gowjobs

This could be interesting. The top/rear section of the canopy is plexiglass, surrounded by an aluminum frame. The side windows and windscreens are glass. Most restorations I've seen are either missing the top/rear bubble, or they've had a new one created. Obviously, these really take a beating. Perhaps I'll vacc/thermoform a few and cut the plex portion out of the kit canopy, replacing it with an acetate/clear styrene version.

I have really been trying to go beyond just building a cool model with my most recent builds - I really try to have a back-story in mind and build toward that concept. I've been toying with the idea of still having white or yellow auto-swap prices painted on certain well-weathered parts of the car, including the body shell. I enjoy the idea of making each model into its own vignette, but without requiring a figure or a display base to pull the viewers' imagination into the world where this model would exist. An old military/HOn3 builder friend of mine built models that always had just enough little interesting details to make you start coming up with a backstory of your own when you really looked at them. I remember a six-by-six troop carrier he built with a full compliment of soldiers aboard... EXCEPT a driver. Almost every soldier was facing so they were looking off the LH side of the truck, while a couple were checking their watches, and one, modified from a grenade thrower, was lofting a roll of toilet paper in the direction where everyone's attention was focused. That one never ceased to get a smile when displayed. I'm trying to figure out how to make it obvious that the Messerschmitt's rear seat, which sits outside the roll cage and has no belts, is still being used to give rides to the more psychotically-minded thrill seekers at the strip. Maybe I need to make some finger depressions in the upholstery or handprints on the inside of the canopy...

The fuel injection system will be mostly inferred, as I'm not going to go too nuts with building a correct rotary valve for a V-12. I figure that if this is going to be an aircraft-derived engine, it'll need to be a magnesium-look block with aluminum heads and oil pan and some brass/copper accents just to add some more visual interest. All soft lines will represent rubber or cloth hoses - no braided steel. Look for lots of oxidation and oil leaks visible on the engine. I'm taking advantage of the thrown-together look of this project to weather it up. The body will appear to be salvage-yard fresh, with the approriate oxidation peeking out from peeling paint - anyone know what these minicars were made of? I'd hate to rust it and find out that the bodies were made of aluminum! Anyone ever weathered out a polycarbonate-type canopy in scale? I want to replicate the milky hazing and spiderweb fractures that old plexiglass is prone to when exposed for long periods - I'll concentrate it on the rear upper part of the bubble, as if it was facing southward in the boneyard.

Made some progress: siamesed two Red Baron blocks to create a V-12: I'm going to front-mount a centrifigul supercharger, and run the magneto(s?) off that bellhousing-cum front cover. Those are wheel centers from a Stinger T behind Detail Master hoops with Tamiya 1/20 scale F-1 tires standing in for 14 inch slicks

Body will be well weathered with obvious torch cuts and riveted patch panels. Chassis will be raw steel, but maybe showing some oxidation. Hemi block is a place-holder... something wilder will take its place soon!

Love those old Nissans! I've got some weird vintage tuners on the back-burner, myself. I like those tires... didn't know anybody cast those with the sidewalls all gumballed-out.

I've been using the 1:18 Vintage sprint car wheels sets with great success as 1:16 scale hot rod wheels. For those that don't know, they come in a set with two wide rears, one medium rear, two tall, skinny rears, two skinny ribbed fronts, and one small asphaly front tire, all with tampo-printed Firestone logos and mounted on pin-dive Halibrands. Okay, this one is a 1:24 characature with 1:18 and 1:16 parts A set like these would be great to have in 1:24... or a set of eight vintage drag wheels/tires: Narrow pie crust slicks, wider early wrinkle-walls, 15" skinny fronts on spindle-mounts and 18" super-skinnies for altereds and top fuel cars.

I really like what you've got going on there. That Austin body looks like a modified version of the Austin-based BMW Dixi from Revell AG, and not an American Austin or later Bantam roadster. That said, I prefer the '26-'27 T roadster on that lil' chassis.

Big rennovations and developments at the Murphy Auto Museum's new location since our last NNL makes for more room and easier access to parking. Lodging, shopping and restaurants all nearby.