Claude Thibodeau

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

Hi Kenneth! Well, I saw they are at a big discount, since the Halloween rounds of candy prospectors will be curtailed by Covid this year... Might as well stock up on old bones! CT

Hi! Great concept and execution, bravo! Exactly the kind of "cars" one would expect to fly over California these days, trough the smoke and the haze... CT

Hi Gary! Great combo. The hand-laid pinstripe around the flames speaks to your mastery of the technique. Bravo! CT

Hi Hermann. Thank you. I was inspired by a report I saw online of the famous Heartland National, a few years ago. I think the car was a Flintstone body, but the paint job got me! (see picture below) I must pay credit to this builder. His pic sat over my bench for a while, and the Eldo panel was the good subject for me. CT

Thank you Paul! CT

Hi Bruce! Very, very, very impressive. World class, bravo! CT

Hi Glen! Great built, I like sthe stance, in particular. Another proof that Mopar should have joined that Ranchero-Camino thing back then... Bravo! CT PS: I see an even wilder Pontiac Frankeinstein in the background on your bench. Can't wait for that one...

Hi Francis! Wow, lots of action in this picture: anti-sway bar, 4 bars and a big TRIANGULATED Panhard rod. Quite cumbersome. My idea would achieve the same stability, but with much less mass and weight. And since your Dodge will be a drag truck... might as well save some weight! Keep on! CT

Hi Francis! How dare you doubt the wisdom of going as far as you've done, detail wise? As you a proved countless times, perfection takes time. I think you've got a huge followers base that claims for more, all the time. And you sure deliver, day after day. I was looking at your 4 bar set-up, and I think your easiest approach would be to copy what some funny-cars do. They often install a fifth bar, diagonal, between the two lower bars. It is mounted on the same pivot bolt as the lower bars, let's say for this example, INSIDE the pivot bolt on the passenger side lower bar (at the front), and INSIDE the pivot bolt on the driver's side lower bar (at the back). So, it triangulates your bar, and prevents any lateral movement under hard acceleration (which this truck will see a lot, isn't it?), or cornering. That would be the less disruptive and/or cumbersome way to nail it, because it would run diagonally between your two lower bars, or upper bars if the driving shaft is in the way when the rear end goes up and down over bumps. Just my two cents, for what it is worth... CT

Thank you John! CT

Hi Francis! As I'm certain you know, both systems are usually located directly over the housing, in a transverse manner. so I don't think it would actually interfere with your existing parts. I'm mentionning that only because with the formidable amount of realism that you impart into this built, it would be a downer if an observer, more like a smartass such as me, would argue that your 4 bar system lacks a critical component... That being said, I can't blame you to keep it as simple as possible. That was the rightful gospel preached by master machinists such as the late John Buttera, just to name one. And I would'nt dare argue with him... Hope to see you before you turn 65, kid! CT

Hi Francis! Great parts. Since it is not a triangulated 4-bar system, do you plan on using an Panhard rod, or a Watts linkage so stabilize the rear end? Just curious... Let me guess: a Watts would be more complicated. take more time... Do I see a pattern here? (Just kidding!) CT

Thank you Mark! CT

Hi Richard! That is sweet! Very clean build. I think the Ford brochures refered to that colour as "coral", if my memory is correct. Fits the car perfectly. Suddently... It's 1956! Bravo. CT

Hi Sir! Great build... I LOVE the FOMOCO switch under the hood. Let's keep a moment of silence for the offended Bow-Tie brigade... You are right about the massive size of the IFS components. We see the lower arms inner pivot shaft litterally touching the ground. Even at that, 1/1 builders like Bobby Alloway found ways to almost contact the pavement at the front fender side apron level while keeping a safe IFS geometry, mostly by splicing and kicking-up the frame rails ahead of the firewal, à la Cop Shop Coupe if you will. Those "magazine cover cars" had killer looks, but were cartoonish, and difficult to drive in the real world. I drove an Alloway Speedstar once, and it was a risky proposition... CT

Hi Lou! Thanks for the comments. I think that if you seriously channel the body, with a slight forward slant, and create a smooth, more flat firewall... you already dispose of two major hiccups! CT

Thank you Patrick. And I like the "groovy" adjective... Some coolness relief, so to speak! (just kidding) CT

Hi! Insider information... Interesting. These boats are icons nowadays, I saw a few last year on lake Winnipesaukie in NH. No woody tow vehicle in sight, however. Alas... CT

Thank you Dave! Twenty something? Make that 3 times and counting, alas... CT