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that was one idea I had been thinking of too.

The rusty look started with the rat rods right around mid-nineties to 2000-ish, many point to the Choppers Car Club, Southern California in their Anti-Billet, Anti-Boyd look rolling statements. There were rat rods before them though because the Choppers argued that their Hot Rods were "Traditional" not rat rods. rat rods pretty much came about when builders would take a cowl from one car cobble it together with cast-off parts of many different sources, toss it together as something "fun to drive". Unfortunately many rat rods are built with scary construction practices which like some of the first crude Hot Rods gave Hot Rodding a bad name and image. Later, it has become "fashionable" to emulate the rat rod look with sound construction practices, still rat rods. The patina has been around for some time, it originally is/was part of the Preservation Classes in Classic Car circles. It was "Barn Find" before there was a term for it. Preservation Class as I understand it allows only for non-original items which allow the vehicle to continue to be operational. Pretty much a wash it up and run and show what you brung class. The major argument for class of cars is that they "are original only once". Later the "patina look" became an acceptable look to some within car culture, custom culture which has in turn lead to the faux-tina look done with new paint to look old again, even over fiberglass panels. as for me, unless it is a true "Preservation Class Automible" I'm not a fan of either rat rod or heavy patina look, rust should be dealt with! I love the Traditional Hot Rods as most of them aren't piles of rusty metal waiting to cause an accident. Which many rat rodders point to as part of the "thrill" of owning one, most of the rat rod owners must not own enough to be sued for or something!!

I need some help and suggestions on how to remove stale cigarette smoke odor from styrene and resin model car parts? I received 3 separate eBay orders or should I say odors today and they are all so bad that they are in the garage!! Pretty sure I'm not the only person who is interested in how to get rid of the smokey smell off of model parts. Ive used dryer sheets to mitigate smoke and musty magazine odors with great success before. I'm hesitant to use dryer sheets with plastic and resin because most contain silicones in them for that anti static cling. Which is why I really am not too thrilled about using the dryer sheets with model parts, especially stuff I will be painting, one of the stinkers is a resin body! I get severe migraine headaches from being around stuff like this, so it's not just a nuisance odor. For some of us it can trigger life threatening Issues, asthma, severe migraines can and have triggered strokes, even if it's just a slight headache or burning nose and sinuses the whole thing can be a literal pain. So when you hear one of us "whining" about receiving stinky stuff we really do have an issue with it, we really aren't just complaining about something really trivial.

In a Hot Rod sense it really depends if you are talking East or West Coast Hot Rods. For the most part the ultimate West Coast Hot Rod is the Three Window. East Coast Rodders seemed to prefer the Five Window in a heavily channeled version. In more recent times an original Three Window prices have reached unobtanium for the average Rodder, the Five Window has been the somewhat more affordable version on both coasts. With reproduction bodies of both Deuce Coupes being produced again it evens it back out to taste again. my answer would be; Depends on the look you're aiming at for a Hot Rod, for Restoration pretty much the same depends on what version you find more appealing. For me personally I prefer the Three Window by a lot, Five Window looks too much like a Model A to be a Deuce, (even though it is).

Bill, you are correct on the seasoned blocks. I remember reading an article about another guy named Bill. Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins, back when he was running his Pro-Stock Vega's, he would search out high mileage NYC Taxi Cab motors. When the time the article was written it said he would swap in a rebuilt small block Chevy for a good rebuildable "core". As in all he wanted was the block. His reasoning was exactly the same, that a high mileage engine had taken a "set" and would remain the same even after the extensive machine work he did to them. I've also heard the same type of statement attributed to Smokey Yunick. Who are we mere mortals to argue with genius!!!

1965 Pontiac GTO, Hardtop and Post lots of period Drag parts, proper set of tube headers. Split, Oval window, post '58 VW Type 1 - Bugs 1/25 Scale Modern tooting not oversimplified with correct engine/transaxle late 50's early 60's Dragsters

They were likely Mcculloch chain saw motors.

I think I paid $10 or 12 for the 6" metal digital calipers on sale a while back, I have a box full of Starret and Brown & Sharp. I like the Harbor Freight calipers, they have decent feel to them and I'm not afraid to leave them on the bench or accidentally drop them! ultrasonic cleaners aren't bad if you can get them on sale paid $30 for the small one, good for cleaning up the airbrush parts. The DeLuxe Airbrush isn't too bad as long as you take the time to tune it in, I've got a couple I use as backups to higher dollar airbrushes. Don't know that I'd use one as my number one airbrush, if someone asks to borrow one they get the Harbor Freight brush, not the Iwata or any of the others!!! If you look around you will find stuff that is useable on your bench, small drill bits (they're sharp enough to use on plastic, when they wear toss me), files, cutters. Just keep your eyes and mind open. Most all of their stuff is A knock off made in China, they work but don't expect years of use out of them.

Nice work, those of us who've built that kit from when it came out as "The Bad Man" to the Street Machine... It just didn't get any better, it fit like that from the get go! For a kid it was a "glue bomb" in a box! With a little patience and a lot of fitting it can be built into a rather nice "Period Correct" Blown Gasser. It sits right for the gassers of the late '60's and early '70's time period right out of the box. From the looks of things you've got this one under control its gonna look really sweet when you get it finished. Would be neat to find the Bad Man decals from the original kit. Your model brings back a few great memories, thanks for sharing it. Never understood why Monogram took Tom Daniels artwork and then designed some of the oversimplified kits they did, they could have done some really cool stuff with them rather than shoot for Skill Level 1 with a great deal of fitting!! I remember paying a whopping .99 cents for the first Bad Man kit along with a couple of .99 cent Pie Wagons to build as a "rumble seat" coupe (Model Car Science article) at a K-mart "Grand Opening"!! (A few years ago I went to the same store's "going belly up" sale.).

Quell as much as I liked the "Fuel Spider" even though it technically wasn't correct it was plausible, that's what I really look for; is it plausible? Yeah it was, it showed some good imaginative skills to go from concept to producing a thing that might actually work. what if you took the "Fuel Spider" and trimmed it back enough to attach flexible fuel line to the hard line from the spider then to the correct fuel inlet on the carburetors, if you can pull it off you'd have a winner especially on a Custom. I'm watching this one with interest, I have one in the build line to build for myself once I finish up with about five more "other people's" builds! I've been collecting ideas from the recent round of '36's being built lately, yours has some really nice ideas. I'm looking at something similar to the '36 Roadster that Rod & Custom did back in the early '70's (just before they went out of print the first time). I think it was one of Spence Murrey's projects, they used an AMC crate motor, probably use either a flathead or small block Chevy instead, R & C used a LaSalle grill and fabricated surround, which I've already collected parts for. Incidentally they also used chrome reverse wheels and white walls just like yours, classic look!

Great job on turning that kit supplied blob into a convincing VW engine! Probably the best Revell VW engine I've ever seen built.

Turner Classic Movies is great for old car spotting, from old beaters to brand new (then) cars of all kinds!

Well something must have got lost in quotation! Luis - I distinctly remember adding that I really like what you have done with this kit. You've massaged a ton of little stuff out of the model, your hard work shows. I'm highly impressed with te panel fit and finish from top to bottom, it's first rate modern Street Rod quality. Bill didn't mention another popular '50's / '60's treatment to the top inserts. Many Hot Rodders / Customizers upholstered the insert with the same pattern as the interior, seats and door panels. I've seen rollsand pleats, diamond tuck to name a few. Most later Street Rods had the top filled. Whatever way you go I'm sure it's going to look good!

Just a minute,,, there's one too many rivets on the.... This is the absolute best job I've ever seen done on this kit!! That's a whole lot of hard work, it really shows!! Did I mention I really like it! (Friend of the family had a '66 same color.)

Nice job on that top chop! When I first saw this one it looked like you were going for the Mini "Sprint" chop and near equal body section. Now that would have made the V8 a little harder to drop in! Interesting ideas, I'm keeping an eye on this one. Incidentally someone did a Mini-Merc in "Actual Size" a few years ago, there are probably still pictures of it on the 'net. The rear looked like they used a Riley Elf to start with.

Looks really good, Y-block looks like it was made for it. Funny even before the release of the Revell 40, not many modelers kit bashed the Deluxe into the Standard, the work to do it right was always worth it. Well now you have the makings of a Deluxe Tudor to keep you busy after this one!

Kenneth Howard aka Von Dutch was a heavy duty alcoholic, chain smoker; take your pick of which led to his demise. Ed Roth on the other hand with the exception of his foray into the biker world was a pretty clean cut family man. He went off the deep end the last part of his life into mormonism, not drugs or drink. Neither Howard or Roth were huge druggies, both of their biographers are pretty clear on that point! There have been a few books written about both no one ever tries to hide the fact Kenneth Howard was a chain smoker and heavy beer drinker who drank from the time he woke up until he passed out. (He sounds like he had emphysema in the last few videos he allowed Ed Roth and a few of his other friends to film.). In my opinion Kenneth Von Dutch Howard died a pretty lonely old guy, really a sad story of someone who could have made money if alcohol hadn't claimed him or his talent. Ed Roth, was really an interesting schemer who knew just what people, read that teenagers thought was cool, if they didn't he let them know it was!

@lysleder, are you using any sort of filtration on the intake side? Intake should have more filter than the exhaust side, possibly one of the "Allergy" type furnace filters which are a little more expensive than the regular furnace filters. You could use a regular furnace filter ahead of the allergy to prefilter your incoming air supply. (Might keep cost down on the allergy furnace filter replacement.)

Good golly Tulio are you like a professional (model) replica builder or what? Every model I see you post just gets better, this one is just amazing! You are one of those guys who could really and truthfully put "Professionally Built" on an eBay auction and not have anyone here or anywhere else even snicker about it! So how long do you take to build a model like this, I don't think I've ever read how much time you invest into your truely beautiful models, no replicas. You could certainly teach most of us a thing or two about nice paint which is always just right for a stock paint job on your models. I just finished four of them for Christmas gifts, '53 F100 was my late uncles first vehicle. His was a Standard model too, it originally had a straight six, which he replaced with a flathead of the same year adding Evans heads, Edelbrock dual carb intake, cam and three into one tube headers into dual smitty type glass pack mufflers with chrome reverse wheels, the rest of the truck was pretty well stock. Except for two distinguishing features a "foot" gas pedal and a 2" ball bearing that he somehow managed to drill and tap for three on the tree shifter, both items made in high school metal shop. Calnaga Castings helped me out with the foot gas pedals, he threw them in for free with my order when he found out what my project was for. My Mom, aunt, uncle and my brother (who now owns the truck) were awestruck when they saw the four '53 F100's lined up on my mantel each sitting on a gift tag. I finished them late Christmas Eve morning! Incidentally I had one that had to have been cursed or something, the dark blue acrylic paint laid down perfectly smooth on the other three the fourth from the primer to the clear coat gave me fits!! Ended up stripping primer and color coat on the one before getting it to lay down I will agree with you on the windshield gasket, what a pain in the bunz! It was worth it though. I wood grained the bed natural ash color and bare metal foiled the strips for a chrome look, (departure from stock but looks so much better). Grill teeth are as bad as hens teeth, I ended up masking the headlight rings and V8 emblem to keep the chrome then used 1000 grit sandpaper to get most of the remaining chrome off, another pain times four but well worth the effort. (Actually made me wish I had one of those Paasche air erasers while doing that job.) In researching this subject I found out that there were more six cylinders sold than the V8's! That was sort of surprising. Of course like an idiot, I was so tired that I didn't even think to snap any pictures, will borrow my Mom's truck back to shoot some pictures so I can at least post one.

Very nice build of the "Original Mini Truck"! Like the subtle flailing of the bedsides, I assume to get the larger rubber under the wings without the use of larger arches.

Two things I saw in your first post that now I see the DuVal windshield frame might make an interesting tweak to the roadster shell. First, lose the ribbed upholstered look back. Second, the Vee between the two seats, might look interesting if it were carried through to the body itself. If it were Vee'd a raised bead could follow out of the Vee terminating somewhere before the radius where the back turns to the sides. Like a wing effect. If you were to use a top, it could run along the body line into the Vee cutout. I love what you've done so far, I always follow along with your stuff, your overall build quality is by far some of the most amazing that I've seen on this forum! Turning that nose upside down is pure genius, I've always hated that part of the Ala Kart. So much so that I've never even bought one in all the years I've been modeling, that might change though after seeing a few of its goodies. Just my two cents! Clarifying raised bead, (wasn't so wide awake this morning after working all night). Praised bead could be done with Evergreen half round stock, dipping into the Vee, flowing upward to create a winged Vee effect.

Stock Henry J Stock Willys Coupe 1939 thru 1941, 1951 thru 1953 Willys Aero - Ace, Eagle... Coupes 1939 - 1940 Chevrolet Coupe, Sedan DeLuxe, Master DeLuxe 1961 thru 1965 Pontiac Bonneville 1965 Pontiac GTO Hardtop or Post (both with fixed top, with correct front and rear clips from original AMT kit! Massaged to today's standards) 1965 - 1967 Oldsmobile 442 1964 thru 1968 Baracuda - Stock, fastback and coupe 1964 thru 1967 Mercury Comet 1964 thru 1970 Mercury Cyclone 1960 thru 1963 & 1964 / 1965 Falcon, Falcon Ranchero, Station Wagon 1960 thru 1965 Chevy II and Nova, Station Wagon Thin Bumper Vega and Pinto (Wagons too) 1963 Tempest and Wagon Ford Econoline Pickup Corvair Pickup 1957 thru 1961 Ford Pickups (1962 ?) Ford Unibody Pickup

Sorry to hear that news, saw it on another car related forum the other day. Met Mr. Meadors once in the car corral at the Puyallup Good Guys show probably ten years ago. I was just parking my lil' Red Mini, Gary introduced himself and asked why I didn't have it inside with the other cars, told him it wasn't a Hot Rod. He just looked at me and told me that it was interesting and cool enough to be in any Good Guys event. Then he surprised me with besides, "a Mini Cooper is the fastest Ten Feet money could buy!" An old quip that a lot of the Autocross Guys used to say, or maybe the higher horse powered car owners used to say about getting whooped by a LBC! Anybody who knew about more than American Hot Rods truly was a Real Car Guy, not just a Hot Rodder. I was impressed that he would take time from the Fairgrounds Show to go out to the "Parking Lot Show" to check out the other interesting cars and talk to and encourage their owners! I think he knew that many of the cars out there were works in progress that would be inside in the years to come.

Nice job, you nailed it!