Claude Thibodeau

Hi Les! Thank you. I had to cant the handlebars slightly... or they would have rubbed againts the roof! CT

Hi Lou! Thanks. Well, let's just say I remember SOME of it... Mostly the model cars part, back when a new kit at the pharmacy (!) was 2$... Memories! CT

Hi Steve! Wow, very "OEM" as they say. Even more so because flat primer has a tendency to accentuate any flaw, and... They are nowhere to be found. Bravo! CT

HI Michael! Can be done, with the appropriate Evergreen or Plastruct materials available at your LHS. Mostly C-channels or H-beams that you refinish for your needs. The grille itself can be made of plastic coffee filter mesh, cooking spalsh covers from the Dollar store (the ultra=fine one), or in a pinch, some car speaker expanded mesh covers that you cut to fit. See two examples of scratchbuilt units below. Good luck! CT

Thank you Peter! I'm curious: what happened of your scratch-built Bonneville lakester? Last time I saw it, you were working on the vacuum-formed body, that was looking very good... Maybe I lost track, or you "suspended" the construction? CT

Thank you Cliff! My first time with this Tamya "hard to apply" Silver Leaf. Reasonnable results... CT

Hi Bill! It looks like your orange peel might be caused by the most common reason: too thick a second or third coat BEFORE the underlying coat has fully cured. This happens with almost any brand of clear, therefore, not really tied to the color coats underneath... UNLESS those are not fully "flashed" either. Good luck! CT

HI! For one, I always use it over Testor's ENAMEL gloss black. I also got different shades over gloss white (more like polished aluminium) and gloss light blue (more like polished stainless). I usually airbrush the Alclad Chrome within about 6 hours of my black base. Then let it harden for at least 48 hours. My experiences showed that, in my case, this is the best way to obtain maximum "chrome" gloss, while still resist usual assembly handling. Just my two cents... CT

Hi Bob! Very nice, and period-correct. Bravo! Is-it me, or is the deuce frame enjoying a slight "kick-up" in the front? The parts lay-out pic suggest that, but I would prefer your insight... CT

Hi David! Very clever approach. In the early 2000's, I grew nostalgic of an '85 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe that I owned back in the day. I started to look for a car to restore, but all I could find were "regular" aero birds of that vintage. Which got me to thing about "Pro-Touring" one: distinct full lenght frame, Mark VIII modular 24V engine, etc. Of course, that allowed playing with the notoriously short wheelbase of the Fox-based TBird. I resorted to your technique to figure out how it would look if I moved the front wheels 6 inches forward. I used hi-quality photocopies of Ford Brochures, and with some care, an Exacto and scotch tape, it "almost" looked photoshopped ! So, I can aprreciate your technique. Bravo! CT

Hi Kerry! What would be the proper way to access your YouTube "account" to view those marvels? CT

Hi Paul! I used the dessicant material enclosed in those minuscule paper "bags" that you'll find inside vitamin bottles and some other food supplement. Most are like coals, even the proper color. Who knew? CT

Thank you Chris! It certainly gives credence to the old suspicion that "some custom painters a really just lazy"... I know I was on that one: all in all the gel effect took less than 60 minutes. CT

Hi Daniel! Great job, stunning for a "one day challenge". Bravo. As to the color: is-it Tamya's Titanium gold (acrylic)? It looks a lot like it... There can never be too many Bonneville cars. We are just a few members of the "Flat Earth Society" it appears, alas... CT

Thank you Oliver. You should try it: quite easy! CT

Hi Kerry! Please do, I for one would be very interested to learn more on the "innards" of your Charger. CT

Hi Marty! Very nice, it looks the part, and the wheels are great. CT

Hi Jim! Thank you. Yes, I used metallic sparkle gel pens (from Michael's). About 2$ each, in a wide variety of tints. Long to get dry, however. Handle with care until cleared (2-3 days later). My wife always tell me that my hands are not always steady. So, I put that "tremor" to good use on the gel effects. Kind of a poor man's cobwebbing... CT

Hi Patrick! Thank you. Yours is cool too. I like your roof rack! As to the bike that came with the 66 Riviera Low-Rider... That was the best use I could finf to integrate it in a build... CT

Hi Mike! The laced wheels (and technique) are a master class, thank you! I'm fond of your bender for the headers. If only we could do it as easily on 1/1 cars... CT

Hi Ludwig! I could not say it better! CT

Thank you Mike! Oh... and your assistant looks marvelous! CT

Thank you Doctor, happy you like it! You set the bar high a few years ago, so I had my work cut-out for this one... CT

Hi Martin! Great mill. Most of the 33/34 had a small cavity added in the firewall, to clear the distributor and avoid any rubbing... Yours is very tight! CT

Thanks Paul! Truth is... it's an ever-learning process... CT