Farmboy

Thanks for your kind words guys. Dave, in answer to your queries, I had originally planned to have it with a rear side opening gate and outline where the whole lid would lift aka a fibreglas cover. When I actually started doing it, I faced the reality that doing so neatly was probably beyond my skill level. The more I proceeded with the build and the wood strips came to mind, the more I just decided it could be a piece of wasteful 2 door coupe opulence owned by the well-to-do with no more functionality than using it for sunny day drives. Actually another modeler suggested it could be a funeral flower car -- an even better idea! Glad you like it!

I built this in the custom section, but thought I'd post it here as it's finished... Just the antenna and a couple of things to stick on. Its the Chrysler 300C built as an upscale camino-esque luxo car for residents of Riverside Drive. Comments critiques welcome.

Here she is, done. Just a couple of widgets to add like the mirror and stuff. I pirated the wheelcovers from a Studebaker Starliner kit. Turned out ok. A few things I'd change or try to do better. Maybe on the next 300Camino. Enjoy. Your comments always welcome.

Finally got the interior in...and forgot the rearview on the dash. D'oh! I'll go at it with tweezers and clear varnish and get it done without too much trouble I hope. Anyway, this is the work part finished. Thanks for following the build I hope it was of some interest. I'll have her up on all 4's by the weekend, and then end with wiring and detailing. Sorry for the blackish shot from the back window. Must be cause its flat and bouncing the light back. As always, comments/critiques welcome.

Here's the back wall and rear parcel deck for the passenger compartment. It took a lot of cutting and fitting but it sits in quite nicely. It just got a primer coat and needs a little smoothing, but the other two pics are to show you how it relates. It will go body color. The steering wheel goes pale green, and the column goes body color. As always, comments/ critiques welcome.

...that which doesn't kill me makes me a better modeler. lol.

Did I know? Certainly, and I corrected quite a few things with it I assure you. But we all have visions of what a great job we're going to do to a hopeless kit when we open it. As for the clip I found out right off it wouldn`t flip around the firewall the way it was. As it sits, it pulls on/off and isn't connected. I tried an experiment on improving how it fit around the firewall -- which also didn't mate well into the body but failed. And that's just dealing with the clip. It was a tough build, and I feel that what I ended up with didn't match the time and work I put in to get it.

Here's the interior in the two tone green scheme. There's just a little touch up to do. The bmf goes on over the flat paint after a coat of future. Note also the thin 'padded' section of the dash. As mentioned, it looks like it's in all probability a mould seam as I haven't seen this on any 1:1 vehicles but it was convenient and I thought it added to the build. Anyway, I have to make a back to the compartment slightly back from the door seam along with rear parcel deck. The rear had to be cut off to accomodate the mods. Thanx for the interest. As usual, comments/critiques are welcome.

Finally got back to this car. The interior was going to go tan, but I thought a two tone green would better relate. So, here is the 'main' green for the interior. The seat inserts and door panel centers will go a very thin green, almost a cream. Semigloss clear will cover everything and bmf will follow. The dash only has a narrow stip painteddark green. It looks like a mold line, but it turned out ok. I've painted the cluster silver as wellas the radio and a/c. The rest of the dash is body color. Decals are supplied for the guages.I'll post the finished two tone green in a day or two. As always, comments/critiques welcome.

I found this a very frustrating old kit to work with. The tub was the most enoyable part of the build. As it is, only the engine fuel lines need to be added and some touchup to the chrome where the RED plastic shows through, I just need to put it away for a while.. this is the kit... I thought it would look better tubbed. This is the `before` ...and after and after.. comments welcome.

I have quite few parts left over from a couple of BelAirs...I'm thinking about a shortened drag car build, or maybe it could be GM's answer to the Nash Metropolitan. Here's how it compares to a normal and stretched length '55. It's only an idea right now... I also have the roof,frame, firewall, engine...everything but the windshield part. Hopefully I'll find in my parts box

Thanx for the kind words everybody. I agree the AMT kit is a fun build despite the custom Revell version doing all the chop work and stuff. I have two more of the kit. I think I may attempt one with the extended hood and custom nose piece from the 50 ford, or try to work an angled quad headlight piece on there.

Here she is, foiled. The wood strips on the back are for the pic only. They'll be a bit shorter wtih bevelled ends and have a clear finish. The body only needs some slight detail touchup here and there and some clear. I changed the background shade hoping the body color didn't wash out with the flash, didn't really work that much better. The green is greener than it looks. Next up is the interior. Comments critiques welcome.

thanx much. its nail polish. The bottle says N.Y.C. but doesn't give the color a name.

...and here's the sage green. very silvery. went on nice. 2000 more coats and I'll shoot some clear.! The top is going good ol' Humbrol enamel creeam white color..

my apologies, The whitewalls came from the Lindbergh 53 victoria kit. sorry 'bout that. I was thinking about another project.

this is my version of a 49 merc. It's AMT's edition, but it looks like Revell's custom made it old news. Anyway, here's my custom; homegrown, chopped, frenched and smoothed. The grille is from a '50 chev pickup cut to fit, whitewalls are from the Lindbergh 53 Victoria kit. I decided to keep the flathead. Enjoy, thanx for stopping by. Mike.

Here's a tip that may be of use. Whenever I used a rattle can to paint a car, I always ran in to trouble around the engine bay. If I got it fully and evenly painted, I ended up with thick paint and blobbed out script...especially with metallics. I could 'decant' and airbrush, but I find it's a lot of hassle since Glad Press n' Seal. I spray what I can separately, then I mask off the bay, fenderwells or anywhere else that has raised detail etc., mist on 3 or 4 coats to cover all the different facets and such, then remove it. It leaves no residue, and once removed, allows me to paint with an even sweep not having to pause over intricate areas. There's no color discrepancy either. Problem solved. And, where you determine how much to use, it's seamless, so masking off interiors from the finish coats or other overspray is no prob. I don't put the hood on the body when I paint, rather I tape it to the stand or nearby so I still get the same color without that tiny sliver of primer showing through where the paint didn't cover

Thanks for the comment Ken. I agree it looks cramped, but it hasn't been chopped and trial fitting the interior shows there's still a healthy gap behind the seat/rear window area, though I may decide to close that up a little. When I shortened the top, I looked at it in terms of a porthole t-bird. I thought of changing the side window profile (re: el camino style) but the curve is such a distinctive part of the 300's personality that I left it.

This is the rear window trim before sanding and bmf. The bottom horizontal strip will be smoothed in to the body and left body color. this is the inside. The piece of cardboard is so I don't push and flex the backside of the bodywork.

I thought you'd like to see how close the '57 300 compares to a '65 El Camino. It's almost graceful in comparison. Comments/critiques welcome.

A few mock up shots to pass along. I've replaced the stock drip rail I removed when I shortened the top. Past experience taught me its easier to replace than to repair. Small diameter styrene does the job. I use acc as primary adhesive then run a bead of thinned white glue along the top groove so it blends in evenly. This is a better view of the drip rail. The three rub strips are positioned for the photo. I'm not sure whether to blend them in to the body or go chrome. The colors I've decided to go with are cream for the top and a sage green body. I haven't decided on whitewalls and whether or not to lower the body. The interior will be two shades of sand/sable. I'll be starting on the interior soon. Comments/suggestions are welcome.

A couple of shots of my primer queen... I'll be adding 3 parallel rub strips to break up the flat expanse using half-round styrene strips. I'm not sure if I should have them body color or chrome. I'm leaning toward chrome (alclad or bmf). Comments welcome.

A couple of shots of the rear box rough-in. Next will be overall bodywork, primer coat and a cover for the box. Notice the box is horizontal (more or less) and resolves into the body near the base of the window. There will be trim applied as well.

I've gone ahead and made a template for the pickup bed cover. Based on this, I'll cut the rectangle for the bed 'walls'. I taped the template to the body and misted black primer so I had an outline to follow and this is the opening. Now to cut a long thin piece of styrene to make the bed wall. It will be one piece, rising to just below the fin height at the rear, resolving in to the body at the base of the rear window