Jairus

You think that's neat here are a couple more that were sent to me by Robin via email. Both are built by Robin NOT ME! But I am posting them here to show what else is going on. I asked Robin to join MCM Forums so he can continue the builds here. He lives in the Atlanta area. The first looks like the '37 Ford from the article. This one looks just a lot like mine other than the pie cut section. He was smart and left the windshield posts... see how much better it looks? I think he is attempting the third and final rod from the Sketchpad article. Wow, first time all three images inspired builds!

Virgil's build up has inspired me to mockup one of my own so.... Cab is a '53 Ford F100 that has been sectioned horizontally and vertically to reduce it's mass. Unfortunately I cut off the windshield posts and now it has lost it's character. Looks like a blob.... bummer! Well, I have another junk box '53 body here where I think I'll pull the windshield frame and put it back on this body but laid back some for a more sleek look. Not sure if I want to go with exposed welds yet. The bed is a the back quarter panels of a '57 Ford over a Model "T" pickup bed. Frame is "32 and the wheels and axles are from who knows where. (Think the fronts are new Revell...) I have yet to "Z" the front rails and will do so here to show anyone interested, how it is suppose to be done. The truck is still sitting too high for my purposes but I like the rake. Bed will be attached to the cab after I am happy with it as it still needs work. Power is to be a Caddy motor from '59 including the Automatic with either 3 Deuce carbs for induction or... Cool huh?

Waaallllll I will be the first to admit that building a 3 dimensional version of a piece of artwork is NOT an easy task. But your "Frankie" build comes close, very close! The chin thing is a little strange but hey, I told you to make it your own and that is what you did. Very cool and a whole lot of fun to watch the progress of this build. Thanks a whole lot V! Oh, and I think I like the softer side of Frankie for the bed....

You are very welcome! I am happy but missing you guys. Had a great time last year and hopefully life will be less stressful in 2008!

Nope, not mine! Sorry.

Very CLEAN! er... dirty? Nice? COOOOOLLLLL... yeah, that's the ticket!

Walked out to the mail box today expecting the normal raft of late notices from creditors and found only one box.... this: Wonder what is in it and who is "Flint"? WOW Was not expecting this! Jimmy and I talked almost two weeks ago and I guess I forgot that he was sending something.... Anyone know what it is? A little history: Back in the late 90's my life was very stressful and I was going through a terrible personal issue. All my models were in storage and I had nothing but a few tools in little box to use with which to give me something to do. Lindberg had just released the 1953 Ford victoria kit so I started cutting that up and ended up with a beautiful Country Squire station wagon and plans for a neat GSL project. This car really brought me out of my doldrums! (Gregg also called me for the FIRST time about then too, but that is another story) A resin caster at one of the shows saw my creation on the "in-progress table" at a local show and said that he would like to cast and sell it. NO, was his answer, I would receive no payment for this of course.... I contacted Art Andersen, a friend, who at the time was running a more reputable resin body business by the name of "All American" who then ended up sitting on the project for a little more than 4 years. Art did eventually give me back the body I worked so hard on... however the plus side is that he improved the piece a bit by correcting the curve of the roof and modified the posts a little. I met Jimmy Flintstone while taking in iHobby last year and told him about the '53. He said he would love to check it out and so I sent it to him shortly after arriving back at the homestead. Jimmy gave the master to his master builder who I met at Atlanta in '06 and he suggested he would like to make some improvements before casting. The short of it is that the piece you see here has been worked on by three professionals! It really is the best and most correct that can attempted of any 1953 Ford Country Squire wagon. SoCalCarCulture will be wanting one of these.... The interior is pretty smooth leaving little evidence of previous body work other than the tiny pin ends which became the stovebolt heads for the wood sides. The chassis from the coupe or convertible should suffice but modifying the cargo area will remain a challenge until someone works up a suitable resin part. Me, I am going to scratch build that myself by filling the area with suitcases, coolers and other travel parifinalia as-if the car is on vacation. Simple huh? 'Cause that was the plan way back in 1997 before the body started traveling all over the country... My Country Squire has finally come home!

Steve, your work is always first rate and I look forward to seeing your next "BatMobile"! (someday I need to build that Jimmy Flintstone kit...) I built this for a friend on another forum. Here is a link to the thread if anyone is interested.

I'm not normally one to cast aspersions but... he is usually the one who smells better.... I'm just saying....

The silence is because my daughter is using the computer and the bed you choose is the bed you gotta sleep in... haha! Oops, she is back....

V, I think you like it is because it is real! A shiny car seen on the road is a rarity unless it is coming out of a carwash or a restored "only driven on the weekends" classic. Most of what we see on the road is flat, dirty and used. Heck, even a two year old car is going to have door dings, scrubbed tires and maybe even a star in the windshield. Stuff wears and gets dirty and that is the painful truth. Sure we like shiny and new because that is the dream but the reality is my 1990 Taurus with it's bug speckled front end, "going bad" paint and reddish brake dust coating the front wheels.

No white glue... but I do use a lot of metal pins. The two sizes I like are .047 and .055 music wire which works best and strengthens the joints once the epoxy drys. I also glue a lot of the parts together prior to painting... which makes painting more of a challenge but at least everything lines up for me. Other things I do that increase the work load but give a much better look is very little brush painting. Nearly everything is painted with an airbrush unless it is a tiny item.

Welcome both of you to MCM forums! If you like to build models and share them with us the indeed you are both in the right place. Please read the rules and both of you need to put your names in the signature box found in the My Controls section of this board. That way your name pops up in each post so everyone knows who you are if you register with a handle. Some guys register with their real names so they do not need to do the signature box thing.... like Chris did. (Nice to have another NW modeler aboard) You can also put a small picture and or anything you want to say in the signature box like personal quotes and stuff like that. Hope you have a great time here. J

Yup, James scratch-built his from styrene tube and two vacuum formed ends. While mine is a de-chromed version from the Tom Daniel Pie Wagon which I laid back and added two strips around the edges to simulate a rolled and beaded edge.

Well Virgil, for the first time in a long time you are beginning to inspire me to build my own Truckster. I have been looking through my kits looking for a good victim but... progress for me is not as fast as you. A snails pace actually... J

Chris, I did not build the black car, that was constructed by the able hands of James Warkentin. This is my car and entry for GSL way back in 2005. Notice how low it is compared to a couple of period vehicles. The engine I settled on was a Lincoln V12 from a fictional 1950 Continental in the wrecking yard. Built from two V8 engine blocks out of the Monogram 50 Pickup, features all the correct plumbing and electrical wiring. Lic. plate is aluminum foil embossed over a kit molded license plate. The rear axle is a mix of parts and I have little idea where most of the pieces come from. Driver is smoking and has a holstered 45-cal revolver in his lap. On hand on the steering wheel and the other wrapped around the shift knob. Front wheels are position-able and the drag link works as well. This front shot shows the radiator which is made up from an American La-France shell and photo-etch screen lined up and glued together to create a mesh that looks thick but you can still see through it. finer mesh may have been more realistic but ... I like it. Well that is my brain on dirt... any questions?

4 or 5 years ago James Warkentin called me up and said that he had started a new project, a T-bucket type of rod with a straight 6 engine. He brought it over and I saw that James had really gotten the stance LOW! I was inspired to build one of my own and quickly mocked up a T-bucket using the body from AMT's '25 Model "T" kit. We shot this picture after getting them together for the first time. After many months James finished his car and it didn't change much from the beginning mockup. My car on the other hand got changed a number of times. My first motor was suppose to be a Dusenberg straight 8 but the darned thing was sooo long and tall that the bucket behind looked like a Roman chariot behind a team of horses. The second motor was the Flathead V8 you see in the above pic. The final choice was a Lincoln V12. Here are some pictures of James finished rod. The decision to have skeletal drivers was made early on. The driver you see here is holding a trophy we can only assume that he considers himself to be the fastest car of the two because of this fact. This pic shows a relationship between a stock car of the period and how low in relation James car sits. Right side engine shows a weird duel wire ignition system utilizing double coils. Note the worked sheetmetal look of the cowl and careful placement of rust spots. A trio of Updraft carb's feed the thirsty babbit pounder 6. They feature complete throttle linkage and all plumbing. Note the radiator hose clamps... Next: I will post pictures of the T, so stay tuned!

Virgil, far be it from me to tell any modeler how they should do their own hobby! That said.... I suspect that you couldn't wait to start throwing some paint around as I think that is your best trait. But the best course of action in my opinion is to mock up the car before painting. Here is the previous T-bucket in mockup mode as I was studying the stance and going for the look. I will usually not begin painting until everything is done and I am sure it all fits together. Notice there are a few changes.... from here to the finished piece. The decision to change motors and radiator was made shortly after this picture was taken. The car was build in conjunction with a rod that James was building. He came over one day and showed me his mockup and I got inspired and started the T. A few weeks later we shot them both. Once again I see that I made a few changes between even those two pictures.... Anyway, notice James rod needs blocks under it because he didn't want to attach the grill until all the detailing was done. I am getting some of the pictures of his car and will be posting them in the Under Glass section so as to not divert your thread. One more thing, I am giving you advice because I believe "Frankie" to be worth it. You are doing a great job and I just love your details and skill with the modeling tools. So I hope I am not bugging you too much..

Yes I built that one. The other rod was built by James Warkentin my good friend and model buddy here in Salem. He and I bounce ideas off each other and we constructed the cars at the same time. James is a master of dirt, rust and weathering. However, if you want stance... you gotta listen to me! I am sure you have what it takes to create the three musketeers of the Rat! ... However it is getting late and I go to bed now.. see you tomorrow V! J

Now that's pretty cool!

Because the inside mirror was enough back then. Life was much simpler mid century when all we had to worry about was the Russians.... By the way, nice build!

Very nice! I hope you got paid well as that is a beautiful build and not easy....

Yes LOW! Like this.... Spring perches are the secret I believe. You can change the road height quite a bit by changing that piece regardless of the "Z". The rear frame really kicks up because I used a rear spring with a big arch... Then the front axle is mounted suicide style with a really deep style spring mount... But... wait a min. Is that radiator allowing light to show through? Yes, the mesh is simply a handful of photo-etch pieces superglued together. Cool huh? The judges at GSL missed that and a bunch of other details all together but who cares! I was building it for myself and not for a contest. James car is even lower by the way....

V, Only change it if you want to... it's your call and your model after all.

I shoot 50/50. I don't use their thinner, but instead use Isopropyl Alcohol and warm the paint in a pan of hot tap water.