Claude Thibodeau

Thank you Craig! CT

Thanks for the great pics, Sir! CT

Hi John! The MPC 32 body is nice, the rest of the kit is showing its age. Here's this very body (with scratchbuilt floor, interior panels, etc.) sitting on the Phantom Vicky frame, with scratchbuilt suspensions. I'm confident you could pull it off starting with this body. Good luck, and keep up posted on your progress! CT

Hi Tim! I see yours was at some point more "discounted" than mine... The joys of clearance sales! There's a price sticker on mine that says 117.50$, but I suppose it was Canadian $ when it was on the shelve of an unknown LHS. Who knows? To your question: I sold my last personnal 32 3W a few years ago. The pic below came from the Goodguys website, many moons ago. Currently in the garage is a 70 Challenger 440 6-pack manual that I'm repainting for a friend. So little time, so much styrene... CT

Hi Tim! Last week, I bought a Big Deuce mint 2013 issue 1/8 32 Ford. I just felt I might give it a shot. Then I realized I would certainly throw so much scratchbuilt at it that it would be substantially modified. And where to store such a BIG rod? I haven't even opened the butifully molded and detailed parts bags yet, and I'm more and more thinking about reselling it in mint condition to someone who would build it "as intended". We'll see... CT

Hi Tom! Mr Teresi is certainly one of the best modelers of his generation. He never fails to amaze. I followed his buid of the monocoque Mustang, and was very impressed. When I came back to the hobby in 2014, the first car I scratchbuilt was a tribute to this very monocoque Mustang, albeit on a more humble level than Mr Teresi. Here's how it looked...

Merci Mario! I think I will resort to my "woodwork tools" more often. Fellow modelers seem to aprreciate... CT

Hello Mister Anonymous Admirer! Thanks for the compliments. But be it known that I started from a new kit, that I found for cheap. My original one from the early 70's was long gone, thanks to the yearly spring floods of the Chaudière river. Now, I'm working on a couple of projects that may make you smile, one of which is a Javelin funny-car glue bomb that I'm "updating". Stay tuned! CT

HI! The gene pool of the family shows up in Bella's work. Bravo! CT

Hi Gentlemen! Interesting discussion. It reminds me of the concerns that grew in the 80's when the world of 1/1 street rods was taken by the mega$ all billet, shop built "objets d'art". On one side, "regular" rodders complained that whatever they did paled in comparison to those masterpieces. The Coddingtons and Fooses of the world countered that they were only "pushing the envelope", and that we should all rejoice that they could assemble dream-teams of craftsmen to reach such levels. Then, ensued the "Riddlerization" of car showas: The Great 8, AMBR final contenders, etc. Mega bucks competing with mega bucks. To the satisfaction of the automotive press, always on the lookout for eye candy to put on the cover page. Coddington famously admitted that he was willing to "loose money" on his flagship cars, because he was making his pay elsewhere: billet wheels, accessories, clothing, etc. The cars got your attention, and that was priceless. For all the rest, he had Master Card! It's interesting to note that when those celebrated cars got on the block, at say, Barrett-Jackson, they mostly raked in MUCH LESS than their building cost. They were not less sensationnal, or decrepit... Just the flavor of last month, I guess? A space in time experiment, at most an "icon"? It's also amusing to notice that lately, the Goodguys Top ten and all other major shows trophy winners tend to be... recreations of old rods of the 50's and 60's! Can you say "leather straps to hold down the hood"? Old tech, executed to the nth degree. Oh well... Everything old is new again. Heritage anyone? It's interesting to note that when kit manufacturers came up with large scale cars, it was mostly because, of their own admission, it was perceived as "more stuff for my bucks". And the suggested retail also went up, and so did the profit margins. So, if someones shows up with a magnificently detailed and finished large scale model, I will be the first to marvel at their accomplishement. But I will also be mercyless for any flaw that might have escaped me on a smaller scale car. It comes with the territory, I guess... Just my two cents, FWIW... regards, CT

Hi Daniel. Just saw your comment. Thanks! CT

Thanks for the comment, Chris! CT

Thank you Bob! CT

Thank you Carl! Much appreciated. CT

Thank you Oliver! CT

Hi Paul! Wow, world-class details and finishes. Masterful, bravo! CT

Hi Craig! Your color combo is absolutely perfect. Even the coordination on the valve covers... Bravo! CT

Thank you Cliff! CT

Hi Marty! Be careful, you only have one tongue! Thanks for the compliments! CT

Hi Tim! Thanks for the compliments, much appreciated! The first wave of "zany" show-cars was rightfully centered around the notion that the car could be wild, but should also operate (drive-turn-brake). I remember vividly that the "bogus" variety was derided in car mags back then. Therefore, most ran (and dripped over the carpets, thank you!). At the time of the second wave (bunk-beds, outhouse, etc.) it seemed that just anything could pass as a showcar. Not the best of time, IMHO. The Boot Hill was indeed operational, a second version was even drag raced. That's why I went along with this fantasy. Since I build 1/1 rods for clients, I tend to model things that would be "operational" in the real world. In this case, scary... but driveable nonetheless! Finally, I'd like your critical analysis of a Bonneville streamliner that I posted on this very forum about a month ago. It's in the OTHER RACE CARS, and is titled FULMINE DI SODIO (it's Ferrari powered). It was quite a chore to package all that was needed in such a slim body. Hope you like it! Keep at it, Sir. So much styrene, so little time... CT

Hi Sir! Thank you. I'm looking for those engine as we speak... Might do the swap! CT

Hi Kurt! Thank you. I tought about it... but windmills are hard to come by in my neck of the woods... CT

Hi Alex! Keep me posted if your experimentations allow you to develop any other technique. I'm always on the lookout for any paint "trick" that I could apply on my future projects! CT

HI Sir! Thanks for the perfect rating. Happy if I can help "make your day"! CT

Hi Bruce! Thanks for the pics. Your "fleet" was very impressive, bravo! CT