Ace-Garageguy

If you don't have anything against eBay, go to their site and click on any random car model kit. At the top of the listing, you'll see Toys and Hobbies > Models and Kits > Automotive Click on Automotive. When that page opens, type "tires" in the search bar and click "Search" in the blue box. This is the current search result at 9:24 PM EST, Jan 20, 2022 (it will change every few minutes, as things are sold or listings roll-over). https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2499334.m570.l1313&_nkw=tires&_sacat=262320 Currently there are over 3700 listings for anything you could possibly want.

Both the custom Mercs from the movie:

You're off to a great start. Most adults here haven't tried to make their own molds and cast parts themselves. Your results will improve dramatically if you use a vacuum pump to de-gas everything, eliminating air bubbles. Some folks prefer to use compressed air to "crush" bubbles, but whichever you choose is up to you. Far as the "tight budget" part of the equation goes, you can easily convert the compressor from a junk fridge into a vacuum pump or air compressor; lotsa YouTube videos on how:

Some of us old geezers do. The Hirohata Merc appears at 3:21, to the LH side of the screen, after a chopped convertible Merc (that some interdwerb expert in the comments incorrectly identifies as the Hirohata car). It appears again at 21:15, maybe more. Muddy, squirming upload available free on glorious YouTube here:

I checked all the '56-'57 Ford products from AMT, came up empty. Pretty sure the Revell '57 is a dead end too. Going to have a look at the Revell '56 Ford truck. Still...there were a lot of differently-represented Chevy ram's horns done over the years. My guess is that there's a poorly done Chevy manifold out there that might look really good as a Ford.

That looks great. Anybody who was good with building this kit pretty much the way it comes (with no heavy mods) should be happy with your results.

The Mopar "display" cast iron headers in the old AMT '28 Ford sedan kit look like they could possibly be a starting point; lotsa file and fill work though:

That would surely be an attention-getter on any contest table. Nice work.

Just a thought...the alignment pins on model aircraft fuselages and wings (and model car engines, gearboxes, axles, blower halves, scoops, etc.) are very often misplaced, and can be a serious detriment to getting a precise fit. The second, the close-up photo, appears to be a perfect illustration of the problem. On parts that I want to mate clean with minimal (or NO gap, which is preferable), I routinely remove the pins and "machine" the mating surfaces dead flat on a piece of 180-or-so grit sandpaper on a sheet of glass, or other dead-flat backing. I then align the parts as closely as possible to get features lined up (panel lines, turrets, etc.), often splitting the differences where tooling is less than precise, and carefully wick liquid cement into the seam...holding the alignment with my fingers as the solvent takes its initial set. After decades of doing this stuff, I've found the additional effort involved is absolutely worth it in terms of the superior results obtained.

Agreed.

Fine looking model. Nice work. In reality, the '65-'69 cars with the revised rear suspension are a real treat to drive, and even better with an extra 100 or so horses.

Thank you. Great work...just the technique I need to get on with a 1/8 motorcycle build.

Either or.

Eons ago. Still have my 35mm and 2 1/4 cameras, but most of my darkroom stuff got away over the years. I did cars, races, aircraft, trains, arty stuff, portraits, and a little advertising garbage...just part time. I still shoot from time to time with early digital equipment, but I'd kinda like to get back into film when I have more time.

About 76 rubles to the dollar, so maybe eBay's currency converter is malfunctioning. Nothing much else on the site works reliably, so that's feasible. ₽62,000 (rubles) is about $816...almost in the ballpark.

Grains of rice?

Good work. I'd be in the market for one if I hadn't just bought the same diecast you used for a plug.

That's why I like my fake fiberglass 550. It looks like the real thing every time I walk out to it, it goes, stops, sounds and handles like the real thing, and if it gets hit, it's not the destruction of a priceless objet d'art. Still, I often kick myself for not mortgaging the farm to buy a real one back in the late '70s for five grand. I think I could get myself a real P-47 for what the Spyder would bring now, and have some left over for maintenance, hangar space, and avgas.

Parallel realities.

According to a "reliable" source: 1) Door tags weren't installed on '67 Shelbys, though the holes were drilled and sometimes filled with rivets; 2) Blocks in GT 350s had the VIN stamped on the LH (driver) side under the forward exhaust port. EDIT: There's a persistent rumor that there is another "hidden" stamped VIN somewhere on the vehicle, but nobody seems to have ever seen one, or know exactly where it might be...and my Mustang guy, who's built clones, calls it baloney. There ARE date-codes stamped on some panels, and these are what the guys in the video are ranting on about as placing the car's original build at the right time to coincide with a batch of Shelbys. And that, I'm afraid, is as close as anybody's ever going to get...unless the "chain of custody" can be established through sworn testimony from EVERYONE WHO'S EVER HAD THE THING IN HIS POSESSION.

Thanks. What you did worked well.

3-window is a good look for these. Did you shorten the roof at all (move the C-pillars forward) ?

Beautifully clean craftsmanship. Exceptional work.

Pretty much what I've been doing...

If you're still above ground, it's not too late to make arrangements for the dispersal of your modeling assets to whoever you want to have them. Nor is it particularly difficult...though, like most things worthwhile, it takes some effort and thought. For instance, let's assume your family doesn't want the stuff. Well, you're here on this board. Surely it wouldn't be hard to make a list of folks you like, who you think would benefit from all or part of your collection, and contact them with info as to what you've got, asking if they'd want it, and making arrangements for shipping or pickup after the inevitable happens. Put the stuff in your will, problem solved. Lots or other solutions too.