Misha

Great paint scheme Bill! Your build came out very nicely, plus the Opel makes it a great match. Congrats Misha

Really nice looking classic build Tony, the colour combination works as does the wheel choice. Congrats on getting another one completed, Cheers Misha

Cool custom work Jim! Especially the rear light treatment nails it - great colour, very cool interior. Like the current stance too, more aggresive to match the treatment rather than tail dragger... Maybe build another, somewhat different. Really enjoy seeing your builds! Congrats Misha

The other night at our SPAM (Scale Plastic Auto Modellers) Phil brought out his Lola... Drop dead gorgeous!!! Seeing Phil's craftmanship in person is such a thrill, especially as we all crowded around, as Phil carefully pullled out the pins keeping the rear body locked. There was a gasp as the engine bay and rear suspension was revealed, an amazing build considering the slot car body origins and all the extra work performed to get it to this state. (Check out the build thread!) It was also interesting to see the size difference between this Lola and the somewhat smaller IMC version, which appears to be in 1/28 neighbourhood. A truly great addition to your Dan Gurney collection, congrats Phil! Cheers Misha

One of my "Grail" kits has been the 32 Chev Panel by MPC from the 60s. On my build thread for the "Choped Phaeton" I had mentioned this and a few days later a fellow SPAM member dropped me a line that he had a partially built and painted version, or at least the important parts. In addition he also had two Cabriolet kits, one still in sealed bags! The other night we had our meeting and Gord brought the kits for me... Boy, I'm pumped by this project. Plan is to build all three. The panel will be fairly straight forward with smooth fenders. The Cabriolets will be distinguished by one being an optioned up top version while the second will be open and a more sporty, stripped down version. Lacking a third chassis the plan includes scratchbuilding a frame for the sportster version. In addition there were a couple of extra wheel sets and an old AMT Deuce chassis with molded in axle and exhaust. Also included were two spare tire cases from the 36 Ford which I suspect were being fitted to the fenders. Neat idea! Thanks again Gord for the kits, anyone have an unbuilt Monogram Starbird Futurista out there? Cheers Misha

That is a great build Clifford! Especially the work you've performed on the original die-cast. I too remember the Renault Dauphine from my childhood and in the early 80s wrenched at the official Renailt dealership in Regina. Perhaps living in Canada in the 50s and 60s we saw a lot of foreign makes that werent imported into the US. Wonderful to see your version, thanks! Cheers Misha

That's looking really great, seeing the two built together. Very clean work and extra detail. Would like to hear your comments on the build and perhaps a few more photos? Congrats on a great build, Misha

Fabulous work Yuri! Always impressive builds and photos. The Caddy is just perfect for those sunny days cruising the Arizona highways.... Bravo Misha

That's drop dead gorgeous! Ive been following your work closely, not having commented, just enjoyed the thread. So may I be the first to congratulate you John on an amazing build under most difficult circumstances. cheers Misha

Thanks for the shots John. Great detail on technology I understand and enjoy to recreate in scale. Cheers Misha oh... Added thought, thread may belong in the 1:1 reference shots?

Just happened to pick up this repop today, thanks for the original review John. Looking closely at the blower belt arrangement, I would venture it is a multi belt, stepped down set up, somewhat like on the "Grasshopper T". This is a particularly welcome part as I wasn't able to recall what kit had it. The tire combination is very sweet, especially the black Firestone lettering on the wide whitewalls, and the decal sheet is very welcome too. Must admit that the box is very striking and especially appealing to me. The one aspect that did surprise me is the amount of flash on the kit, as most recent repops have been very good with cleaned up molds. This is an old kit though, nearly as old as me ?! The custom front belly pan and grill surround will also require a certain amount of massaging to get it all in place. Nonetheless, a welcome addition to our shelves! Cheers Misha

This version, the R/M, has an excellant rendition of the 409W engine - perhaps the best going. The theme for the Vancouver show this March is Cars from Rock and Roll tunes, so using the 409 from this kit and the 30 Coupe along with my old Beach Boys 45 record as background, I'm hoping to get it done! Be following your build Mike with great intetest, especially the drive train. If building the 61 Bubble Top (yes, its a Lindberg) I would swap out the engine for the R/M version. Cheers Misha

Be following your build John with great interest! Great project for the museum. Cheers Misha

Be following your build Brad, looking mighty good! This has always been a little gem of a body and it's great to have both the regular and chopped versions available in white plastic. I have both on the go as WIPs, the chopped version is riding on the DD altered chassis and the tall coupe on the newer Ala Kart fender and frame parts. Great to see these coming back in favour. (Unsure if I'll make it to DSC this spring, hope to...) Cheers Misha

One Wheel Mockup....

An update on the project: Been laid low past couple of weeks with a nasty cold/flu, so the shop has been rather quiet. Finished polishing out the Red Mica body colour and now planning out the body details including gold pinstriping. The chassis is getting closer to rolling, discs on all four corners, scratch built rear shocks & tranny oil cooler, and the tires just need the whitewalls. Still a way to go, yet on track to complete for the March show on the mainland in Vancouver. Be posting some snapshots in a few days. The rush will be to complete the 409 motivated A Bone Coupe that's following on, have it planned out and most of the bits have been cleaned up and ready for primer. Thanks for checking, Cheers Misha

Beautiful build Ludwig, the colour choice fits so well plus the excellant paint job places your wagon into the top ranks! The chrome is amazing, did you use BMF on the side trim and windows? Cheers Misha

Just getting back to the origin of this thread for a moment, my first language is Russsian and back in the late 50s I began school and learned "Canadian" although with a Slavic accent that followed me thru to grade ten when it disappeared. To this day I'm unable to duplicate my previous accent. Thru the years, speaking the language, it became very difficult to define a "Canadian accent". Two years ago my friend and I spent three months in Croatia, touring along the Adriatic Coast. I was able to use my Russian quite consistently and it was just the two of us speaking "Canadian", rarely hearing English of any type. Having a wonderous meal in Korcula one day, we heard melodic tones being spoken at a nearby table, it was English yet it sounded so familiar and yes unique! Introducing ourselves to the group of young women it turned out that they were from Vancouver, and yes, there is such a thing as a Canadian accent! Eh! Cheers Misha "Da Canuck" Koslovsky

Thanks for the heads up Richard! Had a look a their offerings and plan on getting an order in quick. The various Ford wagons are very cool and would make for great support vehicles for vintage drags. Cheers Misha

Vancouver Island is truely the best part of Canada with breathtaking scenery and endless recreational opportunities, skiing in Strathcona Park to surfing at Tofino. The Cowichan Valley, my home, is a culinary heaven with local produce and irresistible seafood. The tough part is keeping it all a secret! Cheers Misha

Really like the direction you're heading in John. The Vicky looks good with the chopped top and the stance on the chassis, with the open top and cockpit in the rear makes it look very quick! Be following your build for sure, it'll be a great addition to your stable of vintage drag machines. Cheers Misha

That is a very cool project! I certainly identify with the push/rush to the deadline, be pulling for you Bernard! Cheers Misha

A Jewel!!! thanks for sharing your build. Cheers Misha

Great to see that again! I'm an old fart and recall how thrilling it was to get the customs card in the mail informing me that an Auto World package was waiting for me to pick up. Perusing the annual catalog was a thrill as much of the items were unavailabel in Canada inspite of having three great hobby shops in town. The sheet of plates was a good example. Somewhere I'm sure I still have one... Thanks for the memory! Cheers Misha

Thanks for all the encouragement!!! I'm really enjoying seeing how this comes together with the mixture of old and new parts. It's extremely gratifying to see the interest there is in such projects. I've been busy plumbing and wiring the Ford 302 that's going into the Phaeton. The fuel lines feeding the Holley double pumper are made of solder and crimps with an octagonal Evergreen rod forming the fuel log feeding the two bowls. The prewired distributor is a Parks item with spark plug boots made of slightly larger wire sheath. To depict the vacuum advance I used a part from a Bic lighter innards and a black wire for the hose. With the air cleaner on there is still enough to be seen of the carb to make it interesting. In between I've been getting the interior closer to being finished. Painting is complete with leather and fabric being depicted with Vallejo acrylics. I have found them the best for interiors as they produce an excellent texture after three coats. Being able to brush it on saves tedious masking. The only problem spot has been on the left corner of the rear seat cushion. This was the only part originally painted in the kit and it was very poorly done with the result that the plastic was pitted. To solve this problem and to make it appear realistic, I added a blanket, the perfect Phaeton accessory! It was made by folding a tissue and, while holding it with tweezers, dipping both sides lightly into a watered down white glue mixture. When dry it will be quite stiff and will accept paint readily. The back of the front bench seat is also complete with a passenger assist cord running along the back (I remember back in the 50s standing as a kid in the back holding onto that cord while riding in a big Olds land yacht). That's all for now, thanks again to all you are following along! Cheers Misha Thankfully it all appears to fit with in the AMT Deuce frame. Bit of a problem with the steering shaft, yet that will be sorted out. Wheels are nearing completion, at the stage now that I have to apply the wide whitewall decals --- cringing about that! Discs on all four corners need only plumbing and the chassis nears completion. The next big job is to polish the body and add detail to it!