Claude Thibodeau

Thank you Steve! CT

Thank you Larry! CT

Hi David! Thanks for the comments. All wood effect on the OUTSIDE of the hearse was done freehand. To your other point, I rather build them than drive them. Perillous location, to be certain! CT

Thank you Michael! CT

Hi Anthony! I see what you mean. Thanks! CT

Hi Bill! You are right, they are arguably the most striking features of the car. Instant worldwide recognition, IMHO... CT

Hi Tim! Thank you for the generous comments. But I'm afraid that when such contests were taking place, my knowledge of paint techniques was marginal, at best. But I tried to improve over the years, and I'm flattered by your comment. When I saw the typical Logghe chassis of the Cougar kit, I started to look in my stash for something more satisfying. And I remembered your enthusiastic description of the Borsch car in your Collecting Drag racing models book. Since I had two in stock, I went ahead, and never regretted. The only technical constraint was that the monster motor sits fairly high in the chassis, which is no concern on an altered roadster. But the windshield of the Cougar had to be opened up vertically, and I had to spare the bugcatcher, and replace it with a scratchbuilt low-profile injector module, to clear the opening. Ah, the surprises and challenges of mash-up! Long live the vintage FC. Next in line: the Bounty Hunter Mustang. And thanks to your review in an old SA, I know the front 4 bars have no mounting points on the chassis. We'll have to take care of that... Regards, CT

Hi Mike! For the life of me, I don't know the EXACT term for those roof "decorations", but I'm certain someone on this forum could help us. My faux wood effect on the main body makes it more "antique", IMHO, than a plain brown finish that is shown on the kit box. CT

Thank you Bill! Now, let's steer clear of the termites... CT

Hi David! Thanks for the comments. The only grain pattern that is molded in the kit is the floor platform INSIDE the hearse. All the outside I "woodgrained" with different Tamya acrylic paints, to get the exotic wood patterns. The base color is testor's Inca gold lacquer, as you can tell by the front platform and roll-bar. CT

Thank you Michael! CT

Thank you Larry! CT

Hi Anthony! I don't know much about drift cars, but a friend who races one told me that it is a hair raising experience... CT

Hi Ray! Thank you. As you know all too well, sometimes, we have to stray from our usual field. That was the intent here! CT

HI! Granted, this model answers a question that nobody (but yours truly) ever asked: What would the legendary Boot Hill Express look like if it was "modernized"? Well, here comes... the Boot Hill Drifter! Got rid of the stage coach suspensions and front perch. Threw in the chassis of Buttera's T, with magnificient IFS & IRS, a roll bar, racing seat and harness, a pedal platform for the gas & brake, plus a shifter and radiator. The steering column is linked to a R&P steering. Gummy tires. And lower the whole thing as much as possible. Feasible? Be informed that the original showcar was a driver, even got drag raced. So, why not? It currently resides at the Speedway Museum in Nebraska. I stand ready for requests by the producers of the next Fast & Hilarious for a cameo appearance. Wanna bet? Seriously, I built the car as a teen, and had to give it a second shot. While sparing the horse buggy undercarriage remnants, and keep the three most significant features: The hearse body, the swoopy exhausts and the looooooong injector stacks. Hope you like it. I certainly had fun building it! CT

HI! I did it many times, both by car and motorcycle. Never tried the cog railway. On my bucket list! CT

Thank you Scott. Much appreciated! CT

Hi John! For the infos about the paint, please see my previous anwer to Vintage AMT at the bottom of page one of this thread. The decal was done as an experiment for a previous project, and I even forgot that I had it. The colors were a match to the Cougar paint scheme, so... But, I would have liked it to be just a smidge bigger, to fill the side panel more completely. My color cartridge was low (aren't they always?), so I went with it. Finally, you comment is dead on: more marketing, less creativity. I guess that makes us "grumpy old men" ? LOL. CT

HI! Very nice slammer, it looks the part! CT

Hi Billy! Thanks for the numerous and great pix. I'm impressed by the multiple ultra-high quality paint jobs. But, it's California, after all! The S0-Cal take on the Hemi-Hydro is very interesting. I found one in the junk bin a a show lately, and I think my creative juices are flowing now. Well' see... Thanks, from one Cannuck to another! CT

Hi Russell! Great theme, fine execution, bravo! The TV show (Starsky & Hutch) might have run longer if the gentlemen had been riding YOUR Torino, instead of the red tomato... Who knows? CT

Hi Barry! Thanks for the comments. As they say: "stance is everything"... There must be some truth to it! CT

Hi John! I read a long article a few years ago about the Monocoque Mustang, and a crew member said that the car was very light, which was an asset as far as pure acceleration was concerned, but... was a liability for handling at the end of the track. The air extractors near the rear tires, that were supposed to evacuate the air entering the "pontoons" was supposedly too small, and the car lifted. It must have been major, because the FC pilots of the day were "fearles", as we all know. The important modifications that would have been needed to experiment and correct the issue were deemed too expensive for the projected life expectancy of the car. Plus, the two other typical Mustangs (the red and the blue) were making a killing, so, the business decision was easy to take. Ultimately, it became a fantastic museum piece. And you gave it a second life here! It's interesting to note that another experimental Mustang, with an almost fully enclosed body, was also running at the time. But it, too, had a short carreer. The problem? Instability at high speed. There's a pattern here, it seems... CT

Hi Big Drag! Tamya's white primer, Testor's white lightning pearl white + 1 coat of clear. The purple effect is Model Master acrylic Purple Pearl, appllied with a plastic "tampon", made from a 1X 8 inches strip of common plastic bag, rolled on itself, and tied tightly in the middle with a rope. (You get an hourglass shaped plastic tampon). Gently tap the end of the roll on a puddle of thinned Purple paint, and randomly cover the zone. Don't overdo it, and don't allow the tampon surface to be too loaded with thicker paint, because it will create large dark gobs that will be difficult to sand or level later. The stipes smaller sprinkle effect was made by the same technique, but with Tamya's clear red, blue, green and some Model Master purple on top. Only, this time, I used shredded scuff pad "balls", for the finer paint carrying surface. Two coats of clear to seal the surface. Then, the metallic green and metallic silver pinstripes to edge panels were done with gel pens. Be carefull, they smear easily. Let dry 2 days, clear. Total: about 15 coats of Revell Clear, 3 per session, sanded between applications, to "level" the whole thing. Voilà! CT PS: see pic below- same gel pens used to create a cobweb effect. You can create many techniques with those...

Thank you Ricky! Indeed, back then, car owners wanted their team to look distinctive and unique... Whereas today, sponsors want the team to look "uniquely theirs". Oh well... CT