chris chabre

as you can see, I cut open the roof so I could show off the interior more...because of the HEAVY CHOP... and I HATED IT. the Lindberg body isn't symmetrical and it fought me. I actually stopped and took a break from it....

the blue survivor is the one that started this mess. haha I bought it off a good friend. had to have it as soon as I saw it. While studying the Lindberg kit, I decided I hated the bed and back half of the truck. The front is curved and has some cool rounded styling.I bobbed the rear fenders, modified a mullins trailer that was incomplete, and used a model A roof for the roll pan.. Lil coffin rear wheels,slicks and some AMT 62 Catalina custom front wheels and tires round out the rolling stock the bed idea I saw somewhere and it turned out to be our very own Craig / @Mr. Metallic.

I was mocking up 32 Fords (mostly revell kits) but I have a killer lindberg survivor that got me thinking.. What could I do with this? Could I make it cool? its obviously not an accurate representation of a 32.... I LOVE tastefully done asymmetrical customs, and I love 60s era drag and drag influenced hot rods...so the ideas started flying AND A SHOW ROD IT IS! photo 1 is current day in 1st prime sitting on its weight. At this point, i have to move onto another build but I'll revisit this one here and there

AMT SHOEBOXES I LOVE shoebox Fords.. these 4 found me recently. In the box is a 1962 NOS kit, the Tan primer convertible is an old survivor that never got any further than you see it. I plan to finish the custom body work and turn it into a late 50s custom, just as the original builder had planned. the other convertible has had a Monogram 53 Chevy (EDIT thanks to Zed) roof heavily glued onto it, I like the concept, but I need to redo the work. Its on the back burner for now. Finally the coupe. came to me with the nose glued on, a pancaked hood hacked open, and a ton of sunken filler. I couldn't take looking at the hood the way it was, so I grabbed a corvette hood from the parts box and started fitting. still has some more work to fit properly, but it's a start. the wheels and tires are parts box pieces, I'm thinking about sectioning it, hardtop chopping it with coves behind the wheelwells, but time will tell so there is whats currently on the shelf. Sitting next to me are a testors version of the old IMC 46-48 convertible a Foose f100 (which will have its own thread and NOT be modern when Im done) and a pile of parts I need to go through.

Lindberg 32 pick up I'm still.planning on doing a full thread on this one so I'll keep it brief. Not accurate for a true 32 pick up, this kit I decided to build as an asymmetrical custom rod. It's in first prime with a lot to go... AMT 40 coupe the kit we all know and love...I think we've all built several of these kits This found me on Ebay...no one seemed to want it but it was love at first sight. I only know the gentleman that originally built it has passed away, and that the nose you see in rough filler is the 2nd nose on the car. The original is still under there!!! what you see is how he envisioned it.. My plan is to block everything back down to unlock some of its past and I'll most likely put it back in a shade of red oxide. My only real modification is to lengthen the side windows amd MAYBE play with some skirt ideas. Otherwise I just want to keep the original builders idea alive.

AMT 36 Fords I LOVE early customs and 36 Fords are some of the best platforms to build off. these 2 will be standard fare 40s/early 50s customs. Revell 40 coupe My goal is to build a chopped and sectioned late 50s custom. no skirts, custom nose and tail treatments etc. Plan is a bit of a tribute to the Ken Costello coupe out of Rhode Island. I fell in love with as a middle schooler in the very early 90s. I even searched for the car when I was in my late teens.

ok guys. here are some individual shots. first up. Revell Willys. started out as the KS Pittman A/gas coupe but since that chassis is going under my ferrari drag car, I decided to turn the Willys into a custom. AMT 40 ford skirts, a Drag City no hole hood and Revell 40 Ford wheels and tires make up what I have now. as for the motor, I have a few ideas, a plymouth flathead 6, maybe the red ram from an Old Ala Kart, or maybe even a full dress flathead. time will tell. Revell 32 sedan this one started out as a pile of old AMT gluebombs I received. I collected the cleanest pieces and decided to use the Revell 32 sedan body as it's much nicer than AMTS body. itll have a Revell nailhead. wheels are from the American Graffiti kit, tires are parts box with the rears being AMT slicks. I think it'll capture the best of both companies

I recently went to a show and showed some of my projects and survivors. Ive been on a customs kick since so I came home and gutted the mock up shelf... Heres what I have mocked up so far, I'll post individual shots later with more info. I kept my Scott Colmer 40 coupe, and my design study 32 windows BUT the rest are new.

I grew tired of staring at hot rods so I decided to clear the shelf of everything other than my 3 3 window design studies, and my Scott Colmer 40 coupe. While organizing everything back into their boxes...this Drag City 32 pick up body called out to me and I knew what had to be done... A ONE MAN MODIFIED! Initial idea was a lakes modified, another is a 50s era drag car.. what will it become? idk yet, in the mean time, check out the new display in my Customs mock up thread!

I dig it!!!

I sorted everything, and sold/traded off what I didnt want. People sell boxes, instructions and parts all the time.

Rob, I have a pair of f100 fenders Id trade for your chevy ones. Klaus drives that "pick up" hard!

AWESOME!

I believe thats the reissue I have as well. It pretty much fell apart in shipping which saves me a ton of time. I just need to get a donor gto kit and the cutting begins

I see this thing sitting low in a bellflower style!

I've been running stupid the last few weeks. I couldn't find headers to fit between the frame and motor, so I decided to cut up a pair of original issue 40 sedan, modified the frame and stuffed the motor in there. If I were building it as a modern build, I'd have done more to make it work better but I'm trying to tap into the original build. I got my glass and windshield frame from @Bullybeefso thats all glued on now as well. tomorrow I need to make the dump tubes work, glue them in and make a few touch ups.

Thanks Greg! I picked up a built one thats been mildly modified..I cant stand it in "stock form" so wild custom it becomes haha

I just got a monkee mobile to cut up and turn Into a 60s era custom. I'd love to see some inspiration. Anyone done one? The only thread I found doesn't have photos anymore

as others have stated, the roof is a kit custom option that mimics the Victoria roof line. The wheels are from the 67 Comet, I had them in my parts box and threw them in some whitewalls I had in there as well. Im not sure if they will make the final cut or not. I tend to use parts box stuff for mock up and then make my final decision as I Iron out the wrinkles of the build

ANOTHER AMAZING BUILD!!!! Im stealing some of your ideas haha

Thanks Sam! I am as well, its gonna make a killer 60s era hot rod Me too! I HAD to own it as soon as I saw it. Im hoping to get the body blocked and body worked soon. The original builder did all the hard work. Now I just have to fine tune/ fix some stuff

62 Catalina is one of my favorite GM cars. Ill be following since Id love to have a convertible on the shelf.

wow...

Been focusing on some survivor rebuilds and my Lindberg 32 when I have some downtime. Honestly it hasn't been much lately BUT, I got this 31 sedan from @Sam I Amtoday and couldn't resist getting it on the mock up bench. Model As need to be slammed and motivated by a proper hot rod type engine. More later but it's gonna work just as I see it in my head I'm a junkie for cool shoebox Fords and when this one popped up (as well as 3 others) I had to have it. All the body mods you see were done long ago. I'm going to reblock everything and get it looking good again in a fresh coat of primer for now.

PHENOMENAL!!!!