David G.

Hello Everybody! Here's an update from the "I just can't leave it alone" department. There's just one more thing that I can't live with. The angle of the gumball machine on the roof has never seemed right to me. I tried to get used to it the way it is but it just never looked right to my eye. It's time to fix that. I cut a piece of styrene tubing and filed it to an appropriate angle. The tubing is a little undersized and though it's not perfect, I think it will meet the need. I may correct this at some future time. But I'm just as likely to live with it the way it is. I suppose I could also file down the beacon base but I don't feel like re-chroming it right now. I apologize for the less than optimal cell phone photos but my real camera is in the shop and... "The build must go on!" Thanks, David G.

Thank you Steve. I think the rake will even out a little once the interior is assembled and installed. Thanks for your comment and the tips you've offered Andy. That shade of green in the photo you uploaded is exactly the color I had in mind for this build. I thought that Tamiya's TS-60 Pearl Green would work. The green was right but the pearl wasn't. I opted for TS-102 Cobalt Green instead. If that's your '57 you should be very proud, it's a beautiful machine. Thanks Randy, I appreciate that. As always, thanks to all of you who follow along and take the time to provide your comments and encouragement. David G.

Thank you Randy! David G.

A clean and simple build. Nice work as always! Great color combination too. There's just something about a yellow Ford Pickup. David G.

Mind-blowingly precise! David G.

Those are some great photos! You really capture the nostalgic feel of earlier times. David G.

Beautifully done! David G.

Nicely done! David G.

Good work on the roll bar Bob. Out of the context of the body, that suspension befuddles my brain! 😮 It seems like it will be a bit much for the truck, but I suppose that that's the point. It truly will be a monster from the looks of it. Can't wait to see more. David G.

You have that leather looking really good! It has a good color and nice sheen to it. David G.

Thank you Jim. Yeah, they all did eventually leak back then, didn't they? David G.

Just watch out, those Canadians can be fierce when the need arises. DAG

Thank you Greg! I have more work done on this beast and I need to take some photos but my camera is in the shop getting some cleaning and maintenance done. I'm trying to get the courage to try to get some shots with the ol' cell phone but if not, I should have my camera back by the end of this week. So if I go dark, that's why. David G.

Hello Everybody! Here's a quick update on the Ford. The engine assembly nearly complete with the exception of the exhaust manifolds and air cleaner. The attachment points for the manifolds on the sides of the cylinder heads are almost nonexistent so I've decided to drill and pin them. Having the wires in place as a mechanical attachment will help me to get their alignment correct as I mount them during the engine installation. Here is the completed engine installation with the exhaust manifolds pinned in place and the air cleaned on top like a cherry on a sundae. Thanks for your time and attention and please feel to post a comment, critique or question if you feel so inclined. David G.

There's just too much good stuff going on to comment on anything specific without feeling the need to comment on everything. Suffice it to say Jim, that I always find your builds entertaining and enlightening and I almost always learn something new. The scrapbooking hemispheres for example! 😮 I'll have to keep an eye out for those. They seem like they would be tremendously useful little greebles. David G.

Wow Niko those are some impressive details you're adding. I just noticed all the plumbing on the engine, that's some fine work. David G.

Thanks Dennis. I just cut the wiper paths from masking tape and gave the windshield a light airbrushing of Tamiya Flat Earth. David G.

The grille looks great Len. I think you found just the right amount of chromieness. David G.

It looks like the paint turned out nicely Jim. The interior looks pretty good too. You expressed some interest in getting information on creating a woodgrain effect. I have a little information I can share. For these I started with a base of TS-46 Tamiya Light Sand, I then used thin washes of Tamiya Flat Earth and NATO Brown acrylics letting them pool a bit here and there. For the dash I started with the same technique but before the Flat Earth and NATO brown washes I drew some light thin lines and patches with black, brown and red Sharpies... very sparingly! I then used rubbing alcohol on cotton swabs to thin and soften the Sharpie lines and patches blending them a bit. After that dried, I followed up with some very thin washes of NATO Brown Flat Earth and black acrylics. Very thin, very light. Subtlety is the key. Once all that dried, a nice coat of Tamiya sprayed from a can gave it all a nice shine. It took me quite a few failures to be able to get good results. I even messed up the service trays the first time around and what you're seeing is my second attempt for those. I hope you find these unsolicited pointers helpful Jim. Of course, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. David G.

Thank you for the information David. I hadn't thought to try tinting that way. My most common issue with adding a tint strip is the paint line between the clear glass and the tinted area. Which is what lead me to trying tinting the clear acrylic hoping that it would produce a softer, more gradual transition. For the most part it did. The method you described seems like it would work at least as well and maybe better. I'll have to experiment with it and see what I can do. Thanks again for taking the time to share that with me. I'm always looking for new means of improving my skills. Excellent looking build BTW. But the Secret Service agent seems annoyed with the owner's choice of parking spot. David G.

Wow, I'm sorry to hear that Jim. You do such fabulous with the modifications and corrections on your builds though. David G.

Thank you David. How did you do the tint on the Pontiac if I may ask? Thank you, I felt that the partition was necessary as well. And yes. Being just shy of 21' in length, this thing is a monster in real life! Thank you Jim. It's nearly done now, I'm at the "buttons & bows" stage and should have it wrapped up soon. Thanks again, David G.

Yeah, for the figure one probably wants to avoid purple, blue and green. At least in certain combinations! Cheers! David G.

Hello Everybody! Not wanting to leave well enough alone I decided on one more addition to the interior. While not technically the interior, I do consider the window glass as such. Many of the photos I found during my research showed a blue tint band across the top edge of the windshield. With such a big fishbowl of a windshield that tint would be a practical necessity. So I decided to add one to my build. To achieve this I used some Pledge Floor Care (as my decade old bottle is labeled) with a few drops of blue food coloring. I brushed the mixture on the inside top edge of the windshield and propped it up at an angle that would allow the acrylic tint to remain in the proper location while it dried over night. Though not perfect, it's one of the better tint jobs I've done. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment. David G.

Thanks for your vote of confidence Jim. I didn't mean to denigrate anyone's chosen building style. For me it takes much less time, effort and planning to build something like this: Than it does like this: The Chevy took more than twice the time to build than did the Ford. For me, the Ford was a much easier build. Which is why I think of shiny builds as easier builds. Just an opinion based on my own experience. That Ranch Wagon you posted earlier looks great BTW! Thanks Carl. That's likely to change as the interior comes together. David G.