Chuck Most

It all started with a Monogram F-350 chassis, some Kenworth duals, and a few disjointed ideas. A few months of on and off (mostly off) building, some cast off parts (nearly 40 kits donated bits to this model), a bunch of scratchbuilt, aftermarket, and 'found' parts, and I came up with this.... And if you're so inclined, here's the chronicle of the buildup... http://public.fotki.com/ChuckMost/rat-alley/91-ford-f-350-rig-rod/

Very Kewel!

Thanks Mark! Quite familiar with that particular kit.

Winchin', I'd surmise! Seriously though, I'm not entirely clear on what a winch truck does myself, but I do like the model.

Mark- The Capri/Hybrid one you are refering to is the one with the turbo 4 cylinder, which was reissued a few years ago as a "Motorworks" Cobra release, right?

Finally! Closure!

Cleanest buildup I've ever seen of this kit, and that's the truth! It's also refreshing NOT to see one in police regalia for a change.

If people thought you were nuts for detailing 1:24 scale... I've always wanted to build a Hot Wheels or Matchbox car, and if guys like you keep posting them, I'll be forced to give it a go!

I've seen images of the 1:1 vehicle before,but never made the connection. "Joe Teresi... John Teresi... hmmmm...." As usual John, I marvel at your talents! Of course, I'm pretty sure having the real deal handy for reference helped quite a bit, too!

Haven't seen the article yet... but I'm pretty sure I'll be putting the info to good use before too long!

Testors One Coat Icy Blue, blown onto it straight out of the rattle can! A clearcoat seems to tone down the oversized flakes in this line of paint- it sure did on this one!

Not a bad option, either!

You know, you always could just leave the hood off completely...

Another quick, low-effort buildup I threw together, to keep me motivated during longer, more involved projects... This is the old 1:24 Arri kit. It was designed to be motorized, so obviously there were a few detail compromises. The hood and doors open, but engine and interior details were so crude and blocky I just glued them shut and did it as a curbside. The body proportions are pretty good- though it's missing the Thunderbird insignia over the grille, the rear 'Thunderbird' script is faint (so faint, in fact, that I didn't even notice it was there until after paint!), and the grille has the wrong number of bars. The side trim and Thunderbird scrips are done quite sharply. Another bummmer- the rearview mirror is molded to the windsheild... sort of like the original versions of AMT-Ertl's '66 Nova. I'm glad that little feature never caught on! I decided to do a mild custom, and added some wheels from an AMT 'Rides Magazine' kit (I think these came with the '65 Galaxie). They're huge, but they fill out the wheel wells nicely, and are a marked improvement over the 'big and little' tires from the Arri kit. Instead of the geared metal axle, I just repurposed a bit of sprue from the kit to serve as the rear axle! Not a great kit for the detail freaks and accuracy hounds out there, but I like it. It's a big-bodied '70's Ford... how could I not love it!

I think some issues of the '55 kits also had a pretty cool tri-carb setup. It was still in the Basic Builder issue of the F-100, but I don't recall it being mentioned in the instructions or on the box.

The Monogram '93 Cobra had a very good 5.0 (302) in 1:24, although it was a late model, fuel injected unit with a five speed manual. I believe the Monogram (and Revell) '55 Ford F-100 and Panel also shared a small block Ford V8 that was reasonably well detailed.

They do- but he must've cut down the oil pans, I think those had the deep-sump pans.

Yeah- I've seen that one, and it is indeed 'crud'! I'd almost think I could scratchbuild a better looking Mark V on my own!

Smoke and all?

As long as you keep the models clean, in a relatively temperature/climate controled environment, you should be fine. Don't clear over them with enamel- it will yellow over time and tint the BMF underneath it, as well. I've seen models built in the early '80's, and the BMF still looks good on them.

They kind of look like Revell engines to me- not sure of which kit, though.

Really like the De Soto bar in the grille- great way to bring this terrible kit up to snuff!

I heard years ago, somebody took this crude little motorized Arri T-Bird kit... And converted it into a Lincoln Mark IV. I was wondering- has anybody else seen it, or know who built it and where one could find a picture or two of it?

Are those Ford FE big blocks?

I've never really left the hobby (I've been at it since '88), but I've had my hot and cold moments, for sure! All I can say is- build what you want to build, to your own standards. If it doesn't make YOU, the builder, happy, then what's the point? Get back into it, get comfortable... THEN worry about the finer details!