Claude Thibodeau

Hi! Impressive body of work, really. Bravo! I'm intrigued by the large Chevy: it features what appears to be "cobwebbing", in scale !?! It's a chore to do in 1/1, much less in scale... Any advice on your technique? CT

Hi! Wow, that paint is great! World-class built. Bravo! CT

Hi! Today, a friend called me because he had to move, and wanted to sell some old kits he had built over the years. Out of curiosity, I went, and lo and behold, there was a Johan Rumbler Javelin funny car! Complete, with the alternate parts to built it stock, custom or F/C, the last being the version he elected to do back then. The box was nice... BUT... mices found their way in the big box, and the stench was horrible. Had to junk the box (always sad with a JOHAN original), alas... I notice looking at your project that you have the scooped hood, much nicer than the standard issue on the Rumbler. The F/C version features a flat red rear stop "panel" in place of the standard unit. Good luck with the completion of your project! CT

Hi Dale! You are right to "stick with what works fine" for you. Far from me to try to steer you back to "hobby paints". All that counts is your enjoyment, and satisfactory results. Keep having fun with styrene! CT

HI! interesting idea, and great execution. Those injectors are great, they look more in line with the "mission" of the car than the vertical tubes you used at the beginning. Bravo! CT

Hi Sir! Great work, and I'm not surprised! They look convincingly like those on the cover of Hot-Rod back then.... Since yours are machined and not cast... maybe a smidge more shiny than the OEM. Keep on, you are a great inspiration to us all. CT

Hi! This is spot-on. Suddently, I'm back to 1967! Is-this the engine from the 53 Stude with the "pyramid" intake for twin-blower? And if so, what is the provenance for the exhaust headers? CT

Hi Francis! Tremendous work, as usual! I was browsing tru pictures on my computer, and I found this one from RAM 2019. You swept the first place in competition-drag with your Plymouth (left of picture), me 2nd with my Duster pro-mod, but alas, I can't remember the name of the gentleman who picked 3rd and is pictured between us... Just to wax nostalgia in this year of cancelled or postponed shows... CT

Hi Mike! Thank you for the comments. Much appreciated, coming from the Brass Master! Funny you should mention a 32 Ford. This winter, I completed my "annual" Bonneville car (I try to built at least one a year...), and it is a 32. I was inspired by a feature in The Rodders Journal, about a car under construction on a 32 platform, albeit extremely modified for the speed trials. So, I used the bare 32 frame from AMT's Phantom Vicky, lengtened and kicked it up, built a full roll cage, put the Monogram 87 turbo coupe 4L in it (heavily modified), and all sorts of other extensive details. The body is the AMT ProShop 32 roadster, with a scratchbuilt loooooong hood and nose cone, full belly pan, air ride fore & aft, etc. To poke fun at the famous So-Cal lakester... I called mine S0-CAN Speed Shop. (is there such a thing as southern Canada, anyway?) I must do a photo session for the 8 models I built this winter, and post them here. Just can't pry myself away from the bench to shoot them all, Tomorrow, maybe... Keep having fun with styrene.

Hi! I can see you are not afraid to tackle major "resurrection" work, and that's good. Your ability to make it fit nicely is worthy of mention. Keep at it, and above all else, have fun! You can be proud of your work. Bravo! CT

Hi Francis! Thank you for the compliments my friend. Coming from a MASTER, it's much appreciated! CT

Hi Sir! Thank you for your comments. It was a long built... but very gratifying. To my surprise, the most painful part to produce was the "mail slot" windshield. I made it of thin CD case plastic, and it is so short vertically that I broke a few in final shaping before being capable of having a perfectly flush fitting unit. On a different note, I'm still mystified by the fact that so few modelers seem to be familiar with the "salt cars". Of course, it doesn't get the coverage of, say, Nascar, but nevertheless... CT

Hi! Unusual subject for a low rider... but how sweet! Bravo! CT

Hi! Lots of imagination here! Here's a Speedwagon, but stretched "à la Boydster", using the hood, front fenders (with wheelwells filled) and front frame section from AM'T's 32 Chrysler cabrio. The cowl was removed and rebuilt under the hood to allow continuous side panels to the front door cut-line and base of glass, which was replaced with a slightly curved unit. Lot's a fun! CT

Hi Bill! Nice proportions and stance! I see you used the rollingstock from the Phantom Vicky... It IS one of the best combo for low slung fenderless 30's cars, in my view. Just like on this stretched 29 Revell roadster, that I based loosely on the Magoo red 29. That very car (the 1/!) used a cut-dowm VW rear window as a windshield, as per Mr. Magoo admission. Hours of fun with styrene! CT

HI! I try to assemble the whole cage to allow it to be removed and painted when ready. Case in point: this pro-mod Duster, in before and after pix. CT

Hi! Actually, Boyd Coddington built a car in the 80's for a gentleman by the name od Gillette, if I remember properly. The body was Dana red, made of aluminium by Marcel Delay at Custom Metal in Corona, Ca. It was visibly sectionned (or actually made like that from the get go), and the upper quarter/tulip panel much more "rounded" than usual. It made the cover of Street Rodder back then! I'll try to retrieve it in my mag archives, and post it here... CT

Hi! I recently used one as the basis for a heavily modified salt racer car... It was fine, but I found the molding a smidge thick. The trunk lid wokrs fine. The belt-line reveal molding is more square than hald-round, actually. I suspect they had a mold parting line located there? The chassis/powertrain reflects the 60's origins, of course. However, if you want to replicate a Boydster type of Deuce (low and long), the sectionned body is a good start. For what it's worth, my two cents... CT

Hi Sir! What a great concept, and perfect execution. Should go directly to the Pebble Beach Concours d'Élégance! Bravo! CT

Hi Dale! Thanks for the reply. I too do custom painting on 1/1 cars and rods. Mostly use HOK clears and Farecla compound and G-Mops. However, I find automotive clear is too hard for polishing "harmlessly" on plastic bodies without generating the heat required to get it to flow under the buffing action. A steel body can accept such heat/pressure in polishing, plastic is more fragile, That is why I mostly use Testor's Wet Look clear (in spray cans), followed by wet block sanding (with a supple eraser as a block) with 2000, 3000 and 6000, and hand polishing. Usually works fine (see Javelin below). Regards, CT

Hi! You indicate your paint is Dupli-Color "Ginger Ale". But my real question is: what about the clear, and your polishing technique? Super results! CT

Hi Sir! Truly a world-class design, execution and finish. Bravo! CT

Hi! I built a couple of Bonneville cars myself every year, and the canopy is always a challenge. A few suggestions: In the beauty aisle of big box stores, you will find a cheap lipstick brand called NYC. Their transparent caps are crystal clear, accept styrene glue, and are easy to "slice" lenghtwise" to get the part you want.(see Holy Flats Pilgrims Vette and Sodium Glider below). Also, the shallow section of clear throwaway spoons can be cut and flat sanded to give you a slight dome that may fit. I also use a lot of "blister pack" clear section that come with some small lightbulbs, or even sharpie pens. They come in infinite shapes, and are usually distorsion-free, since very thin. The canopy from the Drag-U-La 60's show car can also be adapted, albeit a smidge thick. Hope it helps! From a fellow member of the "Flat Earth Society" to another... CT

Hi! Considering the difficulty level of the body you started with... this is a VERY GOOD execution. Bravo! CT

Hi Francis! To your point about the "hardness" of aluminium... I fabricate many brackets or ancilary parts for the "real" 1/1 hot rods I build from aluminium, and I found a source that I did not expected... The maintenance shop at a local food manufacturing facility uses a lot of that T6 aluminium, and mucho stainless also, because food processing machinery needs to be cleaned and disinfected often, with sometimes very harsh cleaning agents. They usualy have scraps, leftovers or just worn parts that they are willing to let me scavenge tru. You would be surprised at the number of trick parts I found and adapted to rods and pro-touring 1/1 cars. Your Lenco is fabulous (as usual!). Keep on. Hope we will se all this in person this coming october at the Québec show! CT