Mike Williams

Hi Tim, compliments. I do feel your painting skills should be mentioned and appreciated. The body showing 3 colors appears to have a flawless separation...I can't do that, not even after trying many times! Also, the parts separation of the frontend suspension is just magnificent, appears as if the parts are single, and individually bolted. Excellent! Can you offer some insight to which colors you applied there? Colors/brand for the leaf springs? Mike..

Mercy! Such a wonderful build! I can easily write to have never seen such a creation before. Tim, I've seen your finished car elsewhere, although here, it just got better! The build procedures are visually new to me for this car, lots of serious brass work shown...this needs for sure a closer look! Innovation and expertise would be the magic words. Amazing and sensational the outcome. Welcome friend, to this forum. Mike..

Great that you have thick skin, Tim! Actually kind of amazing that your caliber still goofs up! Laughing now, it’s great to see you here, lots of good guys have chimed in. My word, this is truly a great hotrod creation! Smooth lines in brass, rounded body panels are not easy to do, and you've done well. I enjoy as always your work, being an inspiring addition to this forum. Greetings, Mike..

Hello Francis, I've viewed the previous pages, and will gladly write that I'm smiling. Just wonderful! Mike..

I would like to write at this stage, it was a pleasure to read the comments among two French-speaking members, being translated to our forum language. We had possibly an opportunity to view some flying sparks, or maybe not. I do feel it's a blessing to learn another language, and all the intricate features available. I would not do well as an Ambassador. Luckily, I never had to during travels. Francis, the shown photo of the triangulation is useless. The connection to the left and right chassis rails will negate the calculation. There is too much play with this connection. This is not my personal opinion, just from a pro who knows. I believe this is correct. Mike..

Well, this would be from the "Good Old Days". Today, no shop bill for a newer type car, no cash for you. Cash and carry is not the EU insurance way. Ford though, is very receptive to deals, I feel that OP did good. Here in Europe, I do believe that Ford here is a bit different from Ford in the US. I can attest, little Ford 4 bangers will run 80 to 100 mph all day long on the German Autobahn, and get great (!!) gas mileage. Recently, I had opportunity in a rental Ford 4 cylinder. Average speed for a 4-hour drive was right at 95mph. No brakes, just left lane and lots of fun. Very early morning, hardly any traffic. Got +35 mpg! Cheap fun.

@Snake45, over here...anything NAZI gets views and ratings. The stuff is always on one channel or the other. Not to mean a positive aspect, just showing real film footage and facts. Never have I realized any glorification! Just an attempt to set the record straight, from my point of view. But Nazi Gold is in Poland, the Alps, sunk in some Alpine lake, and in former Communist East Germany. Yep, go figure. I think Ike and the boys got all of it. Mike..

Exactly, being a huge waste of time. Being a Florida boy, I used to like the Tuna show....but it's a fake show. Oh boy...OK, I live in Germany. I keep hearing on TV that the Germ....no, better not. The statement might be viewed as being political. Just, the Nazi Gold show, and there are a lot of these types on TV here, might get big ratings. Sometimes I feel that History is for sure international. Never seen anything about Sumo wrestlers here on TV. Well, American Pickers, or whatever the name, is sometimes fun. Nazi Gold though, is a hit. In Poland maybe? Man, they have whole trains hidden underground full of gold....the Alps too. Truly a popular theme here. All the above though, is better than watching the evening news, between 7 and 8 evenings. Pee-uke.

So, I've been wondering now for a while, what's the deal with Oak Island? What kind of BS is this anyway? I watch "Forged in Fire", instead of the evening news. I don't watch MSM anymore. Big Tuna too, until I found out the show is a total fraud. I'm in Germany, and these shows are amusing and sometimes entertaining, better than the fake news showing at the same time. I'm not even sure if "Oak Island" is the original name for the show. Does anyone watch this stuff?

Just wonderful! Francis, I agree with your method. Your rendition is better than mine. Much cleaner, as I have to use several slide tubes to correct size differences. Your way is better, and also your skills and equipment. What a thrill to view! Thanks for showing other ways, I do love this. Mike..

@oldnslow.... Excellent! The method of adding material to the inside of a sticky tape is a keeper. Thanks for the tip! @CT, many thanks for your insight. I like this method, add your own details. Just, I have no motor in 1:16 scale. Indeed, adding the ribs to the inside with a suitable material is an excellent tip. Perfect, now I do not need to shop for parts. Thanks fellows.

Hello Francis, Just perfect, one could almost imagine the smell of oil while viewing these parts. Also, for better flow and cooling characteristics, I've noticed the rounded edges. Excellent! Mike..

Hello guys, I've seen wonderful tutorials about making realistic blower belts, just my PC crashed and all is gone. Anyone know a good way to add detail for a blower belt? Meaning, the inside surface of the belt. Mike..

CT, not to worry. All major header manufacturers have already received Francis' plans. Should difficulties arise...Francis can sue them for liabilities. Mike..

Hi Pete L., I like red primer too. Here a 1:25 styrene body with a smoothed out and lightly sanded body, with two coats of Duplicolor Rust Primer; Covered very well. Then just lightly rubbed with 4000 grit, wet paper a bit. Then polished with a regular car wax. Mike..

Brad, I hear that! I was very recently all fired up about a 1:16 scratchbuilt brass FED. Paul has gorgeous parts! Man they would've been great! Just after lots of searching, my conclusion came out to be, if you don't have a kit or two at hand in 1:16, you'll pay lots. Motors, if found, $40+, slicks are rare, wheel choices are not great, rearend housings...hard to find. Since I build brass, not even the correct scale rods and tubes are available. Meantime...Alibaba has offers...thanks but no thanks. Still, I can well imagine an Altered in 1:16 from your bench! Go for it! Paul's parts in conjunction with an existing kit would be sensational, a real upgrade.

Good to see your project moving along now Joe. The seatbelt hardware looks good to me, believable! The interior looks like it means business, well done. Mike..

Francis, this may sound silly by now, but I'm smiling again viewing these photos! Excellent, again the contrast brass/alu will enhance. I figured out a while back to make decent U-joints using brass profiles, this involved lots of soldering in very small spaces. That you make these in solid aluminum is even more of a treat. When I round off the hollow brass tubes, I have to solder the holes back up. Francis, I like seeing that you round off the edges again...! lol

Wow. Really cool with the burnout smoke, love it. Interior seems to be done, what motor will this one have? Any color scheme figured out?

Classy looking '55. Two questions, is that flat black on the interior tinwork? How did you get the door panel lines to be lighter in shade? Great model.

Your big tire project is just "sick". What a beast! You gonna give it a red paintjob, like the original? Really like to see the motor on this one, turbo, right?

Flat Earth Society....I like this! Driving around in circles doesn't seem to be especially interesting. To me, this is similar to watching a tennis match....only good for neck exercising. My first contact with Bonneville, was when the neighbor bought a new Bubbletop Pontiac. Amazing! Meantime though, I have a plans for a Salt Flats car, a chopped 32 Ford coupe. Might be interesting with a Potvin Hemi, they model nicely. Lots of research needed though to figure out the classification. Claude, your car is exceptional, amazing the detail in such confined spaces, and the modeling work is utterly believable. A truly fine model experience, a joy to view.

Sensational modeling Francis...smiling again! I haven't seen this aspect of detailing before, delicious! Concerning blackening brass parts. This will probably prove to be an issue in itself, I've had some success make brass "black". What you have going for you is the fact that the area involved is relatively small, and that the teeth probably show a somewhat roughened up surface from cutting the teeth, of course when magnified. This fact will prove to be your friend, as a rougher surface makes for an easier "blackening". Just it will not become black, but dark brown with the solution that is regularly used in ancient ship building. My first modeling love is not metal cars, but wooden historical sailing ships, big ones. The last one on the bench, 3 feet long, I used brass sheet and rod for the elements securing the thick lines that support the masts to the sides of the wooden hull and on deck. I did not paint anything on this model ship, all the metal used was stained, as well as all of the wood. A liquid is needed for this procedure, from an online ship building fellow. With your allowance, I can post a few photos of the procedure. Nothing needed other than a few small glass or ceramic trays. The brass did not become black though, only dark brown. I tried different bluing agents as used for gun barrels, also electro plating techniques. The best I found was cheap, a simple solution. Also on YouTube, from Birchwood Casey, is a "Brass Black" solution that seems to work. Their products are very good. Mike..

Francis, yes! This is exactly the point. We modelers do not have to copy your methods to make excellent presentations. Following through with your milling technique does not have to be a prerequisite for an exceptional model. We all see here on the forum, when a modeler adds a PE part to the motor, or perhaps a suspension unit in aluminum, immediately the unit has a deserved and different positive view. This is the point! With just a minimal effort, we can add so much more dimension to a kit model car. Yes....your presentation shows very well the possibilities we can achieve. Your excellence might open a new dimension for other modelers, I would hope so. For my own possibilities, I would hope to find a better way to drill holes in butter soft aluminum....this is an issue that I have to fight. T6 has helped already, thanks! Have you found an affordable source for the numerous brass bolts needed? As mentioned, I can only offer 0.6mm head size as a source. Mike..

This is just a sensational new dimension here, such a joy to view. Even though most modelers do no milling, the visual treat of adding real metal to our kits is a wonderful opportunity to add a new touch and a new special gleam to a styrene chassis or suspension or motor. I'm utterly thrilled to see these parts in real metal. Francis, I'm grinning again! Just wonderful work. Mike..