impcon

I don't know for sure what my options are for proper bucket seats to be honest. The upholstery pattern on the '64's seats is close to the seats in the '63 and I think with a bit of work, I can make the difference even less. At least I aim to try unless I can find a stock pair of bucket seats. Here's the difference.. After four more rounds with the Easy Off today, the body looks a bit cleaner but for what ever reason, some of that blue just is not coming off. I can live with this - the primer will make the car look SO much cleaner.There are some prettyugly sand scratches on the trunk lid, roof and hood but I think that I can bury what ever I can not sand off. As you may or may not notice, the custom tail lights are gone - I used the old deep freeze trick and that took care of that. When I took the car out of the freezer, it took nothing to pop them off, leaving a pretty clean tail light bezel opening. So here it is as it now sits.. I was reading somewhere where someone built a fairly stock version of the Revell Fairlane and he used a '66 Fairlane for the chassis and some other parts. I may do the same here although if possible, I'll use the '64 Fairlane floor pan and chassis as it is identical to the Meteor - or at least it is a lot closer to the Meteor stamping than the '66. So we'll see what happens. This is starting to get complicated. *sighs* But that is probably because there are a lot of decisions to make here. Maybe I should just go with box stock.. *sighs* I'm tired. It's been a long day...*sulks off into the corner, curls up and sucking my thumb to comfort myself* I feel like the little boy who asked his mother - ?Mommy, Mommy - why do I keep going in circles?" To which the all wise and all knowing mother replied sternly, "Shut up or I'll nail your other foot to the floor!". That about sums up my day today.. News at 11.

I sense disapproval here.. Like I said earlier guys, normally I would keep the car box stock but for reasons stated above, I'm going to try my hand at improving on an already nice model. let's just see what happens....

You have pretty much confirmed my fears.. *sighs* I was REALLY hoping that there had been a tandem axle unit produced.Thanks guys..

Hi All! Just wondering if anyone knows whether there was ever a tandem axle ( NOT a tridem with three axles ) gravel trailer produced. I am sure that I saw a picture of one but I can't recall where. It may have been an altered tridem but I am not sure. Anyhelp will be appreciated.

Hi All! Just wondering if anyone knows whether there was ever a tandem axle ( NOT a tridem with three axles ) gravel trailer produced. I am sure that I saw a picture of one but I can't recall where. It may have been an altered tridem but I am not sure. Anyhelp will be appreciated.

Kevin - I have already purchased a resin '58 Chevy cab so I think that I will have that part of the project under control OK. My issue now is to find an appropriate tandem axle chassis for the truck. I'll use a 348/409 engine out of a car but I am going to have to do some researc for what kind of transmission the truck will have to have. When I came up withthe idea for this project and decided to do it, I didn't think things through all the way but that is OK. I am determined to do it - and that's that. My modelling skill level is still - well, compared to a lot of you guys, I'm still in sandbox - a lot of you guys have graduated and moved on to college sort of thing. Cutting and widening fenders is something a little beyond me right now but you do have me thinking about trying it. I probably have a scrapper '58 in my stash - I just have to dig it out and I have a couple of '55 Chevy pickups here. If the resin cab is junk, then I guess I will have to look at alternatives but for now, I am gathering materials, parts, information and ideas. If it turns out well, I'll definitely be buying several more of those cabs to do somemore building as I have several ideas in mind and I love the design of those trucks. But feel free to shoot me any ideas and suggestions - I am wide open to anything except failure with this. By the way, thank you to all who have taken the time to read this post and make suggestions. No ideas have been discarded atthis point, I assure you so your efforts have not been for nothing. Respectfully as always, Gry

Hm.. yes.. I axtually have some truck books that i forgot about. See - that;s why you guys get paid the big bucks I do believe that I have some GM truck parts books and I am sure I have a shop manual. Yes,, I do believe that I do. Funny - but I never thought of them.. I'll check out the online source forst before venturing back there to start digging through a literal mountain of boxes of shop manuals and parts books. Still, I welcome ANY input and ideas.... Thank you..

Thanks for the input. I guess that my majpr concern with the chassis is getting front suspension and rear diffs that appear to be period correct. I never thought about parts books or manuals - I have them stored away with all of my shop manuals in the back of my shop. Thank you for the reminder..

As I type these words, the wee girl is taking her second Easy Off bath for today. I sprayed it this morning and got called away - just got home and we'll see what happens in a few minutes. I'll post the results.

Thank you for the information - obviously you know your big trucks. What I am going to build is a '59 Chevy like this - except I want it to be a tandem because the truck that I am replicating was to the nest of my recollection, a tandem as it pulled a tandem axle gravel trailer. The truck looked so sweet coming down the highway and it was always clean and sparkling in it's dazzling red paint and white grille, front bumper and trimmed wheels. The picture below could almost be a picture of that same truck except I am sure that Ron's truck was a tandem. The truck was definitely a 348 and it served in daily duty hauling gravel from the Birds Hill gravel pits north east of Winnipeg, Manitoba. I lived only about five miles from that pit and a friend of mine drove loader there loading trucks. The truckwas already old as this was back around 1972 and the only truck that was even close to that old was a lovely navy blue with white pin striping B Model Mack that I also want to replicate. Any information that you may have on these old Chevys would sure be welcome. Again, suggestions are surely appreciated and welcomed.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.. I never knew that they had the fleetside in '58. I stand corrected and yes, I knew about the tailgate being the same but never realized the headboard was also the same. Guess you learn something new every day.

Hi Charlie, I agree with you thatthose were pretty good cars. they were still before the computer geeks got involved in the auto industry and made life a living hell for the guy who has the ambition, ability and desire to do as much for himself as he can. We actualy have three of those Buick wagons here and plans are to do something with all three. The problem with the wagon that i wrote about as far as the headliner goes is the colour. The car has a gray interior which is actually very attractive - it's just brutal to keep clean. We are driving a 89 Crown Victoria right now and coincidentally, it too has a gray interior. I have seen lots of GM wagons in junk yards and I have watched for a good headliner but no luck to date. The supply of parts cars is fast drying up with the price of scrap steel - the yards are crushing anything that weighs anything and that is so sad.I have seen some really decent cars fed to the crusher just because they are heavy. But as a friend of mine is fond of saying, "That;s justthe way it is". The original transmission had been replaced with a Turbo 350 and I currently have a relacement sitting on my shop floor awaiting the Buick making it onto the hoist. SO yes, we seem to be in perfect agreement, I like the dash on the Buick a lot better than the Caprice or Impala but I really do like the front end on the Chvys more then the Buick. Now, as we said - if only someone would step up to the plate and make a resin kit........

OUCH! (>_<)

Doesn't that '62 Impala just make your heart race???????????????? WOW! The style - the colour - the lines.. all so tasteful and righteous. That sort of elegance and charm will never be seen in new car design again. What the heck happened to designing automobiles anyways????????????? We've entered the era of the blob... 'cause that's all the newer stuff is - blobs - each make and model is just a clone of another blob. Just my thoughts..

Hey Marc, You sound like I do when it comes to that old stuff but I am that way with the real thing and plastic both - for the most part. Please understand that i would NEVER do this if ths was a mint kit but it's sort of ragged around the edges and I want this to be a special effort from my heart to an old friend. To give deeply of the best of one's self and abilities to a dear friend is to my way of thinking, the least that he ( herb ) is deserving of. Besides, one can almost always sense instinctively when a gify has a very personal touch to it. Yeah, if the car was mint, I'd stay with originality but it isn't and I just want to do my best for a friend.

The fenders are the same from 1955 through '66 and will look right on any early '60's pickup. In '67, the box sides were similiar except for the mounting holes in the box sides for the more rounded fenders. The stepside box from a '55 stepside will do the job for you with no problem. The fleetside box came into being in '59 with the long wheel base '58 Chevy and GMC's all being stepsides. The 59 long box was a one year only piece because in 1960, they went to the box design that carried right on through to 1966. Again, in 1967, they went to a new style box that was used until 1972 . and uh.. likewise - if you want to part with one of those fleetside boxes.. *nudge nudge, wink wink* *grins*

You are most welcome Chris. I just calls it like I sees it is all. Yes, I will be sure to post pictures and comments on the truck once I get it which will be in the next two or three weeks. We live in Canada but we have a U.S. address that we have stuff shipped to but we don't get to Oroville every week so sometimes there is quite a gap in time from when I order or purchase something and and when I receive it. But I'll be sure to post on this thread. There is something that I really have to say here and I don't want to offend anyone here by my comments. So please guys, understand that I am NOT throwing stones at anyone here or elsewhere. All of the comments on R&R's products are valid and justifyable and most come from more seasoned modellers than myself. However, having said that, I suspect that some of R&R's bad feedback ( and not just here but on other forums and on Ebay ) may well come from people who have little or no experience with resin products and expect the likes of a Monogram or Revell or AMT quality product when they open the box. I have bought a few resin products over the years and I am not that experienced with working with it but let's face it guys, we are essentially buying a home made product and you can't expect total perfection. I have bought styrene lits that were a disater such as the older Revell stuff like the '53 Chevy two door sedan. That thing was warped and just a mess. I started to build it and ended up after it was painted and detailed, just putting it in the box and packing it away. Maybe one day I will try again but it was a write off as far as I was concerned. It was the last Revell product that i bought for years. So I will let the product do the talking and I assure you, my opinions will be totally unbiased. But I am not expecting perfection based on the fact that it IS a resin model. If it ain't good, then it wont be the first resin product that I was disappointed in. AGain, just my opinions and I hope that this post has not offended anyone or hurt anyone's feelings. like I said, I am not pointing fingers at ayone. These are just my views and honest opinions.

Nice car! I can appreciate the time and effort that went into it. No doubt, you learned a few new tricks during the build. keep up the good work!

Now this I HAVE to watch!!! Interesting and educational indeed! I am curious as to what you are going to do with regards to the rocker panel and how it now tilts upwards behind the cut. I know that it is just a plastic toy car but still, it takes a certain amount of self confidance, skill and experience to do what you did to it. Hmmmmmmm.. maybe you could get a job at AMT or Revell or Monogram - sort of a consultant type thing where you go in and when you see such an obvious lack of quality control, you are within your rights to give the guy who OK'd this a slap upside the head, make him go and stand in the corner and then redo the project in the evenings at home on his own time. Jeepers - guys complain about some of the resin casters but most of the good ones would likely never let something as obvious as that design flaw get by them. Maybe what these companies need to do is start hiring some guys who REALLY love old cars and want to pay fair tribute to them to do the designing and proofing...I don't think a true car nut would have let that flaw get past him. Just my opinion..

That one is definitely a survivor. Poor old station wagons - they gave their all and most of them were family cars that were well used and once they were a few years old and the kids had "out grown" the car, they were sold off cheap because they were usually pretty well used up. We drove a 1985 Buick Electra Estate wagon for a few years that we bought from a scrap metal yard where it been towed to be crushed. We paid $150.00 for it complete with a pair of almost new snow tires laying in the back. It has a little Olds 307 in it with power everything and it sure was affordable to drive even with gas as expensive as it is here. It had been advertised in the local paper twice - once for $500.00 and the second time for $250.00 and no one wanted it. The owner ended up paying to have it hauled to the scrap yard just to get it out of his yard because he was tld by a "mechanic" that it had a bad head gasket. It turned out to be a pin hole in the radiator. I talked to the owner to get him to sign the car over to me and when he told me what all he had done to the car just before "the headgasket went", I couldn't believe it. It had just been services, it had new brakes and shocks all the way around, new exhaust and more. What a score! We replaced the radiator once my brother diagnosed the problem and we put a whack of miles on that car. We loaned it to our son's girlfriend and she trashed the headliner and then whined about it leaking oil too muc. We picked it upp and drove it for another year before the transmission failed in it and it is sitting on the driveway right now awaiting a turn in the shop. We'll likely use it as our winter beater this coming winter - I hate to but....... We sure liked that car until we got it back with the interior ravaged and abused. What I wouldn't give for a model of that one...

Yeah, some of that stuff sells for unreal money IMHO. I saw a '66 Dodge Monaco kit sell awhile back for over $300.00... that is sooooooooo crazy!!!! Say what you want but when something gets close to $50.00, I start going a bit cross eyed although I have paid more than that for some kits. Still, for some people, a few hundred dollars is nothing I guess. I have looked at some nice stuff that i would dearly love to have like the 1/18 Highway 61 GMC pumper truck.. I have seen one in real life and it is sure nice but at a total of over $150.00 after shipping, I'll pass.

Holy moly is that ever nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't imagine the hours that went into that car.. it is simply stunning, to say the least!! I just bought one of his truck kits but I did so with the understanding that it is not going to be like assembling an AMT or Revell kit. All I can say is that if it is near as good as it looks in the auction picture, I'll likely be pretty happy. And if I feel that it is beyong my skils right now, then it will go on the shelf until I am ready. No one else makes this truck so if it takes some work, then so be it. If it is junk - then I have been forwarned and it is no one's fault but my own. I only wish that he would have posted somemore pictures of it and definitely larger ones. Somehow, I think that I will be happy though. I'll be sure to post my thoughts once I have it in hand.

All are very nice, clean builds and I do like them all. The interior shot of the caprice looks good and I like how the seats look like real vinyl. I agree that design and overall appearance of the older Caprice is very pleasing to the eye but then I have always liked those cars. However, I do have to say that whoever designed the dash board layout on those cars didn't have much in the way of taste as they are very plain. Never the less, I have never owned a Chev of that vintage but we have had several '84/85 Buick wagons and I really liked the dash design on those. Nice builds.. do you have plans to do any more police cars?

Hi Ed, That's a real cutie, to say the least! I don't remember ever seeing many of those around even as a kid back in the '50's, although I am sure they sold a whack of them. Honestly, I always thought that those boxy little Plymouths and Dodges were in their own way, sort of neat. When i was in grade school - around Grade 4 or 5 as I recall, the parents of a Native boy who I went to school with drove a wagon of that style and I remeber it vividly. It was a medium blue in colour and I really liked it. I have always liked station wagons and "Inky's" folks's car was even then, unusual. Inky was the only name I ever knew him by - he was a nice kid and very well liked although I am not sure just how the name "Inly" ever came to be .. still wonder about that to this day This was around the time of the Cuban Missile Crises but even then, his folks' car was the only one in our neck of the woods. The car looks good, Ed and I wouldn't miond one of those myself just to set on the shelf until I could get around to doing it. I tried to find a website for Jody - does he have one or did someone else make this car? I'll try to pm you later today...

I guess that I should have mentioned that the truck is a conventional cab and it will be a tandem axle job. If I am to use the Dodge chassis, I'll have to have two frames and differentials. The truck will be married to a gravel trailer - ideally a tandem and not a tridem and it wont have a sleeper. I'll have to do some measuring once I get the cab for the project. I am still open to any ideas and suggestions... thank you both for your thoughtfulness. it's appreciated.