Ace-Garageguy

Really pretty. Love the hairpins, too.

Very nice trio. It's a treat to see all 3 SWC Willys gassers together and looking so very very good.

Yes, it's a combination of Testors and other buffing metallic finishes. It's still experimental and not entirely predictable or consistent, and it fingerprints (tarnishes, actually...just like silver) badly if handled without gloves. I'm not entirely satisfied with the results overall...yet. I'm looking for a water-based clear sealer to solve the tarnishing problem; all the solvent-based sealers (including hair-spray, artist's charcoal fixative and Testors own product) make the surface look like muddy silver paint, and I'm still working on application techniques to provide consistent results. It's interesting what I overheard about it at the show...some folks, who have apparently been around alloy bodies being built (or at least have seen photos in mags or on the net) got it entirely...while others thought it was a pathetic brush-paint mess.

Thanks for all the compliments...they really mean a lot. I'm off to the show.

The engine in the Revell chopped Merc kit represents a Cadillac V8, in either 331, 365 or 390 cubic inch capacity. These engines were very similar visually, and the basic design was built from 1949 through 1962. Here's a google image search for "390 Cadillac", which shows the basic engine with different induction systems, etc. https://www.google.com/search?q=390+cadillac&client=firefox-a&hs=F50&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ELB9Ute9EcyrkQey4oGgDQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1557&bih=738

Thank you very much. I'm glad this much of it is finished... Thanks a lot, Ray. I'm kinda pleased with the way it turned out too.

Thank you, Bernard. I know you have a particular fondness for this car...I'm glad you approve of the results.

Although the chassis and guts of this model are far from being complete, a major objective of doing this build was to back-date the Revell kit of the car (presented by Revell in its 1960 record-setting appearance) to the 1959, non-supercharged version, and to present it as it looked in bare metal, fresh from the body-builder's shop...before paint...when it was first shown to the press at the Beverly Hilton. The car should have a Goodyear decal on the nose in addition to the Mobil logo, and should also have full spun-alloy wheel covers. There are other flaws and inaccuracies, but I was under a deadline to get it ready for the Southern NNL nats, this weekend (one of the show themes is "Bonneville"). I personally think this is one of the most beautiful racing cars of all time, and to me, the bare-metal finish brings out the voluptuous but subtle curves of the George Hill-designed body. The finish isn't supposed to be perfect, rather it shows sanding and file scratches and surface textures from being worked on. You have to remember this body, on the real car, was hand-formed from flat sheets of aluminum by a master metalworker. I've spent most of my life around things getting built, and I really enjoy seeing the in-progress versions...sometimes more than I like finished perfection. After this version of the car, running Hilborn fuel injection, was successfully run at Bonneville at 362.31 mph (finished in light blue), it was entirely re-bodied for slightly better aerodynamics, and to accommodate the GMC superchargers. Finished in a darker, metallic blue, in 1960 it was driven to 406.6 mph by Thompson, making him the fastest man on earth in a wheel-driven vehicle. Thompson was unable to make the return run to clinch the official record due to a mechanical problem, but his accomplishment stands as a testament to the vision and talent of one of the true pioneering geniuses of hot-rodding.

Last bench shots...morning light on the 'alloy' body. This is the 'bare metal', fresh-from-the-body-builder effect I've been working on for a little while now. The other side... On the trailer, going to Under Glass and the NNL Southern Nationals...

Wow.

I'll be there too...

The AMT 1960 Ford Starliner has a very nice chassis, of the correct design, with a separate floor and suspension, etc. Wheelbase on the full-size cars is identical at 119", so the '60 chassis should work for you.

Wow. Huge improvement over what's in the box. Very nice indeed.

Great looking models !! I see a lot of vintage Revell parts-pack content in both of those...very very nice period pieces, clean craftsmanship, and well-thought out and integrated modifications.

Looking great so far. As you probably know, the tooling for this kit started out many many years ago as a Pyro kit, and it's simple compared with today's offerings, as well as being wavy, plagued with sink-marks, and very light on detail. Still, it can make a beautiful model with care and patience. Have you seen James Hetfield's custom (fiberglass replica-based) '36 Auburn "Slow Burn"? If not, it's really worth taking a look. http://vintagecolorstudio.com/gallery/1936-auburn-boat-tail-speedster

Looks really good so far.

There's a bunch more, and even our very own moderator Casey makes some absolutely beautiful aftermarket resin wheelsets. There are also kit-takeouts...all of the above are easily found on ebay...http://www.ebay.com/sch/Automotive-/2580/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=wheels&_sop=12

That's a pretty pair.

Very attractive and evocative little, early-style model. I love to see things built out of scrap bits...nice job on this. The stance is spot-on too.

Is ugly buttcrack PC?? Just checkin'. If it ISN'T PC, I'm irked and running around the room red-faced, hyperventilating and offended. If It IS PC, never mind. :lol:

This one is especially nice...http://www.arcair.com/Gal1/501-600/gal558-Talbot-Dalton/00.shtm

This can make a really beautiful model. Cool project. Lotsa pix, lotsa linx...https://www.google.com/search?q=talbot+lago+model&client=firefox-a&hs=2jF&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=47J5UqfIMpTQkQeW94HYCw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1572&bih=738#q=talbot+lago+1%2F24&rls=org.mozilla:en-US%3Aofficial&tbm=isch&imgdii=_

Thank you! Like I've said earlier, I think this is one of the best looking streamliners ever built, and I'm really trying to get it as close to right as humanly possible (considering the real one no longer exists...the first gen body).

Thanks again for your interest and kind words, Mike. I will be pulling molds from the skins, and making almost-scale thickness panels in very fine fiberglass. I've shown the technique on a couple of other builds. This is a tracknose I did for a chopped '34 lakes car, and the second shot is the backside, showing the thickness (about .030") and the weave of the glass. This technique yields parts that are MUCH stronger than resin of a similar thickness, and that actually fit together and hold their shape. There's a little more info over on the '34 build thread...http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=66744 I've found some finer-weave glass since that early experimental part, and I use a very high-strength epoxy resin made for 1:1 aircraft structures.