DJMar

I'm with you on this, 100%.

I love the color combo!

A little story behind this one... Back in the mid-90s, a modeling buddy and I had this idea to build a parking lot scene (diorama?) for our LHS. We thought it would be a great way to have other model car builders display their stuff, and we could build up some of our own kits to make sure the "lot" was always filled. The owner of the shop was totally into it, as the space was there, and he thought it would be cool to have a spot where folks could display their builds for a while, maybe sell a few more kits, drum up interest in the store, yadda yadda. We thought it would be a ton of fun to build a bunch of curbsides, too, to get away from the super-detailed and intricate builds we were both into back then. So we gathered a bunch of kits from our stash that we wanted to build. We came up with a "rule" that has stuck with me to this day - each model had to have some sort of backstory to it, no matter how trivial. Whether it was a simple "Day 2" musclecar, or a hot rod passed from grandparent to grandchild, or a resurrected truck saved from the crusher, every kit we were going to build was going to have a story. We figured it would be cooler that way, and he had the idea to do a little write up on each model to add to the display. Sadly, my modeling pal passed away before we even got one model finished. The hobby shop closed some time after that, circa 2000 or so. This kit - the 1987 release of the Willys Coupe/Pickup - sat in my stash for almost 30 years. I dug it out a few months back. My friend had already glued the 1-piece front end in place and started to fill the hole in the hood. If my memory serves me correctly, he wanted to build it as a reformed gasser, something built for the strip but put back into street use. Again, if I remember correctly, he was thinking about a satin black exterior with red and white interior, because at that time, that color scheme wasn't done to death. I finished the bodywork, including filling and smoothing the hood, which took a few attempts before I was happy. I also finished shaping the tail lights, which had been roughed in. The rear pan needed some filling and shaping, too. It's in primer now, but still needs a bit of finish sanding and love before moving to color. I will probably shoot it in satin black, because it feels right. Since this was definitely going to be a curbside, I slammed together the suspension using some parts box axles and springs in the rear. The front wheels mount to a simple Plastruct tube glued to the frame. Wheels are Cragars from the AMT '66 Nova up front (I only could find two in my parts box) on ancient Michelin TRXs. Rears are the steel wheels from the AMT '49 Ford on equally ancient Goodyear slicks. I'll spray the Crags in whatever chrome I have on hand, and I think the steelies will be red. Those of us who are old enough will remember that steel wheels were used for strength in the rear (because all that torque would shatter lesser wheels!) and mags were used up front to help with weight. I went with the wheel choice with that old nugget in mind. Interior is going to be 90% box stock, in red and white. Maybe I'll actually get this one finished? Also, moving forward, please ignore the workbench clutter. It's how I work.

Thanks, and I am planning on posting some of my in-progress builds shortly!

Thank you!

Western Washington, Left Coast, USA.

This looks fantastic! Nice, clean build, and the interior looks great. Following this for sure. I also use the liquid glue method over removed details to help prevent ghosting through lacquer. It's worked well for years.

As someone who has a healthy love of all things Fiat, I'm super excited to see this build. Very, very cool. The work on the seats alone is a testament to your patience. Following this for sure.

It looks great, bang on color choice! I remember when this model first came out in 1998 or so, and almost nobody knew what a cool kit it was. This is one I wish they would reissue, just as it was.

Even though I've been building plastic kits for the last half-century, I took a little slowdown/break over the last 24 months. While I was looking for some kits online, I came across this forum. As someone who has been involved in scale auto modeling for a really long time, you would think I would know about MCM, but I guess you learn something new every day. So here I am. I build a lot of different stuff - muscle cars, pickups, 4x4s, street rods, and yes, even imports. As someone who has also been involved in the 1:1 car world for 4+ decades, my interests are all over the map. I've done the hot rod thing with a '53 Ford pickup (got a tribute build of that one on the bench right now), the muscle car thing with a '68 Barracuda, the 4x4 thing with a K5 Blazer and my Jeep Wrangler, and I've even managed to get into the air-cooled VW scene for a dozen years. You never know what you're going to find on my workbench (or in the garage). One thing is for sure. After all this time, I 'm finding that I really enjoy the journey more than the destination, in as much as kits go. So you'll probably see a hundred mock-ups or projects under construction, along with a bunch of ideas bouncing off the walls, but don't hold your breath waiting for a completed build. I do get kits finished, sometimes. Mostly. Maybe. Thanks for having me along. -DJ

That's outstanding. I love the interior, including that B&M-style ratchet shifter. It makes me wish I still had this kit in my stash.

I'm not a huge fan of green, but that looks really good!