Kustom Steve Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 (edited) So when I was a kid I used to go to the Fea Markets with my Dad and I saw the AMT '61 Ranchero kit at a stall and wanted to get it for about three bucks. It was opened and my Dad talked me out of it and said it problem doesn't have all the parts and would not be fun to build a kit without all of the parts. So I held off. Some time later I found one on the self either at a KayBee Toy or on vacation with the family at Niagara Central Hobby Shop in St. Catherine, Ontario. My folks let me get it and I started painting the engine. Then the General Lee came out and this model was quickly forgotten until I got my first crappy, Taiwanese knock off of a Badger 350 in 1987. The first one in got the pin on the regulator for the propellant,broke off. My Dad drove me back to the store and we got a replacement. That one I got some of the Ditzler Tahoe Turquoise on the body but another part on the gun broke. My Dad told me to return it and take that money to save up for a "real" Badger and it should last. Well I did just that and put the model away into my stash and never did anything with it until last October . I was thinning the herd so to speak and really cutting things down to the bone and realized that no one was going to pay anything for a partially lacquer painted model car. I found at my folks house that my Dad still had the paint and it was still somewhat viable. My friend and coworker Chuck encouraged me to finish it and he would let me use his spray both to finish the painting. I decided to keep things somewhat simple, use it as a test bed for some new ideas and I had to ditch the Rat Motor with a hole through it for a Ford motor. I also used some of the new AMT wide white front and slicks out back. I decided to use the kit Keystone rims and make it look like a street machine from 1965 with the mags, wide whites and white chassis (I did it one up and made it pearl white). I used a 427 big block from the AMT '65 Galaxie and the carb is from the parts box and I think it was from a glue bomb '73 MPC Cougar and the air cleaner is off of the rat motor. Colors used: Ditzler Tahoe Turquoise Testors Ultra Gloss Testors Pearl White Testors Chrome Silver Lacquer Testors Tail Light Red Acryl Createx Pearl White Reaper Miniatures Linen White Citadel Drakenhof Nightshade Vallejo Model Air Steel Vallejo Model Air Chrome Vallejo Game Air Silver AK Interactive Dura Aluminum Tamiya Gloss Black Tamiya Semi Gloss Black Tamiya Yellow Tamiya Smoke - Applied over the chrome For the most part I did about everything wrong a modeler can do. There are many sins I committed in finishing (or lack of proper finishing technique) this model. I was frustrated by the lack of detail, the engine compartment and chassis pan. The bed drove me nuts with the huge mold line running across the bed floor (the tonneau cover is now glued in place). But the most important thing is that I did finally finish the model! This is the first model car I finished since 1997. I pretty much stopped and switched to miniature wargaming and figure painting since then. Edited October 4, 2015 by Kustom Steve Forgot some info
Sixties Sam Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 Very nice Ranchero! I'm glad you finally finished it. The finish looks good to me. Nice work!Sam
Danno Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 No sense rushing into anything, eh, Steve??
peekay Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 Nice job on one of my favourite kits! Hope you are now inspired to do more automotive models.
rmvw guy Posted September 28, 2015 Posted September 28, 2015 I love that kit also. Wish they would reissue the sedan and wagon Falcon. Also wish they would include a Ford engine instead of the Chevy in the kit. But, that's just me, back to you.love your paint choices. The under side is looking good along with the wheels, and love the bed cover. Nice job!
RancheroSteve Posted September 29, 2015 Posted September 29, 2015 I approve of this build! Well done.
Kustom Steve Posted October 4, 2015 Author Posted October 4, 2015 Thanks everybody. I will be bringing this model to the Toledo NNL. This will be my first NNL since 1996. I went to Toledo this past spring and was shocked as to how small it has gotten.I agree, I wish there was a Ford engine in the kit as well. That's why I transplanted the '65 Galaxie engine. Round 2 would need to make a 6 cylinder engine and remove one exhaust pipe to make a corrected '60 Ranchers along with making proper 4 lug rims.
Kustom Steve Posted October 4, 2015 Author Posted October 4, 2015 Here is the pic of the box art and the finished model.
exesivefire Posted October 5, 2015 Posted October 5, 2015 Bet it felt good to finally finish it! Nice job Steve
James2 Posted October 6, 2015 Posted October 6, 2015 Every time I see one of these models I want to build one myself, but never have. Yours is very well done and the details make it even better!
Renegade Posted October 6, 2015 Posted October 6, 2015 Very nicely done. I have an unbuilt one but trying to find a Ford six to put in it. Cant bear to put the Chevy motor in it.
thatz4u Posted October 6, 2015 Posted October 6, 2015 Finally!! Someone who takes longer to build than I do!!!
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