modelercarl

That is perhaps the best truck/trailer build I have seen......very nice!!!

What in the world does this have to do with model cars/trucks?

This is unreal....I have been building a car transport and tractor combo in the John Cooper colors, still working on decals (without much success). This is the Revell/IMEX Transport trailer with a Freightliner. John Cooper rigs are a very common sight on the Eways around SE Michigan, I think he has the contract for several GM brands. Of course he now uses the rigs with the "low profile" tractor and trailer and can haul up to 10 vehicles. I wish a kit of the new rigs was available we would then have a rig available for displaying cars models of three different eras. I agree with the earlier comments...the Chevy/GMC tractor is very well done and perfect with the AMT trailer. I can remember seeing rigs like that around this area when I was younger. Very well done!

Terry, You are right, Tom does offer several '59 GM kits as you mentioned and a "59 Ford..... I did not say he doesn't offer GM or Ford kits just that I wish he offered more of them, particularly Pontiacs and Chevys of the 60's and early 70's and Fords from '50 thru '57. There are plastic kits for a lot of these years but with Tom's quality and attention to detail I think we could build some eye-poppin' models. Carl Gowan

Thanks for the compliments guys, I really enjoyed working on these 3 as I think all of them were great cars for the times.

Attached are pic's of 3 cars I finished up this week. My parents bought a '57 buick like this when they came out and as a newly minted 16 year old driver I got to drive it quite a bit, the '48 Ford Conv. and '49 Ford Coupe are models of cars owned by a couple of buddies in High school during the late 50's. These will be added to my collection of built models featuring cars I have owned/driven and friend's cars. I hope you enjoy these.

Roger....Google Promolite 2000 and then open Promolite Product list album / Tom Coolidge. You will have a Fokti album with all of his kits shown plus several builds of the models along with contact info for availability and cost. Steven...Thanks for the info. I guess I have done it both ways but I will make sure to sand after the Bleche Wite from now on.

I just finished this '57 Buick, a resin kit I got from Tom Coolidge at Promolite2000. My parents bought one of these (in black) when they came out. As a new 16 year old driver I got to drive it quite a bit, quite the buggy back then. I have been looking for a model of this car for a couple of years and stumbled across Tom's site about a month ago. Although I have built only (5) resin kits so far (4) cars, (1) truck, I was prepared to do some filing, sanding, filling and possibly heating to reshape on this when I got it. Much to my surprise...a little sanding and it was ready for Bleche-Wite, prime, paint and polish. Assemble it do some BMF, a final buffing and done!! Tom's casting quality, scale integrity and assembly aids made this a real pleasure to build. It's too bad Tom is a "Chrysler guy" and doesn't have more GM and Ford kits to offer, but as he explained to me he sticks with what he knows and is comfortable with. Highly recommend this source based on my limited experience with him.

Why don't you post an address where we can send kits, etc. to help out. I have at least 10 car kits and a couple of truck kits that I would like to donate to this effort. I may be able to scare up some rattle can paint also.

I am just an old guy building mostly showroom stock car models, 1953 - present,(owned by me, family or friends) and "portable parking lot" truck/trailer combos for displaying those models. I would welcome a kit for the low profile Freightliner truck with trailer that you see everywhere on our highways. Judging from the rarity and prices of the older ROG transport kits I think that there is some pentup demand for just such a kit. Maybe to attract a larger market they could kit a different truck but I know in SE Michigan the low profile truck is the most prevelant by far. I suggest Moebius because I am very impressed with their interaction with members of the forum, their sharing of information,and what seems to be a strong desire to "do things right". I join many others who have pre-ordered their (3) new kits and am anxiously awaiting their arrival on my doorstep. What are your thoughts?

it's 1/25th scale per an earlier post on this thread.

Tower Hobbies has it listed for $101.99, Nov. 2010 delivery.

Had a great visit this afternoon from my daughter and grand-daughter. My daughter works at the Ford Archives in Dearobrn, MI and I asked her if they would answer queries from modellers looking for info on Ford vehicles. She said that they would be very happy to help out if they have the requested info....they do this for 1:1 restoration people all the time. The email address is: archives@ford.com. She has provided me car interior pictures (53 & 57 Fords) and C900 pictures and info for my builds. Hopes this helps someone.

Like a lot of topics on this forum this one seems to come up every six months or so and I have posted this pic before but will again. I have built 3 display cases out of 1/8' clear acrylic. They are are stackable and on top of a bookcase in my office/build/spray paint room. At first I was going to hinge the front or top but I could not get a good seal so I decided to just "wedge" a tight fitting piece of acrylic between the top and bottom pieces, stopping it against the end pieces. Works very well, haven't dusted in over a year. The knob you see in the pic is for pulling the front cover out for access to the models.

Just changed my order to (2) each of these new kits, very impressive!!!! Would like to add my thanks to Dave and Art (and Moebius) for the informational posts on the development of these outstanding looking models.

I agree, I wasn't too impressed with them at first either, I think it was the big front end little back end or something. That car was my "returning to my youth" vehicle. Was browsing new cars on a lot and saw it had a manual 5-speed and I liked the color...that's all it took. Not much on performance, but a lot of fun to drive.

Thanks for the kind words. It makes me smile when visitors see the display, especially friends from school who remember the cars, great conversation starters. We had our 50th class reunion last year and a couple of the guys wanted me to display the models but I was afraid of damage/loss so I didn't do it.

Charlie, The '53 Buick is an R&R resin kit. I have only done 2 resin kits so far and have found that there is an awful lot of grinding (Dremel) and sanding required for fit which is to be expected when you consider how the castings are made. Also the Buick body sides were bowed out and I had to dip in boiling water and then squeeze it closed to the proper width and dunk in cold water. Again, I think you have to expect this with resin, so no big deal. The finish on the R&R kit was excellent, very little prep required before priming and painting. I don't know if you noticed but the window glass isn't in yet (the model is in "mock up" stage), I just can't get the vacuum formed kit glass to fit well yet....if you have any ideas I would appreciate hearing them. That's the only hold up to finishing the model right now. I must tell you this. When I bought the kit the first body roof was badly concave and I emailed R&R about it as I wasn't comfortable fixing that kind of problem and they immediately sent me a new body and told me to keep the distorted for practice. Very impressive vendor to deal with!! I haven't made up my mind yet on whether there is any advantage or extra appeal of resin instead of styrene (or vice-versa) but I did enjoy building this one up and the '60 Pontiac is resin also, I would recommend R&R to anybody though. When I got back into this hobby one of my highest goals was to find a '53 Buick HT just like my parents had as it was the car I learned to drive on...never thought I would find one! Then the exact colors from MCW...amazing what is available compared to the late 50's and early 60's when I last built models.

I buy it from United States Plastic Corp (www.usplastic.com). They will ship precut to your dimensions (very accurate!) or you can buy pieces in various standard sizes. They also have the acrylic solvent cement, knobs, corner reinforcements,saw blades, drills, etc. Excellent service!

Thanks... I built the display cases out of 1/8" acrylic. The bottom, top, back and ends are joined together and the front is loose, tight fitting panel that is removable for access, the knob helps to disengage the front. The cases are separate and stackable (As you can see I am up to three already). The motorhome you see on top is another project. A company I worked for had a GMC Eleganza motor home for entertaining customers (chauferring to sports events, concerts, etc.) and let employees use it when available for family vacations. I was Chief Engineer and got it pretty regularly. It's a model of Hess Oil Company training van that I found somewhere. It was in very bad shape, glue had oozed out of joints, tarnished chrome scored plastic, etc. I have been trying to rehab and am replicating the one we used many years ago....coming along OK so far.

You guys are right...it is a little plain. When I started building the truck and trailer I kept looking around for color ideas (being in the metro Detroit area I see LOTS of "portable parking lots") and it seemed the independent truckers were usually very plain rigs so that got me a color but I did/still want to add stripes and tried Jbot for months but he seems to be out of business. I am experimenting with making decals and have gotten pretty good but I'm a little worried about screwing up a decent build....been practicing with scrap stuff. I will get something worked out though.

I am reposting this... don't know what happened to the first, sorry guys! This a ROG Peterbilt Black Magic and the ROG Car Transporter I built. It has models of vehicles that I have owned in the past. I got back into this hobby after about a 50 year absence (I am 69 y.o.). I started by building models of cars I owned as a teenager growing up in Garden City, MI and wanted a method of displaying them that was easy to keep track of and eliminate dusting!! See my posts #2 and #3 for the whole story.

This is the two truck/trailer units with the cars in display cases I built to keep them in. I hate dusting!!! All of the cars, trucks and trailers have been air brushed with MCW (Model Car World)lacquers... great paint to use, authentic colors and very easy to air brush. I am now building another truck trailer unit using an old Italeri Freightliner and the ROG Car Transporter. Got a lot of models of friends cars from the teenage years to build and display.

This is another truck/trailer I built up, the Autocar A64B and AMT Haulaway trailer. It has models of cars that I owned as a teenager, first the '53 Studebaker, then the '53 Ford, then the '57 Ford. The '53 Buick was my parents and the car I learned to drive on. I am amazed that I found the correct models and with MCW (Model Car World), I was able to get the exact colors.

I am a 69 year old modeller.....haven't built models for about 50 years. A little over a year ago I got back into the hobby by building models of my first cars I owned as a teenager growing up in Garden City, MI. The 53 Buick you will see is the car I learned to drive on, my parents. I then bought in order, the '53 Studebaker, '53 Ford, '57 Ford and finally the '60 Pontiac before going in the Army in '61. This posting is in 3 parts due to the file size. As you experienced modellers will know, the Peterbilt is the Revell of Germany Black Magic and the trailer is the ROG Car Transporter. More in the next post......