along with various other parts. Wheels and rear tires from the Revell '32 roadster, Satco super low profile front tires, QC rear, front suspension is from the Revell '32 series with the cross-steer setup...interior door panels from the Revell '32 sedan with the seat from the Revell '32 roadster. I was inspired by a car that was at the SE Nats in Tampa this past April. I haven't done a white build in awhile...thanks for looking.... -RRR

So , here's where I'm at after some putty and sanding. I added a driprail across the top which helps to visually lengthen the body. I shot it with a guide coat of primer, still some areas to clean up and then threw together a quick mockup. Plans are for a vintage Hemi (Revell 'Miss Deal') , some zoomie headers of some sort...the tractor grille is a resin item sourced on ebay. This will be a slammer/curbside build...-RRR

Stubby Malone!!!!!