impcon

Hey Ed, Was there ever a stock version of the Willys available? Like you, I'd want to build one as close to stock as possible. I have looked atthe Thames panel too and wondered how difficult a stock ( or as close to stock as possible ) build would be. Bandit Resins has that little Morris Traveller - been thinking of scooping one of those for when I hone my skills a whole lot more. It would be an outrageously cute little fellow in stock form . red with the wood grain.. yeah.. I like it! Imagine if you will a Bedford tractor pulling an AMT car hauler full of those little guys...

I wouldlike to purchase a 1956 Fird Big Job resin cab like the one pictured below.. my dad had one of these that was a single axle gravel truck that had lived it's entire life as a sand truck at the Winnipeg, Manitoba International Airport. He bought it off of a car lot in 1972 and the thing was cherry! It ran and drove like a brand new truck due to the fact that it had hardly any miles on it. I should specify that it was a SAND truck - not a salt truck so despite mostly being used only during the winter months, the truck was totally, absolutely rust free and clean. Unlike the truck pictured below, ours had no running boards - the fuel tanks were made of checker plate and the steps were built into the tanks which ran across the frame under the seat area of the cab. It had a big V8 and a functional hood scoop and man, that thing was fast!!!!!!! My best buddy and I took it out for a burn one Sunday afternoon on the country road where we lived back then and "performance tested" it.. more of a Timex torture test than anything. It had no insurance or license plates on it and we were bootin' it down the road heading towards home when a police car came out of nowhere. My buddy was driving and trying to figure the two speed axle thing out and I looked in the mirror and there was a police car! We were close to home but not close enough to make a run for it so I told my buddy to swing into our neighbor's driveway and get off the road. Well, he hit the brakes and we come sliding into the driveway and there is something like a family reunion or something going on! Picture if you can a sunny, summer Sunday afternoon and here are all these people just chillin' out and having a cool beer or what ever when this big green dump truck comes roaring into the driveway and slides to a halt in the gravel, followed by a police car with the light bar all lit up! Needless to say, the festivities ground to an immediate halt as we were suddenly the focus of everyones' attention and the star attraction. I was terrified and my buddy being Mr. Cool, gets down out of the cab to face the mountie. I got out of the passenger's side and walked around the front of the truck to face the music and I swear that I almost had a laundry problem. There was the mountie, ashen faced and furious at the same time, scolding Phillip for not having any brake or signal lights and he was ranting at Phillip because he said that he almost rear ended us when Phil suddenly hit the brakes to turn into the driveway. Phil, being the quick witted wise guy that he was made some comment about the lights had been working earlier in the day "'cause he had checked them personally"! Yeah. Right. The mountie was still ranting as he followed my friend to the back of the truck where Phil crouched down and stepped under the back of the box and finding a stray, loose wire, he grabbed it and presented the end of it to the mountie. With a triumphant grin on his face and more nerve than a toothache, he held the broken wire in one hand and pointed to it with the other and stated with all certainty that he had found the problem and he would have it fixed in a jiffy!. I was standing there unable to believe what was going on and waiting for that age old "Can I see your driver's license, registration and insurance please" - but it never came. The mountie rambled on and on, mumbling something about Phil fixing those stupid lights before he killed somebody, and then suddenly he turned around and stomped back to his car, got into it. slamming the door, backed out of the driveway and roared off. Our audiance seemed like they had been frozen in time - no one had moved or spoken the whole time this scenario was playing out before their disbelieving eyes just a few feet from where they were sitting. Everyone was still watching with wide eyes - not a word being said as we climbed back into the Ford. I remeber Phil starting the truck, grinning at our fan club and giving them a "peace" sign and then grinding the truck into reverse, he quickly backed out of the driveway and took off down the road just as hard as that thing would go. My dad never did find out about that escapade.. thank goodness. If he had, I would have been dog food.. if I was lucky. So, if I can find a cab, I'll start looking for the parts to put the project together. Actually, to build a tandem like the one below would be sort of neat too. But I want another big, green dump truck! Any ideas anyone?

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family..

I had a good day today - the post office got everything to me without damaging it and the people who I bought from did a good job of packaging for a change/ First up is three kits that I got through a Craigslist ad that I placed.. I really like the Mustang and I'll keep it but the other two - I'll trade them off .. got a fair deal on the three kits - they weren't really expensive but I think it was a fair price ] everything inside the boxes is still bagged and all appears well.. Next was a 1959 Impala Sport COupe that is rather nicely put together. Aside from the incorrect color and the black interior ( Chevys did not come with black interiors in '59 ), it's nice. The paint is decent and I will likely two tone this one, repaint the interior and add the missing door handles. I'll probably paint the roof and deck lid silver .. or something. Then there's my $10.50 Ebay 1960 Lincoln.. It's an old brush paintwith the only damage being that little nick out of the rain gutter. I rather like this just the way it is.. or I'll strip it and repaint it - not sure of the colour if I do - maybe black. I really like this little orphan.. ya gotta love those old annuals! Last but not least, my new '59 Ford hardtop. I'll strip this one in due time and give it a real good going over. The hood doesn't open on it so that makes things easy enough. The worst of this little car is where those stinking cruiser skirts were attached - those things are like a pox - everthing I buy that is old has had them or still has them! They are real make work projects but all in all, this will be a worthwhile fix. I sort of have a thing for '59 Fords.. not sure if I would go red and white, black or turqoise and white with this one. I'd like to buy several more of these for what I scored this one for.. .. I have a pair of '59 Ford convertible squirreled away to redo as well... might have to find me a mid fifties cab over and an old AMT car hauler..

That is really such a pretty car.. both the 1:1 and your model. I like that soft blue and white.. ah but those were the days .. when ars had character and style - unlike most of what is built today. Possibly the reason that the new cars lack whatthe old ones had is they are designed not withthe heart, but with a compter. Machines are incapable of the warmth and love that a human being can out into a design, hence the "cookie cutter" body designs. I see nothing stylish or really nice about very many newer veicles and I'll take an old obe over a new one any day of the week. Had a new one and guess what - it broke down too, just like an old one. That little '55 is timeless and is as pretty today as it was the day that it was built.. at leat I think so anyways.

Your description of that box of models sounds like that demented kid from Toy Story had them.... he was great as dismembering and switching things around, putting pieces where they were never designed to go. I know whatyou mean about getting the bug and taking on project the size of Mount Rushmore when really, common sense dictates that it is a lost cause. But oh the feeling of achievement when you are done. I say if it turns you on and makes you happy then go for it! When it's done, it'll be a lot better than it is now and it's another old model saved.

I can't find a website for Frontier resin - I was guided to the truck on Ebay by someone else and that is where I bought it. All in all, I am pretty happy with it. I did a bit of a kit review on it in the resin section under the Frontier Resin thread. There are some better pics of it there too. I have some ideas for improving on the cab I just haven't had time today to look into them. It's a truck that no one else seems to offer and while I wanted a '59, this '58 is close enough. The only external differences between '58 and '59 that I am aware of were the fender ornaments and the hood emblem. I'll likely buy a Modelhause '59 cab ( $39.00 ) to build and to take a casting of the proper hood and fender emblems from. I'll have to remove the ones from the Frontier cab but that's OK. Also, I have not tried it yet, but I want to see if the hood from an AMT '55 Chevy truck will work on this cab and if it is close and can be made to work, I'll use it instead of the resin hood. The resin hood will work with some tlc but I'll use a styrene one if I can. I want to build a '59 pickup anyhow so I'll killl two birds with one stone.

hey George! Sounds like a good catch if they come through with it. It would sure be nice if the resin folks would all post pictures of their products and I am pretty sure that more pictures would result in more sales when people can actually see what they are thinking of buying. I have looked at their site before and they sure doo have some neat stuff but pictures would be a clincher for a few of their kits. Reputation does sell stuff and it's like the Modelhaus - you just know that you are going to get a good product. But with no pictures, I even think twice about some of their stuff. Pictures... we need more pictures guys!

Got this last Friday along with some other goodies that I will post later.. It's a '58 Chevy Spartan ( or Viking - which ever you choose to think of it as ) from Frontier Resins. All in all, I am very happy with it. It's going to be built as a tandem axle tractor with a tandem axle gravel trailer. I'll start scrounging up the chassis and 348 engine for it ( I have several engines ) and maybe a trailer - I may just try to scatch build my own trailer.. it's a future project - probably start on it in the next short while but it's gonna be a long build but I am so looking forward to it! Also got this - I have been wanting one for a long time.. another resin model - not sure if it in Modelhause or not because I bought it off Ebay. It will be bone stock right down to the 235 cu. in. six cylinder and dog dish hubcaps although I am not sure of the colour yet.. maybe Aspen Green, Harbour Blue, Crown Saphire or Snowcrest White.( http://www.59classicchevy.com/body-colors.html ) Classic Cream or Satin Beige are the other two possibilities. It'll have the usual mundane gray interior. All that the caster forgot was the "Biscayne" script that went on the rear quarters on the real 1:1 cars. That may be a challenge... Having said that, I am really impressed with the quality of this casting.. it could pass for a styrene kit with no problem.. sure is sweet!!! I sure am happy with it!!!!!!

Sorry I didn't get back yesterday to upload the pictures of the Chevy but life got in the way as it often does. Anyways, here are some pictures of the Frontier Resin '58 Chevy Spartan or Viking - take your pick.. Overall, I am quite happy with my purchase. The delivery time was fantastic!!! As soon as my payment cleared, Curt emailed me that the model was in the mail. His service is better than a lot of private people who I buy from where it takes up to two weeks to get my purchase after the payment goes through. Definitely no complaints in the service areas at all! It goes without saying that it will need some cleaning up and some work to make it look right, but I was actually expecting much worse based on what I have read about the quality of Frontier's models - and I was really hoping for something better than what I was expecting. Frankly, it is indeed better than what I had hoped for. The cab is straight and not warped and I'd say that the casting is fairly clean. The windshield wipers and cowl vents are well pronounced and clean as are the door handles. The windshield and door glass openings will require the removal of a bit of flashing but again, it is actually much better than I expected. The fender side trim pieces could be a bit lower on the fenders but I'll deal with that - not a real issue again - just an attempt toportray the good things and point out what a builder may wish to improve upon. The hood is going to need some clean up along the edges to get it to fit into it's resting place but mostly, I think that it is just flashing that needs to be trimmed away. The cab's engine bay edges seem fine and wont require any real effort. The back edge of the hood is the worst and I'll need to do some filling to bring everything into it's proper shape. I feel that this is acceptable given the fact that scratch building this truck for me would be a major effort and am just grateful to have something to start with that is not an impossibility. I guess that the worst of it all is the grille which will need some work to make it fit as it is about 1/8" too wide for the opening. I may order a Modelhause grille if this one fails to cooperate with me and see how that fits. I know that thier grilles are pretty nice as I have had one of their '58 or '59 Chevy truck cabs for a few years. The passenger's side headlight eye brow will need a tint bit of cleaning up but again - it's a resin model and it's going to have some minor issues. Here's a couple more shots of the truck.. As said, all in all, this is much better than I expected given some of the reviews that Curt has been given. My abilities in model building are no where's near what most of you guys can do but I think that even I can make this into a decent model. I wish that it had the small back window.. I may see if I can do something about that because the big back window option was not very common at all on the big trucks. The search is on now for a tandem axle chassis for the truck. It will be a gas job with a 348 just like my friends had and it will be painted red with white trim. I'm going to start cleaning it up in the next few days - I have a full calendar for the next week or so - and start looking around for a chassis and a gravel trailer. I'm cheap and I don't want to pay $40.00 or more for a trailer kit that I am going to have to modify and butcher into what I want so I may end up just trying to build a trailer from scratch. We'll see what happens and how the spirit moves me.. after all, this IS all about honing and improving our skills and about stepping out of the box, isn't it? Comments and suggestions as always are welcomed and appreciated. Just be honest and open - I respect those traits. Thanks for looking. Gary

Wow That DOES look good! Is there any sheen or gloss tothe acrylics at all or would you have toput some satin clear over top to give the panels the proper gloss? Sure does look sweet!

Thanks for the feedback guys - I'll heed your words and tread cautiosly - especially the part about buying in person. There are no model shows close to my area aside from the one club and it is really pretty much small time with no vendors of resin stuff in attendance. The meet is just too small. The closest for me would probably be Seattle and that's over six hours away. It's kind of a pain because most of my purchasing has to be mail order because there isn't a hooby store within 50 miles and while there are a couple of them, they just don't stock a lot of building materials as they cater mostly to the RC crowd. . Oh well... I guess that that's just the way it is.

I just started looking through http://www.socalcarculture.com/modelcarlinks.html to see what all is still available out there and it seems that A/FX N Scale Resin has been sold. He had several resin kits that are interesting - just wondering id anyone knows who bought the equipment and if they are producing yet?

That is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute and sweet!!!!!!!!!I know that I would really struggle to build that even though I know that they were meant to be built. I dunno - sometimes I am too sentimental and too much of a purist I guess. Still, this WILL be cute! Interior colour? Hmmmm.. I'd say do it in the aqua colour thatthey used back then. Other than that, I'd say that white would be the only other choice but I sure do think that aqua would look good!

Thanks Art, What your pictures show is exactly what I want. I guess if it is indeed no longer available, I will have to make my own..

I have seen it really OOP? I was looking online and Star Resins has it ( don't know the caster right atthis moment ) for sure..

WoW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!That is one neat looking gas station, Ed!!!!!!!! I can see that you definitely have some serious time invested there. The Ford panel in stock form is a nice touch.. I thought that I was the only one who would even consider doing one of those stock!

Yhat is really7 sweet!!!!!!!!!! Nice work andnice colours!!!!!!!!

That is incredible!!!!!!!!!! I wonder where he got that bus - or did he scratch build it too? Judging by the workmanship on that diorama, he likely did build it. *sighs* All I can say is - Pretty Cool!!!

Work has been slow on the Meteor too.. That's becaise there is too much to do around home here but still. I have made a bit of headway. I am putting my third application of glaze putty on today or this evening and it once it has sat overnight, I'll sand and prime tomorrow. I learned the hard way with lacquer based products that you really have to give them a lot of curing time - there can never be too much time between applications. The car was tougher then I had hoped for - it looked like the roof, trunk and hood were sanded with a garden rake and I am still trying to get rid of sand scratches and sink marks but this next coat of putty should take care of them for good. The other issue is the rear wheel opening flares - they are gone - obliterated by the original builder and his tube of glue and cruiser skirts. Been thinking that I will try to find some strip styrene and rebuid the flares by gluing it onto the body and then trying to form them with sandpaper and putty. Man, I need a BIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGG magnification thing - you know - those magnifying lightt things that us old timers need to do delicate work? The picture of what this car will hopefully resemble seems to have vanished - so here it is again.. This is the twin to what my friends brand new Meteor looked like when he bought it atthe Ford dealership at Lloydminister, Saskatchewan back in late '62.

Progress is painful and slow on this because of too much to do around here. I've been taking out imperfections and dealing with some issues with the little truck and I've glaze puttied it three times. My eyes don't work so good any more and once I got it outside in the sunlight with that primer on it - WOW! There were and still are some issues. Maybe I am being too fussy but I just believe that when you take on a project, you gotta give 'er your best lick and do as good as you can with what you have. It'll still be a heck of an improvement over what it was. It probably doesn't look a lot different from what it was but there are lots of little flaws repaired and mold lines gone now. I got rid of some of the issues on the tailgate but it's got a long ways to go yet.. again, it probably doesn't look a lot different in the photos but I know that it is definiotely an improvement..

I have been looking around online as I want to get a resin '59 Chevy 2 door post and a '60 2 door post to go with it. ANy suggestions who's would be the best as far as being the most accurate and clean? I know there are a couple of sources.. I just want to get a good model for my money and not a surprise. I almost bought a really super clean white Bel Air 2 door sedan that needed an engine when I was in my teens. I have wished a million times that I would have bought that car. I like white on most cars and it really suited that one to a "T"!It was white with a blue interior and a 6 cylinder, automatic. Any suggestions are appreciated. PM me if you don't want to put your comments out here.

Well, my wife is off to Oroville to up the mail today and my '58 Chevy truck cab should be there. I received an email a few days ago that it was on the way. I'm not expecting perfection - just something decent that someone with mediocre talents like myself can work with. I'll be sure to post some pictures and an honest appraisal of it tonight or tomorrow. I've got my fingers crossed on this one. If it's good, I am going to order at least two more for other projects that I have in mind..

Buying that model really was an act of stupidity on my part - no question about it. That seller however, should be more forthcoming with his descriptions because with the number of models that they sell, it is not like they are ignorant as to what is good and what is not. And like I said, I bought a bunch of kits from him and the Dodge was not exactly an exception as far as being less than was hoped for. The killer is, I bought several more models from him/her before I received the Dodge - I'll be picking those up atthe post office later today. I really don't know if I want to open that box today or just set it on the shelf for when I am having a REALLY GOOD day - it may not hurt as much then. |*sighs* I'm sorry to hear thatyou got burned too - I'll pm you the sellers ID - see if it's the same person..

Pretty car! Nice job.. keep up the good work!