Sport Suburban

Here is one I finished in 2012 but started it a few years ago. I wanted to fill in a gap year in my Corvette model projects. So I wanted to turn an AMT 63 into a 64. I had two AMT Presige 63 roadster kits and decided that the roadster would be an easy update as the 64 wasn't much different. I bought a 64 hood and wheelcovers from Modelhaus. A good friend of mine had cast the headlights from an old SMP kit. He gave me a set to try and use on this build to try something different. Thanks goes out to Gregg Wann for them. So I decided to do the headlights exposed. That turned into a real pain and they did rotate at one time. I descovered that they hit the grill when it was in place and was going to fix that after I painted it. My gaps were tight and I forgot about paint build up. So once it was painted all I could do was glue them in. I didn't want the paint to chip. The last thing I needed was the correct 64 rocker moldings. I was looking for ways to fix this and ended up purchasing an AMT 64 Corvette rebuilder project. I cast the rockers from that kit and cut off the 63 ones. Now it is correct!! This was going to be a simple built but got thrown back in the box a few times. I used photo etched emblems from a Model Car Garage set on this one also.

Thanks, The air cleaner is sold as a 69 part from Missing Link and came with the exposed headlights grills for the 69. It does not have the heatriser tube on the drivers side of the motor. That could easily be added and I missed it. I'm not going to worry about that as the rest of the engine compartment is so bland. I just really could not use the kit supplied chrome air cleaner.

Thanks Guys. Mr Mike, The only thing I changed was the headrests. The model kit has these huge headrests that sit foward and look way too large. All the pics of the real car that I saw did not have headrests. Also the rear axle seems to sit offcenter to the wheel openings. That bothers me some but I didn't have time to fix it. It is a simple kit and most of my time was spent on the body and paint.

OH, I forgot I switched out the tires and painted the redlines on. So I guess it's not box stock anymore.

Here is another one I finished this year. This is the 1970 GTO Judge. I built this with a few mods but didn't get crazy with accuracy. This is an old MPC kit that I loved building. I have three more of these in my stash and plan to make one a conv. The rear wing came from Time Machine resin and the air cleaner came from Missing Link. It's for the 69 officially but I think it looks good on this one too. Decals are Keith Marks and the paint is from Model Car World in Orbit Orange. I bought the paint in 2008 and finally built it. Clear is the same automotive clear I am using now. The exhaust tips came from my parts box and I would like to find some more.

Here is another one I finished this year. It's a 68 Roadrunner from AMT. I had built one many years ago and needed to do another one. My original build was more than 20 years old. This is built right out of the box but I used Keith Marks decals. I also used scale finishes Q5 Seafoam Turquise on this one. It's a rare color for a Roadrunner. I also clear coated this one with automotive clearcoat. I use Surwin Williams CC939. I bought it for the real car that I'm working on.

Thanks for the comments everyone. The top and interior are Testors flat brown #1166 shot through my airbrush.

Here are some of the under construction photos.

Here is one I built in a week for a club theme. The theme was TV and Movie cars. This is a Doyusha kit from Japan and is curbside. It comes with all the bond stuff so this is a box stock build. I used Tamia spray for the silver and automotive clear. I still have to do the figurines that cam with the kit.

I really havn't taken the time to show any of my builds this year. I'm sorry for that and I took some time to take the photo's. I'm trying to better my photography and am learning the camera settings. The white ballance is off so these look somewhat pink. This is the Revell 53 Corvette converted into a 55 using the engine from the Revell 56 Nomad and some parts from the Revell 59 Corvette. I used the photoetch from Model Car Garage to finish this one off. I'm real happy with this one.

Very nice!!!

The 66 Charger has a center console that goes all the way to the back seat and devides the rear seat into buckets. In 67 the center console was shortened and ended just behind the front seats. A separate armrest console was used in between the rear seats for 67.

What you need is this older MPC kit of the 67 Charger. Then get the Modelhaus 66 Charger conversion kit. It fits the MPC kit and I even mocked it up with the newer Revell 67 Charger kit and I may work with that kit too.

I recently finished my 55 Corvette based on the Monogram 53 Corvette. I used the photoetched set from Model Car Garage. The headlight mesh looks great and was a real pain to get the curves correct untill it hit me. My wife had some medical issues that prevented her from swallowing pills. So she crushed them in between two spoons. That's when it hit me. I took the two clear mesh lenses that monogram gives you in the kit. Then I put the photo etch mesh in between them and pressed them together. This pressed the mesh into the correct shape!! Then I glued them in place. Also Monograms kit inclued parts for both the 53 engine or the 54 engine. So you can build it as a 54 Corvette if you wanted too.

John, Your project interests me.

The Baldwin kit is releated to both the street version and the more common race versions. It comes with the helibrand wheels and scooped hood from the race versions. It also includes the dash, bumpers, dual quad set up and plain valve covers from the street kit. The exhaust, hardtop and windows are unique to this kit and I have not seen them in any other kit yet. Note the street kit has a soft top.

I found this online too. #2819 1/24 CHEETAH COUPE KIT $45.00 #2840 1/24 1958 SCARAB MARK I $55.00 #2845 1/25 MCLAREN ELVA MK 1A $45.00 #2846 1/24 MCLAREN ELVA MK1A REBODY $45.00 #2847 1/24 MCLAREN ELVA MK 1B $45.00 #2850 1/24 CHEETAH ROADSTER $50.00 #2872 1/24 CHAPARRAL 2H $80.00 #2873 1/24 CHAPARRAL 2J $90.00 #2878 1/25 FORD J CAR $75.00 #2880 1/24 CHAPARRAL 2A $80.00 #2882 1/25 1957 BATTLEBIRD $55.00 #2887 1/24 1957 ASTON MARTIN DBR-1 $65.00

I have a few of these Mini Exotics kits. The 67 Cougar kit is # 830 and the 68 Couger GT-E is # 832. The 427 Cobra Daytona Super Coupe is # 835. I also have the Mini Exotics R&D Unique 68 1/2 Mustang California Special RDU-2813. I bought that one a few months before he shut down. The kits I built that I don't have the kit numbers are: 68 Shelby convertible, 70 Shelby convertible and 69 Coronet RT hardtop. I also had the Corvette Gran Sport Roadster at one time but sold it.

Your point well taken on a building the version you would most likely built with this kit. Thanks for clearing that up.

I love Ebay and watch it often. Ebay is a tool that connects people (buyers and sellers) and your expeirience depends on the other person to do their part. Ebay has been doing a great job of weeding out those people that don't and eventually removes them from the sight. Plus they are a buisness and have a right to charge their fees. They are upfront about the fees they charge to use them. Much like the Barret and Jackson auctions. They get the top buyers and the record braking auction prices so the have the fees that go along with it.

Why do some of us bash a kit because of what it does not have? Of all the complaints I see about not having an uptop on a convertible then why do I not see more uptops on builds? Just about all convertible models I have seen are displayed without the uptop. Also if everyone feels this way and this kit does not sell then why would Revell spend more money on a kit that did not sell? Plus a little side note. Revell has yet to reissue both the 58 Pro Modeler Corvette or the 59 Corvette.

I have both the 58 and 59 kits. They both have uptops one issue is a soft top and the other is a hard top I just don't remember which has what. Also most of the Revell convertables I have have uptops or hardtops. The 64 Mustange Pace Car, 55 Chevy Pace Car, 53/54 Corvette, 57,58,59 Corvettes, 68,69 Corvettes, 427 Street Cobra, Baldwin Motion Drag Cobra all these have tops.

I have some photos of a local guy here in AZ that owned 5 Hemicuda converts at one time. He had the first 70 Hemicuda conv that is red with the red SE interior, He bought the last 71 that is the export car in white with the billboards. He had the 71 conv that the Nash Bridges car was based off of. He also had a Vitamin C 70 Hemicuda conv and he bought and the B5 blue 71 at auction that was a stick. Not to mension he has a 70 Hemi Challenger conv in Plum that is 1 of 9 and a 70 Hemi Coronet RT convt that is 1 of 2. His name escapes me but he has a huge collection. He also bought the Shelby 427 Super Snake for 5.5 mil. The best part is he will drive them occasionally. He was interviewed a few years back when he drove the white 71 from L.A. to Phoenix. He was asked about if he was worried about insuring a car worth 5 mil and wrecking it. He said he wasn't worried because no insurance company would total a car worth that much. No matter how bad it was wrecked. Ron Pratt!! That is who I'm talking about.

Of the 11 1971 Hemi Cuda converts. I don't think any of them are built exactly the same. That makes all of them one of one's.

I will hold judgement on the 70 kits hood till I see it in person. The Monogram 71's hood is real nice but it was missing the buldge I was talking about.