Chuck Most

Getting there. Engine might sit too high but it clears the hood now.

One of the kits I've wanted for thousands of years but refused to pay collector price for...

Now it's yellow, some light weathering to follow. Checking the stash to see if I have the topper (not camper) that fits the El Camino.

When Jeff "Gunther" Howes isn't performing with his doom metal band, Sandworm, attending an event for his daughter or son (or step daughter and step son), running Brick Alley Dispensary, or taking in stray cats with his fourth wife Joyce, you'll frequently find him at the wheel of another type of cat, his '69 Mercury Cougar. Owned by Gunther since he turned 16 in 1987, it's been his primary mode of transportation ever since, and has been rebuilt several times, most recently 2024. Highlights include a 1989 5.0 and Tremec 5 speed from his departed graduation gift, a 1989 Mustang GT. The '89's ECM and accessories were retained, and the car can be scanned for trouble codes with an OBD-1 reader. Yes, that's snow on the ground. Gunther has a beater for when there's actually salt in the road. Otherwise, he's taking the Cougar. So what if it rusts ... He can always restore it again. Model is an AMT Ertl "Resto Rods" reissue I bought just for the wheels and tires. Years later the Jay's Resin Wheels Advent Calendar contained a set of 1969-1970 25 Series Cougar wheels, rendered in 20" front and 21" rear. So I finally built it because of a set of wheels and tires. 🤣 Engine, transmission and exhaust are from a Revell '90 Mustang LX, there's an Iceman Collections conical filter, and Testors Mythical Maroon coats the whole mess. Plates are from Best Model Car Parts.

Interior tub, '64 cut down with the back wall from the El Camino, and the rear bench seat modified to fit up front.

'64 Malibu SS and '65 El Camino cut and pasted. Power will come from a '63 Nova six.

Finished photos to follow at some point shortly....

Now it's grown some chrome.

Now it's metallic maroon.

Not a subject I'd be interested in, but I'm actually happy to hear it's coming. Does that make me weird? 🤣

Rex William Bearndt (1932-2014) opened Rex Scrap & Salvage in 1977. He was known around the area for his fair prices, friendly demeanor, and his patchwork fleet of old Ford trucks, most of which were built from or augmented by his "inventory". Rex actually bought this '63 F100 in 1968, but by the early '80's, it was suffering from significant rust in the bed, and a collision with a deer in 1983 left Rex with a choice... Repair or replace. Choosing the second option, Rex replaced the mangled front sheet metal with parts from a '66. The old unibody bed was cut away, and a 1964 8' bed was spliced into place. That was actually Rex's main motivation... He always wanted to see what a '64-66 might have looked like with the big back window. Once that was done, the other rusted parts were dealt with, and the entire truck was hosed off in a pale blue he had laying around. And of course, it got lettered to advertise his business. Rex also painted the middle of the '64 bed trim to (sorta) match the '63 trim. He always toyed with the idea of changing the door and hood trim to match but never did Even though Rex is gone, his daughter Wendy and grandson Brad have kept the business going, and two of Rex's old Fords are still in service. This is the '63 AMT kit, that suffered a happy little accident. Trying to "rust out" the bed, I went a little too far and changed plans to do a bed swap. The grille, turn signal panel, and modified bed came from a Moebius '66. All the rest is out of the box. Wanting a "blasted down a muddy road" look, I attacked the truck with various acrylic paints and Vallejo mud.

I'm working on it....

Built these two '63 models in memory of Plowboy. First up is the '63 Ford F100. It has Conti wheels and wide whites from the Jay's Resin Wheels Advent Calendar, and a 1995 Mustang Cobra engine. Door markings are a combination of Woodland Scenics dry transfers and Moebius decals. It also has a Kentucky plate from Gopher Racing. And now for the '63 Mercury M100 Once again, AMT kit with Mustang Cobra power, a 1997 DOHC 4.6 this time. It has Budnik Muroc III wheels and lo pro whitewalls from the Jay's Resin Wheels Advent Calendar. The hood emblems and flat rear window came from two different Moebius kits, and the tonneau is from the '60 kit. It also wears a Gopher Racing Kentucky plate.

Once again, it's more Cobra than F100 under the hood (1997 this time).

Just Bare metal foil and a fine tip red Gundam marker. It's still not as clean as I would like but good enough.

More trouble brewing...

It's more 1995 Mustang Cobra than '63 F100 under the hood now.

Glass is in, interior is in, wheels and tires selected...

AMT 1996 Chevrolet C3500 kit, built as a former show truck that's seen better days. It has a 2005 Escalade hood, bumper and nose with a grille made from Evergreen car siding. The fifth wheel is an old Scenes Unlimited piece, and the bull horns and headache rack are from Iceman Collections . The mirrors are from a Testors Ford F650. It finished in distressed Krylon Rainwater.

I hate dry transfers but they made this possible at least....

I'm calling the Escaduallie done, just a matter of getting finished pics now.

Here's about how the '63 will look from the outside. Rollers are still up in the air, but I should be getting the Jay's Resin Wheels Advent Calendar tomorrow. Maybe one of those wheel/tire sets will end up on it.

Here's the beginning...

It has recently sprouted a ladder rack...