Rockford

Great to see such a forgotten car being remembered, these lost cars need their champions!

24hrs to build a kit, and do such a good job of it too! That's quite an endeavour. I can't seem to build a car in 24 months! You're doing a blistering job there!

Good use of "leftovers", looks great!

Thanks gents, it's a bit tatty at present but I'll be doing a lot more finessing before I get to the paint stage. The bigger window really does improve the look in my eyes. I wondered about getting the slicks further up into the body but the tubs are already at the lower edge of the side windows, so that's the ride height by the looks of it.

That paint job looks fantastic! I like the way you pulled the bumpers in, they really did stand well off the body because they were on shock absorbers for the 5mph impact law. Looks very sleek!

Not much to report today, cut the rear tubs out of the floorpan to give the slicks more room. Worked on shortening and strengthening the rear axle, cleaning up the tyres and roughing the rolling surface up. They had a terrible seam in them and took some filing but looked ok in the end. I'd love to have the tread of a set of Mickey Thompsons but beggars can't be choosers! Also opened the rear window up to the fixed coupe version size. I just scribed a line around the outside of the existing window trim and then cut it out, but it still needed filing down a little. The hatchback shut line is now the outside edge of the window trim. I needed to scribe a shut line for the front edge of the trunk lid immediately under the lower trim. When I was scribing it I slipped and made a pig's ear of it. I'll have to fill it and start again but you get the idea and it does look a lot better. I mocked it up again with the rear bumper and a front wheel I found in my parts box. Not sure if I want stinkbug or near normal stance and let the rear slicks and the blower do the talking. I was thinking of painting it the same colours as my car, even keeping the vinyl roof and adding the side trim on the waistline.

I was on the receiving end of Leyland trucks as a mechanic, the 500 fixed head and the Sherpa van!

Seems to fall together, looks a very well engineered kit. German engineering through and through! This was a thoroughbred car, just so perfectly engineered (reminds me of the Austin Allegro, a close second). Makes a great subject.

Nice interior, true to life.

Think of this way, the Astro will keep you busy for near a week whereas the Camaro would only been a day or so, the speed you work! ?

Oh that's a nice machine!

Don't worry about having a rant mate, it's one of the purposes of this site I feel, being understood by like minded people. I never knew they added alternative box art, only right they did though. A rerelease with the mods you said wouldn't be too much trouble, most could be drawn from current design stick too. Only the decals would be totally new. Mind you, you did promise in writing about when you hit the big one...

To get the tyres under the body I had to widen the wheel arches at the bottom. I want to keep the outer profile as stock as possible. I worked on one arch until a tyre would nestle up to the skin of the fender. Once I was happy I taped some paper behind the arch and traced the outline. I can then copy the profile on the other side of the car. I thinned the plastic around the arch too, it's quite thick (like myself) and squeezes the tyres as they go up into the body. I still had to shorten the axle but not by much. A quick mock-up and it looks meaty meaty meaty! All still roughly done at the moment but looks promising.

There's just not enough models of the 70s land yachts around. Well done on bringing them back to life!

Thanks, I can't wait to mock the rear wheels up but it can't get them past the sill at the moment, some reprofiling of the arch required I think. If I narrow the axle anymore it'll just be a diff with two tyres. What have I done to myself!?

Thanks mate. You know what they say, if the bolt pattern fits, wear it.

The MPC shell is pretty good, except some feel the Nova emblems on the fenders are too large, otherwise really true to the shape of the original coupe, that's why I'm saving that one for my replica of my own car. The AMT is good except for the shape of the rear pillar into the roof proper, and it just takes away the signature shape of the Nova coupe; in fact it looks more like a Vega to my eye. That's why I feel ok butchering this one. Sadly, both MPC & AMT renditions are hatchbacks so if you want a fixed rear window a little surgery is required.

I can understand your reasoning there, once you know what you're getting in this kit you appreciate it more. If you thought you were getting a stock rendition though, you'd be miffed. Very slap-dash of AMT on this kit box art. The stupid thing is someone built a shock version for the photos!

Looks something special that mate, very well done.

There's a rash of Disco Novas being done lately and, as a confirmed Nova lover I've been itching to get involved. I have the MPC kit to replicate my own '76 but I'm not confident enough to start that yet. However, I also have the AMT 1976 Nova kit which is not a good kit. It's actually fraudulent because you cannot build the car depicted on the box art. No stock inlet manifold or air cleaner, just a huge tunnel ram and dual carbs, headers leading to collectors and turn downs before the rear axle, which is narrowed and sits on coilovers with ladder bars, and what stock Nova came with a Lenco sequential transmission? The body is tubbed and there's no rear seat! To add insult to injury, the body is all wrong in the greenhouse area, too square and angular. In it's defence the kit does have some decent stock Rallye wheels and a nice '76 grille which I'll keep for my replica. The liberties taken by AMT have prompted me to take some of my own and build a pro street Nova, so fat rear tyres and ludicrous engine for a street car. After being given the courage to do so by some forum members I've decided to kitbash the engine and rear slicks from the Jolly Rancher rail with the atrocious Nova. Just holding a slick in the the rear arch had me salivating, so off I go!

Such music to my ears! Bring it on! Bench seat! Plain bumpers... I'm delirious!!

Looks like it, maybe our cells will be near each other!

P S. My fingers aren't really as fat as they look in the photo, honest!

Thanks for the very colourful and imaginative input everyone! Some sparks of sheer genius in those comments (or leaving the top off the liquid cement!). I had the Nova and the rail kits before me this afternoon and I just held a slick in the rear wheel arch and the deal was done ! I am a liberated modeler and shall go forth kitbashing!!!

Snake, I did consider that but realized that it would be too much of a task in all this lockdown stuff that's going on in the UK, if I can't post it in an envelope it's a bit awkward because I'm in the vulnerable category. Anyway, as you can see above, I've made a decision (for once). I'm going to take the plunge. I don't do much kitbashing, I tend to build stock with a bit of detailing so this will be a new experience for me! Many thanks for giving me your thoughts on the matter though my friend.