MrObsessive

LUIS!! How are ya?? You don't know how bad I want to get back to Puerto Rico, especially with this cold and soon to be too much snow! Happy New Year to you also! Puerto Rico sure is having their troubles lately, I've read------so sad! Hope all is well with you and the family...drop me a line sometime!

I thought about doing a two tone when the idea first crossed my mind to do a '59 Chevy, but to me the two door hardtop always looked better in a single tone (sportier?), while the four doors (especially the "flat-top hardtops") looked their best in a two tone. Way down the road, I have the bits and pieces to build a flat-top Sport Sedan, and yeah, it'll be two toned with fender skirts.

Yup! I went to the store yesterday to get the jump on the mad rush that's bound to happen tomorrow evening into Friday. I'm all set with people and cat food, and since it's supposed to be a snowy weekend, PERFECT time to get more done on that '59 Chevy! There was supposed to be overtime for work Saturday, but I told them if I wake up early Saturday morning and see snow on the ground, back in the bed I go! They're saying here in the Central PA area we expected to get 6+ inches out of this. We'll have to see----I wouldn't be surprised to see a whole foot or more before it's all said and done.

Wheels look great Art! Aren't those Pilot Pens neat? I've used them from time to time when you want a REALLY bright silver, but chrome or BMF won't do. Just don't clear over them as it can lose its brilliance.

Just an itty-bitty update for now fellas............since the holidays are over, it's back to 10+ hour days at work which equals not as much time at the worktable for building. Nevertheless, I try to squeeze in at least an hour or so trying to get something done most days. With a possible major snowstorm to hit here by the weekend, I'll know I can at least get some more done as there'll be nowhere to go------'cept outside to shovel snow! I have a few quick pics taken with my iPhone. I'm quite compulsive when it comes to paint as I want the roof, hood, tops of fenders, and the trunk to be as spotless as possible. So far, what you see here has been rubbed out with polishing cloths (3600-12,000 grit) then rubbed out with Meguiar's Car Cleaner Wax and a chamois cloth. I did put on some BMF on the roof pillars...........gotta love those bubbletop rooflines! I'll wait till I get the glass installed to really get a glass like shine on the roof. Those pillars are oh soooo thin! That's all for now! Gotta get to bed soon!

Well one BIG advantage of being single all these years, is that I get to have one of the bedrooms in my house as my "model room". This is on the second floor facing the front of my house. No, it is NOT this neat now, and the Pocher kit is long gone! The third floor of my place is where all the unbuilt models are. They were in the basement, but my better sense told me to put them on the top floor. Thank goodness I did as my place was flooded back in 2011 from Tropical Storm Lee, and EVERYTHING would have been ruined had I kept them there as I had over five feet of water inundate the basement.

You got that right Harry! Johan has the ONLY correct version of the Plymouth '68-'70 B-Body. AMT's body misses the mark in a lot of ways, and it's nice to see this one done up so well with the AMT running gear! Unfortunately, as time goes by, these are getting harder and harder to find, and eBay prices can be really high for pristine examples. I say snatch 'em up when you see them for reasonable prices------I doubt they will ever get any cheaper!

Putting the windshield in ahead of time Art is a good idea! I was thinking of doing the same thing when I painted my '59 Impala as those oh so thin windshield pillars were making me very nervous. I was able to get it polished and rubbed out though for the most part without any issues. I hadn't noticed the mold line on the '61............I just knew that something needed to be filed out in order to get it to sit correctly in the opening. The kit is so nice..........I'd hate for anyone to give up on it due to something not fitting right. It reinforces what I've always said though about all bodywork being done (including glass) first before moving on to the engine, chassis and interior. Painting the body IMO should be last. Saves for a lot of surprises down the road after you've got 'er all painted up nice, and there's a major snag with getting everything to fit.

Very nice work Kenny! This is one of those nice early '50's racers that doesn't get much coverage. They were quite potent in their day with those Chrysler Hemis under the hood! Are you going to make it so that the hood is open, or is it to be a curbside?

I was referring to the newer Revell release of the '58-'59. While nice kits, there are some body details that seem "off" to me namely the grille, and the shape of the rear deck, particularly the convertible top lid as it sits too flat on the body. Should have more of a downward slope to it compared to the 1:1. The older Revell '60 is nice-----almost forgot about that one and I have a few of 'em. One rebuilder, one that I tried to turn into a '58 MANY years ago, and a never touched kit. If it wasn't for the odd shaped cove area on the MPC kit, I'd still give them the nod as for as body shape. That's just me though...........my Mom always told me that I was "too observant".

Excellent work Rastislav! Your chassis details are top notch (and correct), and the stance is just right too!

Interior is looking fantastic Steve! I envy you guys that can detail interiors that have the "tub" style. I have to cut away the side panels and reattach them platform style, as I no longer have the patience to get those details crisp and neat looking when they're "boxed in". The cane detail really adds life to the interior! I've not seen many with this option---------very well done!

My #1 rule when it comes to trying out paint! Plastic spoons to test are cheap------model kits are not.

I believe chassis are mostly the same too for those years, 'cept Olds was using leaf springs while Buicks used coils.

Hmmmm.............I don't know more than the next guy, but for some reason I keep seeing this in Moebius' future.............. There's some racing versions with the coupes, and there's sedans, hardtops, and this convertible that can be done from it. Not to mention, Oldsmobiles of this era have been a MUCH overlooked subject. If I were in charge of things, I'd certainly look into it. I'm no prophet or fortune teller...........jus' sayin'......

Yeah, if I ever get around to building a '59-'60 'Vette, this would be the one I'd use as I just think the overall body shape is better. You know me though...........I can't leave well enough alone, and I have a way of fixing those coves. BTW, I never knew that this was made from the '57. I always thought they were separate tools-------You learn something new all the time!

I have the last reissue of this kit and it is nice. I think it captures the look of the '58-'60 Corvette IMO a bit better than Revell's version. I can't past the incorrect curvature of the side cove though..........especially the bottom part of it. BTW, if you're looking for springs........you can always check here. There's bound to be something in that pile that'll suit the 'Vette's original ones!

AAARRRGH!!!! I knew it!! One of my favorite kits ever from Italeri, and at the 11th hour they lower the boom and tell us it won't happen! THANK GOD I have at least one unbuilt one to hang onto.......One that I happened to win on Yahoo Auctions Japan BTW. Sigh...............we went through this before and now here we are again! I tell you what.............I'm bound and determined to save my pennies and get this. I've fallen in love with it and I just gotta have it my collection, and yes to build! I better grab it because Lord knows it'll be gone, never to be produced by ANYONE ever again!

Killing Pontiac really was a mistake as GM had some great plans for the Poncho brand . I ran across this story here that has Bob Lutz speaking in an interview as to what really happened at Pontiac and why it was killed off. Sad...........

No, they're different tooling. The AMT's '57 always seemed narrow to me and just............small. The '56 appears right to me in 1/25 compared to other cars of that scale and size. I tried fitting the '56's chassis into the '57's body once, and man-----was it ever WIDE compared to the '57's body! That's one of the clues that makes me think the '57's are a bit underscaled. Just an observation............

Ok Tim............here's a pic of the set Norm had............. Still stapled up ready to use.............

Tim, when I get a chance, I'll take a pic of the set and post it here. I have a similar idea with mine, 'cept I'm going to be using Monogram's '56 instead of AMT's. Yup! I know that they're two different scales but there's a method to my madness. The '55 T-Bird I did years ago was based on Monogram's '56, and since I want to do a "companion" model to it, AMT's '57 will seem "small" sitting next to it. I'm not usually a scale bigot, but in this case I want to make an exception because of what the subject matter is. It might just be my perception, but I always thought AMT's '57 wasn't quite 1/25.......more like 1/26-27th scale. Of course I'll have to do some "stretching and widening", but I kinda did the same thing when I built my '57 Corvette years ago and used some 1/25th body parts.

Well just shows to go ya, when you get over the half century mark, things can change! One of the things that change (and not always for the better) is memory. It dawned on me that maybe I should go to the third floor of my house where all my kits are and take a peek inside the box of the AMT '57 T-Bird kit that I have. Sure enough, I have an unopened package of Norm's set for the T-Bird-------PE screeen and all for the grille! I don't even remember when I bought it from Norm, but there it is in 3D. So in the words of the late, great Emily Litella.......... Just the same, thanks fellas for all the info and the great links! I still want MCG's set when it comes out as no doubt there will be other things on the fret that I can use. I don't plan on starting this build till later this year, but I figure now's a good time to start getting all the bits and pieces together.

Dale, that is one gorgeous kit! What I'd like more than anything (actually two of 'em) is MFH's 427 Cobra and their '62 Ferrari 250 GTO! Someday, I'll break the bank and get one of 'em down the road!