Harpo

Did some work on the interior today:

I think you've really captured the essence of stealth technology, your builds are totally accurate in every way.

The TR will always be one of my favorites too. In this case my 1:1 came forty three years before the model, in 1975:

I stopped building models when I was fifteen. Forty nine years later - in February 2018 - I joined this Forum and started building again. I've had lots of fun; I've completed ten cars, three trucks, and one airplane. That's fourteen builds, but there's a fifteenth picture in this thread too. I didn't build it, but it was inspired by a model I built in May: a Citroen 2CV. I've always wanted one, and gazing at my model eventually broke down all resistance and caused me to take action. Six months later I took delivery of my 1:1 version, a total restoration to my very exacting specifications, built by Sander Aalderink in the Netherlands. I'm out of garage space for 1:1 cars now but I have plenty of space left for models, and I look forward to another year of building fun. Many thanks to all the fine people here for your inspiration and encouragement, and Merry Christmas! Garry

I was surprised to see Michelin ZX among the tire options, they are making them again! I've put many a mile on Michelins like this, always used them whenever I could in the 70s. Autocross is not really possible, it's only got 29hp.

I never thought of that, but looking like a bucket tooth wouldn't be out of character for a twin Cat powered car!

Totally go for it! I suspect the Ferrari might be slightly more expensive than a 2CV though...

I completed this model in May and ordered a 1:1 version in June. She arrived last week, pictures here!

Arrived in perfect shape. This car is everything I expected and more, I love it! This is what can happen when you build a model of a car you've always wanted...

Lots of putty, then a quick coat of primer to show where I missed (numerous places, lol). I used Vallejo 74.601 Grey Surface Primer, it's acrylic/polyurethane and takes forever to dry when you get it too thick (as I did). Another day in the oven and it should be ready to sand. Still have to design the rear end!

I agree, but this is a "theoretically practical" build and there's no way this thing would go 300mph+ with that flat caddy front end.

With the nacelles bonded to the body and the temporary sheet that aligned them removed, the center panel is glued in. Also added is a thin strip to create a slight crown to the center panel, which will be three layers: All three layers in place, and additional reinforcements added center/left/right: View from the top: Another sheet is cut to cover the bottom of nacelles... ... glued in place... ... and trimmed to fit: I then made a pattern from the trimmed front end and transferred this shape to a longer piece, which will cover the bottom: then glued this sheet in place: This leaves a triangle shaped opening on each side... ... which is lined with spacers to maintain curvature of the triangle that will be inserted: More measurements taken, triangles cut: and installed: Now it's just a matter of filling and sanding, and I'll have a nice streamlined front end. No idea what I'll do with the back end, just have to wing it like I did here. And yes, Tom, you got it - those nacelles used to be the rear canopy of a Polar Lights Batmobile!

Looks great to me! I'd make a diorama for it with the car suspended mid-air after a hill, and a surprised looking Robin as the driver.

Great color choices, very clean! Btw, when I saw the thread title I was expecting a 56 foot Chevy. But this is better.

I've never intended to build the military or armored version, my only question was about dual rear wheels. My entry will be a 1931 RR Phantom II, most definitively a passenger car.

Hatch mount trimmed, narrowed bumper installed: Finally found just what I needed for the front end streamlining. I've already cut it in half here, bonus points for figuring out what it is: Halves trimmed and held in place with poster putty: This is the critical angle, I need a smooth transition from fenders to front: Poster putty works great for this, you can carefully remove the part for trimming then reinstall: Sheet styrene glued under front to establish alignment between two halves, which are then secured firmly to body with UV cure filler. Putty is easily removed after bonding, resin doesn't seem to stick to it: Next I'll add sheeting between the "nacelles" at hatch level and across the sides/bottom, then do a bunch of filling and sanding!

Nope, they're definitely cars, they were built on the RR 40/50 engine/chassis. The only mods were the dual rears (on some), extra spring leaves, and of course the bodies. The rest of the car is completely stock. I'll grant you there's not much difference between cars and trucks in this era, but RR never built trucks. These were used from 1914 to 1944, below is a pic from 1918 of one with less modifications. Passenger is T.E. Lawrence, aka "Lawrence of Arabia" He was a major advocate for use of these cars in combat. So, do I get to use dual rear wheels?

It's a 1983 Citroen 2CV, completely restored to my specs. It's made to handle Iowa winters with minimal corrosion problems; it has a new galvanized frame, stainless steel brake lines/exhaust/trim/hardware components etc, extra heater options and special rustproofing/undercoating. Most of the car is new, all other parts are completely restored. I've always wanted one, and building this model in May pushed me over the edge, I ordered the real one in June.

I've got a few, I'll take some good ones when it gets here next week. Here it is at the port in Baltimore:

Thanks much for the help, guys! I ended up finding someone on the HAMB, very qualified and right on the route. This is understandably a bad time to look for shipping, the car was scheduled to be ready sooner but you know how that goes.

I was also contemplating dual rear wheels on my 1931 RR. I haven't researched P2P vehicles, but there is sort of a precedent in the 1914 armored RR from WWI:

I'm learning a lot about this business. Most is handled through the "Central Dispatch" website, where truckers and brokers can look for loads. There are legitimate individuals in both categories, but they're pretty much impossible to sort out. The problem seems to be that both will promise absolutely anything to get your deposit, but extremely few fulfill their promises. You book a car, they say "sure", then they sit there hitting refresh hoping to find more to fill the load - or they start off, only to divert 2 states away chasing another load. And heaven help you if you're the first car loaded; your car could make several trips to both coasts before the stars align and they show up. I couldn't believe it, but reviews and other sources confirm this happens routinely. "Transport Reviews" is another interesting site. Lots of reviews for many companies, then you notice the small print on all the good ones: "User was compensated for this review": < ridiculous scam Then there's the "local" listings. I called two whose websites claimed they were within 15 miles of me, only to find they were actually in Florida or Arizona. Another actually exists close by: Mike's 24/7 Transport. 24/7, right? No answer, and all voicemails full. No thanks. I can't travel, but I'm seriously considering putting a hitch on my LX470, buying an enclosed trailer, and sending my son and a friend.

So far I'm drawing a total blank. The good guys are booked until spring, and the rest are mainly scammers. Anything associated with U-Ship looks VERY shady, lots of good reviews but most of them are from other transport companies, or are paid! There's lots of listings (including several in my small home town), but they are mostly fake. No addresses or false addresses, and all link to national brokers, aka scam artists. It was easy to have this car built and shipped from Europe, but that last 1000 miles is proving exceptionally difficult!

I need a car shipped from East coast to Iowa ASAP. Online sites abound, but it seems that nearly all are just brokers with flashy pictures and horrible reviews. I had one on the phone who promised he could do everything I wanted, then I looked at his reviews - he's a pathological liar. It seems every site looks different, but all connect to the same one or two brokers. Apparently these guys promise the moon, sun, and stars, then they call "Bubba", who scrapes the beer cans out of his pickup, hitches up an ancient trailer, and arrives ten days to one year later. He then drags a mud-encrusted plastic tarp off the remains of your car, belches in your face, and swears a lot. You then spend the next forever trying to get settlement, write reviews like the ones I've read, and scream fruitlessly. I'm not willing to do this, and would more likely chain Bubba to the front porch until his handler arrived with a fistful of cash. Then - if the car still ran - I'd drive over both of them. I'd rather avoid this process altogether, and instead find someone who actually transports cars safely and on time, and who has an actual phone he will answer. So, does anyone here have any recommendations? Thanks in advance, Garry

Actually, one of my favorite science fiction stories is "Killdozer" by Theodore Sturgeon. There's also a movie based on the story, very lame but fun to watch. Not sure this is a very inviting name for a car though, at least not for a superstitious driver...