mrmike

Thanks guys! I hope that my rebuild will influence you to go ahead and build those '33 Ford Eliminators you have stashed away, awaiting to be built someday! Maybe someday is sooner than you think... The engine has a coat of Chevrolet Engine Red. The carb needs to be detailed and the distributor and heads will be drilled out for plug wires. The body and interior have been washed and is currently air-drying. More to come...

Thanks guys! Charlie, if I can get myself dug out from under this two feet of snow, I hope to be at the MassCar show in Taunton.

Thanks guys! Charlie, I will keep bleach in mind when I need to strip chrome next time. Jay, the October 2010 issue is available for purchase through Scale Auto's site. At this point, the engine is complete save for the air cleaner assembly. I have painted the interior, chassis, and other parts Krylon Satin Black. Some pieces will require additional detail painting with other colors. More to come...

John, the interior will be painted various shades of black. In the few spare minutes I have at the end of the day, I try working on my models and I have working on the engine. The auto trans has been painted and is ready to be assembled with the engine. The remaining engine parts have been paint detailed. More to come...

This is my '59 Cadillac Eldorado Seville painted with Tamiya X-34 Metallic Brown with a white and copper interior.

Thanks Luis! The Story McNally cell phone rings with a call from Mrs. Crane, Mary Parregrin's neighbor. She tells him someone is breaking into Mary's house and he and Sgt. Adam Troy race over to Mary's house followed by a patrol car with two patrolmen. The patrolmen will cover the back of the house while Adam goes in through the front door and McNally goes in through the side door into the kitchen. As he walks through the kitchen he is hit across the shoulders with a heavy object that knocks him to the floor and he turns to see a figure running away out the side door. He get himself up and running, yelling for Adam as he runs out the door after the figure. The figure runs past the corner of the house and trips over the garden hose and nearly falls to the ground with McNally tackling the figure, grabbing the figures arm and twisting it behind its back. Adam comes running over and hands McNally a pair of handcuffs which McNally expertly cuffs the figure. He turns the figure onto their side and is identified as Derek Parregrin. He is arrested for the murders of Mary Parregrin and James Dullone and placed into the patrol car for the ride to BPD. Several weeks later, McNally receives a compensation check from the Parregrin's lawyer for apprehending Mary's killer which will go in part to taking his girlfriend Caitlyn out to dinner since he has been blowing her off due to work. The DA's office decides to release the Caddy to Wayne, the collector from Connecticut and McNally offers to deliver the car using the flat bed wrecker from his friend Vic. Upon arriving at Wayne's showroom, he is greeted by Wayne who is extremely happy to see the Caddy and he thanks McNally for delivering the car. He offers McNally an opportunity to take the AC Cobra that McNally previously saw out for a spin, which McNally quickly agrees to. Both men are smiling ear to ear! The Build I have finished my '59 Cadillac it is posted in Under Glass. I would like to thank all those who took the time to view and to comment on my WIP.

Thanks Erik! Yes, this is a great kit indeed! I threw a few parts into the purple pond and after 5 days, this is the result...some chrome has been removed and some remains. Purple Power has changed its formula and it is quite weak in its ability to remove chrome or paint. I am very dis-satisfied with this product and I will not purchase it anymore. The body and associate pieces have been painted with MCW #6907 Cameo White. Some wet-sanding is next as there is some orange peel on the body and hood. More to come...

Thank you David, John, and Charlie! Charlie, not all stories run the straight and narrow path. It's more interesting with a few twists and turns...like riding a motorcycle. It fun to feel the speed in a straight line, but it gets exciting when you get into the turns! The Story The following morning, McNally meets with Det. Sgt. Troy at the Boston Police Impound Garage to look over the Caddy again as they both feel as they have missed something, and for all they know, it is staring at them in the face. After an hour of looking over the car again, they stop and discuss what they both have and wonder what they are missing. McNally leans against the right tail fin of the Caddy and he feels the taillight assembly move slightly. He asks Adam if the taillights were removed and Adam looks at the CSU tech who says no as McNally looks at the taillight and sees fresh screwdriver marks on the screws holding the assembly on. The tech produces a screwdriver, removes the taillight from the tail fin, looks inside and points at a plastic pouch covered with dust and dirt. The pouch is removed and its contents spread out on a workbench...stock certificates from Walter's company and probably worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. They have found the motive for Mary Parregrin and James Dullone's murder...money! The Build The Caddy is almost finished. Here's a sneak peek at where I am at now. McNally Will Return...

I can't seem to understand the design of the current F1 cars. How are the drivers suppose to see past their feet? The foot box looks too high.

Thanks guys! Charlie, I think the Elmers should break cleanly where it was applied. Maybe try using a hobby knife and a little bit of light pressurre between the parts to help break them free. The Story After leaving Derek's house, McNally decides to visit James Dullone, but when he arrives, he sees Springfield Police at the apartment building. He identifies himself to a patrol officer who directs him to Det. Colburn. James Dullone has been murdered and was found by a neighbor who heard a loud commotion in the apartment next to his. McNally agrees to stop at the station and give a statement to the Detective since both cases may have a common ground. It's possible that Derek may have murdered James because of his involvement in Mary Parregrin's death. The Build Tonight, I took a big step forward by joining the interior, chassis, and body together. I also started adding the remaining pieces to the engine compartment like the air compressor, radiator hoses, and battery. I still have to add the cruise control and washer bottle. McNally Will Return...

I have decided to challenge myself with another rebuild of an old built-up model...Revell's ZZ Top Eliminator. I built this back in the '80's when this version of Revell's '34 Ford was issued. IIRC, I built this model in a weekend and it shows. I am going to clean everything up, repaint, and rebuild. Here's what I started with... And, here is where I ended up with after half an hour or so... I am repainting the body parts with Tamiya TS-49 Bright Red and hopefully will add some missing components like rear shocks and plug wires. I also have a new set of decals with thanks to montecarlo1980. Thanks Ruben! More to come...

I painted the engine this morning with Model Master Olds Engine Blue and my Badger Universal 360 airbrush. And, yes...the valve covers are on backwards. I can't remove them since they are really glued on to the block and I would end up destroying the whole assembly if I tried. The body, hood, mirrors, and grille piece are primed and almost ready for some MCW #6907 Cameo White. More to come...

Thanks Charlie! Even though I have the bulk of the story written, I am still adding to and making changes to it as I go along. The chrome decals helped greatly with the foiling, even if I did do a lot of foiling afterwards. The Story McNally and Caitlyn drive out to Springfield to continue his investigation and to meet Caitlyn's parents with Caitlyn driving her 2010 Mustang GT. After meeting her parents and showing off her new car to her family and friends, Caitlyn drives McNally over to Derek's house after dark to check out Derek's flatbed wrecker. He sneaks around Derek's house to the back and finds the truck sitting in the driveway and in the dim light he makes out the lettering on the door just as Mrs. Crane had described it...faded, missing letters and numbers. McNally looks in the cab of the truck and finds towing invoices with the name of James Dullone, one of Derek's employees. While searching the cab, he accidentally knocks a small crowbar onto the driveway, making a loud clang. He quietly shuts the door and races through the bushes into the neighbor's yard and back up the street to where Caitlyn is sitting in her Mustang. He gets in and says, "Let's get outta here!" The Build I got the windows glued in place using Testors Clear Parts Cement. I have had limited luck with Elmer's Glue and Testors Gloss Clear, so I purchased the Clear Parts Cement to try it and I really like this stuff. Strong than Elmers and faster setting than the Gloss Clear. The engine bay is nearly finished. McNally Will Return...

The Story The following morning McNally visits the Boston Police Homicide Unit. Adam has received an early edition of the ME’s report on Mary Parregrin’s death. It appears that she was pushed, lost her balance, and hit her head on the kitchen counter. There were bruises on her upper arms and shoulders that indicate she was shaken and pushed. McNally says that he is heading back to Springfield to continue investigating Derek Parregrin and to take a closer look at his wrecker. “We also got a hit on some of the prints on the Caddy’s right tailfin. A man named James Dallone. Some small time priors, nothing for several years,” says Adam. “Got an address on him?” “Springfield Police lists him at 354 Chambers St., Apt. 3C their city,” replies Adam. “I’ll check him out later today when I get back to Springfield,” says McNally. The Build I have finished applying the decals for the Caddy including the wheel cover centers. Foiling is also complete! This took me a while to do even after using the decals from the kit. In some spots, the decal had torn or ripped. BMF polished looks like the kit decals that I had applied. I need to dry brush the Eldorado scripts on the front fender lowers. McNally Will Return...

Thanks John! The Story McNally returns to the hospital to pick up Caitlyn and check on Zachy. Zachy will be OK after getting the medical attention he needs. As he and Caitlyn walk back to McNally's Charger, they discuss the drive to Springfield tomorrow and Caitlyn offers to drive...she wants to show off her new Mustang GT Convertible to her friends and parents when they get there. That's fine with McNally as he can concentrate on what he has gained so far on his case. His suspicions about Derek Parregrin are starting to get the best of him, he just needs to find sufficient evidence against Derek. The Build I decided to try the chrome decals that came in the kit. I must admit that I was a little skeptical at first, but after working with them, they came out pretty well. I still have some foiling to do and this car still needs a lot of it. McNally Will Return...

Thanks Shane! So far, I really like this kit! No flash, very little in the way of mold lines, and great parts fit. I have assembled the engine and trans. The engine will be painted Olds Engine Blue, but I don't have any right now. I have to run a few errands today so I'll hit the LHS for some and any extra supplies that I'll need in the future. I am undecided if I'll wire the engine or not. I detail painted the wheels with Testors Gold Enamel. I detail painted the grille with Pactra Flat White and Pactra Flat Black paints. The headlight buckets were detailed using a black Sharpie. I am using the Chuck Kourouklis article in the October 2010 Issue of Scale Auto for reference. More to come...

Another kit that has been in the stash for a couple of years is this Revell '72 Hurst/Olds Convertible. I decided to give this excellent kit a try. After looking online for details and options, I have decided on the Turbo Hydra-matic 400 trans and console, full Hurst/Olds graphics, and no rear spoiler. I'll add white letter tires using Shabo tire graphics. My paint will be MCW #6907 Cameo White. More to come...

I have finished my '66 Mustang and it is posted in Under Glass. I would like to thank all those who took the time to view and to comment on my WIP.

This is my '66 Mustang painted with Tamiya TS-54 Light Metallic Blue with a black interior. Built mostly OOB.

Thanks John and Charlie! Charlie, just give it a try. It's really not that hard to do...just take your time and work carefully! The Story McNally calls Det. Chen of the Narcotics Squad and Chen tells him to meet him where they discuss the drug dealers that Zachy met...Foo-boy and Digger. Chen calls in his information and soon another detective joins them with additional info on the two drug dealers and warrants for their arrest for the murder of 3 drug addicts. McNally offers to join in the bust since Chen is shorthanded tonight and he welcomes McNally's presence and Police expertise. They break down the door to Foo-boy and Digger's apartment and Chen chases Digger towards the back of the apartment while McNally fights with Foo-boy hand-to-hand with Foo-boy being subdued by the Boston PI. Chen collars Digger in the bathroom, trying to flush his stash of drugs down the toilet. The Build The interior is now complete with the steering wheel added to the steering column. The wheels and tires are nearly complete. Decals for the wheel covers are next after I mount the wheels to the chassis. McNally Will Return.

Thanks John, Jamie, Paul, and Anthony! Foiling is complete! Now I can assemble everything and finish this build! More to come...

Thanks Charlie and Bill! Charlie, I am hoping to be able to bring the Caddy to MASSCAR in March. The Story McNally and Caitlyn arrive at the Diner and find Zachy in his usual booth and looking very bad. Zachy sees McNally and he shows McNally his arm with a red and swollen welt...an injection point. Zachy tells of the party with two guys he met and they forced his arm onto a tabletop and injected him with an unknown drug. He's become too weak to get himself to the hospital, so he called McNally. With Caitlyn's help, they get Zachy out to the Charger and McNally drives him to the hospital ER. The Build I have built up the engine as far as the instructions say I can. The are several more parts to go on after the body and chassis have been assembled together. McNally Will Return...

Thanks Remington and Shane! Remington, thank you for your interest in my story, but I refuse to to add more than what I have posted here for a reason...this is a scale model car forum, not story time at the library. The purpose of adding a small story to my build is to show what is driving me to build a particular model and yes, to show off a little bit of my writing skill (or lack of). I don't want to overwhelm the WIP with my story and keep the focus on the build itself. I have been doing this for about 3 years and the response has been good and I have been told to try and get my stories published, which is no easy task. I have a journalist friend who has written a novel and has been getting rejection notices left and right. I mainly write for my own enjoyment and sometimes the stories help take my mind off some of my daily troubles. I find it as an escape of sorts and combining the story with a model build allows me to be able to build a model that would otherwise sit in my stash longer. The actual stories are on the short side as well, averaging out to 8-10 pages at about 5000 words. Short stories. I do thank you for your interest and I hope you will keep watching my WIP!

Thanks Bruce!

The kit I have is the Monogram Cadillac Eldorado Seville Hardtop kit no. 85-7808 . I suspect that the kit you have may be the Eldorado Biarritz Convertible. My kit also contains some parts for the Convertible including the different seat back and convertible boot since both kit are virtually the same. One is a Hardtop and the other is a convertible. Or else, the kit you have may have gotten the convertible interior parts in error. On the convertibles, the rear seat speaker is mounted in the upper middle of the seat back.