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Sometimes, not always, but sometimes it's just better to drop it in the purple pond and start over. Use the lessons learned here and start fresh on the paint.

I agree with Mark, this is the kit I would start with since it has the general shape with the roof being the exception. You might post your need on the forum in the section set aside for just that reason. You might be able to trade something you already have for this kit. While this is a great kit in it's own right it has been reissued over and over and can be found at a reasonable price. The pillared two door sedan roof would be your only challenge and you may even build it as a hardtop.

Very nice looking build.

Great looking Olds. More strip than street looking. Very nice paint.

Great idea on the paint work. This looks just like a Candy Apple Red paint job that has sat out in the sun for a couple of years.

This could be the real deal. The seller stated that the engine #'s didn't match and implied that the engine was not original to the car. The trim tag showing "special order" is but one tip off. The mechanical items like the speedometer showing 140 MPH is a big indicator along with the brake drums. Most people creating clones usually don't get these items right. I think it would very uncommon for someone to order the base two door with the suspension and brakes seen here and I have my doubts that you could even get the 140 MPH speedo unless you were ordering through some state agency.

We're have a big fireworks display put on by our home owners association for the Fourth of July. We are required by the Fire Department to have a licensed and insured person put on the show. This is the same person that does the cities fireworks also. This means we get our show on July 3. This works out well because we have our show followed by the cities show, and all the neighbors are shooting off stuff till about 10 or 11 at night. We don't have to spend a dime since everyone else is dropping a small fortune on fireworks. We usually start hearing some firecrackers around the first and each night it increases. After the show on the 3rd the neighbors were putting on big rocket shows till late into the night. Even last night, the 6th, we're still seeing everyone blowing up their money. Now that the local sales tents are closed by law it should get a little comer by the first of the week.

Beautiful job on this Midget, and perfect tow vehicle. The detailing of the Midget is so well done it looks very realistic. The Ford pick up is perfect as a stock work horse.

Hopefully you'll be able to post pictures for those of use unable to attend.

Like everyone else, I like how you used the license plates much like others have done on 1:1 cars and trucks. The paint treatment is very realistic looking and not overdone. The NASCAR chassis is perfect for this build.

You may be correct. Thanks for the heads up. I have owned a couple of 1:1 '57 Fords and some '51's but never tried to combine them in any way. I had mentioned the AMT '56 Ford kit as a possible donor and that may cover any frame issues, but I see know reason that the suspension parts couldn't be made to fit.

Looks like it has been ridden hard and put away wet as they say. Well built.

Great looking start. Many of these base trucks had painted bumper and grills anyway, so it is very much in keeping with the era. I have this same model on my work bench, but going in a different direction. I think it's a great kit to work with and will buy another soon.

Lots of Exotics, I like the old Detroit Iron myself. The black late model GTO reminds me of my '05 GTO. Really wish I had hung on to that but my back and neck was making it to hard to get in and out.

Very nice looking Cadillac. The Vinyl Roof goes well for this model.

Considering the condition of the body on this when you started it looks great.

Looks perfectly '50 ish. Nice color and finish the interior has a good contrast to the exterior color. I like the period modified engine setup.

What kit are you looking at ? That's a lot of money, at least in my mind. The only other kit that may be of help would be the AMT '56 Ford Crown Victoria and it has been reissued often enough that it shouldn't be any where near that price.

This is a very good example of a car in the edge of the two styles. I was fortunate enough to own a '57 T-Bird when it was still considered just another old used car. In the early '60's mine had no fender skirts and that was fine for me. This gave me more clearance for the "Pie Crust Slicks" I was using. There were some GM cars like the mid '50's Oldsmobile and Cadillacs that had rear fenders cut in such a way they had to have skirts. My personal preference has always been toward open wheel wells, but I realize many others prefer skirts and that's fine.

This is why I love dogs. They are just out there and have no shame, if it feels good just do it. We had a Lab. and I don't doubt he would have done the same thing.

The Pinto along with the Vega both were rather poor offerings from major automotive manufactures as a quick fix for gas prices that were going up fast along with some big economy problems of the day. The could of and should of done better but they went the cheep route and buyers suffered because of it. A true story while driving to work one morning in about 1975, I was listening to the "morning drive channel" on the AM radio, remember those ? Anyway the DJ had his mouth going about a 100 MPH and his brain was still parked. This is when everyone had their shorts in a bunch with Pinto's catching fire when rear ended and Firestone 500 tires coming apart at freeway speed. So the DJ goes into some sort of dialog about the bravest person in town had just run the light at the main part of town in a new Pinto with Firestone 500 tires. Remember his brain is in park. The story goes that his main sponsor was the local Ford dealer who called the radio station and withdrew his sponsorship. The truth of the matter was that if some yokel didn't plow into a Pinto driving a full size sedan there was no problem. As for the Firestone tires?, well when was the last time you checked your tire pressure ? Both cases of pilot error. Sometimes we can't be saved from our selves.

Even with the fitment issues you mentioned your build looks very nice. This was the first '57 Chevrolet kit I got to build years ago and I have always liked it. The only thing that really bothered me was the way AMT got the body side moldings wrong. I would still build one tomorrow since everything else just looks correct to me.

All of your extra effort on detailing really paid off. Looks great.

Beautiful looking Karmann Ghia. You didn't often see the convertibles, mostly the hardtops. I looked at your WIP also.

Very creative body work. I can see some kit bashing coming on. These look to kool not to build.