Steve H

I really enjoy all your builds David, keep ‘em coming. Always lots of great ideas. Thanks Carl. Not my best work, but looks good in the display case. Thank you Chris! Hello Renaud. Thank you for the kind words. No secrets underneath. With my slammers, I don’t spend much time on the underside. I keep it really simple…Some get more detail than others. Hi Ron, I recommend it, they are fun kits no matter what direction you take. Thanks for taking the time to comment guys! Cheers, Steve

Francis my friend, what an incredible journey. Not really sure where to start… I think rather than starting with the masterpiece, I’ll start with the master. You sir, are not only an incredible talent, but your humbleness, and your never ending gracious personality are truly remarkable. Thank you for taking the time to document this work of art, and thanks for sharing your journey and expertise with us. I really hope I get to see this amazing build in person someday, I also I hope to have the pleasure of meeting the master modeller Francis Laflamme. We will all miss the updates, and trying to come up with new superlatives to express how amazing each individual piece looks. Take good care, and like all the others here, I look forward to the next chapter. Oh ya, that Dodge truck you built is pretty cool!! My brother is a machinist by trade, (a really good one), he is in awe of your work. I will spend more time studying the photos, so much detail… I like that we didn’t get much in the way of teasers or mock ups, so the big reveal was that much more impressive. Cheers, Steve

Some of my more recent favourites….

HAHA!!! Ya, me too. Thanks for having a look Oliver. Thanks Anthony, much appreciated. Hi David! Truth be told, your Ecto build is what inspired me to post this. I don’t get much desk time at this time of year, so it’s an older build, but it was quite fun. Yes, I believe I posted this on your hearse thread, speaking of which… how is that coming along? Thank you Bill. I appreciate the comments guys. You all got me thinking how cool this thing would look doing a big Smokey burnout. Cheers, Steve

Excellent! Nice work James! Glad that I was of some inspiration, dioramas are new to me, but I will definitely do another one at some point. Great job all round, but the patina on the cladding is spot on. Cheers, Steve

This is fantastic Charles! I have worked in civil construction my whole career, so I know my dirt (and mud). You did an amazing job capturing the look and texture of the soil and mud including the cracking on the surface. The truck, what’s left above the surface is very well done too. ??

Great looking diorama Steve. Really nice weathering, and the car looks great too. Does the light on the building work? Cheers, Steve

This is a super cool mashup Chuck. Your weathering is always extremely well done. Love the imagination and ingenuity you put in this build, great stuff. Cheers, Steve

Hi David, I had missed this one. What a great colour combo! I need to get braver and try some “less common” colours, this combo suits the car (er… truck?) perfectly. Very clean build, and you know I like that you lowered it! The ‘59’s horizontal fins are so iconic. Nice job on the foil work, and man… there’s lots of it! Is that aluminum tubing for the exhaust tips?

Thanks David. Might not be the most comfortable ride, but it would be quick!! Thanks Philippe, I like ‘‘em low ! Hi Bob, just an idea that came to me. Thanks for having a look. Thank you Harry, I appreciate the kind words. Hi Mario. Your diorama is one of the ones that inspired me to build a base to photograph my builds on. Thanks for having a look. Thanks Craig! Thank you Larry, it was a fun build. Cheers, Steve

I would not have thought it was possible to make that car look cool. Great build Oliver, and the stance is perfect. Details like the notches for the exhaust, interior goodies, and the stripes flowing into the engine bay, all add up to a great looking model. Cheers, Steve

Very nice clean build David. I’m always scared of trying a gold paint job, they can look really good or just “meh”. Yours looks fantastic, and really suits the car. The flocking in the interior is very well done. Nice to see you building sir! Cheers, Steve

Hi James, check out Evans Designs for LED lighting and switches. They have great products, ideas, and excellent service. I have no affiliation with them other than being a happy customer. Very cool looking diorama. Cheers, Steve

Hi Randy, two beautiful builds there. That blue and white combo is VERY nice. Cheers, Steve

Hi all, This was built several years ago. I wanted a custom ambulance for my collection. So I started with the AMT Ecto 1A kit and made a few alterations… It has been lowered, has Pegasus wheels and tires, with disc brakes from a die cast. I added several “flashing” lights on the side/front/top/and back of the car, some from the parts box, some from a Lindbergh police car. There is also “sirens” in the front grill, and a CHMSL above the back window. I made an antenna, added 4” exhaust tips, and a hood scoop. The decals are home made, along with some from the decal box. Paint is white with pearl clear, and metallic red. Lots of BMF!! It’s a slammer, so no interior or engine, but it was a fun build. I have a Johan 66 Caddy ambulance that I intend to build as full detail mate to this one, probably in reverse colour scheme, red body/white roof. Thanks for having a look, and as always all comments welcome.

Hi James! Honestly, that is the highest compliment someone could give. Thanks for having a look, I’m happy to have inspired someone. Thanks David. Your comment are appreciated. As I was building, it was always on my mind of how much is too much. The goal was exactly what you said, interesting without detracting from subject. If you have a moment, I have some better photos taken outside under glass. Cheers, Steve

Hi David, I agree that models photograph better in some sort of “scene”. There are many outstanding dioramas on this board, including yours, and the models just look more real somehow. As for figures, you are absolutely right, and painting a realistic figure is outside of my skill set. Thanks for having a look and for your kind words. Thanks Carl! The greenery and landscape was enjoyable to create. Thank you David.

Hi Misha, I’ll add a few more… Scale show… Some from the 1:1 show… Cheers, Steve

Ha! I was just on holiday last week and went for a sail on the “Bluenose 2” The Bluenose is on our Canadian dime. At the dock there is a dime that is about 7’ in diameter. Literally my first thought when I saw the dime was, Francis…… Francis, when this build is complete, PLEASE!!!, take LOTS of photos. Lots… Amazing work my friend, the finish line is near. Can’t wait to see what the next creation will be. Cheers, Steve

Hi Michael, really enjoying this build. You are making huge improvements to this kit, it’s going to cool watching it all come together. That colour will look fantastic!

Thank you Jim. Hi Alberto, I was glad to see that after it was built in my shop, once outside in natural light, it still looked somewhat “real”. Cheers, Steve

Hello Anton!! Thanks for your kind words sir, always good to hear from you my friend. Hi Bill, thanks for having a look. I appreciate you commenting specifically on the sail panel. As you know many El Caminos have a narrower panel, it was really important for me to have the larger panel. I felt that it suited the body lines better, and definitely made for a “graceful sweep” into the bed. The lines on these Olds are beautiful. Thanks Tom! I would love to be in a real one at a Goodguys show. The styrene version will have to do for now… Hi Francis! Yes, it is sandpaper with various shades of grey, black and white misted on it. 4 pieces, cut with a jagged edge to replicate cracked asphalt. I did a quick WIP on the process if you are interested in having a look. The drain cover is part of an old garlic press. Thanks for checking in! I’ve been away for a week in beautiful Nova Scotia, so trying to get caught up. Take care my friend. Wow! Thanks Mike, I appreciate that very much. It certainly isn’t perfect, but I am very pleased with the end result. It’s definitely one of my better builds. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Thank you all for the comments. Cheers, Steve

Claude, you’ve outdone yourself sir. As you know, I love your builds and the imagination used to pull off these masterpieces. This one…. WICKED!! What a creative update for this kit, with your usual clean execution, and sense of humour. I have to think that this one made you smile while you were building it? I love the whole thing, but what really stands out is the beautiful paint to create the “woodwork”. Amazing! Another beauty my friend. Cheers, Steve

Thanks Pat!

Hi Jim! Really like that colour combo. The blacked out trim looks fantastic. And the paint….”shiny”….. great job. Something timeless about a surf wagon. Cheers, Steve