Claude Thibodeau

Hi Murray! Good to have join the crew.... Passion for styrene (and sometimes brass) is the rule here! CT

Hi Joe! Thank you. If mouse urine gets me vintage unassembled Johan kits at 5$ a pop, I vote for mices! Seriously, my friend also sold me the Johan Javelin FC, assembled but not painted (a minor annoyance), the Long Nose Mustang FC of Gas Rhonda (assembled and painted, but complete and rebuildable, plus a couple more gems. And I left some stuff behind, cause my wife would have smelled my "deal" from a mile away? What can you do... CT

Thank you Daniel! Far from me to want to torture you... But the Pinto FC kit is looking at me as we speak! The Challenger just warmed me up... The rear end (winters quick-change style) is so nice on the Pinto. Worth the price of admission by itself! In line for production before mid-summer, if all goes according to plans. CT CT

Mr. Coffey: thanks as usual, thanks! CT

Than you Glen! You are right... those were great times... elapsed times, alas... CT

Thank you Stephen! The aerodynamics principles I can understand. But the livery is basically the logo/artwork of the "sponsor of the week". As the old saying goes: rarity and uniqueness create value. Artwork derived from a can of antifreeze? A smidge less exciting, IMHO. CT

Hi SiR! Thanks for the insight. It should come as no surprise when we look at the ficture in your handle. LOL. CT

Hi Steve| Great results, I like the mixed flocking effect, very convincing! About the smoke tint on the wheels: did-you use the airbrush? I tried it once, but with the spray can... and got less than stellar results. Hence my question... CT

Hi Rick! Far out? Totally in tune with the era, man... CT

Hi Mark! Thank you. Coach built is quite a compliment. I appreciate. CT

Thank you John! The kit is outstanding to begin with, so... CT

Thank you Larry, always appreciated! CT

Hi Ray! Don't you dare ever try to cure your "sickness". We are all the better for it. And oh, cool model! CT

Hi Aymer! This is a great build, bravo! I have this kit, and I can appreciate all the efforts you put into it. Thank you for sharing. CT

Hi Sir! I guess they conform to the "evolution of species" law... Adapt to the changing world or die? But it won't stop us from cherishing vintage FCs in the meantime... CT

HI Francis! Thank you. Your story about the popularity of vintage funny-cars is no surprise. WE LOVE THEM. Same for the "cacklefest" events where they start old dragsters in unisson. Francis Laflamme and Mopar in the same sentence? I'm shocked, really... My cabinet is almost full. Too much time on my hand I guess? Keep safe and press-on with your 64 Pick-Up! CT

Thank you Jerry! I forgot to mention that I added extended sills on the sides of the body, and did the same amount of extension on the front spoiler. The stock mock-up showed that the driver's platform was showing below the lower body, and I didn't like that. It just required a cut-out for the headers to clear the body once lowered in racing position. My apologies to Johan kit lovers who strive for OOB appearance... CT

Hi Mike! Thank you for the comments. I have Words on my computer, so i tweaked the picture I imported (the top art), streched it, and then printed it trought my HP Deskjet 3845 printer... an old unit (about 8 to 10 years I guess), but that still works well. The rest of the lettering was also made with Words, using the "lighting" feature (for the contrasting glow around the police) and the graded shade in the Acid Rush side lettering. I once experimented with letting my printed decals dry, and give them a second pass in the printer (not on this particular car, however). If you are lucky, it makes for a darker, more contrasting job (see Willys lakester below). But if the decal shifts while printing, it comes out fuzzy... CT

HI! I know... nostalgia exagerates the past. But to me. the 21st century funny-cars appearance pales in comparison to the era of more "similar" body styles, and creative colorfull liveries that bordered on art form, not vynil wrapped billboards. I also know that the sheer cost of running FCs leaves no choice to operators. But we can still celebrate the "groovy" era of the late 60s - early 70s, right? The Johan kit is a GREAT offering, even at 50+ years of age. Few glitches will slow you down. Tim Boyd comments favorably about the kit in his latest book, with reason. I found this one for 5$, because the seller was ashamed that the box, stored in his dirt-floor garage, was smelly because of mice dejections. One man's trash is... well you know this one! So: hosed, wired, detailed, painted Tamya's pure white with Testor's Hot Pink panels, and ficticious home-made decals added to recreate the era's vibe. The hood-top-trunk abstract artwork was a painting I found on the web, dowloaded, processed and trinted on clear decal sheet. Testor's Wetlook clear copiously soaks the whole thing. The frame is Testor's black enamel, and a variety of Alclad shades were used for the engine and accessories, They say that "if you remember the 60s, it means you weren't there", but I beg to differ. Long live nostalgia funny cars, even the ficticious ones! CT

Hi Mike! Great that you found a supplier. And that pink Old Master is absolutely a dead-ringer for the real car. Bravo! CT

Thank you Chris. Happy you like it. Low riding customs forever... CT

Hi Bernard! I concur: this kit a a gold mine of parts... even the Cobra engine fits nicely in many rods. I think I have never seen one FINISHED on a table at a show... I suppose our secret source of fine parts is no so secret, eh? To your point about paint removal, the only solution I found for removal of the apparently silk-screened checker motif on the body-side was 48 hours in a tub of brake oil, followed by a dip in Simple Green non-toxic degreaser. But it worked, ultimately. Note that the brake oil with silicone seems less effective. CT

Hi Bernard! Very "period correct", shall we say! The panel painting and wide whites are spot on. I agree with you: the Phantom Vicky frame is a very nice foundation for any 32 project. Most of those that I was able to put in my stash were the "pre-painted" units, that require a little more bit of work, but well wort it. Bravo! CT

Hi Fred! Great and unique project. Your treatment of the rear end is nice. Does the IRS come from the GT4, as the diffuser does? Your big rear tires will be a tight fit! Go on, very interesting. CT

Hi Jim! Fantastic built, bravo! Your wood structure seems even better fitted than real 1/1 woodie cars. It says a lot! CT