FactoryStock54

From an historical preservation POV that's downright disgusting. . .but to be fair (and perfectly honest) those Airflows were pretty b***ugly beasts and could stand some modifying here and there!

Hey, do whatever the heck you want to a MODEL CAR. However, some real older cars are now approaching the status of endangered species and need to be protected; a recent column in "Hemmings Classic Car" told of somebody who'd taken a blow torch to a '39 Graham Sharknose and painted it purple. That's sacrilege, like painting over the Mona Lisa with clown make-up or serving the last Komodo Dragon on a platter (as in "The Freshman"). In the same publication I'd read about a guy who was able just in the nick of time to buy a '37 Nash Lafayette sedan before another guy who wanted to chop it; now how many '37 Lafayettes are still on the road? Sometimes, it seems, people approach a subject with the idea that it has to be changed, regardless of whether change is an improvement or not; but there are many classics which are self-contained works of art just as they stand, and trying to modify them only diminishes them. There is no humanly possible way to improve the looks of a '37 Cord Beverly, a '41 Lincoln Continental, a '32 Pierce Arrow limo, a '41 Cadillac, any Deusenberg ever made or almost any pre-war Packard. Take a blow-torch to cars like that and you might as well take a butcher knife to a Rembrandt. If you get dibs on something that's been rusting away in a junkyard, that's one thing; but to take a road-worthy example of rare early Detroit Iron and turn it into a clown car is quite another. The original impetus behind hot-rodding was to take stuff nobody cared about and turn it into rolling folk art; now it's become more a rich-man's ego trip and there's very little originality to be seen.

Seriously nice-lookin' build-up of a great kit!

This diorama is based on a boyhood memory; there was an old 39 Chevy 4-Door sedan sitting in my grandparents' pasture, rusting away the years by the side of a sinkhole. As kids, my cousins and I used to play in the old car, which we sometimes called "the gangster car" because somebody had, at one point, used the old hulk for target practice and it had a couple very prominent bullet holes in the side! I built this dio to take to last year's family reunion, and presented it to one of my cousins as a gift. The car is the 1/64 Jada Toys Von Dutch Chevy Sedan (which was a brilliant shade of flourescent purple!) I took it apart, stripped the paint and re-worked it as a factory-stock junker. The terrain was built up with styrofoam blocks, covered over with plaster-soaked paper towels and then "frosted" with additional light-weight hydrocal plaster. Scenic materials (trees, ground cover) and junk details came from my model-railroad supplies. I specially ordered the 1/64 windmill head for this dio, as there had been one in close proximity to the old car back in grandma's pasture. The actual car was sold to a restorer a few years ago; I'll probably never get to see it, but I am pleased that it will have a new life with shiny paint, refurbished brightwork and a set of wide white sidewalls, chugging along in local parades or competing in car shows. The old Stovebolt Six was in surprisingly good shape last time I saw the car. Hope you enjoy it! It was a lot of fun to do. When I can get myself a new digital camera (the ex-wife took the old one with her); I'll post some pix of my recently-completed R&R resin Chevy 4-Door/Revell factory-stock conversion, which I built as I imagined the restored car would look.

That is simply mind-blowing! How did you achieve that AMAZING paint job???? Engine compartment is incredible . . . you nailed it! I am in total drool-faced awe! Kudos!

Gorgeous finish on that Caddy! Simply beautiful!

Hey! Thanks for the good words, guys! I remember buying several copies of this kit back circa 1974; MPC had done a tie-in with the (mercifully) short-lived "Bearcats" TV series. That was a very cool issue of an already very cool model as it included a vac-formed display base that was quite nicely done; the parts were all molded in user-friendly white. AFAIK there were two other runs of the kit; the 1972 Connoiseur's Classics boxing in white and (as mentioned above) a 1978 issue in all-red. This is an absolutely wonderful kit; everything goes together just so, it's excellently-proportioned, well-detailed right out of the box, and potentially makes a superb platform for super-detailing. Absolute blast to build!

Here are several views of the MPC 1914 Stutz Bearcat. I built this a couple years ago after acquiring the kit on Ebay (a 1978 issue molded entirely in red); the original kit-supplied pin-stripe decals were used, and considering that they were nearly 30 years old at the time, I'd say they worked rather well, though I'm still annoyed by the flaw on the right-hand hood curtain. . .oh well! Just like the original car, this was hand-brush painted (this was a year or so before I got my airbrush). I used Polly Scale DRGW Yellow (orange) and it seems to look right! The tires were painted all white with PS Reefer White, and Gunze Silver was used to highlight the rims. I used Gunze Gold for the cylinder heads and Gunze Silver for engine details. The radiator cover was painted the main body color (it was not chrome on the original) and I used Gunze Wood Brown for the hand crank. All in all, a delightful little kit of America's first genuinely "cool" automobile; one that I enjoyed building as a kid, and absolutely LOVED building as an adult! I know it's not a popular subject, but I hope you like it nonetheless!

In answer to #2; a few possibilities: 1. AMT '51 Chevy Fleetline 2. Lindberg '53 Ford Crestline Victoria 3. AMT '55 Chevy Bel Air post sedan 4. Revell '56 Chevy Del Rey or Nomad 5. AMT '56 Crown Vic, 57 Fairlane and '58 Impala HT (the opening doors allow for a lot of junkyard verité) A couple other somewhat pricey possibilities would be the Galaxie '46-'48 Chevy Aerosedan and the Revell '60 Impala

I love doing research on the cars that interest me (factory stock American cars of the 30s to early 60s). I'm always looking for good color images of the cars, especially good shots of the interiors (instrument panels) and engine compartments. One excellent source I've found is Hemmings Classic Car magazine; I've built up quite a nice reference base with all the detailed photos from this superb publication. I also do a lot of web surfing; specific owners' or enthusiasts' clubs offer some great sites loaded with photos and technical info. Sometimes I know exactly what color the car is going to be when I get the model and this really helps to focus my research. Usually I'll paint the body first thing, after making appropriate modifications and corrections. This is often the case when I'm working on a car to which I have a personal or sentimental connection such as the '39 Chevy 4-Door Sedan or the '54 Chevy 210, both projects "retro-built" factory stock cars based on street rod kits. Sometimes a kit will sit in the stash for a long time as I try to puzzle out what color I'd like for it. Suddenly I'll get an inspiration, a "flash" or "vision" of the color I want to do, and then I look for cars of that color in my reference sources. One car that I love and have always tried to find interesting alternate color schemes for is the '49/50 Merc; I'm going to be doing a '49 with a mild custom color scheme; dark blue roof over turquoise body; I'll also be doing a '50 using Modelhaus and old F&F resin parts in a lovely Haze Gray. I tend to obsess about period-correct tires, and many of my projects get delayed, sometimes for a very long time, until I can find the right tires. If I have a good set of wheels and tires I will usually do these first. I approach each sub-assembly as a model in itself; the tires, the engine compartment, the interior and the body; I focus my attention on the sub-assembly for which I have the clearest vision and the most accurate information at the time.

Tamiya TS 8 (rattle can), Italian Red; this is an ACRYLIC SYNTHETIC LACQUER and is the best bet for a smooth, good-looking finish with the least fuss. . . If you are painting red over yellow you should consider applying a coat or two of Tamiya Gray Primer before applying the red. This is especially important if you opt to use the MM Acryl Italian Red as, in addition to issues of "bleed-through" with the underlying yellow, MM Acyl paints can sometimes resist adhering to bare plastic. The Tamiya rattle cans, including the primer, do produce some fumes, so be sure to spray in a well-ventilated area and wear a good-quality cartridge respirator, a simple mask is not sufficient for safety's sake. Hope this helps

Happy birthday!

In a word, yes. Badger's spray booth draws at 165 cfm (on 110 v). Microlux booths draw at 185 cfm, and these, I think, are fairly representative of the market in general. You'll need to find some way of venting from the blower to the outside (with "clothes dryer" ducting) in order to deal effectively with the fumes. But as long as your aim is good, overspray should be a thing of the past and your new floor (as well as your lungs) will be safe! BTW. a spray booth does not eliminate the need for a good 2-part respirator when painting!

Hey, thanks for the link. I'd been wondering what happened to HH for a while now since I noticed that the domain name was up for sale. Very sorry to see it go, but I'll definitely be checking out his auctions on Ebay on a regular basis.

If I can't get in and go for a ride, what's the point of turning wheels? I'm not much for "working features" on any sort of model as most of the time they just seem to detract from the overall realism of the subject (ie. huge "dog bone" hinges on doors or trunk lids, or hoods that won't seat properly due to the hinge mechanisms, however nice they may look). Like others, I've had too many close calls with freely-rolling models (lose cannons?) and given the amount of time and $ I invest in some of my builds I'd rather be safe than sorry. So I pretty much always lock up the wheels with a drop or two of CA.

Thanks!

Very cool! That interior looks really sharp! Simplifying the chrome trim on the exterior is also a nice touch; the factory stock 58s always struck me as being way over the top (but what wasn't in 58?) The understated look really works!

Do you have a current link to their website? Thanks

Hey, thanks! That's exactly what I was looking for! I'll pick up a couple copies of the kit next month and get a new project started!

Wondering about the new Revell 32 Ford Tudor; the body looks pretty much factory stock, but the fenders seem to have been modified--or does it just look like they have because of the low stance? Out of the box, what mods have been made? From the photos of the kit box I've seen it looks like a factory-stock hood is included? I am kind of embarrassed to admit; I am looking at this kit as the basis for another of my extensive factory-stock kit-bash/scrtatch-build projects. I source parts from many different kits in order to retro-modify street rod kits as factory stock models; have already done this with the Revell '37 Ford Tudor and am currently working on the Revell '39 Chevy Sedan Delivery (though I just ordered an R&R Four-Door sedan body and hope I can use it with what I've already got done). This is very much the opposite of what it was like "back in the day" when I was starting out in the 60s. Then, most kits would have a factory stock option as one of two or three, and if you wanted to do a full-on lead-sled or involved custom job you had to do pretty much what the real-life hot-rodders did and do your own chopping and channeling. Now the hot-rod or custom incarnation is the "default" version and I have to scrounge and kit-bash to get something close to factory stock (not that I'm complaining; this is challenging and fun! Amazing sometimes where you can find the right part for a project; I just discovered that the 1/24 Jada 39 Chevy Sedan lowrider toy I've had laying around actually has factory stock bumpers and, low and behold, after some grinding down of the molded-in brackets, they fit and look right!!!!) Don't get me wrong; I have enormous respect and admiration for hot rods and lowriders; the level of artistry and skill I've seen here is nothing short of amazing, and the level of DETAIL is often daunting; it's just not my thing. So, if anybody can comment on the Revell 32 Sedan, I'd appreciate it.

Beautiful!!!

Sheesh! That makes ANYTHING Pyro ever did look positively Tamiya-like!

WHOA!!! That is absolutely gorgeous! And the engine compartment is un-freakin'-believable!!!! Simply stunning! I am in awe!

Very impressive work! Those old Pyro sectional bodies can only be described as "crude" by today's standards, but you've done something great with this one! Especially nice paint job!

Jo-Han called it the "Frame-Pak;" I believe it was developed as an anti-theft feature to molify retailers of the day as there was an epidemic of people stealing kit parts from boxes back in the late 60s and 70s (I actually witnessed some older (bigger and meaner) kids doing this at a Wolworth's one time)! It got so bad that you didn't dare buy a kit if the shrink wrap was torn even a little bit. In recent years I've purchased a few copies of those old Jo-Han "Frame-Pak" kits, and the parts that were never disturbed weathered the years very well indeed! It was a very good system regardless of its original purpose! And, yes! Jo-Han DEFINITELY tried to milk those molds for everything they were worth. I find that I have to buy at least two, and usually three or four copies of each kit in order to make sure I have a complete set of useable parts. Over time, some parts lost a lot of their shape and structural integrity (most recently I discovered that the valve covers on some later isues of the 31 Cadillac had no sides whatsoever, just flash where the sides used to be!) and add to this the problem of many delicate, fragile parts becoming increasingly brittle with the passing years. Still, Jo-Han kept pumping them out in the thousands, which is why they are so common and usually so cheap on Ebay nowadays. It's a good idea to look for earlier issues of each kit (such as the original Gold Cup Series); the Turbine Car in bronze, the Mercedes Limo in that beautiful shade of maroon and the 34 roadster in cream, the 31 Caddys in their original blue (Sport Phaeton), green (cabriolet) and red (Town Car).