Ace-Garageguy

I love it. The DNA of the old GT40 (my all-time favorite car) shines through. Tough to capture enough of a family resemblance on such a thoroughly modern-looking car, and Ford Design got it right. There are a few details I'm not hog-wild about, but when I buy one, I'll change 'em.

Seems like a really good idea, but it looks like the only Franklin '53 Caddies are convertibles.

I've been in and out of the bodyshop business for over 40 years...mostly high-end collision and restoration work where quality was the most important goal...and your assertion that "time is money" in the biz, and that materials are developed specifically to speed the process is right on. HOWEVER, only a fool in the biz fails to read and go by the specific TDS for any given material (technical data sheet). Expecting one to behave like another you may be used to is just plain stupid, and certain to kill your profits. Specific materials require specific handling and techniques, and making generalizations isn't smart or helpful. NOTE: The OP's reference photo looks rather like "solvent popping", where solvents (the thinner in paint, NOT the propellant) is trapped under a too-quickly-dried surface from...surprise...forcing heat on paint before it's sufficiently gassed out, or from piling on successive coats before the underlying coats are sufficiently dry. As the surface is hard and impermeable to solvent vapor, the solvent still tries to get out. It forms little blisters or bubbles during its escape. It's a model. No angry client or insurance company is bugging you to get it done faster. But if you screw it up, you'll still do it over again for free. Don't rush it.

I respectfully suggest you practice and develop your spray techniques BEFORE you paint models that you want to look good. Small plastic pop bottles make good test subjects. Do all your prep and paint steps the same as you do on a model. Find out what works, reliably, every time, and then stick to a known procedure with the same materials. Constant experimenting, mixing materials from various companies (without thorough testing first) and trying to rush-dry your paint are all disasters waiting to happen. It's a LOT more fun to do this stuff when you KNOW your paint will come out right.

I had a Lotus 7 S2 with a 1340. Never realized they came in the Consul Capri. The little 1340 with two side-draft Webers moved the 850-pound 7 pretty briskly, but I'd think the Consul would be somewhat, shall we say, sedate.

Nice work. Very nice work.

Beautiful old Caddy. Your plan is entirely possible, but one small problem is that the Franklin Mint pieces will be 1:24 scale, while the Modelhaus kit will be 1:25. This is not difficult for a competent modeler (who can make good masters) to deal with, but it may take some time to make a set of 1:24 parts, and downsize them to fit the 1:25 body, and still look right.

Humidity's in the mid-30% range, tomorrow looks clear and coolish (mid-80s) and so does Sunday. Time to work on the Spyder...and maybe a model or three.

...Yeah, and the red urethane bushings in the engine mount too. The plug wires aren't '50s type. Look at Packard wire and Rajah ends. But the technology existed to build headers identical to those during the '50s. Borgeson steering joints were available, or aircraft-surplus types. The rod-end bearing supporting the steering shaft was available. I'm not sure about the availability of the double-D steering shaft. Still, who really cares? It probably goes like hell and is a blast to drive. Isn't that the real point of building stuff? It is to me, anyway.

It would fit in my last ex's purse.

Find a reference photo of a real car that has those valve covers, and do it the way the real car is.

And there's not a whole lot of guys who can work on a carb anymore anyway, much less an old Carter. At least an out-of-the-box Edelbrock clone ought to run OK with just a little effort and not much knowledge. I know, I know...peel off the sticker. But what's more annoying to a real hard-core picker of nits...an obvious Edelbrock with the sticker peeled trying to masquerade as a Carter, or an actual Edelbrock with an Edelbrock sticker?

Numbers are hard.

Gotta agree with ya there...

Gypsy's never-acknowledged love child from her affair with a golf-cart back in 2003 or so.

I did this one. If you like it, I'll tell you how. (It was built to represent Thompson's Challenger I as it appeared for its bare-metal press introduction in its first, non-supercharged iteration).

Real hot-rodders in the olden-days (when I was young) put alternators on their engines when they became available because they charge better at low revs...and REAL hot rods (as opposed to poseur pretend wanna-bees) are about function. They were, by the way, still making nailheads when alternators came out. Far as the carb sticker goes, everybody knows an El-de-brock (note spelling; I see a lot of mouth breathers spell it that way) sticker is worth at least 5 HP. The air filter on the first photo looks like a period sand-cast CalCustom (or that ilk) part. They were rough as cobs, and the outer flanges (visible) were "brushed" (with about a 40-grit stone). And far as block-hugger headers go, people WERE capable of welding back in the olden days too. Not every set of headers came in a box from some factory. Lotsa guys made headers that fit in close to the engine out of necessity. Like me. (Try putting a Chebby 327 in a Triumph Stag. ) .

What pleased me most today was Ed's Tuesday Arizona-sky picture. Please keep them coming, sir. What an incredibly beautiful place to live, and thanks for sharing your view with us.

Measure it. If it's 1 mm in diameter, it's about 1" in 1/24-1/25 scale. If it's 1.5 mm in diameter, it's about 1 1/2" in the same scales.

Looking good.

From looking at the instructions, it appears to me the spring eyes have to be rolled into the primary spring leaves by the builder...so what's to prevent a reasonably competent modeler from simply making new, longer primary leaves out of brass strip stock to get the length required, maybe making a second leaf too if necessary, and using the rest of the kit as is?

Great fun !!!

My favorite cars, so I have to love the logos...

Man you guys are good. Lotsa really beautiful work here.

IMG copy from photobucket just this instant. Left click the box next to IMG on photobucket. Look for the yellow flash in the box. Come back here. TOTALLY IGNORE "choose files" and "insert other media" Place your cursor where you want the photo to appear. Hit Ctrl-v. The URL code will appear. When you click to "post reply", the photo appears...just like always.