Claude Thibodeau

Hi Francis! Well, forget about the shift light. The tach is right in your line of sight, and since you have years of experience with Mopar big blocks... I'm certain that you will be able to shift by ear, as we used to do back then... Great work! CT

Hi Pierre! Happened to me once, and I could establish that it was caused by a not fully cured colour coat, sealed too soon with a clear coat (it was Tamya's TS-13 in my case). When this happens, nothing can be done but stripping all paint to bare plastic and start again. Sorry if this is your issue here... CT

Hi Les! I know, I do it frequently. With this cheap nail stuff, the "resin" was so bad that to thin it enough for airbrush use, the "flakes" were just not in suspension anymore. But to simulate carpet finish, great result. CT

HI Jim! Nice progress. Lately, I tried something unexpected to get the carpet texture you achieved here. At the dollar store, I found real cheap heavy flaked nail polish. Hoping it could be airbrushed, I bought the tri-pack (gold-red-blue), but upon opening the bottles, I realized WHY it was at a discount: it was a gooey, jelly consistance. Now way to thin and airbrush it: it looked like sand in a tablespoon of water! Then, I tried brushing it as-is on a plastic scrap... Bingo: heavy grained, compact finish, that dried in 5 minutes. Top it with acrylic colour of your choice, and perfect instant carpet. Who said a little experiment can't pay off? CT

Hi Sir! Very impressive work, bravo! Unique subject, exclusive model, and a good lesson in self-reliance. I had this car as a small Corgi die-cast when it came out, but it was 1/43, I guess. The front and rear compartments lids were hinged, with minimal details inside. Your model brought back great memories of my youth, only much more detailed! Thank you! Respectfully, CT

Hi Mike! Ah, the eternal grace and beauty of FED. Keep welding! CT

Hi Dennis! I'm currently polishing a 41 Lincoln that I painted with Tamya's colour and clear (like you did), and I must say that your 37 is a textbook case for "great polishing job". Bravo! CT

Hi Tim! Le Cirque is going trough major restructuration these days. They filed for Chapter 11 last spring, and Covid just destroyed their business model. Even in Montreal, they are at a standstill. We better find joy in model-building for the foreseable future. On that, back to the bench. The smell of melted styrene is calling... CT

Hi Mike! Well, Canada already spun Le Cirque du Soleil, known across the world for its clowns and public amusers. Maybe Francis is also an extraordinary export from the Great White North? It's just that his field of expertise, luckily for us, has to do with this hobby of ours that we cherish so much. Amen! CT

Hi Mike! If someone here can invent a new system, it certainly is Francis! CT

Hi Tim! Well, on this side of the border, it's been the metric system since, oh, 1981 I believe. But since we are open minded about it, all our rules and tape measures still show both. As to the US dime and currencies... how come there is latin words on it? Foreigh language? Just curious... CT

Hi Aron! If you refer to the chips samples above, once you find the colour you want, give the numeric code next to the chip to your automotive paint house. Back then, enamel was the norm, and lacquer was an option on some upscale models. Therefore, in our era of base-coat/clear coat paints, your local shop will likely have to call the manufacturer (ex: PPG or Axalta) to CONVERT the code to a recipe that they can mix with their base colours. If they claim at the start "I can't do it", insist for the manager to call. Usually, they get the recipe from the manufacturer within 24 hours. Most shops can also sell you your mix in a spray can, made on the premises. Good luck! CT

HI Francis! Then I wish you an Imperial 2021! CT

Hi Steve! I look at your door panels, and I can smell the "new car vinyl odor" that was so typival of new cars when I was a kid. For reasons I can't explain, the GM interior smelled different from Ford's or Mopar... I know because in october of each year, I visited all the dealerships in town to get brochures and colour chips. And climb behind the wheels of some cars in the showroom. Now, why my mom threw those artefacts away is still a mistery to me. CT

Hi Bill! Great. When you say "decals", are those actual decals, or painting masks that you used to lay the flames? If decals, the match with the interior color is great" Bravo! CT

Hi Francis! My friend, you start to get me worried... This level of detail requires, now, that you add a shift light to the whole enchilada. What are you gonna do? Besides, I can't tell from the pictures: are the threads on the ring cinching screw metric or imperial? Just curious... CT

HI! I can confirm that the display is up here in Québec city. Spray cans and acrylics, but no enamel tins yet. That being said, I tried their clear spray can, since I was sad to see Testor's Wet Look clear bein cancelled. I found that Revell's new clear is OK, it shoots with a medium mist, and dries a smidge faster than Tamya's TS-13. However, it is much less viscous than WetLook is/was, and of course, if you seek more coverage by addid coats, it creates a bit of orange peel after drying completely. Also, even after a first "tack coat", the subsequent coats are prone to runs, more so than with WetLook and TS-13. I have NOT tried to polish it yet, so I'll reserve my final judgment until I do... I still have to try it on a real model, and not just test on plastic bottles. It got me to try to perfect my use of Tamya's TS-13 for now, since my reserve of WetLook won't last forever, alas! CT

Hi Kerry! Thank you for the details. I must admit that for me to, at 65+, some "putty shrinkage" is showing trough the previously smooth finish... CT

Hi Phil! Quite a productive year! I like the Topolino in particular, it's a different take on an old standard. Imagination at work. Happy new year to you! CT

Hi Kerry! Nice concept. The squarish rear end got me to think it was a 65 Pontiac, and now I see that it was the Testarossa tail that fooled me. I suppose the round headlights were an alternate custom option in the kit, or did-you mash-up something else? CT

What a fleet, Bravo! CT

Hi Craig! Great to have you back in the fold! Your coupe looks the part of the "strange" customs of the Daniel's era. Many of us mashed parts of his creations back then, not really improving anything, IMHO. But your coupe is a success! CT

Hi Tim! Well, if we look up the word "style" in the Webster, this is the picture next to it! The engineering, design AND execution are world class, as usual. Since those cars were often refered to as "brass era motorcars", it could remain unpainted in the end, and that would make it even more impressive. Bravo! CT

Hi Paul! Well, hope nobody suffers long term consequences. Young adults usually fare much better when they get it than, say, old farts like me... That's why I am prudent about it. This fall, I completed a 61 Impala Pro-Touring, built on commission for a well know model mag. Also: a custom Low Rider VW van, a 60 Starliner Pro-Touring with the roof from the Alternomad, a 68 Charger Concept with a late model Hemi mounted amidship, plus a 41 Lincoln that I mashed with a 93 Camaro greenhouse. Voilà! I forgot: also a 37 Ford panel with twin blown engine called The Pole Depot. You may already see it on the light commercial forum (think it's on page 2 or 3...) Some of them will eventually be posted on this forum. Take care! CT PS: I'll keep an eye on the Joker car...

Hi Steve! Great progress, the "sitting on wheels mock-up shot" is nice. I used those same wheels on a build lately. They are nice, but I always think that Pegasus should have done their front wheels a smidge narrower. The wheels are easy to narrow, but the tires require more work to make it flawless. Even their "big and little" combos are actually "wide and wider". You can't have your cake and eat it too, I guess. Keep on! CT