Repstock

I owned a 1976 Grand Prix. Why wait? I converted a 1977 Monte Carlo kit into my Grand Prix.

Motor City is out of business, and I have no access to the master, if it still exists.

The yellowish parts are resin (copied from 3D masters), and the white parts are styrene. The roof is made from sheet styrene and evergreen shapes.

Now I feel like I'm starting to get somewhere with this.

My 3D parts were very well done, but they wanted to curl up. I was able to super glue them to a flat surface and make resin castings of them. The cab work is underway. When I'm in "The Zone", it's hard to make myself stop and take pictures, but I managed to get this one. Updates to come.

I'll be picking up the printed parts Tuesday, and then I'll get started on the cab.

I have to wait for parts for my White 7000 project, so I pulled this back out and finished the underside.

What he said.

I thought there was an "Eleanor" version in the works, with the flat hood.

I used this over the Revell Chrome, and it solves the durability issue. I sprayed the part with chrome, set in dehydrator for a day, sprayed generous coat of clear, sat in dehydrator another day. Couldn't detect any loss of shine.

I don't know if there's anything you can do about it, but the vents at the base of the windshield are different from 1979 and up. They would extend right about to the hood's character lines. The unobtainium Fire Fighter Dodge pickup kit (and one other version that I can't remember) had this feature. Not that big of a deal, but I thought it worth mentioning. Truck should look pretty good when done!

I decided to do a White 7000. I have rudimentary skills drawing for 3D printing, so I decided to do the grille that way. While I wait for the prints, I decided to start the chassis. I chose to make the hopelessly convoluted Velvet-Ride suspension. Here's what I have so far: I notice in my grille drawing I forgot to round the outside edges. I can always sand the part to fix that.

Thank you for the kind words. Gives me a little more confidence!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/225766801584?hash=item3490c000b0:g:LGgAAOSw78lk~cW0&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwBoNVu8n9xbI2ZqQR5tmKNvSRLTeVu%2BFuFPfUH9pGNKzCT3kym4JsETEA2yt8JUQy7p4pcZaHXFN%2BuQlOf32pY6q%2F7LH54n1etdNLALV3GVaVMgVFZpn8bl0EVMMIqJPx3RT5PQSYg9dvLC2Nmq21NQR%2B5uI%2B9L9nU5XJr4ciUsVQUnpzp0W2HdiYl%2BwtIOMpNyr5PKTpU6LA7V6CpIEx2AxlfjwipA%2Bo2v2OMlulQODuk6Rrmfb9Uv2oPXyzfifVw%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR6TKsoydYw They also make them in 20". Sometimes the lug nuts are broken off, just got to glue them back on.

Really nice looking truck. Just like my Ford W, this kit renders my scratchbuilt GMC obsolete. I do think this model was built very well. looks great!

I really like the look of this model. It's got that fleet truck "something".

That's a great picture! I could have used it for inspiration! Very nice. That tank has seen some miles...love it!

I always liked those. I'll be watching.

I was re-arranging a showcase to make more room for new arrivals. I pulled this old H series conversion from the back. I haven't taken fresh pictures of it for many years. It was my first truck conversion attempt. Many details are missing and wrong, but it looks good on the shelf. All I can remember about the conversion is that I used parts of a conventional truck sleeper to help make the skirting. This was the first big rig build I built that I still have. Paint is Colorplace (I told you it's old) Kelly Green. Most of the rest of the details I've forgotten over the years. Well, here it is:

Thanks, everyone. I appreciate your kind comments!

For an "easy" conversion, this ended up having more mistakes than I would like. (detailed in WIP section). I got about 90% of what I was shooting for, so here she is:

Because of the way the kit cab tilts, I couldn't make the cab tilt without attaching small parts of the grille surround to the frame rails. I made 3 different grille surrounds, and this was the least invasive way to do it, not totally accurate, but here it is. The model is now pretty much finished, and I'll post pics in that section of the board. I haven't weathered the white parts yet, as that takes a careful touch. I got about 90% of what I was shooting for, so not too bad. Now to select a new project...

Was this style of rearview mirror(s) ever kitted, or are they available on the aftermarket?

I am my own worst enemy. I've been building models my entire life, and sometimes I wonder if I've learned anything. I put the exhaust manifolds on the engine wrong (upside down), and the kit parts would not line up. The engine was installed in the chassis, so it was too late to fix the problem. I decided to go with single exhaust, as I could plumb it into the manifolds and hide the join. I then discovered that the single exhaust interfered with the right cab support leg, so I created an offset support leg structure to allow for the pipe. This is very prototypically wrong, but I do want to finish the build. It shouldn't be too obvious on the finished model, but... If I had only paid attention to the instructions! I also had the chassis complete and in paint, and realized I forgot some small parts. Luckily, I was able to work them in. I remember checking clearances for the pipe with the cab floor, but did not account for the support leg part. The Transtar is a fine kit, but I'm not so sure about my own performance on this build!

Thanks, Tim! It was great seeing Tim Ahlborn's trucks in person. That's always a great show. I try to never miss it.