Custom Mike

Edsel! Pinto! Gremlin! Vega! Chevette! Citation!

Beautiful work Art, makes mine look cheesy in comparison! Are you going to stain the wood?

And now for the finishing touches. I didn't like the "smooth" taillight, so I filed a groove across the lens just to break it up a bit. Once the groove was in place, I polished the lens up, drilled it out for it's "Blue Dot", and added some foil to the backside of each lens! The new lens in place, awaiting some thinning and it's new groove... Here's how thick the new lens was at the start, gotta knock that down a bit... And this is how I added the groove across the lens. I taped it off to match the other lens, and went after it with a file... Not perfect, but it'll do. Now to polish it up and add the "Blue Dot"! And the completed new taillights. I like 'em much better already!

And now for the finishing touches. I didn't like the "smooth" taillight, so I filed a groove across the lens just to break it up a bit. Once the groove was in place, I polished the lens up, drilled it out for it's "Blue Dot", and added some foil to the backside of each lens! The new lens in place, awaiting some thinning and it's new groove... Here's how thick the new lens was at the start, gotta knock that down a bit... And this is how I added the groove across the lens. I taped it off to match the other lens, and went after it with a file... Not perfect, but it'll do. Now to polish it up and add the "Blue Dot"! And the completed new taillights. I like 'em much better already!

Remember how I said I wasn't happy with the tail lights? Well, I did something about it! Here's how I did it, pull up a chair. I used a piece of Clear Red plastic I got from a really old motion detector I replaced about a week ago. I started by cutting the tail light openings into one big tail light... A bit of sanding to smooth it out... A piece of the Clear Red plastic ready for cutting... I smoothed out one side and added the curve at the top, now to cut it to fit side-to-side... Now that it fits in the opening, I'll cut the bottom edge off!

Nice work Phil, the decals look great from here too! I love that Gambler kit, I need to find me another one, they're fun, quick builds!

Beautiful work Fred, she looks like she's a well-driven machine! One day I'll try dirtying one up, but I'm still on my shiny kick right now! Remember how I said I wasn't happy with the tail lights? Well, I did something about it! Here's how I did it, pull up a chair. I used a piece of Clear Red plastic I got from a really old motion detector I replaced about a week ago. I started by cutting the tail light openings into one big tail light... A bit of sanding to smooth it out... A piece of the Clear Red plastic ready for cutting... I smoothed out one side and added the curve at the top, now to cut it to fit side-to-side... Now that it fits in the opening, I'll cut the bottom edge off!

Great return to cars Phillip, it looks just right! A black wash will definitely help that grill, and like Jim, I want to know what you used to tint the windows!

Now that's some cool work Casey, I never thought to do that with a build...awesome work man!

Great tute Alyn, simple yet very effective!

I plan on buying both models, just for the rims, which I really hope will be included. I don't expect the models to be highly modified either, but I sure hope they are! I got to meet Chip in Myrtle Beach a few years back, and got his autograph on one of my builds! We talked for about 2 minutes about the model and what inspired it, he was very cool!. I'll never wash this Firebird again!

Nice job on the blanket Rusty, I need to try that one day! Joe, that is one nice truck you've got there, I love the pin-up on the door!

Jim, I've got some Red plastic here from an old motion detector I swapped out at work last week that will do the trick, now I just have to shape it! And the paint on the Blue Dots is Tamiya Clear Blue, beautiful stuff, ain't it? Johann, the name change came about because of the other 1950 Chevy Pickup being built by Rusty. And If I do go with the dash pad, it'll come down to the top of the trim above the glove box/speaker area which will mean it lands just above the gauge cluster, making it easy to do! And I've already started thinning more leather for the door panels, we're on the same page!

Rusty, for a first time doing body work, you're doing great! I've never chopped a top, so you're ahead of me, and yours looks like it'll take minimal amounts of filler to get ready for paint! Now about the wheels, what kind of motor do you have planned? A big beastly V-8 would suit the second pic perfectly, something more normal would fit the first pic!

Glad I could inspire you Rusty, I'm going to check out your build!

Now for the small amount of work I got in tonight. First up are the tail lights, which I'm not happy with. They'll probably be scrapped and replaced with some clear Red styrene, I just don't like the looks of 'em at all. I painted the pins that will be used for the Blue-Dots, at least they look good. Then I stripped the dash (Too many layers of paint meant it was losing it's remaining detail), re-primed it, and I'm considering making a dash pad out of the final piece of thinned leather I have laying around, what do you guys think? I also repainted the frame Semi-Gloss Black. That's all for tonight, enjoy, and let me know if the dash pad idea sounds good!

Wait until I get to the chains for the tailgate Chuck, then it'll be really insane! Now for the small amount of work I got in tonight. First up are the tail lights, which I'm not happy with. They'll probably be scrapped and replaced with some clear Red styrene, I just don't like the looks of 'em at all. I painted the pins that will be used for the Blue-Dots, at least they look good. Then I stripped the dash (Too many layers of paint meant it was losing it's remaining detail), re-primed it, and I'm considering making a dash pad out of the final piece of thinned leather I have laying around, what do you guys think? I also repainted the frame Semi-Gloss Black. That's all for tonight, enjoy, and let me know if the dash pad idea sounds good!

Thanks guys, Johann was right, it really did need those bolts! Hopefully I'll have some more progress tomorrow night, long hard day at work means no bench time tonight!

Darren, that is...I don't know what to say, but I love it! Great work man!

Nah, I'll live with the fact that it's not 100% accurate. Maybe someday when I want to pull what hair I have left out, I'll buy some of the tiny bolts and washers and go all out. Yeah, right! Aaron, jump on in, looks like a good start! Jeffrey, looks like you've got some serious bodywork ahead of you with that one, break out the Bondo and get to it!

Beautiful work on that steering wheel buddy, I love the old Pontiacs just because of the old clear steering wheels! The engine bay is just beautiful, the amount of detail you crammed in there is unreal! Take your time on the foil work, if it gets too frustrating set it aside for a day or two and come back fresh and ready to go, you can do the foil if you can detail an engine like that!

Go right ahead buddy, I wouldn't have done it without your suggestion, so take all the credit you want!

Mine's pretty simple, Mike is a common name, so I added Custom to it, since I like building customs. My avatar is one of my customs from back when i got my start on-line, back around 2004. I even got one of my builds signed by the great Chip Foose!

OK, more work on the bed, this was a real exercise in eye-strain! I started out with these, I picked 'em up at Hayes Hobby House... I carefully sanded on these until they were smooth, now they look more like the carriage bolts... A quick coat of Tamiya Gloss Aluminum... The second set of 25, only 15 were sanded. I've got spares, since I knew I would lose a few! And the bed, with 28 holes drilled and awaiting it's new bolts! And putting the new bolts into the straps. I wish I could use a magnifier without feeling like I was gonna hurl, it would have made this so much easier! But it does look much better, so it was worth it! The first set of eight in place, don't try this at home unless you have a microscope! Another shot of the first eight... And mocked-up with the rest of the bed...

Roger, I'm trying to find something to use as piping, there's gotta be something around here I can snag that'll do the trick! OK, more work on the bed, courtesy of Johann's suggestion. Next time you suggest this, I'm sending it to you buddy, this was a real exercise in eye-strain! I started out with these, I picked 'em up at Hayes Hobby House... I carefully sanded on these until they were smooth, now they look more like the carriage bolts... A quick coat of Tamiya Gloss Aluminum... The second set of 25, only 15 were sanded. I've got spares, since I knew I would lose a few! And the bed, with 28 holes drilled and awaiting it's new bolts! And putting the new bolts into the straps. I wish I could use a magnifier without feeling like I was gonna hurl, it would have made this so much easier! But it does look much better, so it was worth it! Another shot of the first eight... And mocked-up with the rest of the bed...