Bernard Kron

Looks great. The dominant blue with black is very aggressive and really suits the style of this car

Why does the phrase "Ju-Ju Gothic" come to mind? ....

Now knowing that the flares were scratchbuilt it's safe to say they are a great personal, as well as creative, touch.

Outstanding!!! Every picture is a revelation. Tell us about the flares on the bodywork. They are sooooo cool.

I recall you mentioning the flat acrylics in another post. I'm just getting going with my airbrush and was think about some for the Tube Rat. I saw some cool shades for cheap at Michaels. What are your thoughts about the quality, types, techniques required to shoot acrylics. I like the dead flat they produce and the broad array of shades available in the medium. Also, I know you paint mainly flat, but any ideas about clear gloss on them (I suppose Future is the obvious choice since it's an acrylic)? I use acrylics exclusively now for my brush work, having given up on enamels a while back.

They're all, of course, super-delicious. but I'm especially partial to Numero Uno: A message from our sponsor...

I vote for the Corvette, but that '55-57 Chevy convertible which has somehow popped up unannounced certainly caught my eye!

Spectacular build of an incredible car.

I got some more work done. The major challenge of imagineering and executing the rear suspension actually worked! The car has the stance I want. The wheels and tires aren’t the ones I will use in the completed build but they’re the right diameter to check how the car sits. The rear track will be narrower – I didn’t want to cut down the wheels I used for the mockup. The rear suspension is about 2/3 done, but devising a fore/aft locating system and placing the shocks will be tough. As I said earlier, it’s pretty tight back there. The motor sits correctly now that I got the motor mounts done. And there’s plenty of room in front of the mill for the radiator and cooling stuff. Whew!! The grill shell is a mockup with black paper glued in for the radiator. The top of the A shell opening has been reshaped into a widow’s peak around the Ford emblem to increase the cooling area and give the shell a little more style. (Click on picture for larger image) Thanx for looking.

Niiiice...

That was quick... and very nice, too. Lotsa really cool details and a great stance are a feast for the eyes. That RepMin body is very nice indeed, especially in the rear 3/4 view.

Very cool. Is that a parts pack chassis?

Thanx everyone. I've actually gotten a lot more done on this thing, but not much that would be of any interest photgraphically (mainly general "housekeeping - like motor mounts, interior framing for the instrument panel and steering post, body work cleanup, etc.) A Major Strategic Error was gluing the frame to the body since any interior work can only be done through the roof, floor and windows. But the body is a structural element and I would have had to cut and then reglue sections of the body in order to build the entire frame externally and then install it. Oh well... The major challenge is imagineering and executing the rear suspension. It's critical because, of course, it will determine the stance, as it always does. Not much room back there to get it done, either. Well, the discipline of building those two "period correct" roadsters just plum wore me out and is testing the limits of my abilities right now. I needed some release! I actually have lotsa ideas floating around that need to be built, not necessarily in the "historic" mode. Mainly, I just like the textures and proportions to look somewhat "real". But that's just my personal thing, and not necessarily what I enjoy in others' work, as you know. All of us just do what we can do... IMHO, sometimes we are better off leaving it to others to do what we can't, no matter how much we might admire what they do, Doobee, doobee, doo... Regarding the plug wires, I agree completely, but I'm afraid I haven't come up with anything. I guess it will have to exist as a "temporary mohawk". The only thing I will do is make sure the distributor sits tall above the block and hopefully above the cowl line. And yeah, I love my 'puter as a creative tool!!!

I was gonna say... Full on customs that are this elaborate are rarely done with this level of craftmanship. But one shouldn't overlook the exquisite styling, too. STUNNING!!!

I'm with Jairus. Another TdF (Tour de Force) from the creator of the RatOutOfHell - from conception to execution, I almost regret it when you're done! BTW, where did you get those skull thingies? Please don't tell me you cast them! In particular I'm looking for 1/25 shift knobs like skulls, cylinders, eight balls, dice, etc.

Really nice. Replica builds are real "high risk" modeling because the frame of reference is so exact. And you nailed it!

Real modeling with a well focused goal in mind. And a great result!

Gorgeous as usual. I always enjoy your builds because they showcase what great paint and decals can to for a model.

Verrrry koooowalll!!!!

I hesitated to post this because I have at least two other builds nearing completion that I’ve already posted and that still aren’t done. But a couple of weeks ago I hit a wall on them and came down with a serious case of builder’s block. I’ve had this idea for a while and thought I would start it to see if it helped. I’m hoping it did. The idea was to build a super-light high-tech/low-tech rat rod from the Revell Model A Pickup Rat Rod cab and other spare parts I’ve got. The main frame tubes, the upper ones, are the larger ones, designed to take the bulk of stresses. The interior will be bare metal. The transmission and driveline will be left exposed. The exterior will be a faded and worn out purple of some sort, with primer and metal showing through as appropriate. I had considered chopping the top but I didn’t want to risk screwing up the really nice panel detail at the back of the cab. The grille shell will be a cut down Model A piece. The motor is a Revell Parts Pack Cadillac with the blower from the AMT HemiSphere and 6 Stromberg ‘97’s on a log manifold adapted from the Parts Pack (the carbs are missing in the pics). The motor slipped forward a little while I was shooting pics of the mockup and will set back and upwards a bit further when done. The rear end will have a 9 inch axle and a ’34 Ford rear spring. The very nice dropped front axle is courtesy of my modeling buddy CalSurplus so I don’t actually know where it came from. The build is for the NNL West so here’s hoping I get it done and that I actually make it down there! Original concept sketch (Click on picture for larger image) The build so far (Click on picture for larger image) Thanx for lookin’!

What a delight to see you returning to competitive building. I only know you through your posts but you have been quite clear about your relative disaffection for contests so I like to think that the MCM community, along with your local club, have had some small hand in "getting the juices flowin'". The wedge your putting on that Charger looks great. The rear 3/4 view is already killer. Go for it!!!

Awesome topic. Very real and revealing. Some great expositions of the various dimensions of the question. What I get out of it is that it’s impossible not to build for oneself, even if this is for the blood-lust of cut-throat competition. And, judging from the comments made so far, the competitive aspect is, in fact, much overstated. I particularly enjoyed Bob Black’s expression of his view on things – great logical structure. It came early in the thread and triggered some super responses. Pete J’s discussion of how building for others fits in (in his case for money), and later on about the IPMS, provide some good insights. The notion of historic modeling is an important concept to keep in mind. His IMPMS comments were in response to Farmer Wilding’s tale of his experiences at contest modeling and together they provide a pretty good picture of how car modeling can become a fairly solitary hobby. In this respect the internet, digital photography and message boards constitute a very beneficial revolution. Speaking of historic modeling, until the advent of “fantasy†modeling and the whole Star Trek thing, was car modeling the only form which featured a heavy component of interpretive variations or outright new creations in its tradition? Clearly it remains a very important dimension of what we do, and in this thread it’s often how car modelers distinguish themselves from other modelers. For myself, I'm now about 15 months into returning to car modeling after several decades away. I do it very specifically because it permits me to express ideas I have about cars I would like to build. I seem to be constitutionally incapable of building out of the box. And yet I would like to achieve very high levels of detail and realism. I am stunned and delighted by the great detail and historic builders who show their work here. But I get equal pleasure from the show rod, pure custom, rat rod, and pure fantasy builders. For me the buzz that comes from the self expression that the build embodies. Models that succeed in showing that are my favorites. Of course I “build for myselfâ€. How could I not? But I do care what others think. I welcome the frame of reference it provides. And I deeply appreciate the advice and feedback I get. Every build I do comes up short of what I envision, but each one moves me along towards the goal of an accurate and complete expression of what I “see†in my mind’s eye. I dream of the day I have the technique and vocabulary to do that. But, if my experience in other expressive forms is any indication, it will never actually come because it is an ideal and cannot be attained, only aspired to. This Spring I plan to go to my first NNL. I am excited to see what can be done at every level in an environment which is supportive of my enthusiasm for this great hobby.

I'm starting a build that would benefit greatly from detailing with rivets on some brackets and body panels. Any suggestions and how-tos would be greatly appreciated.

What an amazing kit that allows you to build to this level. It's virtually entirely OTB. Incredible! And what a treat to follow along as a great detail builder works his magic. Of course, it doesn't hurt that it's such a sexy bit of racing kit...

This entire discussion is about the results of the elimination of competition and the concentration of distribution in ever fewer hands. Regardless of whether it is baked goods (often made from mass produced doughs which are shipped long distances frozen to your supermarket bakery and then baked locally) or model car kits, the only thing you can do about it is to trade in every good and service in your life as locally as possible, accepting the large premium you will often pay for it and opting for the smallest business that can competently serve you. As an example, if you are among the diminishing few who have an LHS, and they don't stock what you need, special order it through them, accepting the profit they must take. If they feel they cannot serve you, then effectively you do not have an LHS. In doing this you are choosing to support inefficiency in exchange for diversity and local redistribution of surplus income. Too often, the illusion of lower prices is more than offset by the elimination of quality and choice. This constitutes a form of unacknowledged inflation in its own right. Just my 1 1/2 bits...