Claude Thibodeau

Hi Tim! Thanks for dropping by. Cool was indeed the mood back then. I had Hot Rod Magazine "pictorial" full-page images plastered on the walls of my room, and of course it permeated my mind. Hence my soft spot for those unique fiberglass warriors. This one might be a subliminal cross between the Beebe & Mulligan green striped livery and the goofy Jungle Jim type "cartoon art". Who knows? Now, if you will excuse me, gotta go to my shrink... He may help me figure it out... CT

Hi Stephen! Thanks for the comments. Long live the Nostalgia FC! CT

Thank you Jim! I had fun laying it out. CT

Hi Walid! Your trailer design is spot-on, very "era correct". Art deco cool! CT

Thank you Larry! CT

Hi Chris! Thank you. I bought the kit from a guy who was discouraged by the fact that the frame sides were badly twisted, probably by being pulled-out of the mold while still soft. I had to heat it with a candle, which is tricky, and had just one glitch, that I hid with slightly longer scratchbuild side panels. And there is a built-in "flaw" in the front suspension: the driver's side lower torsion beam "arm" is drilled in such a way that it mounts the front axle in mis-alignement out of the box. Had to do delicate "surgery" to correct it. Turned out OK! The Donovan Hemi is nice, however. CT

Thanks for the reply! CT

Hi Bob! Wow, what a great job, and the attention to details is world-class. Bravo! CT

Hi Doyle! We always need a mad scientist, don't we? LOL. Thanks for the comments! CT

Hi Francis! Thanks for the kind words. I do, indeed, have a soft spot for AMC... My next-door neighbour was an AMC dealer for a while, so... Waiting in my stash are a third first gen Javelin, and a Pacer. For the latter, I'd like to bring it to 21st century, in accord with a sketch that the famous Steve Stanford created a few years ago on commission from Hot Rod magazine (see below). We'll see... As for the upcoming Quebec event, this october, I'm afraid I'll have to cherry pick among my "Covid collection". Oh well... CT

Hi Jim! Thanks for the pics, very inspirational! I am very fond of the olive green 33 coupe lakester. A great packaging job. Would you know the builder's name, by any chance? Just curious... CT

Hi Bruce! Again, a world class buid, bravo! And I beg to differ as to what you were telling a fellow forum visitor: You can't explain such a glass-smooth finish with "luck" (your term...). Just the reflection of the lakes pipes in the lower body, and the perfect gloss of the grille teeth tell me that there's paint mastery at work here... No surprise, really! I've seen your perfect paint jobs many times on this forum, so much that I can read the specs of your overhead lamp being perfectly reflected in your pics. And that, Sir, is shine! CT

Hi Chris! Your paint work is stellar, and that engine detailing... Bravo! CT

Hi Ray! Thanks for your never-flinching interest. Much appreciated! CT

Hi Dan! Somehow, the addition of black paint around the kazillion side windows creates a global focal point that accentuates (for lack of a bettter term) the iconic Mooneyes logo side decal. Love it. Bravo! CT

Hi Scott! Count me in too! I'm still looking for a 3rd Javelin to modify. I have a promo in my stash, that I will probably complete as the concept station wagon that Harry Bradley created for Car Life Magazine in the late 60's. I still have the mag page over my bench, and it should get underway this fall. And a Hornet pro-touring too... There's already a Javelin pro-touring and a 4WD rallye Gremlin in my dispaly curio. Oh well... So much styrene, so little time! CT

Thank you Larry! CT

Hi Gary! Well, the Javelin is now posted on this same Drag racing page. Hope you like it! CT

HI! Those of us who lived the 60's Funny-Cars great expansion will remember three dominant features: 1- cars looked indeed like the cars they represented, 2- They had a "theme" or nickname (Bounty hunter, LA Hooker, The Snake, etc.) and 3- Most could double as show cars, featuring the wild psychadelic "panel painting" & lettering techniques of the day. Meet NITRO MANIAC: a fantasy 69 Johan FC, restored from a glue bomb. The AMC 3 color paint scheme was stipped, the hood scoops shaved, the custom ft & rr ends kept in place but molded, and AMT's modified Trojan Horse M2 FC chassis slipped under the smoothed body (instead of the Logghe chassis of the kit). Scratchbuilt tin work, gas tank, chassis side-panels, barrel valve, wiring & plumbing, shifter, gas pedal and linkage, steering rod, etc. Home-made and parts box decals. Tamya's pure white, Silverleaf, Gunmetal, HOK Passion pearl, Testor's ice green, Mr.Hobby Topcoat clear, fully polished. Metallic gel pen pinstriping. Molotow's chrome. A paint experiment, and hours of fun with styrene! CT

Thats called "blind faith".... Beware! LOL CT

Hi Bruce! Really stunning, and the contemporary vibe is very inspiring. I have this kit in my stash, and I pulled it out countless times, trying to figure out how to do it in a different way. Now, you got my wheels turning... Maybe this fall? CT CT

Hi Gerry! Thank you for the pics.! CT

HI! An exercise in recycling left-over parts from numerous previous mash-ups. CT

Thank you Dennis. Happy you like it! Ah, the groovy 60's... CT

Hi Ray! Nice, and unique. You are up to your handle:"Cobraman". Bravo! CT