Claude Thibodeau

Hi! Just curious... are you the Guy who had a great Keeling & Clayton T/F in an old ('94?) issue of SAE Contest car? The caption mentionned that if so, you were then a resident of the "east coast"... Regards, CT

Hi! Perfect blend... It looks like it came out of the Rodder's Journal! Even the colour "dates" it in an appropriate manner. Bravo! CT PS: I LOVE those American front "spoke" wheels. I'll dig out the copy of the AMT kit in my stash to verify if they are included. Thanks!

Hi Sir! Thanks for posting those pics. Very inspirational! It's been a while since I made it to the big Detroit show, but your report covered all the bases. Regards, CT

Hi! Impressive work, for sure. Your welds are "blending" well with the parent metal. It shows great mastery of the technique. Mr. Fuller would be admirative, I'm certain. Keep up the great work. Bravo! CT

Hi Francis! As you may know, the RAM on march 29th has been canceled until further notice. Hope we'll be able to attend it together with our friends as soon as the rules againts public meetings is released, and a new date is announced... As to your rad cap, I'm worried... Will this thing sustain the usual 16 pounds of pressure in your cooling system? Please reassure us... CT

Hi! Nice built, lots of great ideas. Specially the paint theme. I built this kit a few years agao, and I too got rid of the belly pan, molding the lower section (roll-under) to the flanks. It makes for a smoother look. Bravo, well done! CT

Hi Sir! Wow... World-class built. Bravo! Your gaps around the doors is ultra-precise, and you obviously have a PhD in headers. Not only is their nature complicated, but I can relate to the chore of shoehorning them in the chassis. Hours of fun, I guess... CT

Hi Michelle! Great build, what a superb colour! Bravo! Your subjects become better and better with every built. Keep going. I wish I had such a growth curve back then. CT

Hi! Thanks for sharing your technique. Much appreciated. I like to learn from the best! This show rod creation is mindblowing, truly. Imaginative, and perfectly executed. Bravo. I've never tried spraying the molotow chrome myself. Used mostly Alclad. However, I've started spraying it over gloss WHITE or LIGHT BLUE instead of the usual black. On the white, it creates a sheen akin to real polished aluminium. See the Duster ProMod engine below. I'll ultimately try your technique, however... CT

Hi Eric! Your method is great, and your twin engined beast is SO nice! Is-there a thread here where we can see the final result on this car? I'm specially impressed by the sheen of your engine parts. Is-this paint? Your chassis looks like the finish we can obtain from Krylon's Premium Classic Crhome spray can, but I might be wrong... Bravo! CT

Hi Steve! Well, you nailed it! The thickness is in scale with the engine. Bravo! CT

Hi! World class paint and details. Bravo! CT

Hi! Just to add to the vacuum cleanerbelt idea... The smallest cog belts I've seen came from VHS cart machines. But still a tad too big for 1/24, as indicated above. CT

Hi! One item that may do is a cheap latex party balloon, available in black at the Dollar store. You take sharp scissors, and cut a 1/16" wide section of the "neck" of said balloon. Since it is thin, rubbery, black, and stretchable, you can then wrap it around your upper and lower pulleys. Granted there is no cogs on the inner side of this "belt", but the very thin "rubber" is in scale to a 1/24 or 1/25 engine. For what it costs, you may try it... CT

Hi Francis! A great designer once said that upon modifying a classic, one has to show restraint... so that onlookers will KNOW something has been modified... but can't say WHAT... It would be the measure of success. Well, this scratch-build body will be so "credible", that many won't be able to see all the marvels it features. And THAT, my friend, is the signature of a Maestro. Keep on. I can.t wait to see the thing in "the flesh"... or should we say "in the styrene". CT PS: The RAM show is coming... Hope we can drive there again this year with a few friends like we did last year. We need to organize this!

Hi! I'm impressed by your very classy interior, of all things. Bravo! CT

Hi! Thank you for the clear infos. Much appreciated! Since you say this particular car was NOT polished, I can see the "natural" gloss of this clear is very good. It reminds me of what you get from House of Kolor Show Clear, a 2-part catalized urethane you may be familiar with. It flows superbly, but once dried hard, is difficult to polish on a styrene car body without causing some damage to the body. That is why I might try your Minwax. I wondered about the type and number of coats you apllied, since I could see a smidge of "peel" in the reflexion on the passenger side running borad. This usually happen when you obtain very high gloss at application from heavy wet coats. Super nice then... but once evaporated and dried, the clear then gets a fair share of orange peel. Nothing a good rubbing won't dispose of, but some work nonetheless! Regards, CT

Hi! Very nice result. Classy looking, and the detailing is great. About your Minwax clear: how many coats would you say you used? Medium or heavy? Via your air-brush, or is-it a spray-can? Just curious... CT

Hi! Very kind of you. Please, keep us posted once it is available. Regards, CT

Hi! I built fantasy Bonneville cars (streamliners or modified), so your engine as-is would be perfect for a mid-ship mount on a looooong liner I'm building. The planned powertrain was Ferrari California's by Revell (with mods, of course). But I would gladly change course and install a copy of your Boss engine as-is... What do you say? CT

Hi! Oh, the wonder of 3D printing. Your programming skills are up with the best, Sir. Bravo! Would-you consider selling copies of this very engine in 1/24? I can think of a couple of my projects where it would fit perfectly... CT

Hi! Very creative, well detailed, and with unusual rear transaxle! The front blower set-up looks similar to the alternate version in the re-issue of the Cosmic Charger kit from a couple of years ago, barring the intahe horns... But I guess it is a modified Parts Pack refugee? Yours seats and belts are world class. Bravo! CT

Hi James! I allow myself in your conversation with Francis, because I think you might find what you search (sportsman tires) in the Revell Matt & Debbie Hayes 87 TBird Pro-Street. The rear tires are the size of Pro Stock slicks, but are STREET tires. Voilà! CT

Hi! You are perfectly right it WAS a "formal roof", not a fastback like yours. However, whatever the type, these 72 Torinos are rare and far in between. That's why I mentionned the magazine car. Besides, I had a 72 Ranchero in the mid 70's. So, I have a soft spot for these cars... CT

Hi Francis! Great work! But I'm curious: what exactly is the gear ratio? Just trying to figure if it's gonna be hard on the gas... CT