Pierre Rivard

I can't explain why but this may be my favorite NASCAR race car. I know it ran only a half dozen times and failed every time...but I love the way it looks. The basis for this build is the MPC road car kit. It's orange (we all love painting over colored bodies right?), the A posts are squished and the rest of the kit is a blob of unusable plastic. After my last project I wanted to do something easy but I can see this may require some work. I plan to release updates in batches: body, chassis, interior and final Body work for this project started with wheel opening flares. I made cuts, pulled the plastic strips outward with pliers, glued in wedges and then multiple steps of putty and sanding.

Brave man. I would have chickened out and done a 67. Is there as much change needed for the back end?

This is a great build. These old Dodges looked very purposeful when transformed into race cars and you rendered it beautifully!

This is a great project and I very much look forward to seeing how you tackle it. Is this going to be a Bud Moore solution or a Holman Moody style half chassis?

Wow Mario. Absolutely wonderful build. The car and diorama both look so lifelike. I wish I could do rust like that but that's beyond my capabilities. Epic effort!

Thank you all for the nice feedback!

But there is a good ending to the story. Ray Everham's Big Iron Garage has completely restored it back to the Marty Robbins Charger Daytona. It was presented in 2019 for the 50th anniversary of the Talladega speedway

Thank you guys. This was definitely the biggest project to date for me. Planning and research started 14 months ago, then lots of testing to develop a weathered appearance with only brushes. I did not count but I would guess the research + testing + car + diorama totaled between 300-400 hours. I need an easy topic for my next build...

Thank you all

Thank you all for the nice feedback

Looks nice, great job giving it a second life!

The Vallejo Still Water looks very good. This diorama will look awesome when you do B&W night scene lighting pictures.

This is what James Hilton's 68 Charger / 69 Charger 500 looked like in 2014 and my model of it as well as a little diorama to display it Of course a lot of modifications and scratch building All finishes done with brushes Thank you for looking

My final post for the w.i.p. of this diorama. Most of the wall decorations are installed, just finishing the last ones All the accessories and the car are done. I will set up the photo setup and display the finished project in the under glass section in a day or two.

Feels like being there. I have to plan that trip to the UK beautiful work.

Moving on to making stuff for the walls I got some license plates in the works (no hubcaps though...) A few decals to be applied over thin sheet styrene The bigger signs are from a Gofer printed vinyl sheet. I cut the individual signs and glued them to styrene for support. Will trim and paint the edges. Finally I have a few body panels, not sure yet what I will do with them, perhaps some wall mount car art of some sorts. Chime in if you have suggestions

The last piece of facility fabrication is a wall mount industrial style heater. I scratch built the unit and mounted it to the shop wall

The body on this kit looks great with crisp details. This should be a great build. Amazing the size difference between the 2 cars...like they are different scale.

Thanks Mark and David, The car is done and the diorama components are 95% done. I can see the finish line!

Wow, making your own headers pays off in a big way. Fabulous!

Weekly progress I finished the big bench that will fill the back wall below the mezzanine. Some parts and tools glued to the top surface and bench glued to the wall I plan to add some wall decoration and the back side of the shop will be set. Some of the boxes and containers that I made in the last weeks have filled the storage unit. Finally I have set up an area for some engine assembly work.

Bill, best license plates ever! Thanks for sharing this...I plan to shamelessly copy this!!!

Your paint finishes are simply gorgeous. Did you refinish the chrome rims? They look just right.

That engine is simply brilliant! It looks so real!