impcon

I am thinking of ordering some OEM colours from Scale Finishes and I am wondering how much paint I would require for a 1/25 scale model car if it was all one colour - say for example, a '59 Cadillac. Would I require one or two ounces for a build on average? I know that coverage properties vary by colour, but would one ounce usually be enough for a single tone paint job?

A very nice rendition of what was really a very much under estimated and under rated car. They were actually a pretty good car and AMC products were usually a bit unorthadox looking compared to the big three but they have their own styling and beauty. And has been said, they were actually good transportation. I think that the late 50's thru mid sixties Ramblers were very pretty in the right colours.

That's a very pretty build! I don't recall whether I have the Edsel in my stash or not but I wonder about using some of the old AMT '57 Ford parts on it as far as suspension goes? I also wonder about using the Fairlane as a sort of guide for opening the doors on the Edsel? I am not in the least critiquing your build, but I think that were I ever to build the Edsel, I'd forgo the hood ornament as it looks as if it's 'way out of scale. Having said that, I like your choice of colours and the work that you put into building this car is evident based on the quality of the build. That Edsel would be pretty in a convertible body style, wouldn't it? I think that it Popular mechanics or Mechani'cs Illustrated that had a very striking turquoise and white convertible on the cover back then.. WOW!!!

Sure looks good to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your choice of colours is my favorite for the '59 Chevrolet and your colours look fairly close to Crown Sapphire and Snowcrest White. It's nice to see one of the built stock but being a "rescue kit" only serves to make it better!! I'd like to build one of these as a base line six cylinder car complete with the small hub caps in your colours. There were no other trim options aside from the front fender "airplanes", rocker panel mouldings and accessory hand rails just like the ones in the model kit. COntrary to rumours, there was never an Impala version of this truck marketed. I have owned a few of the real 1:1 in my day and still have several here. They are IMHO without a doubt, by far and away, the prettiest pick up ever produced by any manufacturer. If you want to see something really unuausal and attention grabbing, do a Google Images search for 1959 Pontiac El Catalina. It is almost as pretty as an El Camino - but my tatstes lean more towards the fins and cat eye taillights on the Chev.

Thanks guys. Your posts confirm what I thought. I am not so sure that having or not having the aluminum "sparkle" would matter. The polish or paint is just a carrying agent for the metallic particles and shouldn't make a difference. When I was painting 1:1 cars, I used lacquer primer originally and as said, even when dried up, it can be rejuvenated by adding thinners and stirring.

I know from experience that with painting 1:1 cars, it takes literally just drops in a quartof paint to get a pearl effect. I think that 50/50 would be way overkill if what you are using is anything like real automotive paints. You can over do it with pearls on real cars and often the results are disappointing. But maybe model paints are different. I'd definitely try a little and just add to the trial shoot and keep track of the ratio that you use. It's a whole lot easier to add a few drops than take it back out of the mix, that's for sure.

I have some unopened bottles of nail polish that I have accumulated over the last few years for possible projects and I am wondering if anyone knows whether the stuff has a shelf life or not. My wife said that she had some that seemed to go bad after it sat for some time but inail polish is basically lcaquer from what I understand and lacquer is forever soluable in it's own solvents. My thinking is that she never agitated ( stirred - shook ) her nail polish enough because I know from experience that lacquer will settle and needs to be stirred thouroughly - especially anything with metallic particles in it. Anyone have any ideas?

I'm doing a replica of a 1952 Chevy single wheel one ton that my dad bought in the mid sixties from the cartage company wich owned it from new. I found some photos on a truck site showing several of that company's trucks and their signage. Does anyone know of someone who can duplicate that lettering from a photo and make decent decals for several trucks? Here's a link to the truck that I want the lettering from for the 52 one ton. I realize that the picture is really grainy but it is the best that I can find. I lack the patience and knowledge of computers to even begin try this myself and would sooner pay someone else to do it while I put my effort and time into something that I would find less stressful and time consuming. Or can someone duplicate the lettering in a reasonable facsimile of what the pictures show and put them onto a quality decal sheet? I'd like to do a tractor trailer from the same company so I'd need several sets of decals. Any suggestions? Here's a linkk to the photo of the truck with the lettering that I would like copied: http://hankstruckpictures.com/pix/trucks/tony_gussie/2005/dec13/kron1949gmc-001.jpg

Now there's an idea!!!

Let's just be grateful that this is filling a black hole in the model truck scene. This looks a lot more accurate than a lot of the other stuff that has been issued by different manufacturers. I say "Thank you" for listening and for taking the risks associated with something brand new being developed. The AMT 70's Ford trucks weren;t exactly perfectly proportioned but guys sure do pay for them these days.

Ah, how sweet it is!!!!!!!!!!!!! The '59 Chevrolet is my first love when it comes to automobiles and to me, they are eye candy!! It looks like you did a lovely job and they sue do look nice in black. Would you mind posting some more pictures of your build? I think that my favorite colours for the hardtop and El Camino are Crown Sapphire and Snowcrest White. On the El Camino that would mean a grey interior but on the Impala, it could be an aqua interior, the shades and colours of which are incredibly gorgeous! My parents gave me an Impala convertible for my 25th birthday back in 1974 and I still own it. It was an original Snowcrest White car with a red interior, 348, Powerglide automatic, power steering and power brakes. I recall my dad buying a brand new Snowcrest White Brookwood four door wagon in 1959 that was a 235 six cylinder, three speed manual transmission and it had a grey interior. I now own another Brookwood four door wagon that will be a double of the one that my parents had. Those cars bring back so many good memories and they truly reflect a time when life was much less complicated and stressful....

Have you considered doing an older style 16 or 17 inch stock 8 lug steel wheel for older conversions? I like the floating axle idea - something that is missing many times. A lot of commercial vehicles were of the one ton variety back in the day including some tow trucks that I have seen that actually ran single rear wheels. Another need that you might consider is a proper looking 16 or 18 inch one ton wheel for older trucks. I've seen a few posts where guys are trying to source a wheel for a tow truck, deck truck, old farm truck or other commercial hauler/work truck build and they want a decent looking older style wheel. There were six and eight lug versions and I think that once the word got out on the forums, you'd have a decent market. And even if it was just a generic wheel that an expert could look at on a Ford and say that the wheel is a Chev wheel. Split rim or solid would be a nice option as well. Another item that may be of interest of just the floating rear axle that could be inserted into a wheel if the center was drilled out to give a truck the three quarter or one ton look on a custom wheel. Just look through the current and past auctions on Ebay and see what guys get for dual wheels from newer one tons and how many dually lits that are offered without the duals because someone bought the kit just for the wheels. Alcad makes making a wheel pretty much resemble chrome, but many vintage style builds call for painted wheels, so uncoated resin would be a blessing. I've seen 1/32 big rig duals used on one tons but they just do not look right. PLEASE - PLEASE - consider these requests. I know that I have been looking around for an old style 16" steel wheel for a project and I can't find anything. I might add that tires in both summer and winter tread in a 6:50 - 7:50 size would also be very, very welcome. I'll be ordering some of the 2 WD wheels if they are ready and I'd sooner just buy from you than through Ebay. I know that you can't just cross your arms and wiggle your nose or blink your eyes and the molds are ready and that this all requires more time and work than the unitiated realize, but this is a market that has really been overlooked. When I read of guys using Danbury Mint trucks for just the wheels, that suggests that some people are pretty serious about this need. And ask yourself how many guys set a project or a dream aside because they can't find the right style wheels and they assume that they are not available. Were these wheels available, some of those guys at least, would be willing to buy them. Just food for thought and some things that you may already have considered, but perhaps are worthy of second thought. I may have overlooked a source or two that is out there, but competition is not a bad thing and it looks as if you produce a very nice product.

Thank you Blair. I am sure that I am not alone in appreciating pictures of your work. It isn't good to envy, but I find myself almost envying you with your talent and abilities. May I ask what type of filler you guys use on your models these days? I am at this moment fitting the corner windows so that they are a flush fit with the cab corners making the need for filler as minimal as I can. I know from real experience with 1:1 body work that a skim of filler is passable if it is left to cure properly but too much build up will eventually fail and crack. I've been out of the loop with building for some time and I know that things change. And advice is appreciated. Gary

Pretty barely begins to describe your high quality build! VERY nice choice of colours, to say the least. May I make one little suggestion? Dry brush the Ford script on the tailgate in white or black for a tiny added touch of contrast and uniqueness. It's the little things that make the difference. I am not condemning your work, believe me. It's far better than I could do by far! As a kid, I built the original AMT Trophy Series '53 Ford pickup as a Standard Oil pickup - white with red fenders - just like on end of the box. That was one of my favorite all time accomplishments and I do so want to do another just like it. Woodlands Scenics for model railroads even has the Standard Oil decals in the right size for the little truck and I already have them. Your little truck motivates me to dig a '53 out and just do it. Thank you for posting.

Now tha must have taken some planning and work!! It looks really great and I appreciate how you lengthened the wheel base just like the real truck would be. I've seen some really pretty builds of deck trucks where the builder never stretched the frame and the rear wheels are 'way too far ahead. In real life, I have actually seen deck trucks like that and it's spooky, to say the least. With the wheel base too short, the truck would be menace on the road because the driver would lose so much steering control when the truck is loaded. If there is a good reason for roadside checks and mandatory inspections on light trucks, it's guys who try to run rigs like that cause more regulation and rules to be set in place. Here in British Columbia, tow trucks have to be at least the rating of an F-450 now. One tons as wreckers are a thing of the past unless you are towing Dumb - I mean, Smart Cars or bicycles. The rules have really gotten extreme.

Thanks guys. Nice builds!!!! Definitely well done and the lack of the corner windows really does give the trucks a more - shall we say - unique and cute look. I like those trucks and frankly, the corner windows look good, but I prefer the work horse look rather than the top of the line models all the time. I know that the majority of guys prefer the fancier models, but the everyday, ordinary, more common plain janes musn't be forgotten, can they? Please feel free t post any photos of these trucks - I am always open to ideas. I asked the questions that I asked because I am always open to new ideas and it makes sense to walk through the mine field in the footsteps of someone who has already crossed it. The wonderful thing about the forums is the ready exchange of knowledge and the inspiration that one gets when he hits the wall on a project and you look at the impossible tha someone else did. Thank you for the advice. I do sincerely appreciate every word of it.

How pretty!!!! I am not a custom guy but your colours and paint scheme are appealing. I've owned two '57 Rancheros - a red and white one and a silver one and I really, really wish that I still had one of them. Weren't there rumours of a fresh issue of that car with the inaccuracies addressed as to the door size and roof height? I'd snap a couple of those up in a heartbeat!

Nice build!!!! Nice colours and it has a period correct look about it. You were fortunate that you got what you paid for from X-El. I sent then $125.00 for modelsbut I guess that my timing was really poor because I received absolutely nothing. When you consider how manyy ears ago they packed it in and how much I sent, it was a chunk of change. When I see that name now, it just stirs up bad feelings and the strong desire to.. well, I'll say no more. You did a very nice job though. looks great!

Creative and gorgeous!!!! the six cylinder is the perfect fit whether stock or modified.. Have you considered doing something really off the wall and building another one of these in stock configuration complete with a Dairy or Bakery branding on the sides and back doors? This truck is nce but a stock one - well, it sure would be cute, to say the least! Something along these lines... http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6718422351_25cf68ea60.jpg

Just wondering if anyone here has done away with the little corner windows while building a base line '51 Chevy pickup? I figured on gluing the clear windows in and then sanding everything flush and applying a skim of body filler to even everything out. Any other ideas or suggestions?

This is just a suggestion, but what if a reputable caster like Modelhaus or someone else with a proven track record was to offer these using a prepaid means where if a person is serious, he sends the money by a given date and the caster makes what is ordered. Let's say for example that the project would need a cash and material out lay of $200.00 just to get ready to do the casting. ( these are only numbers for arguments sake ) Say that he would need ten box assemblies to be ordered and paid for at $20.00 per complete box and once he had in excess of $300.00 worth of orders to be economically viable( these are only numbers for arguments sake ) he would begin casting them and shipping them to the customers who had pre-ordered, cast some extras and have some stock on the shelf. This is just a general idea and a suggestion. Looking at the 3d printed box assemblies, it is tempting but costly as it'll likely be in excess of $100.00 for one box after shipping. Couldn't a resin caster do them for one third of that price or maybe just a bit more? If the news of the availability was put out on the different boards, there would, I am sure, be enough of a market to make this a worthwhile project. And why not offer boxe sides with and without the side trim once things get going? Just a suggestion.

Welcome from the Okanagan!!! This is a great place to learn from with lots of good people. If you guys are ever in the Penticon/Oliver area, you'll have to stop by for a visit.

What more can be said? Bottom feeders - one and all.

I'd like a couple of those LWB beds myself - at least two. I,m not holding a lot of hope that a proper, reasonably accurate set of bed sides and tailgate will ever come to be. I have a long, wide box truck that is a curious thing in that it has a screw chassis and bumpers and appears to be a kit with the proper frnder emblems glued on in the right placed. The box is multi piece with an old "1964" license plate glued on the back of the truck. It may be an annual, or it could be a combination of kits - I do not know. But I do know that I much prefer the looks of a long box than a short bed model and I;d like to cuild several in different colors.

I thought for several seconds that the photo was of a real truck! WOW!! Very tasteful and well done weathering and photography! Well, what ever it takes, the model from which to makemolds is a definite possibility and for any accomlished builder, probably not difficult. I think that the availability would fill a niche that has needed filling for decades. Again, just my opinion. Who would be a suitable resin casting candidate to approach with this idea? Any ideas?