Ace-Garageguy

I'm afraid I won't be able to accurately follow the chrome lines molded in to the body. I've seen lotsa wavy BMF, and frankly, I think silver paint (or nothing) looks better than bad BMF. I'm also concerned about ruining a perfect paint job by getting wavy lines, and then peeling the stuff off, only to have it lift the paint where the knife blade scored it. And, if there's the slightest orange-peel under the paint, or if the foil goes down lumpy or wrinkled, or pieced together, I think it looks horrible too. So many ways to foul it up. Yeah, I'm intimidated. I'm about to man-up and try it on a primered AMT '57 Ford gasser. Primered so if I totally bugger it, it's an easy fix. '57 Ford because it looks like a kinda tough one, so if I can do a decent job, I'll feel like I actually accomplished something.

The Revell parts-pack nailhead is found in the Tommy Ivo "Showboat" (not the Challenger) though the Showboat version has different oil pans to accommodate the angled mountings, and different bellhousings. Both versions only come with slightly underscale Hilborn-style injection setups. There's another blown version of Revell's nailhead in the Tony Nancy double dragster kit. Thompson's Challenger ran 4 Pontiac engines...also available in a parts-pack version. Again, the Challenger version is different, having a full-length deep sump oil pan, and a chain-drive for the blower, plus different fuel and ignition parts. The only other decent nailhead (the '40 Ford version bites) is in the AMT '66 Buick Rivera. It features 2X4bbl carbs, and factory front cover, accessories, etc. There is a fairly good AMT version in the old Willys / '32 sedan double kit, but they're getting rare and pricey. The Revell and AMT '66 Riv nailheads are pretty close dimensionally. Yes, the Revell and AMT engines represent the cast-iron GEN1 OHV engines of similar architecture built from '53-'66 (264-322-364-401-425) and NOT the later 215 alloy engines or their derivatives. The little 215 Buick/Olds went on to become the basis of the Repco SOHC F1 engines in the series winning Brabham F1 cars of '66-67.

Just from being car crazy since I can remember, and building, racing, rodding and restoring them for over 50 years. I have enough ideas and build notes to easily last me another 50 years. Sometimes the weirdest things pop into my mind, like today while driving, I noticed the butt of a particular Asian high-end import would look really cool as a '32 roadster-esque lowboy.

I use an X-acto 32 TPI (tooth per inch) razor saw, some photoetched saws, and good ol' #11, 17 and 18 X-acto blades. I prefer the deeper blades made for the miter-box.

This is without doubt some of the slickest, trickest, most realistic weathering and diorama work I've ever seen. You've even got peeling chrome on the headlight bezels. Impressive.

And you filled the bumper-bracket notches in the end of the front frame rails too. GOOD MAN !

C'mon guys...this is hot-rod stuff. Hot-rod is six letters that mean "everything fits everything...if YOU make it".

It's been working for US car manufacturers for years...

Danged if it dont make ya wunder, dont it?

No. It's Stacey David's "Rat Roaster", the prototype for the Revell model, and never an AMBR winner

I'll mos' likely be in line for a bank truck too. Visions of a chopped, channeled, twin-Allison powered LSR money van... And the more I look at those '29 photos, the more I really hope they got everything right. If they're as good as the '50 Olds and the '57 Ford, we have a sure winner. Man, I hope so.

I'd probably be on board for several as well. I bought some Airfix 1/24 Spits and P-51s to rob engines from, but I honestly kinda hate to waste the remainder of the kits. Nice to be able to build the planes and have Merlins for car projects too.

I didn't touch manufactured models between about '69 and 2005 (except for a couple I was given but didn't work on in about '95), and according to Casey, it seems I didn't miss much. I've been of the impression there's been a new "golden age" going since I've been back in it, what with all the excellent stuff coming from Moebius, Revell, and the aftermarket, plus vintage kits and reissues of lotsa old favorites...and everything only a mouse-click away.

Guess i should be all like "whoopee", but I've been building traditional A-bones on Model A and Deuce rails for years (models AND full scale), bought up every old Revell parts-pack nailhead and Ivo Showboat I could get my hands on, as well as the old parts-pack roadster stuff for wishbones, axles, brake backing plates, and QC rear ends, plus a mess of Revell Challenger 1 kits for Buick finned drums, and a pile of old Revell woodies for the excellent frame and axles. Should be interesting to see how all the newie stuff compares to some of the absolutely excellent old stuff. Sounds like a great bunch of kitbashing goodies, at least. Sure hope they got it right. I also hope the kit is a huge seller, 'cause it sure would be nice to have well-scaled 1/25 '28-'29 and '30-'31 closed car bodies to go with it down the road. A '26-'27 T roadster body would be pretty cool to see too.

VERY sanitary little '29. That old AMT kit can be the basis of some great looking models. It's one of my all-time favorites. Great work...I see the IFS, smallblock Ford V8, recessed firewall, lotsa other subtle mods.

OMG OMG OMG...A SNOWSTORM ??? OMG OMG I'M GOING TO THE STORE NOW !!!!!!!

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Very nice effect. Any chance you'll do a how-to for us?

Wow. Pretty cool score on that oldie. Lotsa chrome on those Ponchos. Have fun BMeffing.

The solenoid you've made there is kinda massively huge. It looks to be about half as big as the battery, and it should really be about a quarter of what you have there.

This should be great fun to watch, as are all your builds. You're one of the slice-n-dice masters, for sure.

Yes Roger, you're absolutely right about the subtle shape inaccuracies on the sides of the Chevy decklid. I noticed it when comparing the photos of a 1:1 Bel Air to the AMT model decklid. The re-shaping is very easy and straightforward if done with round files and round sanding blocks...I've already done it...and there is plenty of material in the AMT body casting to allow for the work to be done without excessive thinning. The decklid cut-line on the AMT Chevy is not symmetrical either, as I'm sure you've noticed. To clarify MY point... the Olds coupe decklid is different from the Olds hardtop decklid in reality, so just because you keep the Revell decklid doesn't mean you have the correct deck for a hardtop. I'm fairly certain that a hardtop deck shouldn't extend as far forward as the Revell Club Coupe deck does, but without having 1:1 cars to measure, it's pointless to argue the matter. Frankly, it's all rather a moot point for me anyway, as I'm building the Olds / Chevy mashup into a '51 Pontiac hardtop...which has the same decklid part number in reality as an Olds hardtop, so the final correction of the Chevy decklid for the Olds will be appropriate for the Pontiac. I do have access to a real '51 Pontiac fastback, and a '50 Olds club coupe, but no hardtops at this point in time.

Mild steel welding rod of the appropriate diameter. 1/16" works for older kits. Brass tubing is also a good substitute, as is wire-core plastic rod. I also use un-cored plastic rod for stub axles.