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This is a model which I have bought numerous times in the past in various reissue variations, but have never actually built one. EVER! I always thought it had the only really modern hot rod independent suspension front and rear, which is why I have bought it in the past. But I never came around to actually using anything from the kits. So this past weekend I got one cheap and decided to actually build it and see how the suspension looks like once assembled and judge its potential from there. So, here is what I am starting with. Few things jumped at me right away as very outdated. The tiny doors and the way they were molded, the double windshield, the hight of the roof and the interior. So first thing to do was to rescribe new door lines and remove the raised old ones. The "new doors" are longer, closer together and go all the way down. In other words they are bigger. I think this way they will give the body a much more modern feel to the body, while still keeping it traditional. Next, what grabbed my attention were the running boards, which have that weird texture to them, that just looked wrong to me. So I smoothed them to go with the more modern look The body was then glued to the fenders and all the joint lines and holes were filled and puttied The double window had to definitely go Now this created more issues with the roof than anticipated. Obviously, the top had to be chopped , but once I did it, the bottom was too wide and also the front edge of the top hung too much on each side of the windshield. So I figured if I pie cut the top in the middle it would take care of it. And it did. It only required the windshield the be leaned back a little, which I liked anyway. The plan is to have everything dechromed except the suspension, keep the engine from the kit with a different intake, paint the exterior a cool metallic blue, the top in matching flat blue and scratch-build the interior in a nice contrasting color. Thanks for looking and stay tuned.

Thank you all guys. My hand is as healed as it will ever be I guess. I have a nasty scar and other than that it feels fine. The model is finished and it won its class at the heartland Nationals this past weekend. I was told that it is the first time a foreign car wins the factory stock class. Pictures coming soon in the "Under Glass".

And now that I will have the time, I'll definitely make a mold for the roof.

Well, due to some rather unfortunate circumstances, the three day timeframe was abandoned. We barely made it to the show on time. This project will live on, just not be rushed, so I guess I'll have to change the title.

Really great work.

Some mockups. There were more than 250 templates for different kinds of carbon fiber made for this model.

Here is some progress on this model A lot of templates were made for various parts in carbon fiber. These are just some for part of the floor. The real car uses a variety of composite materials in all sorts of different fibers, finishes and weaves. This model will have about ten different carbon fiber finishes throughout. The dash assembly itself has three different types of carbon fiber. The seats were painted and then detailed with accent color (which killed me) and with 4 point seatbelts made from medical tape painted with n old black sharpie and then with a blue sharpie on top of it. This made the belts very dark blue, which batches the very dark blue of the accents. These belts are actually an option on the real car. And in the interior….. …with the dash

So, today is Wednesday and Friday night I'll jump in my car and make the 900 mile trek to Overland Park for the Heartland Nationals. I am a big street rod fan and to my own surprise I end up with almost no street rods finished for the show. So I decided to give it all…..for three days that is. I am starting a project now and I will try to complete it by departure time. For this I just made a hybrid frame between the Revell '32 frame and the Phantom Vicky one and put fenders on it. They were bobbed at the rear and the fuel tank was removed. The body is the standard Phantom Vicky. The roof is the only thing that has been started some time ago and it is scratch built, but still needs some more work. I have not decided on a power plant or color yet, but I am sure it will come to me. Stay tuned and thanks for looking.

I really love it. totally my kind of build. Doesn't need a thing.

Оhhhhh. That I have no clue. While my wife was looking at nail polishes I just picked one that I liked.

cool blue

Pretty cool work

I like this very much. The mock up has a very promising stance. I love your choice of suspension. I wish there were more kits with nice IFS. This particular set up on the Phantom Vicky is mostly used on full fendered rods in 1:1. Actually there isn't a single decent "highboy IFS" ever made in scale. Can't wait to see this finished.

Thanks again to all of you guys. Andy, at first I was thinking about putting a casket in it. I even looked for one. But then decided against it, because if would have hidden all the detail on the bed. And about the door know trim - ironically it is my favorite detail on the model.

Thanks again guys. I am happy that you enjoyed the WIP thread too. I had a blast building this and when I took it to the Heartland Nationals last year, I was really happy to hear quite few people discussing it. I am the worst when it comes to picking classes to enter my models in and I put it in the Light Commercial class, when I should have put it in the Street Rod class. It finished third and the model that places first absolutely deserved it. I didn't mind not winning tho. People coming to me and asking me if I was "the guy with the Hearse" was rewarding enough for me. I had another detailed WIP thread for the "'30 Sumthin' rod" I am working on, but when the server was getting updated, I lost it all and never found the time to start it all over again, but one of these days I'll do it.

If you are referring to the polished used for the white metal, I think it is called Never Dull, or something like that. It is a metal finish round thin can that you can find anywhere from automotive stores to Wallmart. It is wadding that you just pinch as much of as you need and rub with it. It is not a paste or liquid. The aluminum aircleaners in the hood were polished with it too. It will buff any metal.

It is a Jimmy Flintstone resin kit that was released many years ago in collaboration with Testors in a "hobby shop only" series. This one uses only the body from that kit and it is further modified. I drilled the hood and turned my own aluminum air cleaners to poke through. I adapted the Aluma Coupe front and rear suspension. It uses Smoothster wheels with cut and narrowed Tamiya tires from a Ferrari F40. Tail lights and exhaust are scratchbuilt. All the shiny parts like trim, grille etc., is actually polished white metal. The blue paint is nailpolish. The flames are airbrushed with a variety of Tamiya colors. The whole thing is topped of with 2K clear.

Actually the car was commissioned by Mitsubishi to promote their new (back then) motor and it's versatility. This is the same motor that later found its way in the Eclipse enginebay. Considering this car was built in 1991 ( completed in 1992) it was nothing short of engineering masterpiece.

May I ask why would you want to do this? The Mitsubishi turbocharged motor in the Aluma is better and more powerful than any Corvair motor ever was.

Thanks again everyone. This was one of these projects that was started years ago without going anywhere and just being thrown around from box to box. Actually just the body part. And then one day last year it just started coming together and the ideas were just pouring in my head and then it got built fairly quick. I have to say I could not have done it without this place, as there are so many great builders on here and endless cool ideas. This forum is nothing but inspirational and motivational place for me. And for that I thank you all.

This is really amazing. A big project you have undertaken here. Really curious how it will turn out at the end.

Wow! Really neat idea. I really like it. I always enjoy projects like this, that take a popular model, but are totally "outside the box". Can't wait to see it finished.

Thanks for the great comments guys. Here are a couple more pictures with the side hoods.