Claude Thibodeau

Hi Francis! Thank you. What an eagle eye: the Boss 429 comes exactly from the Monogram 85 Iaconio TBird pro-stock. I have raided 3 of those kits over the years for various mash-ups. A treasure trove of parts, a premium kit. I buy any I can find, goes to say how I like them. And I can confess to the smooth underbelly penchant. And as for the green valves, what can I say? Besides, rest assured: I see no reason for you being jealous, as fellow modelers on this forum can attest to. As I said before: you run marathons, I run sprints. But we both love our sport, don't we? Keep safe, and above all, keep whittling those magical parts! CT

Hi David! Thank you. I forgot to indicate that the rear end was chromed with Alclad, as the roll-bar and power amp. BMF aplenty too! Hours of fun... CT

Hi Alan! Thank you so much. And you are right that getting it assembled in the end, with a sequence of events to minimize scratches or dents or mis-alignement was a test of my patience... CT

Hi Chris! Thanks for the compliments. The door panels are made of 8 or 9 interlocking pieces. Lotsa sanding to get the joints "seamless". The pan is the one that came with the Iaconio TBird pro-stock engine, as is the carb. But I changed the manifold from a twin-carb hi-rise to a single-carb "street" manifold. CT

Hi Lee! Great execution, bravo! The doors are much more practical than on the show car. Further, back then, people were more "slim" than today, so twisting to get aboard would not have been a big price to pay to drive such a unique ride... CT

Hi Gareth! Nice built, in a striking and rare colour combo. Bravo! May-I ask what is the curious bottle-shaped accessory over the console? Just curious... CT

Hi Nigel! You bet. It IS on my bucket list. But these days, I'm building 1/1 Pro-Touring cars for customers, so, my garage is full. A few years down the line, maybe.. CT

Thank you Craig! CT Thanks Larry! CT

Thank you Ray! But, you kinda put some pressure on me, you know... CR

Thank you Gareth! It was a long and stenous built... One of the most detailed I undertook. The whole car was designed in "sub-assemblies", so that mounting and dismounting it countless times would be fairly easy, and not mar the finishes at the end. I stopped counting hours at some point, 'cause my wife was threatening to call the paramedics... CT

Hi! Was always a fan of the 49 Ford. Then, about 4 years ago, a spectacular 429 powered olive green street machine, belonging to a gentleman from NY made the rounds of car magazines. When inspiration strikes...Quick, to the kit stash! AMT's kit, with opened doors, trunk, and reversed hood. Scratchbuilt platform chassis, strut-type front clip, tunnel, console, interior, roll-bar, amp and mega-speakers, door panels, windows, air shocks, air compressor/tank/distribution manifold, rear suspension, 4WDB, etc. Parts-box seats. Iaconio TBird powertrain + rear tubs/floor. Maisto rolling stock, narrowed in the front. Custom mixed beige acrylic + Testor's wet look clear. Fully wired, hosed, polished. I opened everything, just to rib a good friend who excells at that, and is one of my idols. Hours of fun with styrene! CT

Hi! Very nice, bravo! My neighbour had one when I was a kid. Those fins were huge... CT

Hi Michelle! Your painting skills are improving with every model. Bravo! CT

Thank you very much, JT! CT

Hi Larry! The buckets are parts box headlamps (from a 30 Ford if I remember well), with a short section of styrene round tube glued under to make a mounting "ring" to slip on a mounting peg. The lens is a Michael's craft store diamond-shaped sequin, tinted red. Voilà! CT

Thank you Bruce! Happy you like it. CT

Merci Pat! CT

Hi Uwe! Very classy car... and colour combo. Bravo. CT

Hi Steven! Great paint and model. If you would have taken the pic on, say, a piece of dark coarse sand-paper (pavement like), it would fool anyone into thinking it is the real 1/1 car! Bravo! CT

Hi Paul! With the devastating news about the California fires, I hope you are not in harm's way? CT

Thank you Hermann! CT

Hi Kenneth! The irony is, this year, old folks might be afraid to open their doors, and not because of the creepy creatures knocking, but because of the virus, alas... CT

Hi Marty! Superb idea! Just the orchid hue, instead of the ubiquitous copper, makes it different. I have those exact wheels in my stash... You give me a clear idea of how well they look. The stance on your car is the better for it. Bravo! CT

Hi Gary! Well, I hope they beat at path to your shop. More satisfied customers to come! CT

Hi Gary! What a gallery of great work. You got the knack of flames, for certain! But my favorite is the grille & headlight work on the Falcon. I've done a few of those, and I can relate to the amount of work involved. Reminds me of the Funny-Car art that the big-name racers flaunted on their rides back in the 70's. Bravo! CT