Misha

Hi John, Good start on the Chev wagon, looking forward to more as I really enjoyed your build of the 57 Bel Air and I’m sure it will be another eye candy delight! Cheers Misha

Hi Gerry, Very impressive work! I just came across your post now and have thoroughly enjoyed your detailed descriptions and sharp photos. It’s a real feature of the forum overall for sharing and learning. The grill work is a great addition, especially catching the body colour trim. Cheers Misha

Hi Robert, great to see your Chev back on the workbench! Your solutions are working out well, the hood scoop is a good match for the hood, side pipes would be great with the wide tires on the back and your paint work is looking very good with the chrome to come, it will be a ? jewel! Paired up with the bubble top you’ll have a great combo. I’ll be sticking around to follow your work. Cheers Misha

Actually Kurt, the yellow vehicle more closely resembles a road going version rather than a competition one. While I understand your time constraint on this one, if anyone could accomplish a detailed build on this curbside you’d be the one. Cheers Misha

Thanks Gary, the MK IV has such a unique body, especially how the front fenders dramatically stop at the cockpit. Back in the day a lot of the designs were based on informed intuition with out the aid of wind tunnels or computers. Thanks Ray, While it was a long interval between bench time for this one, it was great to place it in the display cabinet. We usually spend the winters at our Scottsdale home, yet this is our third winter on the Island and I miss all of my buds from the Moonlight and Cactus clubs, hope to return in the not too distant future. Thanks Rich, I’m quite happy with my decision to keep the scheme simple as it adds to the coolness factor by focusing on the styling. Thanks Bruce, It did turn out quite well. I have a number of the old curbside kits from Monogram and AMT in the stash. Next in line is the AMT Hussein, another unique racer with an interesting history being built for the Jordanian Monarch at the time. Thanks JC, always good to hear from you. It didn’t require that much work as it did require planning. With further research I did discover the added opening at the rear and the scoops on top, yet at that point the body was primed and painted. It will be fun to construct a fictional MK V! Thanks David & Helmut, I find that curbsides offer a greater chance for detailing, especially open cockpits, as I usually spend most of my time detailing engines. With all the after market bits available it really adds to the ease of enhancing interiors. Also David my comments regarding the Phoenix modelling community extends to you, missing the Sun! Thanks to all for for checking in on this build! At this time I would like to wish all the best for the coming holidays. Cheers Misha

Great to see you start on this build Kurt. Just in case this begins to be in line with your usual builds, I thought these shots may be useful ?…. Back in the day I thought the 250 LM was the most beautiful road racer ever made, still feel that way. I believe that Monogram had a 1/32 slot car back then. Need to check the stash as I may have one in that scale. Cheers Misha

? i agree! Our hobby is a refuge right now, let’s be “model citizens”!

Scarab Mk IV Finished this build about a year ago using the Monogram slot car body and adding a few details to enhance the interior, a small block Chevy, and tire and wheel combo from the parts stash. I had started this project back in 2014 with body prep by thinning out the thickness of the plastic around the wheel wells, plus the usual mold lines, deepening the panel lines, etc. To eliminate the appearance of the empty engine bay through the top openings in the rear I installed a SBC from the AMT 63 Vette, scratchbuilding a manifold for the Webers, and altering the block to fit the chassis. As it turned out there wasn’t room for the carbs and they weren’t really visible either, yet what did work were the excellent valve covers that may be glimpsed through the openings. At the time I didn’t have many reference photos, so the rear openings at the rear trailing edge and the brake cooling scoops are absent. I find the body design to be quite striking and decided to just have the white stripe and the meatballs without the clutter of numbers and sponsors. Upon resurrecting the project last year I completed the interior, adding pedals, seat belts, instrument decals and substituting the steering wheel. There is still another complete kit in the stash and I plan on building a fictional “what if” Mark V version powered by BBC, rear fender flares, and installing a wing similar to the Chaparral 2E. I find that these early kits, while having a low parts count, offer great opportunities for detailing while remaining a curbside model. Cheers Misha

Thanks Steve, the Forum certainly offers excellent company! Your kind words are very welcome ? hope to get to the workbench soon. Cheers Misha

A real classic build Stuart. The chassis shots are great showing the traditional rear suspension with the Q/C axle, perhaps how Revell ought to have done it, then again we are modellers. Your clean build is a joy to examine (is there a WIP thread on this one?) Wishing you the best for the upcoming holidays, cheers Misha

Congratulations on all of your builds Robert, truely “Get on & Build it” as your signature says. A wide assortment of vehicles finished roughly one per month (wish I could do half as well?. The Ford custom is intriguing, are those custom pieces from the annual kit? What also stood out for me is the excellent detail on the wheels, especially the stock hubcaps on the Corvair, Pontiac and Chev, it adds greatly to the realism. Wishing you a productive 2022, cheers Misha

Great photos in the abandoned warehouse Pat! From my memory of building this kit when it was first released it’s not the easiest to accomplish such a clean result as yours, congrats ? Cheers Misha

That’s really looking sharp Steve! Enjoying your build at a time when I’m away from the bench, unable to work as I’m in bed with a bout of bronchitis. Lots of time to meander around the forum. Your channeling of the body on a modern vehicle is very intriguing! Cheers Misha

Great finish Pat! I’m on my way to the Under Glass section to see more… Cheers Misha

Your T-Bird sure has had a varied career! Your fade job was perfect, yet I agree with Alan in commending you for your perseverance in not giving up. The T- Bird is on its way to an equally impressive finish. It’s wonderful to see the earlier version of this generation as the 66, IMHO it was the least desirable version and the proliferation of the AMT kit with its reissues has somewhat flooded the scene. I’ll be following along on this ride Steve, cheers Misha

I agree, the subtle body work with the dropped fender and running boards results in a major improvement on the stance. Thanks Rodney for offering the great construction photos and descriptions. I also have three 36 Fords on the go next to the workbench, a fenderless dry lakes chopped three window (my own chop, not the one included in the kit), a boulevard three window cruiser on which I’ll follow your fender mods, and a custom rag top. All have been long term projects which get better with time! Sorry for the digression, yet I’m a big fan of the 36. Cheers & Model On! Misha

Great work and very informative, enjoying this a lot as I have the same orange kit and always wondered just what can be done with it to make it ? interesting. By the way, where is the rear panel for the interior from, is it resin or did you scratch build it? Cheers Misha

Hi Steve, you’ve got my attention! Looking at the proto-type photos, is that a suede/semi-gloss finish? Knowing how you work, I’m sure many will be along for the ride on this one. Cheers Misha

Thanx for the details on your chrome trim technique Ken. I’ve been successful with semigloss black window trim on Porsche 911s for example by using Tamiya tape masking followed by air brushing LP5, so experimenting with the various metallics being brought on the market I hope to find a decent chrome look. Cheers Misha

That is a stunning build Ken! The colour fits it so well, eye candy. I was curious about your great execution of the window trim, what paint did you use, or is it BMF? It looks great and with the recent issues with BMF, I am looking for alternatives. Enjoyed following your build from day one, cheers Misha

I do believe that the that is the 1966 full size Galaxie that was superceded by the Fairlane with the front clip from the Galaxie. Cheers Misha

Wow, a year sure does pass by quickly the older one gets. Unfortunately I’ve bowed out of the last two CBR, the current Stealth run is still on the workbench in need of more time than the week or so left. I am hoping for a better year with health and for an ole fart the Birthdate Run is intriguing, so had a quick look at possibilities for 1953… I was pleasantly surprised by the choices available. With more up to date drivelines any of the above would make for an interesting entry. Which one to choose? Cheers MISHA

Here is an example of a push bar on my Chev pickup. It’s scratch built out of plastic with a strip of balsa pinned to it. Cheers Misha

Wow ?! That’s such a smooth ride you’re achieving… the flush rear skirts, the tailights, and then the chop! Betcha you’ll go further than a curbside? Enjoying your work as it gets my mind to consider doing a forty chop, great look. Cheers Misha

Terrific job Tony, especially on a different type of kit for you. Your detailed paint scheme works well and the construction is top notch with attention to the engine, which can be difficult to get right. Overall a great presentation of an iconic custom! Cheers Misha