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Great job on the chop and the window moldings are very impressive.

Nice looking wagon and I also like the flames. Did you use a mask to create them or did you make your own ?

If the Nova SS kit purchase is not something you want to do, think about the '57 Chevrolet Black Widow. The kit has two different engines and transmissions. The basic small block with a manual transmission and another block with the Powergluide transmission. There is only one set of heads and intake choices. The advantage to the Nova SS would be to giving you the proper exhaust manifolds or even headers if you wanted to do that.

I also would like to see Moebius or Revell do something in this area. My thought is that if they did say the '57 Pontiac they could offer a hardtop and or a post two door. Then they could make a Safari wagon off of the basic tooling. The same could be done with both the Buick and the Oldsmobile as a hardtop and then the four door hardtop wagons. It would be a big investment in time and money, but from all the comments here it sounds as though it would be a financially successful thing for them to do.

There is a TV program here called Bitchin Rides and is centered on the custom work from Kindig-it Design. If you look on Youtube under Bitchin Rides they have several of the cars he has done. The one to look for is called Blue Suede Shoes. They redo a '59 Buick Invicta and it is done in a two tone. You might look for it for some ideas.

Really like the interior.

The vinyl top was vary common extra cost option on almost everything in that era. With the chrome on this model I think I would have the top match the body, that way it doesn't detract from the beautiful lines of the car. The idea of the interior in a similar red color would add a richness that you might not get with a lighter color. You might try and simulate a cloth interior. Chrysler offered some beautiful color combinations at that time, with a little looking around you might find something you didn't even think they offered.

I think the sink marks were just the quality of the day. They just didn't have the technology that we all now take for granted. This should be a real nice easy build with the detailing knowledge you have now. Since you're going to build it as a showroom model, the tutone paint on OEM Buicks could be had two different ways. The most common was to have the roof painted the lighter contrasting color. The less common seen style was to paint the roof and the top of the trunk and top of the fins the lighter color. The moldings along the fins provide the dividing line between the different colors. The bottom edge of the trunk lid provided the end point. The area below the trunk lid and around the license plate/gas filler area would be the same color as the main part of the body. I'll enjoy watching this build.

By the time you have checked your gauges you're in the ditch.

In this very section you are now posting in. In fact it is directly above your post.

Check The After Market Directory. Several of the casters listed there cater to the type of equipment you are looking for.

If you have not tried it yet, you can build the exhaust by using hollow plastic tubing with a copper wire inside. This is easy to bend and will hold its shape. Aluminum tubing will often kink when bent in a tight arc. I like the Aluminum tubing on the very end because it can be easily polished and looks just like and exhaust tip.

If you can find some Dremel drill bits they have some larger sizes that should work. I picked mine up at Home Depot. Start with the finest bit you have now and be sure it is centered when you start drilling. Progressively move to larger size drill bits. At some point you will want to stop drilling, because the pipes are flared the end will still be to thick but the inside that you are drilling will be getting to close to drilling thru the sides. At that point use a #11 blade. With the point in the center of the hole you can slowly rotate the blade and scrape out the desired shape. The blade has an angle that works very well at enlarging the hole in the exhaust pipe. Of course you could always just cut the split pipes off and build the exhaust the way you want it to the rear.

Very nice. MoPars always looked best on Keystone wheels.

Beautiful paint. Did the interior, bucket seats and console, come in the kit ?

Outstanding detail thru out . I'm curious about the R-3 engine you mentioned. In the early '60s as a starving student at Santa Monica City College, I worked nights and weekends at a Union 76 station on Pico Blvd. Not far from the Paxton Products R&D. They would run many street going prototypes thru the station to get gas. I was able to talk to some of the drivers and they would often show me what was under the hood. They would use a standard Studebakers with the prototype engine and 4-speeds. One I really remember had a twin supercharger setup with two 4 barrels. I could be mistaken but I think the driver called it an R-3 prototype. Being a Studebaker fan I thought you may know more about that engine option.

Well built, great attention to all of the little details really show.

Very accurate build. Looks just like the picture.

What a great tire storage rack. Out standing weathering, I like the parking light bulb hanging out of the fender, sorry, wing.

Andrew, Keep an eye on the Work Bench and Under Glass sections. I have been building for many years and it seems that I learn something new every day from fellow members.

Outstanding interior, thank you for the painting info. Is the exhaust from the kit or did you make your own split tail pipes ?

The stance is dead on and the fuel lines, t-fittings, fuel filters, are the best I think I've ever seen. I like the idea of the bracket for the spark plug wires on the front of the cylinder head. Got to watch this for any other great ideas.

They all look like you got off to a great start and then saw another model that you got interested in. I also used to have 2 or 3 projects going and none ever got finished. Now I just force myself to finish what I'm working on before starting another.

Great looking work space, almost to nice to use.

Thank you for the info. I got to see most of the episodes of Cuban Chrome on TV. I have to agree , the Cubans deserve respect for what they have been able to do with so little to work with.