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The last time I saw these on the shelf at the hobby store they were like $30.00 plus. You got the deal of the century.

Like just about everyone else on the forum I'll follow your build. Still laughing about the spoons. What a great idea.

In this episode they use a numbers matching (which means it still has the "born with" drive train) '68 Corvette. It is a T-Top 435 h p 427 cu in 4 speed that is black on black and would be very easy to restore. In stead of finding even a base 350 automatic to make their Hot Wheels car, they destroy, no they commit a sacrilege, on the afore mentioned Corvette. What they do is cool and the car becomes everything they said it would be, it just seems unexplainable why they would spend $35k on this car instead of finding a basic car for around $10k - $12k since they were replacing almost everything any way. As time has gone by this program has started to go the way of so many good programs that start out with a basic good story line that each season has moved further and further into the absurd. While I still watch it, only if there is nothing else on or I'll wait for the reruns. The car does look great and I may even buy the Hot Wheel went it comes out just because.

Slicing up the body seems like a lot of extra work and it also opens up the possibility of the lose of structural integrity of the body. I know others have done similar body modes, but with the tops minimal attachment points it will need all the support you can give it. Maybe just chop the top on the new donor and then modify the body as needed.

The interior turned out perfect.

Ford made a woody convertible I think in '46 - '48. Some dealers at that time offered a dealer installed dress up kit with wood trim. Don't ever remember seeing a factory coupe.

Great looking build. I would like to know where you got the wheels ? I'm building a model of my '67 El Camino from about 1970 and I had a set of Ansen Sprints with the staggered size just like your model.

I remember I used to think putting a Chevy V-8 in a Bike was crazy.

As for scale models, I remember a few years ago someone had a technique where they sprayed different colors on top of a vat of water. Then the model body was lowered into the water and then removed and set to dry. The paint would adhere to the body in a random pattern. I'm sure that you could also do this with smaller parts also.

One other minor difference between the '55 Thunder Bird and the '56 was on the tail lights. It didn't seem to matter if you had the optional back up lights or not, there was a small red reflector that extended slightly at the top on the '56's that the '55's didn't have. The location of the hood scoop looks good but it is in a low pressure area and would need to be much taller to be very effective. I think at the time it was more of a style thing and for air cleaner clearance. The '65 GTO's had a little better design and they were trying to get some additional air to the engine. Arguably the best hood scoop in the middle of the hood would have been the AMC hood scoop. Thru wind tunnel test and racing experience engineers learned that they needed to have an opening in a high pressure area such as the base of the windshield or on the leading edge of the hood. If you look at the air intakes on almost every modern car today you'll see that they almost always have an air cleaner intake at or near the grill area because of the high pressure in that area.

Ferby, I'm enjoying watching your build. You mentioned your 1:1 '51 Shoe Box. Many, many years ago as a young man I also had a '51 Ford Tudor Deluxe as it was known as at that time. Like you I lowered it, and this may make you laugh now, but remember this was at a time this sort of modification was very crude at best. While upgrading the exhaust system you would have the guy with the torch heat the front springs until the lower A arm's bump stops hit the frame. It would handle OK until you hit an expansion joint or any irregularity in the road. Then it would bounce and come down hard on the frame. The only good thing besides looking good is it would corner like a slot car. I had a 3/4 Flathead with 3-97's and Evans heads and headers. Never got beyond the rattle can primer and chrome rims but I really loved that car. Keep up the good work on you're '53 Custom.

I remember the term being used in some Rock and Roll songs from the '50s and 60's. Think it was bad boy Leroy Brown, or that was the person the song was referring to.

You might want to check the After Market Directory, or you could make your own with different diameters of Plastruct or use aluminum tubing.

Outstanding interior, paint and body. For me I'm most impressed with the engine and fuel injection.

Just because they can doesn't mean that they should. With the way people drive here in the K.C. Metro area, hard time keeping it between the painted lines, there would be a lot of body damage out there.

Five great builds and I especially like the Olds. You have 30 days so don't stop now.

Great gasser for sure. The rear slicks look to be correct for the era your building, but your going to have a lot of sanding on the tire treads. It looks like the one was cast crooked or something. On your foiling, don't let it intimidate you. If I may suggest in addition to the other good advice on foiling. You are going to scribe the doors and tail gate. At that time also take a new #11 blade and outline all of the moldings before you even primer the body. The very fine detail lines start to go way as you add paint. This makes it difficult to find the edge of the molding after painting. I have even rescribed the moldings before trying to use chrome foil. This gives you an easier line to follow when you apply the foil. When doing something like the body side moldings take it one panel at a time. I'll do the front fender and then the door and so on. Be sure to stop the foil at door opening, this will help make the opening more real looking. Q-tips and the pointed ones like your wife or girlfriend gets at the makeup counter are great to work the foil into the contours of the moldings you're foiling.

As others have mentioned it's your model so build it your way. That said, if you're sold on the big chrome wheels and low profile tires you might look at removing the rear skirts and have the rear just slightly higher than the front. Have you thought of chroming the stock wheels and using wide or even narrow whitewalls ? you could also maybe photo shop your model with the rear wheel wells opened up to better show off the large chrome wheels you like. Wheels and tires really set the tone of a cars appearance. Look at other wheels you might have in your stash or in another kit you have and see what looks best to you. I like the flat black and the red interior. What I could see of the engine looked great and you did a nice job on the chassis and exhaust. I'd like to see how you finish this build.

Ron, You mentioned the interior. You might think about using the back seat out of the '67 Chevelle as a base to work from. Based on your success with this build I have started my own '67 El Camino build. Faced with the same problem with the interior I'm going to use the back seat out of the '67 and remove the arm rests and widen the seat as need be. I think you could do the same for your front seat and either get a resin casting of it for the back seat or see if anyone has a back seat left over from a Pro-Street build of the '67. Also the dash from the '67 has the optional Instrumentation and Tach. that is not in the '66. This will give you the option of building the wagon with or without that package.

I remember my father telling me of his first car. As the story went it was a new '41 Chevrolet tudoor. He felt that he was going to be drafted and wanted a new car before the war. Dad was a supply Sergeant in the Army and meet my mother while on leave. After they were married he was stationed at Ft Riley and later sent to Alaska and my mother was going back to stay with her folks so dad sold the Chevy to his commander. Dad was somewhat like the " Radar " character in the movie MASH. He got the Commander to loan him his car when he had liberty so he could visit Mom. After the war there was a new '46 Chevy tudoor that I only remember as being a dark Blue. I do remember very well going to pickup our new '49 Ford four door black sedan. I could stand on the floor in the front and just look over the dash board. We didn't think we need any " stinking seat" belts back then.

At one time someone was suggesting "Play-Doh" for masking. I never tried it myself so I can say one way or another if it would work.

I've got the Hardlywaits for this one, Probably one of the finest Pontiacs of all times.

This is a very nice kit that almost falls together. At one time it was issued in a low rider version with air bags and a lot of other details. The factory air conditioning units hoses even line up as they should. With very little extra detailing you can build an outstanding looking model.

Your tail light conversion looks dead on. Since you're trying to stay with OEM type colors you might want to look at Auto Color Library.Com and Old Car Brochures. Com for color ideas. I like the looks of the Granada Gold on the 1:1, but I am prejudice because my '67 El Camino was that color. The Chevelle colors included a very dark blue metallic ( Danube Blue I believe ) and a light Blue metallic. They also had a dark Maroon with very little or no metallic in it. Another color you might look at is a very light Green metallic that was not very common but looked good on a body style that had a lot of trim on it.

Now that's funny !!