W-409

Nice build of quite rarely seen kit. These cars are really nice, I need to build one some day. Your paint work is incredible, so shiny and smooth, just like brand new 1:1 scale car. Overall very nice build, and great story too. Those are always neat to read.

This looks like a great build. I'll be watching for sure, another Traditional build from your bench. Engine choice is perfect and it looks really stylish overall.

Thanks guys for the kind words, I appreciate them! And thanks for the tip, Rob! I will do some test fitting before painting, thanks for sharing that info, it isn't nice when glass parts fell apart when trying to do Final Assembly. I've done that too many times, but now I know to check that before gluing anything. Today I was able to start detailing the carburetors. First time ever using Photo Etch parts and I was really surprised that how tiny they are. However I managed to get them installed somehow, not the best work but decent for first try I guess. Fuel Lines have been installed also.

Thanks Brizio! I appreciate your comment .

This is cool! Just my style, I will be watching this one very closely. I've watched those Farm Truck videos on YouTube many, many times. Those steel wheels fit perfectly to the look of this car. I'm tuned in.

Very nice Belvedere of the Golden Era of Stock Cars! All work you did really paid off, this build looks spectacular. Nice paint and decal work. Whose decals are those? Now let's go Racing. http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=67211 .

When Revell's '50 Oldsmobile kit came out, I knew right away that I will need more than one of these. Well last week I went on Local Hobby Shop to pick two Revell paint bottles, Flat Black and Brown for the dash of my '77 Chevy Van project. But I saw this kit sitting on the shelf and when it wasn't expensive, I just couldn't pass it. I have always thought that these late '40s and early '50s Oldsmobiles are very nice cars, and great starting points for Customizing. My plan for this one is to build a Mild Custom. I think Oldsmobile nailed the body lines on this one so there will be only minor body modifications done. I thought about doing a little Top Chop, but actually it doesn't need any chopping...Maybe for another one then? Basically the modifications I will do on the body are removing some emblems and other chrome trims. Chassis will be lowered and I will use Steelies with kit's Pad Printed WhiteWall tires. Here are some pictures of the first Mock Up I did. Only thing that needs modifying on the frame/floor is that I have to sand a little groove on the frame crossover to fit that rear axle on place. The Floor & Frame fit really nicely to the body. This sure is a nice kit. The engine is that Olds Rocket that comes with the kit. I will only add Two Carburetor Intake from my parts box. I found no fit issues so far from the engine. Also I drilled holes on the Valve Covers for Spark Plug Wires. Not the best picture, but you'll get the idea. And here is some more work with the engine. I installed Spark Plug Wires on place. Luckily the distributor was big enough to drill nine holes there. Yes, I still need to add the wire for Ignition Coil. Carburetors are cut off from old Ford Flathead intake manifold and they were painted with Silver. Air Cleaners are from Revell's '58 Chevy Impala. Tomorrow is time to make some Carburetor Linkages and Fuel Lines...Stay Tuned.

I have never bought an empty boxes or anything like that. But I know that some people do so, especially those who have lots of old models that are bought as assembled models and they are not in original boxes. A friend of mine wanted one box I had, because he said that it's simply easier to find the model you are looking for when it's in its own box. Usually when I finish a build, I try to keep the box and instructions, if I have space for them. Usually I move some bought Glue Bombs into them if they have been in some other type of box. This is just because of I've heard Dad complaining it too many times that he has thrown those Jo-Han boxes away back in the day when they were just as common kits as Revell's new kits nowadays. But of course, some boxes end up to trash can, if there just is not enough room for them.

Thanks Danno! There are many cars in Finland for sure, and luckily racing is alive. There are two Top Methanol Dragsters in Finland. First one is driven by Marko Leivo and this is Arto Höylä's old car that has a Personal Best of 5,7 Seconds if I remember correct. And Esko Raisvuo who has that A/Fuel Dragster. Best ET is around 5,6 if I remember correct. Not my picture.

That paint work is incredible, as always in your builds. It looks like glass, very nice shine and completely smooth too. Great job, I really like this one. Nice work in the engine bay also.

Thanks guys for the kind comments! I appreciate them a lot. I really like how this one turned out, too. Except polishing, it was a lot of fun to build, but I've never liked polishing and this body had lots of smooth surfaces to polish. But it turned out okay.

Yeah you are right, American Cars are quite popular in here. On the local Cruising Nights there can be over 200 cars. Our family has three cars, and all of them are American. Yep, West Coast Street Cup is basically for street cars, though there is a class called ET Bracket too, and many times there are real race cars also. WCSC is driven on Airports, but those races sure are a lot of fun. East Coast, no in the East, there is Russia.

Heh that's true. It's actually my father's car, but I have driven it a couple of times...Really neat car, and it has been on our family since 1987 when it arrived to Finland from Texas.

Thanks for the info & pictures Dave! I've seen pictures of that car, but can't remember whose car it was before Victor bought it. Very nice car and I'm sure it runs very good. Here are two Finnish Top Methanol Funny Car drivers. First Johnny Oksa who is driving his dad's (Jarmo Kuutniemi's) car. Jarmo passed away because of health issues, and this car needed to get back on the strip. So Jarmo's son Johnny drove the license and he has been racing with the car this season very nicely, especially when he has no experience of Drag Racing before stepping into TMFC. And then Ari Pietilä who has another Jarmo Kuutniemi's car. This is the car that Jarmo drove before buying that Dodge Charger. It was a Chevy Camaro then, but Pietilä's team turned it into Dodge Intrepid.

Thanks guys. Regarding to Tom's question, I have to say that I don't know. The reference that I've found is very minimal, so it's hard to say anything. That's why I'm keeping this pretty basic Box Stock Model with just some added details. It was time to put BMF on the body. Man there are a lot of Chrome trims that need to be Foiled. But I think it turned out okay. After the Hudson and this, there is not much left of my BMF sheet.

Yeah, actually I found that already, and then there is one 1:1 in the garage too, so I can check out some specs there as well.

Yeah I am really happy with the record I ran even though I had little traction problems whole weekend. That was the only run where I didn't spin the tires much at the start. Though I did pretty massive burnout too. Only thing that still bothers me is that I didn't go full throttle to the end and make a massive break out, but a new record time. Well next time then. I test fitted that Pro Sportsman chassis also when I first got the idea and you are correct, it will be easier to scratchbuild my own chassis. Actually your Camaro build with some others (Like Dale's Mustang for example) are bookmarked because of the great chassis and other work done. They are great reference material for this build. Only thing that I'm not sure is that should I try making that frame & cage from brass or styrene tubing... I've tried both, and both have their own challenges...

Thanks for the great info! I need to take some good measurements on that Impala body so I can see how much I can narrow and where. Two last sentences are 100% true, I've been planning this build for one year now and I think I have some kind of a Game Plan. But of course, when the build starts, then I know if it works or not. But I guess it will work. I think this is exactly what I will do in here. The Mustang you are building is turning out very nice, and if I could get something even close as that, I would be very happy.

That is another good way to do it. Those 1:1 measurements are not a must have for an experienced modeler that has done these things before too, but they help a lot when doing these first time I guess. I planned, that I will be doing so that I start cutting and building it to match those 1:1 measurements and then see how it looks. Then there is the possibility to do some modifications, if the result is not desired. Thanks for the pics, they help a lot. It's great to see where you guys usually cut the body and other stuff like that. I will be using those for reference for sure. I wish there would be more pics of '60 Impala Pro Modified but I guess that it's not the most common body. Though seeing other Pro Mod bodies and comparing them to original ones helps also, since it is possible to see where it has been stretched/shortened, cut etc. Well I wouldn't say that. Both of you had excellent advise and both replies were really helpful. I think that with combining the 1:1 measurements and looking at the result, maybe doing some modifications to get it look better without looking at the rulebook, will lead me to the best results. .

First I want to say a big Thank You for all who has helped in this. When I started this topic, I couldn't imagine that I would get this much excellent information. Thanks! Thanks for the Rulebook pages, and that ProMod Camaro blueprint. They'll help a lot. Actually I have 2012 NHRA Rulebook, but I will be building it with these 2013 rules, in case that there are some differences. So a little shortening needs to be done. Luckily that shouldn't be a problem. You are right that those older ProMod bodies look much more chopped & channeled than newer ones. But they still are the coolest in my opinion, though it doesn't matter what body it has, a Pro Mod car is always very interesting. Thanks for the measurements too, I will use them on my build, since it's easier to build when there is an exact info of how these things should be done.

I haven't been much online for last couple of days. I was driving my Stock Eliminator Drag Race License with our '74 Chevelle at Finnish Championship Drag Race Event at Kalajoki Airport. I got the license and made one qualification run. Today I ran my best, 12,53 in K/SA but broke out even though I hammered the break pedal at the finishing line. I just came home after 8 hours of sitting in a car, I'm feelin' a bit tired so I will read all of these posts again tomorrow and I'll send another reply then. Now it's bed time.

I've been watching your progress since you started this one. A lot of work already done on this one, and it really shows. The body and chassis are both very nice pieces of art! Great work.

Thanks for the great tips and info Greg and Brett! The car I will be building is 1960 Chevy Impala that has 119" Wheel base, so I guess I don't need to stretch that. For the Rocker panels, I will keep them original. That is the only thing I'm not so crazy about in some Pro Mods. Sometimes it looks really good, but in some bodies I think it don't and this is one of those. So I don't have to worry about that, though I'm going to get it as low as possible. Wow, how much you guys narrow those things was a surprise for me, I never thought that they actually were so narrow. Thanks, this is just the reason why I asked. I've always liked ProMods too, they are my favorite Drag Cars, as Stockers & Super Stockers too. I'm not a Top Fuel Dragster type of guy, even if they are really fun to see on Drag Strips too. This Gasser class '60 Impala inspired me to do this.

This sounds like a cool build. I'd be in for sure, though I just finished mine and possibly don't start another one right away. But I'll keep an eye for the progress. Here is mine, for inspiration.

For me, a '32 Plymouth Sport Roadster would be "The Thing". That could be used to build the Art Russel Plymouth, that is nowadays located here in Finland.