doomcrew

yep, thats what i felt like shouting, AAAAARRRRRGGGHHH!!!, plus a few explitives. well this is the new base colour, and i stayed with a colour from ford. the pearl will still be used and i will keep the the firewall and dashboard in the original white. thanks for looking steve

well i kept fingers crossed that the clear would go on with a hitch. wishfull thinking on my part, as in keeping with a 50's sci-fi film, the body was invaded with alien bodies. but, i will not be beaten, hence plan B. the crystal blue will still be used, but over a light metallic blue. pity, as the white was looking great to, but i had already put blue flock on the interior floor. now, wheres that brick wall to beat my head against?

this is how the paint looks after re-working it, i've applied more of the crystal blue this time, just keep fingers crossed that the clear goes on without a hitch. thanks for looking. steve

had a little problem with the paint, as contaminants got on to the body while putting on very light coats of clear. so had to sand it back, and re-apply the white. while thats drying for the pearl to be added, i continued with other things. i machined a pair of air filters along with a beehive oil filter, just waiting for some etched parts from modelexpress. thanks for looking in.

the pearl has now been laid on. i just made a couple of passes as i didn't want the pearl flakes to build up in the recesses. you should be able to see the effect, but it will be more evident when the clear is put on. before that though, i need to apply some pinstripe transfers. i also began to scratchbuild the throttle linkage and i may machine the airfilters at the weekend, new year party not withstanding.

oh the snow outside is delightful, and my wallet is no longer full, where did all my money go, let it grow let it grow let it grow. Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. steve

it will come........eventually. the body has now got it first layer of paint. i will rub it down before laying more paint on. the engine has been started, although not literally lol, and it will have machined air filters and beehive oil filter. the carbs are from the 48 chevy fleetine kit, i thought they better than the 48 ford carbs. the wheels are also from the chevy but will have the custom sombraro hub caps from the 48 ford kit.

some more updates, and got a chance to use my new airbrush. i put a gloss black base coat on the front and rear axles, and on the front and rear interior window frames. the black will be the base for alclad chrome. i used matt white for the panels and the slightly modified 53 studebaker seats. i will rub the surface of the paint to simulate vinyl.

started doing the interior panels and decided on tuck n roll but haven't decided on what type of seats to use in the front, bench or seperate. the interior tub is scratchbuilt from sheet stock with half rounds used for the tuck n roll. the body is now in first stage primer, ready to be sanded back.

made some more progress on the merc. this is the mock up ride height, i dont know if i can get it any lower as the suspension travel will be at a minimum as will the tyre clearance. the chassis has been given new floor panels and the bumper brackets will be lengthened. these are the magnets that will be used for the doors and bonnet, and you can see the holes already drilled for them. the 48 ford radiator was cut down to clear the bonnet and the engine mounts were extended.

well i have the hinges sorted, and fingers crossed they should work as i have tested them plenty of times. i have also decided on tunneled rear bullet lights, so it was out with my dremel again, being careful in not carving anything into my hand again, (note the fresh scar on my hand). paint will be white with a pearl flip flop metalflake (blue to purple).

thankfully my hand/thumb has healed and i have managed to work on the merc a bit more. next time i'll wear steel gauntlets. lol as you can see from the pics, i had to correct some gap issues with the bonnet and doors, and to do this i glued strips of plastic to the areas concerned. after drying and the application of body filler, i sanded the areas, checking the gaps as i went. the firewall and the inner wheel arches have been put in and i now have to work out the door hinges, as i have to consider the thickness of the resin. steve

time for another project. this time it's a resin bodied (jimmy flintstone) 1939 matranga merc. this will have an amt 40 ford coupe chassis, a flathead from the new 48 ford coupe kit, inc the front and rear ends and drum brakes. tyres will be from the revell 49 merc kit. first off, i had to cut open the bonnet. this wasn't going to be easy, as there is quite a bit of material to be removed from the ahem, firewall and inner wheel wells. i started to use my dremel with the saw wheel, and...............OUCH!! the saw snatched and caught the base of my thumb. after a ticking off and lots of finger wagging from my better half, i got on with the task and removed the bonnet along with the doors. these will open suicide style. the paint will be white base with crystal blue flip flop flake over the top. i have removed most of the original floor including the area with the moulded in exhaust pipe.

thanks for the kind comments guys. here's a few outdoor shots.

thanks for looking steve

well it is now done. i will make the base for it at a later date.

well it is now done. i will make the base for it at a later date. the rest of the pics can be seen in the completd section. thanks for looking steve

bart, this is an awe inspiring build, looking forward to seeing this done. jim, those are fantastic looking wheels. i will be getting some wheels from you in the near future, hopefully you may add these, hint hint. :-)

cheers guys. can you imagine the size of the case if it was 1:1?

ok, the front discs have been machined with scratchbuilt calipers from chemiwood. also done is the custom center console and machined gear lever. the rear lights were made from camaro tail lights with chemiwood backs. at this moment the van is nearly done with just a little beach weathering, ie, sand on certain areas. more pics to follow.

i turned out the rear disc brakes with seperate hubs, and a pair of two piece half shafts. i scratchbuilt a set of custom headers and exhaust system. i will post pics of these later. i'm trying to carry on with this as best i can, as the paint has crazied a little on some areas of the body. i had to make a choice whether to strip it, mask it and paint the areas again, or, as i was going to do anyway, put the van on a beach base and weather the affected areas. i do hate it when things go wrong near the end of a build. :angry: steve

updates......fought with my lathe to turn out a custom moon tank, (must see whats wrong with the lathe) and wired the engine. thanks for looking steve

thanks for the kind words guys. a few more pics, with one showing the display case i made for it. got to keep the dust off somehow.

thanks for looking. steve

can't get pics bigger, i'm on a restriction with my infernalnet, and the files in my bigger camera are too large to send via e-mail. :-( just a few little jobs left on this. made a new steering wheel from 1mm sheet aluminium. attatched photo etched screws to the cockpit cover, (which refuses to sit properly :-( might investigate that later.). turned out a pair of tyre valves for the rear rims and a pair of retainers for the front wheels. check the other pics in the completed section. thanks for looking. steve