Sport Suburban

Here is a quick build of a Fujimi GT40 MKII. This is of course the LE Mans Winning 66 car. I plan to build all three from that race and have the kits. The Fujimi kits decals are really bad so I used decals from Renessance Models and they are great but expensive. I messed up my first paint job and had to strip it and start again. I know it is way to shiny for a race car but I just love it. I did finish a second GT40 this last year and will post that one soon as well.

Here is another one that I redid and finished this last year. It's a 68 Shelby GT500KR convertible. This is an old resin kit from Mini Exotics that I built about 15 years ago. Most of the engine is from the Revell 69 GT500 kit. I had wanted to freshen it up with better paint and decals. Also it was one of the last ones that I built before BMF. The original kit from Mini Exotics used the taillights from the 69 kit and they were wrong so I wanted to change that out too. Missing Link provided the correct tail panel and lenses seen here. I also used Keith Marks decals for this redo and had used Fred Cady the first time. I was afraid that I would ruin the resin body if I stripped it. So when the same subject became available from Historic Racing Miniatures, I bought one of them. I have not built that one yet but it looks great. So now that if I damage this old build I could still build a similar one. Work began and everything went well. I painted it with Scale Finishes paint in the correct Highland Green.

I don't really see a great demand for the parts. Yes there are lots of these kits out there and now the collectors want the actual Dukes boxed kits. Most won't be built. The decals and wheels are available for the Revell kit. Just casting the correct hood and grill inserts is just a start but what would be the cost. Another $10- $15 for the resin parts. The body still has other problems. I have always laughed that it has rear wheel well moldings and no front ones. They still did not fix that when they corrected the roof. I have one of those reissues. I also have a few of the early issue 69 Charger 500 kits that have the correct hood. I do like the simplicity of the kit. But I must really like the Charger 500 as I built one of them and am finishing up another built from Revell kits.

I'm blown away by what I see here. I would love one of the 427 MKII. I still have about 5 of them to build in my stash.

Both the Johan 69 Road Runner and GTX have the same interiors, Johan didn't change anything other than the body parts. I understand the GTX came first and the Road Runner was next. I would have liked a bench seat in it. Modelhaus did offer the bench seat interior and it is nice but I only bought one.

Yes on the Keith Marks decals.

Thank You. I often go back and forth on this topic. I have many restorations that I keep as many of the kit issued parts as possible and I also have many that are kit bashed and upgraded to some very nice models. It is sometimes challenging just to see what I can do to what is issued.

Thanks Everyone!

And just for kicks this is the very same model that I purchased off eBay many years ago.

This is what I had built the first time. More of a hopped up 69 than a pure stock one. As mentioned before it had an AMT Hemi and Revell wheels. Plus the original 70 interior. I wanted to rebuild one as Johan had originally issued it. Don't worry thou as I have another one that is getting the Modelhaus A12 conversion and AMT chassis and 440 6BBL for a better detailed build.

Here is another rebuild. This is a 69 Road Runner from Johan. This time it is more Johan than the last time I rebuilt it. It has a correct for Johan 69 interior even though it is more correct for the GTX than Road Runner issue. This was a later reissue that had the 70 interior in it. I also added the missing Johan Hemi engine and air grabber. When I last rebuilt it I used an AMT Hemi and wheels from Revell. I liked it but wanted to redo it. Since I had purchased a few more rebuilders I had all the parts this time.

Testors British Racing Green Metallic with automotive clear coat.

Thanks everyone for the loving comments. I'll have to show you guys more of my work from this year. I have a few more restorations to show. Here is what I started with. This was given to me by a good friend as he said is anyone can build it I could. It was pretty complete and had all of the GTX specific parts. The body was cut into a convertible and all emblems removed. Hood was sanded down flat and I think they were going for a Satellite conv. I placed it next to a AMT body for comparison. I had another hood from a Road Runner so since I couldn't do much with the body I kept looking for another body. I did eventually find one and you can see the results.

Lol! I was raised Ford but we all have to start somewear.

I finally had finished this one. Had it a few years and it was a mess. Body was trashed and kept my eye open for another one. Eventually one came up and I bought it. This is a 69 GTX from Johan and it is built pretty much as Johan issued it. Chrome was redone and decals are Keith Marks.

I have read most of the articles that have come out recently and it is quite interesting! Some of the damage seen in the movie was repaired. Read about this cars pass door. It was caved in and re sculpted in bondo. That door is much heavier and noticeable but that is the way it left the studio. As for the front bumper only the family knows. Also interesting is that someone stole the air cleaner and steering wheel when it was in one of the barns. Lots of history after the movie and I think that only adds to it!

Here is a 70 AMX that I built from a Missing Link Resin kit. This is based of the Johan kit and went together really well. It is getting harder to dig up the base kit for this now and Johan kits are getting costly. I really didn't have much of a challenge building this one but the clear coat didn't stick well to the Testors Big Bad Blue paint. The first time I tried masking the black shadow mask paint the clear lifted off. I use two part automotive clear and had to strip the whole thing. Not as easy to do with resin and risky. Second time went well and the build continued. I really enjoyed this one. Glad I bought two of them from Missing Link when I had the chance! Now I have to build one of the 68 I have to finish the set!

I haven't been posting much in the last few years and I'm sorry for that. I really enjoy everyone's builds and look here often. So here is one of my lastest ones that I finished last year. This is the Revell kit that I started back in 2007. I had some issues with the grill that is hollowed out and has Model Car Garage photo etch parts in it. I got frustrated many times with this one and it sat in my unfinished pile. I had restarted it a few times and back it went into waiting. Paint is Dover white from Scale Finishes. The original decals were two old and crumbled. I had two sets of Revell ones. Then I bought some from Firebird Designs. I messed up the first set of them also then bought two more for a total of five sets of decals. I finally got them right and have one set left. Last I had painted the interior and it was to dark and I had stripped those parts and found another orange that matched the stripes. I used Testors Mopar Go Mango with dull coat. Last was buying another 69 Revell conv kit for the houndstooth decals. I'm really happy with how this one came out but man did it fight me.

The current GM adds really crack me up as it imply's that the older GM vehicles are junk. I have to say that I love my 99 S10! I bought it new and now have 243,000 on it. It has the original 4.3 4L60 and rear. Not one recall on it ever. My 2006 Ram has had a few recalls including the airbags. Reliability comes down to proper maintenance. Most maintenance is neglected until something fails then it is repaired.

I would like to know more about that car. Saw that it is the original car used in the movie. That it was the close up car that was sold that Steve McQueen tried to buy. Also wasn't the 2nd car that was the stunt car found in Mexico last year? I thought it might have been that one but it was not.

It is an old MPC annual kit. I picked it up off of eBay a few years ago. I have built a 70 and also have a 71 and 72 in my stash to rebuild. I just need a few more parts for them.

Hello Glen. Good to see you on here!

Here are the rest. 69 GTX Johan kit restored. Got a rebuilder with a trashed body. Waited and scored a good body off eBay and built this one. 69 Road Runner Johan kit. Rebuilder that I restored a second time. Was not happy with the first redo and now has 69 Johan interior and Hemi. When I first did it, it had the 70 interior and an AMT hemi and Revell wheels. 70 AMX Missing Link Resin. 70 Road Runner Johan restoration. This was already a nice build up that I redid with Keith Marks decals and Moulin Rouge paint. 2013 Shelby GT500, Plamoz resin trans kit on 2010 Shelby GT500. All comments and questions are welcome!

Well I'm enjoying everyone's build threads and decided to get my photos done and in. To my surprise I did manage to finish 11 builds this year. Most were not started this year and for the most part I stuck to finishing builds I have already started. So I only started 2 new builds this year and finished 1 of them. 66 Le Mans GT40, Fujimi Kit with Renaissance GT40 decals. 67 Daytona "Mercury" GT40 #3 car, This is a Fujimi kit with Mark 2B updates. Decals were redone by Firebird Designs. 67 Thunderbird AMT kit restored. 68 Shelby GT500 KR convertible, This was an old build from a resin kit from Mini Exotics. I tore it apart and repainted it and fixed the tail panel. Keith Marks decals were used and paint is Scale Finished Highland Green. 69 Camaro Pace Car Convertible. I used Scale Finishes Dover white and Firebird Designs decals. I started this in 2005 and the decals just crumbled, I got another set of original decals and had the same problem. I got some from Firebird designs and messed up the first set. Then I bought two more and finally got them right. So five sets of decals were purchased for this one and I got it right with 1 set to spare! 69 grand Prix restoration.

Nice builds. Loving the 65 Mustang convertible.