Ramfins59

I'm surprised that no one has posted anything about this show being held tomorrow at the New Stanton Vol. Fire Dept., 108 South Main St., New Stanton, PA The show is 9 AM to 4 PM. Admission is $5 at the door which covers your first model entry. Additional models entered are $1 each. Peoples Choice Awards for 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place Awards. Best of Show is a Cash Award (Doesn't say how much). Registration and voting until Noon and awards will be presented at 4 PM. Model Classes are; 1 Street Rod - Pre 1960 2 Street Machine - Post 1960 3 Custom Automobile 4 Competition - All Types 5 Commercial Vehicles 6 Factory Stock Vehicles 7 Dioramas - Limited to 12" X 12" 8 Other - Military, Sci-Fi, etc. 9 Junior - 16 or younger Hopefully some of us local modelers will be there if you haven't already made plans for the day. See you there.

Thanks Tom. Sorry to hear of your Caravan troubles. I'm sure that you will eventually "win the war." They're only plastic and you're smarter...!!! I'm trying to decide on what to pull off the pile next. As I said earlier, my younger brother has been after me to build something from 1957. I'm leaning towards a '57 Pontiac convertible promo that I picked up on EBAY a couple of months ago. It's a car that you don't see modeled, and you've seen how I like working on unusual subjects and promos. I also just received another EBAY bargain today. It's a Classic Metal Works semi-diecast kit (the body is metal but all the parts are plastic) of a 1953 Cadillac in 1/26 scale (like the '55 Olds kit I recently built). I couldn't resist picking it up for only $10 (+ shipping). It's another unusual subject that you don't see modeled and it will be a great addition to my 1950's builds. At first glance the parts look really good and with a little extra detailing I think it will build up into a nice looking model.

Thanks a lot guys. Bruce, the half moon headlight shields are photo-etched pieces from Detail Master. I polished them up a bit with a super fine sanding stick and formed them to a slight curve around a small paint brush handle to conform to the curve of the headlight lenses. They're glued on with clear enamel. The Detail Master part # is DM-2033 and they are $3.99 for a set which has enough to do several cars, with sizes to fit cars with single larger headlights, or smaller twin headlights. DETAIL MASTER

Thanks guys, all the encouraging comments keep me going..

Welcome to our plastic playground Pat.

I was 15 and building models. I remember going to the New York World's Fair in 1965.

Thanks very much everyone, I appreciate your kind and encouraging comments.

I was able to finish this car up this afternoon. It is done up as a late 50's/early 60's style mild custom (I still have to add the lake pipes) using all the "bolt-on" customizing accessories of the period. The colors are Duplicolor Arctic White and Tamiya French Blue. The car was nosed and decked with all badges and emblems removed, and the door handles were shaved. A tube grille was added, Pegasus Crossbar front hubcaps, twin spotlights, mirrors and antennas, full length cruiser skirts, Merc wagon taillights and a continental kit. After trying my best with the horrible plastic hinges in this kit, I wound up gluing the doors shut. One door wound up falling off when I was trying to install the rest of the interior so I just gave up on the opening doors. Yes Harry, there IS an interior rear view mirror in there... it's an oval shaped one mounted between the sheet plastic visors that I made... it just doesn't show in the pics. In the engine compartment I added a resin master cylinder and brake line, a washer fluid line, heater hoses, battery cables and a radiator overflow line. As usual, this model is far from perfect. There were a lot of paint touch-ups to do and those crappy door hinges...!!! If anyone else is building this kit, do yourself a favor and go the extra mile by making new wire hinges for the doors. Did I mention that I HATE those crappy plastic door hinges..??? Now to decide on what to pull off the pile next. My younger brother is after me to build something from 1957, the year that he was born. So far I've only built a '57 Chevy. I've got a Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Olds, Pontiac and T-Bird in the pile. What should it be...???

Eugene, I had an '86 Caprice Classic back in the 90's and I loved it. It had power everything, a great stereo/cassette player with an equalizer and was decent on gas. It was a real comfy car for road trips.

Honestly Bernard, I don't really remember. I think it was from one of the Monogram 1/24 scale deuce kits (yellow plastic) as the rest of the car is also 1/24. I don't believe any modifications were necessary to get it to fit.

Welcome to our plastic playground Fred.

That's coming along very nicely Harry. Impressive detail work.

Here's a '30 Phaeton I built about 10 years ago with a deuce grille.

James, that is one great looking build.

Welcome to our plastic playground Tory.

Thanks everyone. Today I finished the BMF work and painted the interior headliner. Tomorrow I can install the glass and hopefully start on final assembly. If all goes well, pictures will follow. Stay tuned.

Good job on that Ford.

Another great job Al. Yes sir, I also believe in redoing promos to make them the way you want them. I've done about 6 of them of 50's cars already with another 6 or 7 in the pile yet to do and a bunch more if I can get them.

Welcome to our plastic playground Heather.

That is a great looking car Alan.

Retired now, but I was an Accounts Receivables Collections Specialist for 32 years...... basically a business-to-business bill collector.

Hey Pat, welcome to our plastic playground.

Great work Harry. I usually use the same method for painting small parts, but I attach the parts to wooden toothpicks or use alligator clips to hold them... whatever works.

Kris, you can usually find these cars on EBAY, or, you can order a resin kit from Modelhaus. Modelhaus - Fine Hand Cast Automotive Restoration Parts

Hey thanks Carl. I think that a lot of the 50's cars look cool with a continental kit, especially when the car is done up as a mild custom. As you can tell by now, I'm a fan of the J.C Whitney "Bolt-On" style of customizing on 50's cars. It was the relatively cheap way back then to make your car look cool without any bodywork other than getting it nosed, decked and shaved. I'm partial to the full width connie kits as opposed to the smaller "basket" types. I have to get another copy of Andy Southard's book "Custom Cars of the 50's & 60's" which I loaned to someone a very long time ago and never got it back. It had great pictures of mild customs from back in the day. Great for reference ideas.