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Thank you, Tim, for restoring it back to the original design. It was a pleasure to see it and your other early builds at GSL last week.

Thanks! I entered it at GSL last week in the Group 23 category (start with an AMT '49 Ford and build it any way but without using parts from kits or aftermarket items that are "modern"). This category wasn't judged but instead was a popular vote and mine came in fourth place! There were about ten entries and the others were mostly traditional customs while one was a unique junk truck made with just the front and forward part of the cabin like a pickup cab.

Here's a video (not mine) from yesterday. Many more entries have arrived since it was shot.

Thanks all for the nice comments. Espo, yes it does have kind of a bumper car vibe like those ones at fairs. It can be a polarizing design, so comments from those who don't like some or all of it are free to speak up, too! I have a thick skin and welcome all viewpoints. I hadn't thought about a color name until you mentioned it. I does look sort of butterscotch in the photos that were taken outdoors on a cloudy day. In direct sunlight it's a purer yellow pearl color. The base coat is Polly S* Reefer Yellow and the color coat is AmeriCraft (or a similar name) Bright Yellow pearl. So, maybe I should call it Reefer Yellow Pearl -- just kidding. I'll just stick with Pearl Yellow.

One day I noticed that the cross section of the AMT '49 Ford cowl where it curves from horizontal to vertical on the side of the car happened to be the same as the curve on an AMT '36 Ford hood. Then I noticed that the front of the '36 hood, when seen from above, was nearly the same as a '39 Ford grille from the AMT '39-'40 sedan kit. So, I cut off the '49s front fenders and roof then pie-cut it and sectioned it before adding the hood and grille. The powertrain is a Jo-Han '70 Toronado engine/trans/diff with a Latham axial supercharger and intake from the AMT '65 Buick Riviera. The body paint is pearl yellow craft paint over flat yellow model railroad acrylic. The subtle fogging is a mixture of Tamiya clear yellow and clear red acrylics. Many coats of Tamiya TS-13 clear gloss made it smooth and shiny. Much of the bright metal on the engine and other parts is Molotow.

Thanks! I wasn't able to locate the TP-4 but I've just placed an order for the similar TP-3.

Does anyone have panel scribing advice for a body made of a variety of materials? For example, a custom with these: Kit styrene and Evergreen styrene with liquid cement CA glue Filler putty (two-part such as Bondo) When building customs I've found it impossible because of the differing hardness of the material, especially when the filler is feather-edged to the styrene in the to-be-scribed area.

I had that problem when painting during normal to very dry (low humidity) weather. Here is what worked for me: 1. Wash with a dishwashing soap and rinse with tap water. If you have hard water like I do, dip the part(s) in fresh distilled water to rinse off the hard water. 2. Let the part(s) air dry. I was using compressed air to speed up drying and get moisture out of tight areas on a body. That combination of low humidity and air blasts gave the body a static charge that attracted dust in what appeared to be a dust-free painting area. The purpose of rinsing with distilled water prevents minerals in the hard water from being deposited on the body when it dries.

You could buy it, make molds of the relevant parts of it that are useful to you then sell it, probably for the same or more than you paid. From an intellectual property standpoint this wouldn't be quite "kosher" but it would seem to be OK: 1) Since you would be buying this from someone other than the original producer (who got paid for his work by the original purchaser) you are not harming the original producer. 2) By paying a relatively high price for it you are supporting the value of this item in the marketplace. 3) By only copying parts of the original and not the entire body you are not diminishing the original producer's work nor are you making a "cheap copy" to sell and thus profit from the original producer's skill without compensating him. 4) By re-selling it later you are again supporting the value of this item in the marketplace even though it's the same item selling for a relatively high price.

This is a great idea and you're making a wonderful start on it. I think that the '57 body design is the best of the '50s Buicks for sleekness and making a two-door hardtop wagon is the best of all.

Wowee! This is a clever idea with excellent workmanship. I like your chassis engineering combined with a goofy body and the beginnings of a beautiful paint job. Keep up the good work.

Looking good! Can you tell us about any mods that you're making? Also, are there any parts fit problems? I'm thinking about combining this Lincoln kit with an AMT '41 Ford woody to make a custom.

Nice save in progress!

I've ordered from Spotlight for years and recommend them. If they say it's in stock, it's actually in stock. Shipping is fast. If you have a dog tell them and they'll include a free dog treat.

Thanks! I can't take credit for the chop, though. It was mastered by Dennis Lacy for the Drag City Castings resin body.

Thanks! Here's a pic of the whole photo diorama with two more of my models displayed.

Thanks. I felt the same way about the grille, too. To me it would have been "too much" in chrome. This is a 3-window coupe resin body — I started with the Revell 5-window kit but didn't use the body.

Here's something that might have been built in the late '50s. It was the time when a hopped-up Olds or a Caddy was the hot choice before the SBC became dominant for those wanting more power than they could get out of a flathead Ford. This one is more modest than one might expect with a rod having a chopped and filled top, a Halibrand quick change rear axle and a worked-over Cadillac engine. There's no custom paint, not much chrome or polished metal (even the Halibrand is painted black to not attract attention) and it still has the stock gas tank. The tank is not functional -- it might be useful to carry water to add weight, if needed. The real gas tank and battery would be in the trunk but are not modeled. The paint is a mix of red enamel colors thinned with a "cool" lacquer thinner. The underside is a bit grimy as one might expect for a street driven rod that is a couple of years old as shown with its 1961 license plate. Normally it is street legal but here it is ready for a day at the drags with slicks on standard wheels replacing treaded tires on reversed rims similar to the fronts. The model started with the Revell '32 Ford 5-window coupe kit but many of the modern rod parts were backdated or replaced with other pieces from a variety of sources. Some include: Body (mastered by Dennis Lacy), firewall, filled grille shell, radiator, grille and seats from Drag City Casting. Engine is the old Revell Cadillac 354 parts pack using that kit's B&M Hydro-Stick trans and carbs from Iceman Collection. The rear axle and various details are from the Revell 22 Jr. kit. Dzus fasteners holding the hood top on are Model Car Garage MCG-2074. See the build thread — trakinscale.proboards.com/thread/19196/ford-window-coupe-late-50s?page=1 — to see how it went together and learn more about the origin of parts not mentioned here. The mid-century modern styled photo background was inspired by 3D-printed breeze blocks made by Maple Leaf Modelworks that matched ones on my 1961-built childhood home in southern California. Thanks to all who commented on my build thread -- you guys posted some really good advice that made it better.

My subscription issue 211 just arrived in ZIP 917-- in southern California. It looks like another great one. The survivors articles, an update on that goofy Renwal build (fascinating even though I'd never buy/build one from that series) and a bunch of new/reissue kit reviews with plenty of background history look fine. Kudos to all for getting MCM back to a regular publishing schedule with excellent content.

210 just arrived today, Nov. 9, in ZIP 917-- east of Los Angeles, CA. A quick glance through it looks good. I'd never be interested in the old Renwal kit but it was good to see what the parts look like. The other things look like a good mix of new tools, new kits and show coverage. Gregg and his crew have really done a nice job. I hope that future issues are as good as this and issue 209. Keep up the good work!

Nice job! Your mods are just right.

My subscription #209 just arrived in perfect condition in ZIP 917--. A quick flip through it shows a magazine that everyone involved with it can be proud of. The photo reproduction (including some with black backgrounds), printing/paper quality, wide variety of article topics and informative ads are all excellent. It's heartening to see that Gregg, with the help of the talented staff, is achieving his dream. Keep up the good work!

That's a big 'flake but it's great for a drag car! You might want to mask and spray the side panels flowing into the door "scoops" like the Dick Landy car. Instead of solid red like Landy's, a candy color of your choice could really make this pop.

Here's my only attempt, circa 1969. The cars are 1/25 scale. The pavement is an old weathered beat-up wood plank that I painted black and added white striping to. The fence is a thin piece of wood painted flat black with images cut from car magazines glued on and the crowd is from a magazine centerfold photo of a dragster at the strip. Unfortunately, the Christmas tree is a crude-looking homemade one that I built that actually functioned — the green lights are on in the photo.