Bainford

Terry, thanks for sharing these lovely race car builds. John, love the Miller, too. All are outstanding and beautifully done. I have been intrigued by the Etzel kits for many year when I used to see them in SAE.

The 2.3 Ecoboost would be an awesome Pinto engine, as would a 2.0 Zetec. Being an aging curmudgeon, I personally tend towards old iron with carburetors. Having said that, I have seen a couple Zetecs fitted with Webers. Hhmmm...

Yes, I am sure these days a flathead build would be expensive. I have always favoured the Pinto 2.3 engine. It responds extremely well to modification and can make big power, though the V-6 would make for a very cool conversion, too. A 2.3 mod that I find compelling is fitting a 90s era twin-cam, four-valve cylinder head from a turbo Volvo 2.3. Apparently they bolt on, needing primarily mods to the water jackets to make work, though I haven't investigated deeply. I have been mentally planning a 1:1 Pinto build for years, and if I ever actually embark on that project, I will be investigating the Volvo head swap. I starting planning this when Pintos could still be had for cheap, but good project fodder is pricey these days.

A flathead Pinto. Strange, but not the first one. I have Hot Rod annual from around 1974 featuring a Pinto with a flattie four-banger.

Lovely old Ford.

Nice looking Road Runner.

Calipers are gorgeous. The overall chassis shots are model builder's porn.

Curiously, if you inspect the sidewall of those 80s vintage Radial T/As, they actually carry the M+S marking, rated for mud and snow. Bizarre, I know. Who approves this rating, I don't know, but shows how pointless it is. My first car was a '77 Pinto with 235/50 R13 T/As on all corners, each carrying the M+S mark. Anyone familiar with driving in snow knows that won't work.

Disclaimer: I haven't done a vinyl roof, but have a couple planned and been giving it a lot of thought. I find some people are using a plastic stock that is too heavy for the chrome trim pieces. I will be using Evergreen .030" x .030" square stock. Once applied, the thickness is easily sanded down to .020" - .015", which should look pretty good. I have used this method to represent chrome trim around wheel wells and works well. Evergreen part # 131. Strips of .020" x .020" would work well (better?) too, Evergreen # 120. Your particular application will determine which is best. As for the strips along the top (the vinyl overlaps), I think it was Steve Guthmuller who recommended masking off the strips and applying a couple coats of primer to represent them. Then remove the tape and give the whole top a light coat of primer to prepare for paint. This method is much more in scale than using a thin tape or strips of plastic.

The ruler is in inches. Traditional (old school sizes) MPC/AMT tires are typically very close to 5/8" ID, and that appears to be what the photo is showing.

Sweet Chevelle! Looks great in gold. Nicely done.

Stunning Cobra, Bruce. This has to be the coolest Cobra I've seen in 1/24. Simply awesome.

Some ARII kits ( a Mustang, Challenger, Thunderbird and a Firebird come to mind) have a very nice set of BFG big & littles with accurate tread pattern. They are a bit large, would look good on a larger type vehicle like a van or panel, etc. They might be a bit beefy for most car projects, especially 1/25. Individual tastes vary, of course. Depending on your project, they may work. The tires are far and away the best part of that series of ARII kits.

Welcome to the club, Bill.

Cool stuff, Steve. The build is coming along nicely. Good to see it back on the bench.

Man, that thing is looking GOOD!!

Jim, that's looking really good, including your added roof & bed trim. I'm going to take you up on your offer and attempt to dissuade you from fitting the spoiler thingie. Initially I really like it as a styling feature especially on a vintage Chevy, but the side profile you have going there now with the clean line over the roof is exceptional. The spoiler thingie (visor?) would work if the bed was longer. Your vision is much better, I must say, than the 1:1 you posted above. What he's done there is not working at all. Shame too, cause it's a fine looking car otherwise.

This is pretty cool. Nice lines. Some great work so far. Interested in seeing where this goes.

Well said! I think this thread may have the Rustoleum users feeling a bit beat up, but that's not the point. Your post sums it up nicely.

Sincere apologies, Pierre, but nice grab! This confirms my suspicion that some strains of model building are contagious.

Cool old Ford. Nicely done.

Incredible! This is a fantastic build in many ways, but that carbon fiber decal work is warping my mind. All round a stunning model. A trial of patience and tenacity, I am sure. Hat's off!

Very cool! The variety of metal shades really sets off the detail.

Nice work. The red looks great. It's going to be a sharp little Alfa.

Oh yeah, that's looking good!