David G.

Nicely done, love the color! David G.

Thanks Randy! Thank you Donald. Thanks Bill. I'm not sure if the rake is going to stay like it is. It seems to me that this may change once the interior is completed and the doors are installed. Thanks for your comment Ace. I'm just a car guy, I like them each for different reasons. I'm amazed at the difference in body styles between the two makes for the same model year. Ford had overhauled their general body design to what would be the predominant style of the Sixties and Seventies while Chevy was still updating their designs from the Forties and Fifties. I think you're correct Len. I'm guessing that Ford had a fair number of municipal, state and federal government contracts. It seems to me that a lot of the police and other government cars of the period were Fords like this one. Thanks Jim, I'm glad you like the wheels. I have several build sessions invested in them and it's nice to know that the time spent was worthwhile. Custom and Resto-Mod in progress and barn finds are always options that I consider when building a kit like this one Jim, but all of that takes planning and extra time and effort. People who always build "shiny" have a much easier job of it. I've built both ways and decided to take the easier route on this one. I do have another partial kit and a couple of glue bombs of this kit I can work with, I may end up doing a "before and after" set. I'm not sure that the rake will stay the way it is. I think that the lack of a dashboard is allowing the body to settle a little lower in the front than it should. I'll know more as the build progresses. Thank you all for taking the time to share your thoughts and opinions with me, I always enjoy reading them and responding. David G.

The result looks great Greg! David G.

Nice progress on this one Jim. David G.

Hello Everybody! Here's the next update: I took some time and detailed the stock hubcaps. I started by spraying some Tamiya Flat Clear followed by a blackwash and some acrylic white paint. The final step was a spray of Tamiya Clear. Here are the assembled wheels mounted on the chassis. The tires from the kit went missing long before it came into my possession so I fished these out of the parts box. I also found a set with wide whitewalls and I really wanted to use those but I just couldn't get them to fit well enough on the rims. Having the wheels installed of course means that the rest of the suspension parts went on before them. I still plan to add some weathering using pastels. The front wheels are in proper alignment but the car has poseable steering which has an inherent looseness to it. Which means that the front wheels... will... never be in proper alignment. Wheels down! With that it's time to check the ride height. When I put the front suspension together, I flipped the spindles upside down to lower the front wheels just a bit. I thought about cutting the shackles on the rear springs down just a little bit too but I don't think it's necessary. The car has a little bit of a rake and I like that. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and comments, observations, hints and critiques are always welcome. David G.

Thank you Carl! Thanks D.W. I'm really eager to get this one finished. So hopefully I'll have more updates soon. David G.

Your work on the grilles is certainly an improvement over what the kit provides, Greg. David G.

The chrome trim strips never looked so good on this kit. David G.

Hello Everybody! While looking at the parts in the new AMT 1959 Cadillac Ambulance kit and comparing them to what's in the Surf Shark kit, I noticed that the ambulance kit has a partition in it. The partition is intended to divide the front driver area from the rear patient care area. So of course, I had to have one for the Surf Shark ambulance. Considering the interior changes that AMT made between the two kits, I figured that the one from the ambulance wouldn't fit in the Surf Shark without modifying it. Aside from that, I wanted to keep the kit-provided one for use in the kit which provided it. So using the manufacturer's example as a rough template, I manufactured one of my own. I installed it behind the front seat using the window canopy to help hold it in place. I just thought that this was a neat picture so I included it here. I think that will work just fine. So there it is! Was it worth the effort? Yeah, I think so. I thought about adding styrene strips around the window section to simulate frames and tracks for the windows but decided against it. Seeing in place, I'm glad I kept it simple and straight forward. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment. David G.

Your detail painting skills are fabulous Ismael! You're really bringing this kit to life with them. David G.

The engine looks great, excellent finish on the metal bits! David G.

Wow, what a stroke of luck that you were able to recover those! The paint looks good too. David G.

Clever work on the door hardware Jim! The results are impressive. David G.

Excellent replica! David G.

I received mine yesterday, I can't wait to crack into it! David G.

I see your point David. We're all products of out cultural environments. The "Copper Kettle" is a bit too garish even for my American tastes. I agree, whitewalls seem much more at home on a Duesenberg than they do on a Rolls. David G.

This Olds is just awesome! We need more kits like this today. I sometimes wonder if today's youth would even recognize one of these as a car? ? David G.

Hello David. Although the cream and black color scheme is appealing, the two-tone gold seems to have a certain elegance that the cream and black seems to lack. At least to my eye. Whichever you choose, I'm certain that you will do a spectacular job with it. David G.

Thank you. That's a great looking wagon Jim! I can see where you've added some extra details in addition to the rust. Which is very convincingly done! Thanks Carl. I think the detail painting actually helps keep me sane, isn't that crazy? Thanks Andy. I like that shade of green in the photo you shared. It's actually very close to what I intended for this build. But the Cobalt Green is beginning to grow on me. I like their colors too but I've often had trouble working with their paint. In all fairness, Rustoleum has designed their paint more for painting lawn furniture than for painting model cars. I often forget to adjust for that. Thank you so much for your kind comment Mike. Thank you Dan. I always try to do my best, it's nice to have that recognized. Thanks again for all the kind comments and other contributions. David G.

Hello Everybody! Just a quick update. With the detail painting and a blackwash done, it's time to start adding the suspension. Thanks for taking the time to look. David G.

Thanks Greg, it's not quite what I wanted but it's beginning to grow on me. David G.

Well done David! In the photos it could quite easily pass for 1:1. A very fitting tribute. David G.

Thank you, I'll go check it out. David G.

Great work on this! I love the body mods and the color. David G.

I'm sorry to learn of your health issues, I hope you're well soon. Nice progress on the build, I like the nitro bottle. David G.