FenderMender

This Motor Max (#73293) 1:24 scale diecast 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS soft top American Graffiti model kit included two sets of custom flame decals and a pre-primed body. The soft convertible top is plastic. The kit was bought new a number of years ago for five dollars and proved to be a decent one. Painting and detailing of the car was satisfying. The quality of the parts and all appeared to be quite good at that time, but after a couple of years degradation began and persists to this day. It is so severe now that if any panels were to be forced open, the hinges would surely break or the part itself would be bent out of shape and /or dislodged from the car. Essentially, the model is now "sealed" with no access to the engine, trunk or the interior via the doors. I wonder if others who have or had this particular kit met with these same problems- the dreaded diecast cancer! Thanks for looking...

A little background first.... Gowland & Gowland (England) was one of the early plastic scale modeling companies. Gowland & Gowland designed 30 kits which Revell issued as the Highway Pioneers series from 1951 thru 1953. Highway Pioneers Series Two, 1/32 scale, featured these five cars molded in ( ): 1908 Buick "10" Rumble (red) 1914 Stutz Bearcat (yellow) 1915 Model "T" Ford Sedan (black) 1910 Studebaker Electric Coupe (green) 1910 Cadillac Limousine (light blue)- 2 copies These models had been built in the late 50s and put away in the hot attic in 1961. They remained there until 2007. All those years(46!) in the attic had totally warped and disfigured the models. The Studebaker's smaller parts had literally crumbled into powder, and its mangled body shed countless slivers of decayed plastic. The Studebaker's so-called "body" might be a subject of a future diorama as it is absolute junk, with no possibility of ever restoring. After completing the redo of one of the two 1910 Cadillac Limousines, the 1915 Ford Model "T" Center Door Sedan and the 1914 Stutz Bearcat, I began working on the 1908 Buick Model 10 Rumble. "The 1908 Buick Model 10 Rumble was a two-seater up front with an additional back single seat or "rumble" seat in the rear. This back seat was popularly called the “mother-in-law” seat. The Buick's four-cylinder (cast in pairs) engine produced 18 horsepower. It had a 92 inch wheelbase and a planetary transmission." This model was warped and disfigured, but not as badly as the previous ones. It was on the workbench a goodly amount of time because of its warped nature, missing parts and my inability to determine what particular parts were on the original 1:1 Buick Model 10 and what parts were or were not included in the original model kit as the kit's instruction sheet was unavailable. Specifically I struggled with the question of the windshield, its support brackets and the top- how they were configured on the 1:1 car. As per the internet, there are photos of multiple variations. I opted to scratch build a windshield and brackets for the top as a complete unit that is removable, thereby leaving the "hot rod" runabout version topless and with no windscreen. However, due to space necessary for measuring and positioning the windshield brackets, the two "running lanterns" located on the cowl will now not fit, so they are absent on the top up version although they could be mounted on the "hot rod" version permanently. This would then nix ever using the top, though. One headlight, a running lantern and the gear shift mechanism were all cast in water putty from an original part. The front axle is plastic sprue and the lower springs are strips of aluminum as all these critical pieces were missing. The original rumble seat was missing, too, so a scrap piece of plastic had cut straight pins applied to the seating area to mimic a slight tuck and roll look similar to the front seats. Black elecrical tape serves as a mat on the running boards. Fine copper wire and craft wire serve as brackets and supports for the top. The only disappointment is that the top cannot fit if the running lanterns are mounted to the cowl. Otherwise, the entire lengthy and tedious process was an enjoyable project. Suppose the final decision is: top up without running lanterns in formal mode OR top down with running lanterns affixed in hot rod mode? Thanks for looking.... Hot Rod without running lanterns: Hot Rod with running lanterns:

A little background first.... Gowland & Gowland (England) was one of the early plastic scale modeling companies. Gowland & Gowland designed 30 kits which Revell issued as the Highway Pioneers series from 1951 thru 1953. Highway Pioneers Series Two, 1/32 scale, featured these five cars molded in ( ): 1910 Cadillac Limousine (light blue)- 2 copies 1915 Model "T" Ford Center Door Sedan (black) 1908 Buick "10" Rumble (red) 1914 Stutz Bearcat (yellow) 1910 Studebaker Electric Coupe (green) These models had been built in the late 50s and put away in the hot attic in 1961. They remained there until 2007. All those years(46!) in the attic had totally warped and deformed the models. The Studebaker's smaller parts had literally crumbled into powder, and its mangled body shed countless slivers of decayed plastic. The Studebaker's so-called "body" might be a subject of a future diorama as it is absolute junk, with no possibility of ever restoring. After completing the redo of one of the two 1910 Cadillac Limousines and the 1915 Ford Model "T" Center Door Sedan recently, I began working on this 1914 Stutz Bearcat.This model wasn't quite as badly warped as the others, but still significanly so. My recollection is that when new years ago, the front suspension especially along with the main body were already warped and ill-fitting. The rear suspension's plastic had degraded so much that all that could be saved were the springs and the differential. A rear axle was made from plastic sprue. Up front, it was sort of worse in that the layout of the correct suspension wasn't at all obvious and basically out of shape. A metal flat bar was fastened to the front axle to give it strength as the plastic was extremely crumbly. The springs here, too, were misaligned and crooked. The plastic was so decrepit that when bonding with Super glue, the two surfaces held but the underlying plastic literally gave way. To gain integrity and to give joints extra strength, moldeling putty was thinly applied over them. From various photos of actual 1914 Stutz Bearcats, it appears some had a small circular windscreen mounted to the steering wheel stalk. Maybe I'll make one for this model in the future. Thanks for looking...

A little background first.... Gowland & Gowland (England) was one of the early plastic scale modeling companies. Gowland & Gowland designed 30 kits which Revell issued as the Highway Pioneers series from 1951 thru 1953. Highway Pioneers Series Two, 1/32 scale, featured these five cars molded in ( ): 1910 Cadillac Limousine (light blue)- 2 copies 1915 Model "T" Ford Center Door Sedan (black) 1908 Buick "10" Rumble (red) 1914 Stutz Bearcat (yellow) 1910 Studebaker Electric Coupe (green) These models had been built in the late 50s and put away in the hot attic in 1961. They remained there until 2007. All those years(46!) in the attic had totally warped and deformed the models. The Studebaker's smaller parts had literally crumbled into powder, and its mangled body shed countless slivers of decayed plastic. The Studebaker's so-called "body" might be a subject of a future diorama as it is absolute junk, with no possibility of ever restoring. After completing the redo of one of the two 1910 Cadillac Limousines recently, I opted to finish working on this 1915 Model "T" Ford Center Door Sedan. Seven clamps were used for about two months to attempt to get the two main body parts aligned; seven clamps were also used for the same time period as well to possibly straighten up the chassis/fenders part. The two main body parts were Gorilla glued together requiring seven clamps. Then the now single unit main body needed further straightening under heat to match up correctly with the chassis/fenders part in an assembly process. This work took six clamps and four or five heating sessions. To join the chassis/fenders to the main body was a royal pain as various clamps were needed to finally bring the parts snugly together utilizing Gorilla Glue Clear. The glue is quite strong, fills gaps and is paintable. But it takes 24 hours to reach its full strength. I wait at least 36 to 48 to be sure, as parts under stress possibly separating when the clamps are removed would necessitate starting the job all over again, which indeed, happened. The second attempt bore fruit as the glue held completely tight under the stress when the clamps were removed and the joint fit snugly. Luckily, all the remaining smaller parts, two side lanterns, wheels, seats and the front radiator/axle unit were all intact and complete and only needed proper coloring. These parts were not deformed in any way. Finally, it all came together out of the "fog" looking like this:

A little background first.... Gowland & Gowland (England) was one of the early plastic scale modeling companies. Gowland & Gowland designed 30 kits which Revell issued as the Highway Pioneers series from 1951 thru 1953. Highway Pioneers Series Two, 1/32 scale, featured these five cars molded in ( ): 1908 Buick "10" Rumble (red) 1914 Stutz Bearcat (yellow) 1915 Model "T" Ford Sedan (black) 1910 Studebaker Electric Coupe (green) 1910 Cadillac Limousine (light blue)- 2 copies These models had been built in the late 50s and put away in the hot attic in 1961. They remained there until 2007. All those years(46!) in the attic had totally warped and disfigured the models. The Studebaker's smaller parts had literally crumbled into powder, and its mangled body shed countless slivers of decayed plastic. The Studebaker's so-called "body" might be a subject of a future diorama as it is absolute junk, with no possibility of ever restoring. Okay, now there was another 1910 Cadillac Limousine in extremely rough and terrible shape, the worst of the lot besides the Studebaker. This is the model I chose to start on first of the group to "restore" and is shown below. The Cadillac did have its wheels fortunately, but like the rest of the models, was extremely warped, so much so, that the possibility of getting it to a point wherein the two body halves would actually align and join up somewhat seemed almost impossible as all joining edges were crooked, incompatible and uneven, Heating the larger misaligned plastic body parts wasn't viable as the thinner and/or projecting parts on it would get distorted. So all the models above were subjected to over two month's worth of jigs, braces, weights and clamps. Many types of clamps- bar clamps, 'C' clamps, hand clamps, alligator clips, clothes pins, etc. Mechanical methods and techniques were used to straighten and to get the parts back to a semblance of their original shape. The Cadillac was missing a headlight lantern, a tail light lantern, license plate, rear valance, left front spring assembly, both axles incomplete, and a huge depression in the roof which required extensive filling and sanding to "repair". Upon its completion, I'm having a hard time believing it came out as it did, as I had initially thought it couldn't be done. My adhesive of choice and the saviour of the model was Gorilla Clear. Now its on to the other 1910 Cadillac, the Buick, the Stutz or the Model "T", whichever is the most difficult to redo. LOL Thanks for looking....

This is a 1:18 scale plastic bodied Mercedes-Benz GL-550 model made by Jingwei Industrial Company, Limited in China which specilizes in developing, producing and selling remote control cars, especially the copyright ones, such as Hummer, Audi, Cadillac, Chevrolet etc. I came across this model at a local thrift store and from a distance thought it might be a higher end diecast model. The looks of it are very nice, the trim work and wheels well done and with a detailed interior. No opening panels, but with spring suspension and operable lights both front and rear. The kicker was that this model was only one dollar. Thanks for looking....

From Chenghai, China via Jingwei Industrial Company, Limited (*) comes these two 1:24 scale 2012 Chevrolet Corvette C6Rs. They are featherweight plastic bodied, no interiors, no opening parts, metal axles and rear wheel driven by a geared, fast-turning (when pushed a few brisk times) metal flywheel arrangement. Both models were one dollar each from a local thrift store. The "Corvette Racing"-logoed rear wing model had an unrepairable drive gear missing two of its teeth, so its "engine" won't function. The other "Sirius one will haul, assuming enough "revs" are provided. Due to their lightness, weights were installed internally to give them some substantial mass and heft. And because of their cheap price and their questionable quality, they were bought strictly for possible use as donor cars. But for now, I do like the flaired fenders and the graphics of these two. (*) Jingwei Industrial Company, Limited specilizes in developing, producing and selling remote control cars, especially the copyright ones, such as Hummer, Audi, Cadillac, Chevrolet etc. This explains precisely why these two models are the way they are. Thanks for looking...

This 1:24 scale diecast model of a 1954 Chevrolet lowrider is by Malibu International Ltd. "Long Beach Lowrider Repair". Malibu did a decent job with the interior, the straight six engine and the underside. Fairly well built and hefty, too. The hood won't close tightly for some reason. And the exhaust pipe was just a rectangular plastic glob which needed to be altered. It was colored silver and two holes drilled to improve the appearance. The scallops are water slide decals which you don't see often on diecast models. Its most notable and unusual feature, however, is a fully poseable suspension which I found fairly difficult to quickly change from slammed to raised, but much easier vice versa. And in the slammed position the lines look so fine, hence it's pretty much left in that position all the time. Who knows how long the poseable mechanism will last anyway, so why overtax it. LOL The shaved hood and truck lid, as well as the frenched in tail lights, provides some old school custom charm. Thanks for looking....

This 1/25 scale 2010 Ford Mustang GT convertible was built stock from Revell's Snap Tite kit which I found at a local thrift shop for only $1.51! The kit was missing the four metal screws to attach the chassis to the body, and the two metal axles for the wheels. Everything else was included. Metal screws were found in my parts bin and axles with the proper diameter were made from clothes hanger wire. With a little patience in painting and detailing (putting on those pesky stickers), the model came out better than expected. In a few reviews of this kit, someone wrote that the snap-on parts don't stay put, ie.the side mirrors. I thought mine were secure but after finishing photographing the car and getting ready to put it on the shelf, I saw the passenger side one was missing. Oh no. Luckily, it wasn't lost in the vast outdoors but quite near the shelf where it now rests. Phew. Thanks for looking....

Aurora 1960 Ford Thunderbird from the "Famous Sports Car" series Kit Number 520-49 Scale: 1:32 Released in 1962 Original price: 49 cents Current price: $65.00 This previously constructed vintage glue bomb* was found in an old dusty cardboard box of antiquated and broken up balsa airplane models and parts from the 1960s. It had no wheels, no dash or steering wheel, no windshield glass or frame, no hardtop and no convertible boot. And it was liberally covered in glue, actually heavily welded together with such, and assembled incorrectly with misaligned parts causing them to warp over time as a result. This model would have been tossed into the trash long ago by most builders as being too far gone- a complete disaster. I certainly doubted if it could be saved myself. But it was challenging to see what could possibly be made of it somehow. (The grille and taillights were definitely cool parts at least.) The process of just getting it into reasonable pieces through disassembly was a big chore as the parts were so thickly glued together to an extreme. And restoring the plastic pieces to some semblance of smooth required very careful and prolonged scraping, sanding and filing so as to not destroy their integrity. * In this case, the glue bomb was a kit that someone, a childhood friend of mine at the time perhaps, didn't (a) know how to assemble or didn't read the instructions and follow them, (b) didn't care how it looked as long as it took just a short while to "build" and (c) usually ended up in a fiery mess involving firecrackers and dad's lighter fluid. This one ended up in my parent's attic for about sixty years! The project took about a month's time working here and there and debating in my mind whether it was worth it to continue or not. Gradually things began to get better and progress happened slowly. Much research viewing photos was done on the internet to get the proper look and proportions for parts that had to be scratch built. A major problem was the wheels and tires. There was nothing in my parts bin that would suffice; so castings were made from one tire/wheel that I had that looked the right size. The dash was a real headache to construct. Lots and lots of trial and errors. Finally, gluing the model back together taxed my patience to the limit, being that the warped parts would not align as they had done previously when dry fitting them together. With glue on them, all four major pieces, two body sides, chassis (with the interior tub loose in place on it) and top, had to be fastened and positioned together all at once, there was no other sequence that would work. What a royal pain in the keister. My original intention was to put a great paint job on it after filling in all the pits, cavities and gaps, but this was nixed by the complicated assembly process that would certainly foul up an otherwise clean paint job. I chose, before assembling, to handbrush a flat finish on it, be it mottled some, suggesting an older, non-garaged car exposed to much sunshine and inclement weather. LOL The model looks far better in hand than in the photos below. Thanks for looking... BEFORE: AFTER:

Anyone remember these? The Hawk Model Company made these all plastic Salt Flat race cars in 1961. Underneath the model was a rubber band, that when wound up, would power the wheels via a plastic gear mechanism. I found this in my parent's attic after some fifty years there. Thanks for looking...

This 1:32 scale model of a 1928 Lincoln Coupe Roadster is by Arko. The model was released in 2003. With a nice paint job, opening doors, rumble seat and a two-sided hood, the model photographs quite well. I really enjoy looking at these big old luxury cars from this era with all their additional trim and accessories, be they 1:1 or whatever scale. Thanks for looking...

If my failing memory serves me at all, it seems to me that it might have been from some stock custom parts included in a Thunderbird kit of its time.

Awesome work, Jim. You really know your stuff and your persistence in getting the job done is inspirational and admirable.

Classic Metal Works 1/24 scale 1963 Chevrolet Impala SS 409 is a diecast kit of some sixty parts with the moulds being by Welly. The detail is pretty good considering this is a bargain kit; for example, the rear panel has the round machined designs on it just like the actual 1:1 car. Also, the 409 engine is replicated reasonably well with chromed exhaust manifolds and a chrome air cleaner. To make the model more visually appealing, thin felt was used on the floor to mimic carpet The door panels' interior trim was highlighted in silver. The seats were painted flat red in contrast to the rest of the interior. The grille was blackwashed and the exhaust pipe tips were silvered. Since the ride height seemed too high, both the car's front and rear were lowered. Thanks for looking....

Stopped by Michael's hobby store a while back and came across this 1:32 scale Monogram Snap Tite kit of a Mack "R" Conventional and Fruehauf Tanker (85-1961). The box had been opened and a few parts had already been put together. The price was enticing though. Regularly twenty five bucks at retail but this one was marked down to six fifty with some missing parts. At the counter the clerk said four bucks after I showed him the sticker indicating the missing parts! Spending time to detail this kit was definitely worth the effort. I started by painting the interior of the sleeper although it cannot be seen unless the two side windows are cut open which I thought about doing AFTER the cab was assembled. Blackwashing the grille helped a lot as well as "chroming" various parts with a silver marker. All the graphics are stickers and are not water slide decals. These are sort of hard to work with and are not as presentable as water slides, leaving unsightly edges if not trimmed closely to the art and clearly showing fingerprints if not carefully handled. For folks familiar with the modest size of 1:32 scale automobiles, this big rig will surprise you, measuring almost a full two feet in length. Thanks for looking...

It took over 50 years, but.... In the early 60s my late and older brother Ted and I built some custom car and truck models. Ted was the creative genius behind the design and execution of these models. He gleaned many ideas and concepts from the emerging hot rod and custom car magazines that were being published at this time. I have always wanted to complete a radical Ford pickup truck that he had started building back then to pay tribute to his skills, creativity and imagination as this truck emphatically epitomizes his work. Originally, the top was vented and chopped, the bed was changed and shortened, the hood was altered, and completely new front and rear ends were molded (with plastic aluminum) onto the body. The rear portion of the truck had fins molded to the sculpted sides. The dashboard was carved from wood and covered with corduroy fabric to mimic tuck and roll upholstery. The seats were also done this way as well a tonneau cover. To complete the model from its original inception required a chassis to be built, an engine to be added, a new steering wheel and new wheels as these parts had never been determined or selected back then. Ted's radical truck creation is now complete and it is a testament to his remarkable vision of what a custom show truck in the 60s would look like. Here's to you, Ted! Thanks for looking...

Solstice: "Either of two times of the year when the sun is at its greatest angular distance from the celestial equator. The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere occurs about June 21, when the sun is at the zenith on the Tropic of Cancer; the winter solstice occurs about December 21, when the sun is at zenith on the Tropic of Capricorn." This is a 1:24 scale, slightly modified, diecast Maisto model of a 2006 Pontiac Solstice. Since Pontiac is an orphan brand nowadays, it's really good to have any Pontiac represented in a model car collection. The model was bought a number of years ago before Pontiacs were orphans. The model was lowered, the wheels were painted black, the interior was detailed and carpeted, the engine and bay were detailed some, and a metal exhaust tip was added outback. And being a budget model, this somewhat excuses some of the body panel gaps being a little too wide. Overall, though, a favorable casting of a cool little sports car. Thanks for looking ...

I have both the Motor Max and the Hot Wheels versions in 1:18 scale as built models; neither were in kit form. It doesn't surprise me that Motor Max made a kit of the S7 as they do a number of their 1:18 models in kits as well.

This is an older Yat Ming 1:18 scale Studebaker Coupe Express pickup that was bought new in the old "gomotorbid.com" glory days. Yat Ming scored big here with good detailing, good chrome work, cool paint color and opening features (doors,hood,tailgate). It did have one major "flaw" that caused the model to have a dual personality as can be seen in the photos. Due to this, I have been reluctant to exercise any otions to date to remedy the situation. One option would be to make the part and then paint both black. The other option would be to remove the existing part and assume both parts are "hidden" on the actual model. A third option would be to do one of the other options and completely redo as a street rod and re-paint the model. This doesn't completely appeal to me as the maroon color looks quite fine as is. What would you do concerning the situation? Thanks for looking...

The Wolf Canyon Fire Department personnel had longed for the opportunity to have in its service a new rescue vehicle, but being a volunteer organization with quite limited funding, cost was a major drawback. When a used, but in very good condition, Maisto 1:18 scale Jeep Rescue Concept came their way from a local thrift shop, the solution was to have its problems corrected by an old school body shop. The passenger side door panel needed replacing as well as the passenger side view mirror and assembly. On the roof, the missing normal canvas covering was replaced by a clear sun roof. The real work was the reconstruction of an entire back bumper and its various components. In addition, the third row seating was removed to add some cargo space in the back. Finally, "JEEP" was highlighted in black on the tailgate. The Department is so glad to now have this workhorse vehicle. Thanks for looking... BEFORE::: AFTER:::

Steve Miller sang, "I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury, I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury I'm gonna buy me a Mercury." When I saw this substantial 1:18 scale Ertl James Dean 1949 Mercury Eight for sale at a thrift shop, it caught me by complete surprize as nothing major seemed wrong with it. On top was the thrifty price of only $5.98 . No-brainer. It was a little dusty and did have a crooked rear tail light and windshield wiper, and a short section of a rear tailpipe missing. Easy fixes. I detailed the green flathead engine, painted the transmission a flat black, adjusted the rear tail light and completed the most difficult job, making a windshield wiper.The essential exhaust extensions were made, too, out of aluminum tubing. She has some bruises to the paint but overall is a very nice addition to the 40s and 50s cars in the collection. Thanks for looking...

This is an Action 1:24 scale diecast 2003 Monte Carlo NASCAR model of the #5 Terry Labonte Kellogg's Got Milk? car. It is quite heavy, very well made and with great graphics and superb detailing. Both hood and trunk open on realistic hinges and it has a photo-etched metal front grille. Even the new tires have the appropriate stickers displayed on them! Bought this at a consignment shop for just two bucks! However it was missing the back window. With some clear acetate, I fashioned a replacement. Thanks for looking...

The very day I had almost completed the "saving" of a white 1:18 scale Maisto 2014 Corvette Stingray Z51 (needed to complete the making of a side mirror), my wife and I unexpectedly spotted an almost exact 1:1 white 2014 Corvette Stingray Z51 copy of it in the parking lot near where we were going for haircuts. She went in and made arrangements for our appointments while I seriously surveyed how this car differed from the diecast model: black hood stripe, red brake calipers, black carbon graphite roof, and black side mirrors and rear spoiler. Pretty doggone close to the "saved" diecast model. This 1:18 version came from a thrift shop missing a driver's side mirror, the passenger side small back window and the entire rear diecast cargo hatch cover. My initial thoughts were to make it a possible pickup truck, but that would be highly unusual and a rather crazy option involving too many construction unknowns as well. So a pattern for the hatch cover was copied from another Maisto 2014 Corvette onto cardboard, fitted and painted gloss white. A clear acetate rear window was attached and where the hinge slots were, small red reflectors were added. Needless to say, the result does seem to have an ala-Tesla-pickup appearance. Actually, before knowing anything about the Tesla pickup, I saw the initial introduction on TV and thought that the truck was a possible tease and/or a comical prop made from cardboard with its simple and flat surfaces. Maybe subconsciously, my cardboard hatch cover piece resulted from my ill-conceived Corvette pickup idea and the TV Tesla pickup looking like cardboard? The model's interior and cargo area were carpeted, seats were painted, the engine detailed a little and a side window and a side mirror were made. Calipers were left black as the unmovable hatch cover was installed before seeing the 1:1 car, and removing the wheels would have damaged the permanent hatch cover installation for sure. The Corvette logo under the hood was colored, too. Now the $2 'Vette Z51 is "saved". Thanks for looking...

This is a small diecast Maisto model in 1:40th scale of a 1990s Aston Martin DB7 that I found at a thrift shop for a mere $1.21. The casting was fine, but it lacked much in the way of detailing, so I blackwashed the front grilles, blackened all the window trim, the rear view mirror , the windshield wipers, painted the amber taillights red, painted the floor, car seats and steering wheel. Also, painted the turn signals and running lights and added a gear shift lever. Sure made a huge difference in its appearance. Thanks for looking...