Bernard Kron

Thanks again, to all of you. Mattias, anything I can do to get some more hot rods built is OK with me. Glad to supply the motivation!

I have a few sets of TruWires and, yes indeed, they are AWESOME. They will take any model to another level.

Thanks guys! Another “minor” update, but if these Autorama projects are going to get done it will be because of daily progress like this. Today I got the tuck ‘n’ roll interior completed, built up from patterned styrene sheet of various sorts. Here it is in bare plastic with the lovely bucket seats I got for this project from Ed Fluck at Drag City Casting. The primary color will be Wimbledon White with a flat black floor and red piping added after it’s all painted. The dashboard will be the stock item, painted in body color. The roll over bar will get additional bracing facing rearward diagonally into the rear panel where the seat used to be. Onward! Thanx for lookin’, B.

Much thanks to you both! Just a quick update. On reason I like Duplicolor lacquers is they harden to a workable state quite quickly. After waiting 24 hours I was able to wet sand the paint with 1000 grit to get rid of any surface irregularities or orange peel. Then I shot 4 coats of clear. Another 24 hours and I was able to polish it out. I had thought about either scallops or speed part decals on the bodywork, but it came out so nice I’m going to leave it as-is and put speed part decals in the rear quarter windows instead. Right now I’m trying to stay focused on finishing the motor and interior, but I can’t wait to get some chrome on this thing. It should pop! Thanx for lookin’ B.

This is a slightly odd kickoff for this project because there are no images of the whole body, just detail stuff. This is my entry for the TRaK Autorama in the Custom category. The deadline for completion is December 31st so time is super tight. For this reason I decided to tackle the most technical stuff first to make sure I could get that done properly before continuing on with the rest pf the build. So what you see below are the hardtop and the grill and bumper set. Several years ago I had the idea that you could “customize a first series (2-seater) T-bird simply by painting the lower valance portions of the chrome bumpers in body color. The grill shape and the bumpers are particularly handsome on this car and by doing this is would create the appearance of a kind of rolled-pan effect. I had some spare grills and bumpers so I masked them off and sanded out the chrome on the exposed areas. On the rear bumper I cut out the “1957” license plate (as holdover I suspect from the AMT Annual version of this model) to make room for the installation of an inset license plate later. Then, for some reason, I put it away before any smoothing or painting got done. Now finally I am going to see this concept through. Below is a step by step composite of the process I did. First the stock kit grill and bumper (A), then the masked and primed portion (B), and finally the painted result, painted in what will be the final body color of the car, Testors Lime Ice lacquer (C). The stock grill was removed and a classic late 50’s drawer pull grill from a vintage Aurora #592 1/25 Scale Customizing Parts Custom Grills & Trim set was substituted. This will be essentially a mild custom, the customizing mainly done with paint and detail bodywork. Besides the faux-rolled pan effect and the drawer pull grill I decided to do a padded stop inspired by the Barris Xtura T-Bird they did for Mitch Nagao: I actually ordered one of Ed Fluck’s (Drag City Castings) finely cast resin T-Bird hardtops for this project and then discovered I had a styrene copy in my stash and used it instead to steal a few precious days on getting started. There are several influences for this project and one of them is the twin ’57 T-Birds owned by Jack Hershey and Shorty Ewing which featured a ’58 Chevy Impala scoop above the rear window. For my version I used a hood scoop from the AMT ’49 Ford Coupe kit. It logically followed of course to cut one into the T-Bird hood as well. The “padding” was done using styrene sheet and rod. Final colors will be Wimbledon White for the “padding” and Lime Ice for the rest. The Ewing and Hershey twin ‘57s: The other two influences I’ll note are the Don Tognotti ’56 and the Dick Jackson ’57. The bodywork on my car will be essentially stock like the Jackson car, just lowered in stance. Despite the elaborate front end work on the Tognotti car he conserved the signature louvers on the front fenders, highlighting them with a tasteful accent scallop. I plan to do the same and obviously I’m taking my color cue from this car as well. I’ll focus on paint and decals primarily, time permitting. Like so many of these cars, too, I plan on using full length lakes pipes, chrome wheels and Appleton spots. The Dick Jackson ’57: The Don Tognotti ’56: Thanx for lookin’, B.

Thanks guys! With less than three weeks left to the deadline, I’m under the gun getting 3 TRaK Autorama builds completed. Two of them are already in progress, a Fiat Competition Coupe for the Racing Car class and this project for the Street Rod category. This past weekend I started the last of my 4 entries (my Revell AMT Box Art Deuce Roadster finished last month is #4), a 1957 Ford Thunderbird mild custom for the Custom Class. I’ll be posting more details on that one separately but right now here’s an update on my Shoebox street racer. The body is in paint now. The color is three coats of Duplicolor Dark Toreador Red Metallic over a base of Duplicolor Wimbledon White lacquer. In the photo below you see it in raw color with just a quick buffing with a paper towel, enough to knock the surface irregularities off without getting down into the metallic particles. Since the picture was taken it’s gotten four coats of clear and is curing to harden for a final polishing. I received the 3D printed Stromberg 97s with the SP tops from Maple Leaf Modelworks and detailed them out in Tamiya Titan Gold on the carbs themselves and Molotow Chrome on the oval SP tops. They look real sharp, especially once they were glue into position on the chrome log manifold. Next up for the motor are ignition and plumbing and the fan drive after which it will be ready for installation. I’m hoping it will look show-ready sitting in the engine compartment which will be finished out in Wimbledon White lacquer to contrast with the body color. I’m planning on showing the car with and without the louvered hood. Now that the body color is on I also picked out the insides of the reversed rims with a 60’s style Kolor Krome to match. That’s it for now. The only really major work left besides finishing up the engine is the interior. Of the three remaining Autorama entries this is probably to closest to done and should make the deadline OK. Thanx for lookin’, B.

Thanks Oliver! And yes, those Deeks bias plys make a great finishing touch to any Traditional Hot Rod.

Yes he does. I buy my year's supply each year from him at the NNL West but he offers them on eBay as well - with Free Shipping, even. Here's the link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-32-1-35-1-24-NEW-Real-Rubber-2-Axle-Dual-vintage-LOOK-6pk/160596179365?hash=item25644739a5:g:NBkAAMXQQANREmQz

Another Deuce completed:

Yes, the wheels and front tires are from the various Revellogram '37 Ford truck and van kits. The rear tires are Herb Deeks bias ply truck tires, my Old Skool hot rod rear tires of choice. They're slightly larger in diameter than the fronts and resulted in the rubber rake the car has.

Thanks to you all for the generous reception. I'm glad you all enjoyed the results. Other than the chop this was supposed to be a no-drama near-OOB project. But the final 10%fought me to a standstill. The small detail parts like the tailight brackets, the door handles, cowl lights, even larger parts like the bumpers, just wouldn't ho;d still and took repeated trips to the carpet monster. Fortunately, other than the fog lamp which required my making a second version, somehow I managed to find them all.

’32 Ford Tudor Resto-Rod (more photos below) A basic, straightforward project based on the Revell ’32 Ford Sedan kit and inspired by a photograph in The Rodders Journal of John Kokoska’s full-fendered black Deuce Tudor. The idea was to do a full-on resto-rod, taking advantage of the many stock details included in the Revell kit and yet including some hot-rod style elements as well. Among the most significant changes is the scale 2 ½” chopped top, mild but effective in giving the car a lower, longer-nosed set of proportions. The kit suspension was lowered an additional 3 scale inches as well. And of course the ’37 Ford truck “artillery” wheels (courtesy of Revellogram) and tires as seen on the Kokoska car, combined with the lowered stance, fill the wheel wells for a classic hot rod look. The kit small-block Ford V8 received a set of Holley triples courtesy of BNL Resins. Paint is Duplicolor Black lacquer on the chassis and fenders and Tamiya TS-11 Maroon. The rest is from the base Revell kit. Thanx for lookin’, B. The Kokoska Tudor in TRJ:

Thank you both! This project is now done. Nothing much to report on the completion since any significant modifications had been completed already and the build-up was mainly out-of-the-box. But it did fight me in the final 10 percent, the culprit being all those little tiny detail parts – the cowl lights, the taillight brackets and the taillights themselves, the headlights and, surprisingly, even the bumpers. The spotlight in front of the grill had to be fabricated twice from parts of unknown origin, having been lost to the carpet monster the first time. It’s a nod to the John Kokoska full-fendered Tudor in TRJ that inspired this project. I’m seriously allergic to CA (super glue) so final assembly involves a lot of little gobs of 5-minute epoxy. Obviously, it’s a slow, laborious process. And this time those little tiny parts seemed to go flying from my tweezers and fingers and on to the carpeted floor. Miraculously, other than the spotlight, none were lost but everything seemed to need to be done at least twice. Grrrrrr… We all know this drill at some time or other. Below is a photo of the three Deuce Tudors I’ve built. The white one is from 2010, a Jimmy Flintstone body based on the Revell Orange Crate with a scratch built chassis and interior and a Hemi from the then-newly-introduced Revell 5-window coupe. The black middle one is from earlier this year, a low slung highboy with a 4” chop inspired by the recent George Poteet multiple award winner. The latest one, with its full fenders and mild 2 ½” chop continues the theme of three radically different hot rods. I guess I’ll have to build a stock height version to complete the set… Thanks to all who followed along and commented. The final beauty shots are already in the camera so next up is the final editing and formal presentation Under Glass. Thanx for lookin’, B.

Does this mean that it will be possible to print 3D renderings of a model in a material whose characteristics are familiar to many modelers with a relatively smooth and workable surface in smaller scales such as 1/24th and 1/32nd? Beautiful subject which appears to be very faithfully done. Bravo!

IIRC it's .007".

I'm posting this comment so that it flags any activity. I had forgotten about this one. I've got a Deuce started with the idea of giving it a lightweight tubular frame. The chassis work on this, sans the high front axle, is just what I need for inspiration - simple, clean and structurally apt.

As nice as Curt's latest production version wheels look it would seem a pity to use O rings. O rings lack the tread and sidewall detail of most kit tires. I especially recommend those in the Tony Nancy Double Dragster kit and the ones Round 2 includes in its Don Garlits Wynn's Charger re-issue. They look fabulous on these wheels A few years ago when Curt was first developing his technique he gave me a prototype set of wheels. They were a bit bigger in o.d. than the final versions and no kit tires would fit, so I used some O rings instead. They looked OK but nowhere as nice as even the most basic treaded kit tires. Below is a picture of the Revell Slingster I built back then using those old prototypes. You'll also notice that that the hubs on the final version are more finely done, as are the rims, and that he was using fishing line back then whereas now he's using stainless steel wire. Quite a step forward IMHO.

At the risk of quoting myself from my earlier post: The Dunlop motorcycle tire in the closeup picture is from the Revell Tony Nancy Double Dragster kit, which has my favorite styrene wheel and tire combo. I also tested various other tires like the ones from the Round 2 MPC FED re-issues (Young American, Garlits Wynn's Charger, etc.), the old Ramchargers FED and the American Grafitti Milner's Dragster (which should mean that the current Jawbreaker re-issue will work fine). Also the Too Much, the old AMT Garlits Wynns Jammer and the HemiSphere re-issue, with its solid styrene front tires, and the Revell Boomer T. Almost without exception they are a straight fit to the .740" wheels. The exceptions being the solid styrene Wynn's Jammer/HemiSphere tires which will need to be sanded on their inner surface to fit, and the Boomer T where the "rubber" had hardened enough that they couldn't be stretched to fit, although light sanding on the tire i.d. would have done the trick. If you prefer the look of the slightly larger .790" offering the Round 2 Garlits Wynn's Charger re-issues tires are gorgeous with full sidewall markings and a perfect fit, and the Ramchargers FED (and by implication the current Round 2 Jawbreaker tires) mounted without a problem. All the other tires would require a small amount of opening up of their i.d. with sandpaper or your Dremel to fit the .790 inchers.

At long last, long time MCM board member, master modeler, and all around nice guy, Curt Raitz, has gone into the aftermarket wire wheel business with his beautiful hand-laced wire wheels. Fpr those of us who frequent the NNL West you may have seen examples of his work in recent years and many of us have been bugging him to make them generally available. They're the real deal, with stainless wire spokes and machined aluminum rims and hubs. Hence the TruWire brand. The initial offering is for 1/24th & 1/25th scale applications and come in two diameters, .740" and .790", $25.00 USD plus shipping. They are designed to be compatible with most kit dragster motorcycle style front tires. Curt tells me he's also offering them in 1/16th scale for a slightly higher price. I was able to test both sizes successfully with several different generally available FED kits in my stash (unfortunately I'm so Old Skool that rear-engined dragsters are total MIA on my shelves). In general I would say the .740" size is a straightforward fit for most applications. The .790 inchers might require that you do some minor sanding on older, hardened tires. They are gorgeous and I'm sure will take almost any model I use them on to a whole new level. They're ideal not only for the obvious dragster uses, but also for a knockout Fad-T, some vintage applications, and maybe even for motorcycles. Curt can be reached at miniscurtraitzing, 686 Helen Dr., Hollister, CA 95023. Email is ceraitz@gmail.com.

My good friend and fellow club member and also long time MCM board member, master modeler, and all around nice guy, Curt Raitz, has gone into the aftermarket wire wheel business with his beautiful hand-laced wire wheels. I received them midweek with instructions to try them out and see if I like 'em. I like 'em fine! They're the real deal, with stainless wire spokes and machined aluminum rims and hubs. Hence the TruWire brand. The initial offering is for 1/24th & 1/25th scale applications and come in two diameters, .740" and .790", $25.00 USD plus shipping. They are designed to be compatible with most kit dragster motorcycle style front tires. Curt tells me he's also offering them in 1/16th scale for a slightly higher price. I was able to test both sizes successfully with several different generally available FED kits in my stash (unfortunately I'm so Old Skool that rear-engined dragster are total MIA on my shelves). In general I would say the .740" size is a straightforward fit for most applications. The .790 inchers might require that you do some minor sanding on older, hardened tires. They are gorgeous and I'm sure will take almost any model I use them on to a whole new level. They're ideal not only for the obvious dragster uses, but also for a knockout Fad-T, some vintage applications, and maybe even for motorcycles. Curt can be reached at miniscurtraitzing, 686 Helen Dr., Hollister, CA 95023. Email is ceraitz@gmailcom.

Long time MCM board member, master modeler, and all around nice guy, Curt Raitz, has gone into the aftermarket wire wheel business with his beautiful hand-laced wire wheels. They're the real deal, with stainless wire spokes and machined aluminum rims and hubs. Hence the TruWire brand. The initial offering is for 1/24th & 1/25th scale applications and come in two diameters, .740" and .790", $25.00 USD plus shipping. They are designed to be compatible with most kit dragster motorcycle style front tires. Curt tells me he's also offering them in 1/16th scale for a slightly higher price. I was able to test both sizes successfully with several different generally available FED kits in my stash (unfortunately I'm so Old Skool that rear-engined dragster are total MIA on my shelves). In general I would say the .740" size is a straightforward fit for most applications. The .790 inchers might require that you do some minor sanding on older, hardened tires. They are gorgeous and I'm sure will take almost any model I use them on to a whole new level. They're ideal not only for the obvious dragster uses, but also for a knockout Fad-T, some vintage applications, and maybe even for motorcycles. Curt can be reached at miniscurtraitzing, 686 Helen Dr., Hollister, CA 95023. Email is ceraitz@gmail.com.

Great to see you back to doing what you do so well, scratchin' and bashin' in that real deal multimedia madness. This is already pretty breathtaking. I will be riveted watching this move on from here.

Just got these 3D printed ultra-detailed Stromberg 97's with the oval SP intake horns from Maple Leaf Model Works (our own Chris Drysdale - spex84) via Shapeways. They'll go on my TRaK Autorama Street Rod '49 Ford project. They arrived Wednesday and I had some time to paint them with Tamiya Titan Gold and pick out the SP tops in Molotow chrome. Gorgeous! Now to oh so carefully cut them off their sprue and glue them in place... Chris' original 3D image: The 3D printed set I received after some paint and chrome: SP tops as they appear in the 1:1 world:

I, too, would buy one!

Simple and effective! Nice one.