W-409

Very clean looking Camaro. Nice to see one of these built Stock, especially when it's done this well. I like the overall look very much and nice details in engine bay finish this off.

Fantastic work as always! It's a shame that the WIP was moved into Big Boys, so I will have to catch up your latest updates from there. This makes me speechless, it's so nicely done.

Wow - I'm very glad I checked in to this Truck section after a long time and saw this. Excellent work all over, this must be one of the most realistic Truck models that I have seen in a long time. These are hard to get right, because usually most of the parts are painted with the same color, but this one looks spot on. I like your paint job. It looks very smooth and shine is just right - not too shiny but not too flat either. Very nice work overall, I wish I saw more of this good Truck models being built.

I'm not a fan of Rat Rods or rusty cars. Usually I think they would look better if painted with a smooth and shiny paint. But as models, I enjoy seeing those. Probably because I have tried to make rust in 1/25 scale and even if I knew that it is hard, it was way harder than I thought it would be. So I can appreciate the work that has been put into them. But as a builder, rusty rides usually don't interest me. I like to build the cars the way I'd like to have them in real life. And I would not want to have a rusty car. Though I have one project planned that will need to be rusted completely. It will be a true challenge... Modern Resto Mods or Pro Touring whatever cars with big wheels and tires scare me away each time, though. No matter what scale it is.

That's a neat idea with the stance! How did you get the rear axle twisted like that, I remember this kit has molded in axles on the chassis? Maybe I would raise the stance a little. Especially the rear end looks a bit low to me. On these GM A-Bodies the rear end doesn't go down that much on launch at least on stock type suspension. But of course this car could be lowered. Otherwise I like the stance, and these A-Bodies definitely do that twisting when they launch so it looks natural. For those panel lines, I've found out that to me this works very well. It's made by Trumpeter. I'm interested in seeing more of this.

I saw 20th Flight Rockers performing live a bit over a week ago and I took a couple of videos too. Here they are covering Jerry Lee Lewis' High School Confidential. An excellent band & An excellent cover!!!

That brought my mind how the same thing happens on The Driver. Though, it's not a hubcap, it happens with trunk lid. In this chase scene, the Cops shoot "The Driver's" car and trunk lid comes off. Still you can see the car after that shooting and it has the trunk lid on place. Better yet, on a couple of fast shots before the shooting, trunk lid is already missing. In that movie they also overtake the same '73 Chevrolet Chevelle many times during the movie in different chase scenes. You can see it in this scene as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43zcvKPnc60 I've never noticed that the car used on that crash on Vanishing Point is a Camaro. That's a real shame, it would have been much nicer to see a Challenger being destroyed.

Didn't see this thread until now so sorry if this one has been posted already. It should be easy anyway...

Great looking Stock Car. It's nice to see these older Stock Cars built as well, and you're the master in building these. Another beauty in every way from paint and decals to that fine detailing all over the car. What kit did you use as basis for this one?

Thanks for the kind words Tyrone, Carl and Gene! Actually making that roll cage was easier than it looks. I was afraid that I'd never be able to make a cage that fits well inside this car, but I'm glad how it turned out. And that's my first try at making a "Full Cage".

I haven't had much time to check in on these threads, but now I was able to go through the latest updates and I have to say that this is looking very good! Nice paint work and mock ups look very good as well. The stance on that 2nd picture looks spot on to me. I can't wait to see more of this.

That's a sweet looking Cadillac! Those pics were worth freezing, too, these models just look so much better in outside pics. Great job with the paint and BMF, very nice and clean work all over.

Great job Carl, as always! Your paint jobs are always really nice and smooth and this one is not an exception. Color fits very well to those body shapes. Really nicely done build overall.

Umm, not quite ! Alright, I will say it first that this post is completely according to my personal preferences. Probably many of you don't agree with me, but I will tell you how I like these cars being modernized. I think it depends of the era of the car how much it can be modernized. Drag Race cars don't belong to this post, as, according to my last post, I'm okay with a bit more modern parts in them (No way I'm okay with anything like LS engines or new Hemis or that kind of stuff in them either). With Hot Rods, let's say up to 1948 as they are often classified, I think it's perfectly fine to use 1950s and 1960s parts in them. I really like seeing for example a '31 Ford with a Small Block Chevy and three carbs. It is still old school even if it is modernized. But then again, 1970s technology in them is already starting to lower my interest and when coming to the 1980s and 1990s with that horrible High Tech style... Man, those are horrible! On 1950s cars I'm okay seeing 1960s technology in them. In some cases, 1970s tech / style is alright as well, but quite rarely. Again 1980s and newer High Tech and then these all Pro Touring etc things scare me off. 1960s and 1970s Cars are okay with 1970s technology and style sometimes, but not always. It really depends on the situation, what car it is, how the car was built and what newer parts were used. For example a '66 Rambler American built in 1970s style with raised rear end and all of that "Important Equipment" those cars used to have, can be good looking. Then in cars of the 1980s, it is natural that the technology is from 1980s, just like with 1990s cars. But then again, I don't like seeing them built in popular styles of those decades like the High Tech I mentioned or Pro Street with everything painted the same (And usually ugly) color. My daily driver is a 1987 Chevrolet Van with a 379 Cid (6.2 liter) Diesel V8 in factory stock condition. It works very nicely here in Finland, despite the cold and snowy winter. It is really possible to drive every day with that. Of course these years are not "spot on" and every time it depends on the situation if the modifications are something that I like or not. I don't like the look of many new cars. Of course the styling is almost always very ugly, but other thing that catches my eyes... The wheels and tires! That's why I think new cars look the best in Drag Strips when they have 15" wheels with high profile tires on front and rear. This goes for GM F-Bodies, Fox Mustangs and all of those new cars that usually have big wheels when rolling on streets. I am always perfectly fine with some sort of modifications and modernizing. Mostly that kind of stuff that can't be seen or that just have to be done. For example batteries. I'm fine with modern batteries in old cars, because it is a no brainer to buy those replicas of old batteries - they are very expensive. Of course if the new battery is self modified to look old, it's always better. I have no problem with someone changing an alternator to replace a generator. No problem for me, though again, the generator would have looked much better. Modern lights are okay up to some point. Those Xenon lights or whatever they are called and Led lights on old cars are a no-no in my opinion. Modern brakes, yep, no problem as long as they fit inside regular size wheels etc etc. Maybe you get the point what I'm trying to say here. Just like it's said on TRaK forum rules. What we can't see... Can't hurt. But these Resto Mods / Pro Touring cars never look good in my opinion. What Casey said about those Pontiac Snowflake wheels... I think the wheels are too big looking for any old car, because those tires have way too low profile and if someone installed a proper high profile tire on those wheels, then the car would end up looking like a Monster Truck or something. I hope you guys understand what I try to say here. I don't want to say that this is the only way cars should be built. NO. But this is the way I like them.

I've done a few of these as well. I'm not a master in editing these photos, but anyway here they are. Of course the first one would be the best, but otherwise they are not in particular order.

Now it looks like Photobucket is back in business again and it lets me to upload the pics there, so here are the pictures that I tried to post yesterday. Seat straight from the box: ' Seat after cutting away some unneccessary plastic... How it fits on place after this operation:

Thanks for the kind words everyone! They are appreciated! Progress has been slow, and it will remain slow as well for a while. I'm having lots of other tasks, with that 1:1 car, with high school and with a couple of other model projects (I'm working on an old Finnish Drag Car currently that was being raced about 25 years ago). Anyway here is a bit more work with this Mustang. The seat was way too high as it would not fit under my roll cage. My cage could not be much closer to the roof than it already is so that's not the problem. So the solution was simple: I cut unneccessary material away from the bottom of my seat and after that little operation it fits perfectly on place. The first picture shows kit's original seat, the second picture shows the seat after some cutting and last two pics show how the modified seat fits on place. ...And it looks like there is a problem with Photobucket. I'll post the pics when I can...

Great point on the tires and wheels. They just simply never look good in my opinion, I think tire needs to have high sidewall profile to look right. John posted about those Cragars and tires sticking out of the fenders. Personally I'm not a great fan of that style, but sometimes it works. Still those tires have sidewall profile and they look like car tires instead of rubber bands.

Wow that looks great! You do excellent work and this one is not an exception. Smooth looking paint job and incredible detailing in the engine and interior. I can't wait to see the final pictures of this one finished.

Excellent looking Mercury Comet you have there! This is one of the best looking Mercurys ever made and I really like your version. The color fits well to body shapes and those steel wheels are beautiful. Nice job.

I really like that '36 Ford! It's a very nice and clean Custom, especially I like that color a lot, but stance, wheel and tire choice and the overall look are excellent as well. That ZZ Top Eliminator is very nicely built, too, but those wheels just don't fit to that car (either) IMO.

I've never heard of that, but I guess there are different Bondos available and some of them might shrink & some don't. Yes, when applying small amounts of that Tamiya Putty you should be fine.

Looks like I didn't see your comments until now...Sorry about that! Bill: Thanks! It's true that many people don't know that difference (or then they just don't care) but having a full scale version in the garage, I just had to fix that. Shaun: Thank You! I'm happy to say it, but finally it's easy to find reference material, as there is an 1:1 '60 Impala in the garage that I'm trying to get driveable for the next summer. Rusty: Thanks for bumping this thread up, I actually pulled this one back to the bench a couple of days ago and I have done some minor work, but unfortunately I'm having very little time to build. My main progress has been with that 1:1 car and its rust repairs. I should have a couple of pictures in the next few days...Stay tuned.

Very easy! The original Z28 would be neat one to watch, but that Resto Mod would make me turn around not to see it. That original car would not have to be a Camaro to be more interesting than a Resto Mod Camaro - a bone stock Chevrolet Chevette would be much more interesting for me, too.

Well - that's what I was grown up with... My dad has never had any of those Pro Touring etc things, and he never will either. I forgot to add the only exeption to my last post: Only case where modern technology is OK in my opinion, is Drag Race cars. Luckily they never have big wheels and low profile tires and I'm perfectly fine with for example electric water pump and that kind of parts in Drag Car engines. Anyway those engines must still look like an engine, not so that when the hood is open, all you see is plastic.