Jairus

Thanks guys! The extra plates are to cover up the rust holes in the floor so stuff won't fall out... like feet of the passengers. Still working on the interior... but interiors don't usually get as rusty as the exterior unless water leaks in. Generally only the seat cushions, door handles and floor get really dirty, scratched and messed up by feet and dirty hands.

Wicked Cool!

Worked all afternoon on the interior and only 3/4 done.... (sigh) Got to go some to beat James you see!

Wow! What a question. The answer depends on a ton of variables. You building a brand new Show Room stock or used? I won't even get into street or custom builds.... Show Room stock depended greatly on the year and the manufacturer. Research, research, research is the only answer. Find a real example at a car show and ask the owner a bunch of questions. Or buy a magazine that only reports on that brand and read until your eyes bleed. Example is Ford Motor Co. back in the 30's used to paint most everything underneath a semi gloss black to keep rust in check. Engine colors varied because of low-bid and whatever pallet of green they had available. Later on Ford suspension components were left natural steel which began rusting during transit. Of course dealerships made a killing then on "undercoating" especially in the North. By the late 60's they began using undercoating at the factory Like I said... it depends largely on way too many variables to answer definitively. But if you are building used.... then I paint everything a tan which Floquil calls "foundation" and build up from there with lighter and lighter tans dry brushing to bring out details. A black wash around the engine and where ever grease and oil accumulates.

Looks GREAT Jose! I like the use of the Chevy engine, keeps it "in the family". Very nice build. Wait until Virgil gets his peepers (eyes) on your truck!

Finally an update.... Worked on the 427 engine for two days and managed to get it insalled today for the first time. The exhaust system on these wagons would have been a single so the duel exhaust you see here would have had to have been added later. Also installed in typical "back yard mechanic style" is a set of cherry bomb mufflers. Note the abandon and rusted out aft section of the original single exhaust system.

Actually, I have not received a model kit during Christmas since I was in High School 30 years ago! Clothes and electronics are what I want now and usually receive.... Kits I have enough of! More than I could build if I lived another 50yr. But post away, it is interesting seeing what you guys think is cool!

Click the "View New Content" link in the upper right.

Dan, it's called: "upload the new software - add all the old threads so nothing is lost and.... OH dang! Dosn't work!!!" Looks great Gregg!

Tamiya Yellow clear Charlie. After it has dried I hit the whole thing with a light fog of Testors laquer satin finish as bare metal is too bright and shiny for an old car! Here it is after the trim on the other side has been done and the front bumper sprayed with "Alclad". Now it needs some dul-coat and rust touches. So much to do....

Looks like a darned fun project there Harry! And you are doing a fine job of building it. Merry Christmas! J

Thanks guys. Should be progress each day on this one. All other projects are pushed aside until the 1st of the new year! Got some baremetal foil added and the taillights installed. Vacu-formed some window glass and that is now getting the "Treatment".

Door lines are hard to make stand out. You don't want them to be too stark and again you don't want them to be lost under coats of paint either. How about casting your bodies in dark grey resin (adding some sort of color to the liquid prior) so that once the polishing of the base coat is done.... the door lines can be scribed out with the back of a #11 blade. Just a couple of strokes with the blade and perfect door lines are now present! Tada!

Well, I guess I had better get busy painting. Seems the deadline is getting sort of close... Dec 30th I believe. Shot some color the other day... Still a lot to do, but I am over the hump to the point were modifications are inspiring me to - "git-er-done"!!! The "Surf Rat" continues...

First time for me and I LIKE IT! Any shots of the chassis?

Thank you James! Now up on ebay, click on the pic! Back to painting....

Very good idea! Width problems? Think the older car is a touch wider necessitating a bit of sectioning of the donor pieces. Great project!

I hope Don Emmons gets a chance to see what he inspired.... Final pics. The surf boards are held in place at the tips by two strips of black foam rubber. This keeps them in place, but I think removing them before Tooling the track is a better idea. More pictures at my Fotki site in the Woody folder. Going up on eBay in the next day or two. Thanks for following along! J

The nice thing about this project is that it is no different detail and paint wise than a good curbside model! Fuel lines are next... That's it, last page! Cool huh? Back to building. J

For those of you who think like Harry.... here is a great article found in March 1966 Model Car Science. The basis of the story is building a "pretty" car rather than a "fast" car. Model "A" bodies by Revell and AMT are placed on a slot car chassis for the pure fun of driving around the track. Not for speed but just to see it go! Bill Geary installs working windows that wind down and I have built up door latches and a working dome light that switches on when the door opens! Are such details any different than a car that you can actually drive around a track? Model railroaders do the very same thing.... so why is this project so shunned by members of this forum? I have no idea. Enjoy! To be continued...

Finally finished the driver figure. He was a dude cast by Scale Equipment that required a bunch of modifications to fit into the smallish bench seat. Clothed in chino's, polo shirt with a letterman jacket, the dude represents a High School senior from a wealthy upperclass family. The shifter is not Hurst as this build predates them by a few years... this is an Ansen's "Posi-lock" delux shifter that was the hot ticket during the early 60's. Almost done!

Chuck, yes I did the '78 front Pontiac clip on an El Camino. Can't lay my hands on the original this moment... but never tried the Olds nose. Of course it would work since all in that family used the same front doors and cowl sheetmetal. Incidentally, I saw a few years ago just that car in 1/1. It was a guy at an Arco station gassing up his "Olds-Camino". Wish I had had my camera... but it was pretty neat to see. He was an older guy who just wanted to replace the damage sheetmetal and no suitable Chevrolet front clips were available... so he went with an Olds. It was a Survivor of course because the paint didn't really match. But neat to see non-the-less.

Harry, deslots are of course possible but a full out crash, flip or wall hit is quite rare if you have some skill driving. Even my Flexi Nascar which can turn 4.8 second lap times rarely crashes unless I "Mix it up" with someone. A car like this is pretty much a curb side model car that can and should be driven around the track now and then. Not at full speed of course because it is NOT a racing car. But just something for fun now and then. So tell me... which of YOUR model cars can you have any sort of fun with? Ah, besides catching dust of course....

Sunday morning. Still plugging away at this crazy project... Got the driver cut and glued together in a position that looks semi correct, but the best part... he fits the space provided. The Pompidou hair cut fits under the roof perfect with one hand on the wheel and one reaching for the shift knob. (Or a beer) the outfit is a pair of jeans with letterman jacket over a button down shirt. The standard clothing of an upper middle class High School Senior with the bucks for a rod such as this. I was also worried about the front end getting damaged so I added a couple of bumperetts that solder directly to the frame rails transferring any impact to the structure most able to absorb it.

Progress halts for a bit because I am heading out to my daughters for coffee and snacks. Jeremy and Kellie are very special and I am looking forward to visiting with them and seeing my beautiful granddaughter.... Stella. And the stupid cats... of which there are four .... In the mean time, the epoxy is drying on the driver figure. Had to cut yet another of Scale Equipment's neat figures to make a driver. I really wish Rick Golding would pull his head out and make some decent DRIVER FIGURES instead of fluffy girls. Hint hint hint my friend!!!! All slot cars have driver figures in the front seat and there are lots of people still building slot cars! At any rate, the current figure has had his appendix removed and new knee caps installed in order to fit into the cramped confines of the '31 Woody cab. Wish it had been one of Jimmy Flintstone's figures... but he never came through. So... Rick, you are in the spotlight! Crack a cold one buddy.