AmericanMuscleFan

Welcome to the forum Daryl ! Muscle cars and 1/25 scale are at the top of my model vocabulary and I'm also a big Mopar fan !!! Beautiful B-body by the way, I built a Jo-Han 70 Plymouth GTX a few years ago and it is still one of my favorites in my collection.

Welcome back to the hobby and to the forum Ken ! We share a number of things: I'm Canadian, a big fan of American muscle cars and I'm also, to some degree, the caregiver for my 91-year-old father. The beauty of this hobby is that you can make the same kind of modifications you made to your real Corvette at a lower cost. You can even go further and recreate the cars of your dreams without breaking the bank ! There is a great brotherhood on the forum and good advice or tips to be found there, we look forward to seeing your next project.

Beautiful work Claude ! I think you always had a soft spot for those old AMC cars, at least that's what I remember from some of the comments you made on the old JoHan or AMT kits about that car manufacturer. I myself have a soft spot for AMX, Javelin, Hornet and Rebel, so it's possible that I like the negligees more than I realize ! Great way to give a glue can a second life. Your good hands and vivid imagination are once again on full display here, even the spark plug wires match the body color, not to mention the air valve caps that are now your trademark ! Are you equipped to tow a trailer, it's going to take one for the Quebec show this fall and I hope our friends in the area are ready for THE Thibodeau wave, in any case, I am !!!

Thanks Joe... my friend ! You comment on this project since my very beginnings on this forum and you were the first to send me a PM, I will not forget it soon, I immediately saw in you the passionate person that you really are. Your comments are always intense, colorful and your passion for the hobby is obvious, I am very happy that this one made us cross our paths ! I have learned many good techniques and tips from all the talented members of this forum and I will try to put these new tools to use in my next build, the pleasure of taking and the satisfaction of sharing! ? Francis

Thank you Helmut, I really appreciate your kind words and I must say that your comparison with eating a cake is rather tasty, who doesn't like cake? ? As you mentioned, there are many different categories and threads on this forum, so it's almost guaranteed to miss many good projects or topics posted all over the site. However, what surprises and delights me is to see a hobbyist from the other side of the globe commenting on one of my projects thanks to the exposure this site offers to its members ! The beauty of the web is to bring people together and this site does it well !!! ? Francis

First of all, I have to say I am so happy to put a face to the good guy you are Joe, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, your son seems as nice as you my friend ! ? Now, speaking of models, you are not about to disappoint me, your subjects are tasteful and made with passion, you do what you love and it shows! We could make a good team you and I because I hate doing cabin interiors and you are obviously in your element in this field, your interiors are always superb and this one is no exception! I've read a lot of rather critical reviews of this kit and it seems like it's difficult to assemble but the Joe I know shows his talent and skill in every aspect of the build. Even for the Mopar fan that I am, how could I not have a soft spot for the 1969 and 1970 Camaros? (This was the best time for Detroit muscle cars, IMHO). The color is great by the way, I'll be back to check your progress my friend ! ?

Thank you Joe my friend, you have been a part of this project from the beginning and your comments have a special place in my heart! I don't spend much time on the forum these days but I'll check out and comment on your good work soon. ? Francis

Hi Bob, thanks for your kind comments on my build. As you probably read in my posts, this build is the result of my love for this body style and the rarity of the subject was also a kind of motivation to try to recreate it from scratch, this was my first attempt to create a complete body from almost zero (the FORD body being the starting point). You may be surprised to learn that I've broken more tools by dropping them on the floor or putting them back in their boxes than by machining the parts, I've learned over the years that you have to go carefully rather than having to start over... I only use small Swiss pattern files and always have a small steel brush to clean it after a few passes. T6 aluminum is pretty hard so it cleans up pretty easily, the Styrene parts tend to clog them up even more and need frequent cleaning. As far as the NHRA rules are concerned, I am not an expert and I don't build with all the rules in mind, it's only a scale model but I try to respect the subtleties as much as possible. When a connoisseur mentions such details to me, I try to correct the situation without making it a priority, I only do this to have a good time and discuss with enthusiasts like you and me. A big thank you for pointing out this detail, I will take it into consideration for my next project as it will most certainly be a "quarter mile" car type and I will try to respect this kind of detail even more. I don't know if you have a project in progress but it will always be a pleasure to discuss the subject, ? Francis

Well Tim, as you know all too well, everything is trial and error but extreme caution is the key... ! Since I only work with aluminum and brass (and styrene...), I only have 2-flute cutters, maybe a few 3-flute ones, so I used what I mostly had on hand, the 2-flute ones. As you mentioned, plastic melts in the blink of an eye, so I make thin cuts at a time at a fairly low speed, holding the vacuum hose close to the cutter while cutting, it helps reduce the heat from the air speed it produces. By the way, I love your new scoop, it fits the body perfectly !

Absolutely beautiful work so far on the aluminum panels Daniel ! The Lenco shifter will certainly look great on the transmission tunnel. I know it will be a curbside build, so I assume there will be no transmission visible from below, as the model is meant to be enjoyed sitting on its wheels !?

What an accomplishment, Tim! It inevitably takes time to produce this kind of result and you didn't take any shortcuts, the pictures are proof of that. No matter how many hours you spend on this beauty, they are fully rewarded, at the very least, it puts a big smile on the face of extreme detail lovers! I don't know why but I have a big smile on my face right now...! ?

Thanks Roger, I really appreciate your comment ! I tried not to distort the truck too much by keeping as many original details as possible. I was a bit stuck between nostalgia and my passion for drag cars, the best of both worlds if I may say so ! Francis

Nice car Daniel, the stance is perfect and those big tires fill the wheel wells perfectly. Good choice too because these Vega (and Nova) are very popular on the racetracks, at least on this side of the border... ? Super Gas cars generally put on good shows and I am confident that your WIP thread, despite the fact that you will be doing a curbside, will honor the class even in its simplified form. I'm not worried about you coming back soon with another one of your super detailed project, it's hard to completely extinguish an inferno when the fire is still smoldering below the surface ! ??

Thanks Doyle, It was a good challenge that I am very happy to have met without too much mental damage. I have a pretty extensive collection of Mopar family scale models so I probably won't surprise anyone with my next subject. As I get older I seem to become less and less reckless and my knowledge of the brand pushes me to continue on this road. My next project should start next fall so come and check it out from time to time, the only other clue I can mention is that it will probably still be in the "Drag Racing" section...! ? Francis

Thank you Jim, I really appreciate your kind words, it is my greatest reward and it motivates me to continue !!! You yourself are a very generous guy when it comes to sharing your techniques and experience and I have learned a lot from you so far, one of the good reasons for being on this forum is to share and you do it brilliantly ! Francis

Thanks James ! It was a great challenge that I am really proud to have completed. I made parts that I had long wanted to try to create, I stepped out of my comfort zone and the overall finished product satisfies me. I am honored that you like it !!! Francis

Great update Charlie ! ? You never fail to impress and all your machined parts are a lesson in fabrication for anyone who aspires to create this kind of detail !

You can be proud Ian, this is gorgeous !!! They say that when a model is photographed and you can't tell at first glance that it is a scale reproduction, you have achieved a high level of realism and this is the case here, your commitment to this project is paying off and you can be really proud of it my friend! ?

Absolutely FANTASTIC and SPECTACULAR !!! ? Hard to believe that these huge BOSS engines were installed in these little Mavericks! It just goes to show how hard the guys worked back then to get to the finish line first and it just adds to the appeal of this period in the history of this class, simply the best time in my opinion!

Nice project Dan! One of my all-time favorites, another one I'd like to build one of these days, but maybe with some added drag racing components...! I can't wait to see your impressions of the kit, despite the negative comments on the rear fenders it seems to be a very nice and detailed kit. You can't go wrong with Plum Crazy, one of the most beautiful colors in the High Impact line according to my taste of course! ?

Thanks for your comment Andy! The fact that this is an unusual subject and has never been produced by the Styrene kit manufacturers probably helps support your assessment. I could make a long list of what I'm interested in and a '68 Hemi Barracuda Super Stock would definitely be in the top 5... I have some ideas in mind for my next build but it's probably too early to make an official announcement... So many interesting subjects and so little time to realize them... ? Francis

Not sure... our currency is already devalued enough as it is, no need to add another layer by putting it next to Tim's prowess! ?

Nice build Claude, it is clean and tasteful like all your build my friend. ? The body color is superb and with the red interior, the combo is perfect ! I notice the return of the green air valve caps, the good habits come back at a gallop ! As Scott mentioned before me, the license plate is well hidden, not sure if it's legal but it would be illegal to taint this beautiful design with an administrative formality... an elegant way to comply with the law... ? Another home run my friend, are you taking steroids by the way? ?

It is a pure beauty, I understand you to want to put it in evidence on a stand, it would be a shame to hide any detail of it! ?

Thanks Scott ! It was a very long project for me and I know that you are very well placed to understand, you yourself are engaged in a project of the same kind. It's time to turn the page and prove myself again, the experience I have gained must be put to good use, there are so many potential projects on my shelf but so little time to realize them... ? Thanks again for coming and don't apologize for being "late to the party", the important thing is that you showed up and I appreciate it ! ? Francis