'48 ragtop, now finally completed (with trim rings)

[Lovefordgalaxie]

Since I built the first Revell '48 Ford in December 2016, I noticed something quite odd. On some of the box art shots the car has trim rings, and that's correct for the car, but never saw any on the kit, no matter the version. 

By other hand, Revell's 1940 Ford Standard has separate part chrome trim rings... On a car that shouldn't have them. 

Tried to make many different trim rings to fit the '48 wheels. No luck, I always got a unrealistic look. Then, I decided to take a closer look on the wheels. The trim rings are there!!! Molded on the wheel, with the correct stamped detail and all.

The easy way out would be just to "Molotow" the rings, and voilá, detail added. Tried that, I was less than satisfied with the result. Without protection, the Molotow paint will loose it's shine quite easily. If protected with clear, the shine will get a little less spectacular, and it will be too different from the kit's shiny chrome on the hubcap, and more like a old AMT chrome. 

For those reasons I'm only using the pen to touch up sprue attachment points on chrome parts. 

Decided to foil the rings. Well, that was easily decided and hardly done. 

Hard to foil detail. The result is not perfect, but I really think it added to the overall realism of the car. 

Now, will do them on the other Fords...

Now, you guys tell me if the result is good.

1948 Ford Convertible Club Coupe by CCCP Digital Studio, on Flickr

1948 Ford Convertible Club Coupe by CCCP Digital Studio, on Flickr

1948 Ford Convertible Club Coupe by CCCP Digital Studio, on Flickr

1948 Ford Convertible Club Coupe by CCCP Digital Studio, on Flickr

1948 Ford Convertible Club Coupe by CCCP Digital Studio, on Flickr

[landman]

It looks great to me, as does the rest of the car. If I could only get 10% of that shine on my builds.....

[oldrevellfan]

wonderfull model !

the result is incredible !!!!!

[Bob Ellis]

What about the AMT 1949/50 fords trim rings?

[NY Modeler]

The trim rings look terrific foiled.  The entire model looks great.  Very nicely done.

[bbowser]

The trim rings look terrific foiled.  The entire model looks great.  Very nicely done.

Agreed.  Those couldn't have been easy to foil 

[Lovefordgalaxie]

Thanks guys. 

Foiling the trim rings was NOT easy at all. I just finished foiling the trim rings on the last '48 I built, the Hot Rod. Now they all have the correct looking wheels. 

I used my circle cutter to cut foil rings larger than the trim ring on the wheel, then I installed them with a toothpick and pliers, trying to keep them the most round possible. That was hard as phuke. The foiled rings don't look perfect and have some defects, like you guys can soo on the last picture, but I thing they added to the looks of the car nevertheless. 

I guess i'm lucky I actually enjoy dealing with foil. 

What about the AMT 1949/50 fords trim rings?

I tried those. They look too big and inaccurate. They goo too far near the tire, and too far near the hubcap. The factory trim rings are thin pieces, just like Revell molded on the wheels. 

Overall I'm a sucker for trim rings. Always loved them. I guess it started with my mother's Maverick GT, that had some great looking stainless trim rings.

When I decided to use dog dish hubcaps on my 1:1 Galaxie, I too a goo while to find a set of cool looking trim rings. I didn't want those round profile ones sold for cheap, I wanted the more square profile ones like Ford used on the Maverick. Ended buying some from wheel vintiques on e-Bay, and paid a fortune in shipping plus taxes...

1974 Ford Galaxie 500 by CCCP Digital Studio, on Flickr

[Lovefordgalaxie]

It looks great to me, as does the rest of the car. If I could only get 10% of that shine on my builds.....

Thanks a lot!! And the paint is old and obsolete automotive synthetic enamel. No fancy base coat clear coat. cars weren't built like that in 1948. 

[pharoah]

Beautiful!

[David G.]

Túlio, your paint always looks fantastic and your work on the trim rings came out great. I am always impressed by your work.

David G.

[Classicgas]

Looks great sir.

[Lovefordgalaxie]

Thanks!!

[Ron Hamilton]

I understand about the wanting to foil the trim rings. They do improve the look of the build, which was great to begin with.