Plowboy

Cool project Dennis! I'll be tuned in 'til the end! Can't wait to see what you do with this! Just an FYI. Those wheels have plenty of material to spare to open up the spokes and it makes a world of difference in their appearance.

Nice looking old Chevy truck! I've always liked the grille on the '41. For whatever reason, I never have even bought one.

Barring any bad luck, I should get this one finished today. Thanx to everyone who commented! Much appreciated!

Those have to be worst looking wheels I've seen as far as execution. Look at how none of the raised ribs are centered on the spokes. Thanx for posting this photo James!

That is NICE! One of the best builds I've seen of this kit! Nice work!

Thanx for the photo Steve! Had never seen that kit! Who would've thought that AMT, MPC and Revell would produce the Beretta!? Someday, I want to build the Revell pro street version just for old time kicks. I wonder if the AMT and MPC are just shared tooling?

You're welcome Roger! Glad I could help! Those wheels and tires are on their way also. Too late. But, if you don't like the three two carb and intake setup, you can can find single carb and intake setups in the AMT 56 and 57 Fairlanes and Thunderbirds. Personally, I like them. I actually used an AMT '57 Thunderbird block, heads and transmission with the three two intake and carbs from the kit with headers from the '56 in my '61 F-100.

So does this kit. It's actually on it in the mockup. It also has a different front bumper, headlight covers, grille blank, ground effects, side and rear window louvers and a turbo option for the 2.8 V-6. You mentioned you had a GTZ with the quad four. Would you mind posting a photo of the box. I can't recall ever seeing that kit. I'd like to see it. I'm thinking on this build that it needs to have the same diameter wheels front and rear to put it in the time frame I'm kinda shooting for. The large diameter rears are a little too modern. Somewhere in the stash, I have a set of matching 7 and 8 inch Ralley wheels. I have a set that I painted for another build. But, I didn't use them on it. So, I know there's another set. Just gotta find them. This is going to be a slow starter as I'm getting another project finished. So, keep the ideas coming!

The following is taken from the instructions: With it's front drive platform, the Beretta engine sits over the driving wheels, providing excellent traction and exceptional handling. With the hefty 2.8 litre V-6 with multiport fuel injection, this car needs all the traction it can get! A personal statement of style and spirit, the Beretta GT is a car with the look and feel of substance. The spacious interior gives the occupants the open and airy feeling once reserved for the more compact sports cars. A new species of automobile. Decidedly sporty. Totally modern. Yeah...right. Remember when the Beretta came out, it was rumored to be the replacement of the Camaro? Just like the Probe was to be the replacement of the Mustang? Luckily Chevy and Ford came to their senses! But, what if they didn't? What if the Camaro was never to be produced again? What would a "died in the wool" pony car lover do with a Beretta? How can one make a car as lame as a Beretta look cool? How can one make it look like a car that you better not mess with at the stoplight? I know. Bad idea. But, sometimes even a bad idea takes hold and can't be ignored. I'll either prove that it can or can't be accomplished. I actually got this idea from an old full scale car back in the late '80s. I think it was Scott Sullivan who took a Grand Am and tubbed it. But, he kept the original drivetrain up front. It looked like a pro street. But, it wasn't even close to being a pavement pounder. This model is loosely based on that car. But, different. It's going to just be a simple, fun build. No details. Just paint and glue with the modifications shown which is just lowering front and rear. No idea on colors yet. I am planning on using the hockey stripe and hounds tooth decals from the Revell '69 Camaro. Open to suggestions or other ideas.

I built this one out of the box. This one with the leftovers, an AMT body and stuff from the parts box. Ray, there's a thread in the Under Glass section devoted to the '29. I can't recall the name of it. Maybe try a search.

Thanx Francis! Yeah, it has to stay the way it is. The black Lightning wheels has given me an idea for another pickup. I'm thinking a short bed '77 in pearl white with black grille inserts.

The Fenton Sharks do have flat spokes. The Fenton in your first photo are Super Sharks.

They're Fenton Sharks. Cragar also made a set very similar.

Really nice looking Camaro! The color suits it perfect! Nice work!

Yeah, they definitely look better painted. I tried on several different sets. I literally wore some of the paint off of the frame from handling it so much! But, none of them suited the look like the steel wheels. There's no tire contact front or rear. I shaved around an eighth inch from the sleeves so that I could get them tucked in nicely and have room. I had to do some shaving on the A frames for clearance also. I looked at the Lightning fenderwells. Way too much work. Too short. Shaped wrong for the body. I'm not saying it couldn't be done. But, the amount of work it would have taken wasn't worth the effort for me. I got a bit of shine on the body and did a final test fit with the interior and floorpan in place. I also did some mockups with alternate wheels. The Foose wheels. And I painted the Lightning wheels black. They give it a sinister look! But, the grille and bumpers would need to be black also to truly work. Another shot that shows the interior a little. I'm very happy with how it fits!

Really nice restoration! The color is perfect for it! One thing that jumped out at me is the shape of the vent windows. They should come to a point at the top instead of squared off like they are. Easy fix. Nice work fixing the wheel openings. A very noticeable improvement!

Thanx! I've done that with a couple of builds already. And that's why I'm not going to use them on this model. I keep comparing this model to the three other pickups I have: the old school '60, the phantom '48 and the '62. Sometimes, I think too much! So, I've decided to allow it to have it's own identity and stick with my original plan. From the beginning, I wanted this model to be a mesh of old and new. The steel wheels fit my idea best. So, that's what it's going to have.

You could do your valve cover letters with an ultra fine red sharpie. That's how I did the Chevrolet letters on this grille.

Jamie, check the Spotlight Hobbies board ASAP. A member just posted that they had received chromed parts that weren't theirs. He also stated that he hadn't used George's service for over two years. He may just happen to have your parts.

Look up Steve Boutte on Facebook. He's the master at making tuck and roll with acrylic paint.

Thanx! I had the same issue with the Perfect Touch clear on another model. The orange peel was excessive and it did seem to take a lot of sanding to get it smooth. Once smooth and polished, it had a great shine. But, it made me not want to use it again. This model actually hasn't been sanded or polished. It's straight from the can. It has a little orange peel in the headlight buckets. But, not bad. I don't always get the Tamiya Clear to lay down this slick. When I don't and have to sand and polish, it sands down smooth pretty easily. I won't use anything else anymore. I'm done with non hobby primers and clear.

I think it has something to do with that kit. I built one years ago with no fenders. Everything I did made me want to do another modification to it. First it was doing a Z'd frame. Then it was shorten the bed. Then it chop the top and on and on. To top it off, years later, I blew it apart and repainted everything but the engine! But, I was finally happy with it. I call it going down a rabbit hole.

I'm thinking with Round2 reissuing the Racers Wedge, we'll be seeing several builds with different cabs in front of them.

You really have the touch with weathering a model! You always know where to put the rust and how much to do. They're never overdone. Always just right to my taste. Nice work!

It's possible. But, I kinda doubt it. I have a '70 that I can check. Even if they did, they still have the '77 body that could be updated.