Custom Mike

Noted and corrected J, don't ask where Jerry came from...glue fumes were good last night! You never did say what kind of engine though....

How's this kit look Shane? I've got one waiting for me at the LHS, and I can't wait to convert it into a '68!

Great paint scheme J, and that dash is gorgeous! What kind of engine do you have planned for this beauty?

Geoffrey, I paint my headliners and any other areas that need to be painted in the interior after the body has been painted, it's usually the last thing I do prior to assembly of the body and chassis. Great job on the re-work of the top of the engine, it looks great! I would show you a picture of the engine in my 612, but it's not quite the same,,,,

Looks like a good start Benito, a two door version of this car should have been on the road by now...are you listening Chrysler?

Tim, that's just stunning work! I'm a long way from anything even approaching this level of work, thanks for keeping me grounded! And I've seen Mark Batson's builds in person, your work is right there with his, you are one gifted builder!

The Smoke Detector foil is about 1 inch high and about 6 inches long, so you can't use it in a large opening, but so far, it's fit everything I've tried to use it on!

Bill that's basically identical to the stuff I use, it's just taller than the Smoke Detector foil, which could come in handy for bigger openings!

Thanks guys, I want it to look like it rolled out of the factory like this, so I'll keep working on it until I feel it's just right! David, I have one that I finished just because I felt pressure to get it done over on BMC years ago. I had so many people watching that I felt like it needed to be wrapped up, and I hate it now. It's got tons of little flaws that drive me nuts. It takes a nice picture, but in person it's a wreck, and I want every custom I do now to satisfy me first, and everyone else second. I appreciate that people want to see what I'm building, but I won't cut corners to get one done so I feel like I satisfied everyone, I want it as close to perfect as I can get!

Dan, you might want to reconsider on that Integra, it'a one of Revell's hidden gems! It builds so nicely that if you do build it, you'll want another one!

AMT's new-tool '57 Chevy is head and shoulders above the old Monogram, Revell and Amt kits. It's the one with the opening trunk, which is also it's only issue, the trunk bows up at the back window when closed, I still haven't figured a way to fix that issue other than to build it with the trunk open. I'll leave the Trans-Am and '57 Vette kits up to someone else, if there are better versions, I've never built them!

Bill, I know it's too late, since you've got the lines cut in the roof already, but give this stuff a shot next time! http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28553&st=0&p=274698 Scroll down to reply #11 to see how well panel lines come out with this stuff!

Excellent advice Tom, the only thing I would add (Since I'm heavy-handed), is to use the X-Acto blade without the handle. It keeps you from applying too much pressure, and gives better control on tight bends.

Andrew, get yourself a white Gel Pen from Michaels or Hobby Lobby, that's what I use for raised white letters. They may be a bit hard to find, but they're out there, and they work great! This one's been done for about 17 years now, and the white Gel Pen's ink is still as nice as the day I put it on!

We'll be here waiting for your return John, and awaiting the next update on this latest masterpiece!

Period piece or not, this is a beauty Sean! Great choice of colors, the grille is my favorite part!

Paul pretty much summed it up, you're on a whole different level than the rest of us John, awesome build! Now how about a few pics along with it's 1:1 counterpart?

John, I've held off on commenting until you finished this beauty, everyone had said what I was going to say after every update. You skills are beyond belief, to scratch-build a replica of this car is one thing...to make it look like a dead-on match...man, you're just too good!

And another small update, I started in on the rear side windows. I spent a long time carefully sanding the openings on the driver's side until I had them where I wanted them. Once I get the passenger side to match, I'll throw some primer at it and see if they're even. And the unmolested passenger side. In this first picture you can see the flaws in the body work above the windows, which is what caused me to set this build aside for so long.

OK, I got a bit of work done yesterday on this one. I worked on the upper grille some more, but scrapped what I made again, it's just not working right yet. SO I threw some primer at the hood to see if maybe the opening was the issue.... Now I know why I can't get the upper grille surround to look right, the opening isn't square! I'll get this straightened out and squared up if I get the chance this week, then we'll take another shot at making the surround!

Great work on the chassis, who would have thought the Chevelle chassis would fit the Charger so perfectly! I like the machined valve cover too, one day I'll actually but some tools to work with metal...when I get the stash down to about 100 kits so the wife won't strangle me!

Absolutely beautiful! And considering what you started with, it's even more impressive!

Michael, I discovered while I was in the USAF that most of my peers looked down upon my model building, until a couple discovered that I could build an exact replica of their A-10 (Crew Chiefs LOVE their planes!), that's when I became the coolest guy in the dorm! I charged each Crew Chief $50 and they bought the kit,so I made some money and dragged a couple of guys into the hobby. Once they walked into the hobby shop, they started buying kits for themselves. It doesn't matter that I didn't drink like a fish, I did what I wanted and didn't sweat what they thought of me. I ended up never getting arrested, while most of the ones who thought there was something wrong with my building did, so who looks better now? Bill nailed it, I always went away from the herd no matter what. Not only did I build models while I was in the USAF, but I was a BMX Racer until I got the SC State Championship in 1987, then I went into BMX Freestyle and pulled down a National #2 in 1988 and a National #3 in 1990. I was asked by quite a few people while riding a 20-inch bike in Myrtle Beach, SC why I didn't have a car. That's when the fun began for me...I'd whip out my keys and ask them which car they wanted to see, the 1972 Charger, 1971 340 Road Runner, or the 1980 Mercury Capri RS 5.0...they'd shut up pretty quick. Be yourself and forget those who try to make you more like them, you'll be happier and healthier than them in the long run! Jason, it was no different when all of us were your age, things like that never change, trust me. The herd mentality is always the strongest when you're young, be yourself no matter what. If people can't accept the fact that you don't follow the crowd, they're the ones who lose out on a good friend, not you. A strong sense of self will serve you better in the long run than chasing the latest fad!

Man, she sounds sweet John, you've got one killer ride!

Looks like a good start Bob!