California Vette Re-vamped

[RestoModGuy]

I built this 2-years ago as one of my first builds coming back to the hobby after a nearly 40-year break. I had two of these classic Monogram Tom Daniels designed California Vette kits. It was one of my "grail" kits I saved since I was a teen in the 70's. I have never built a kit "box-stock" so to do this with this "grail" kit, I had to spin some of my own design to it, not that it needed it... The body mods include flaring the rear wheel-wells, adding a side valance flare replacing the chrome rocker-panel above the cool side-pipes. 

Paint is Electron Current Red with Torredor Red top and rear window slats. Updated the wheels to Pegasus with aluminum sleeves with "stance" front tires and painted a bit of black around the front rim to give it a slightly smaller dia. wheel appearance. 

It's one of my most prized builds and being a "grail" build it's priceless. Thanks for looking

[Jhedir6]

WOW. 

That thing is gorgeous. One of the nicest Vette's I've ever seen. 

Thank you for sharing.

David

[bobthehobbyguy]

Nicely done. The mods you made suit the car well. Gorgeous paint,

[slusher]

Gorgeous custom...

[darthsideous]

Wow the color, and wheels, freakin gorgeous. Nice work! I'd love to see some shots of the interior.  Thanks for explaining the mods and custom wheel & tire combination.

[Slotto]

Beautiful Corvette! Great wheels, great color and great stance. Stunning

[PARTSMARTY]

That is beautiful !!!

[TooOld]

Beautiful work !  You mods really make a difference , I think TD would approve .

[DumpyDan]

Awesome, nicely done

[aurfalien]

Hi,

Too much for words other then hell yea to an order of magnitude.

I'm breathless looking at it.

[crazyjim]

Looks fabulous with the changes you made.  I don't recognize the Pegasus wheels - what are they?

[RestoModGuy]

Wow the color, and wheels, freakin gorgeous. Nice work! I'd love to see some shots of the interior.  Thanks for explaining the mods and custom wheel & tire combination.

Thanks for the comment... I have limited pics of the interior, as it's a Vette and not much there to see.

 

Looks fabulous with the changes you made.  I don't recognize the Pegasus wheels - what are they?

Thanks, The Pegasus inserts I used are the "Elite's" i slid into the smooth 23" sleeves

I also painted then inserts with a Platinum paint to better match the aluminum finish.

[Nacho Z]

Jim!  Gorgeous model!  I have always liked this, (original), car and you have absolutely improved upon it.  Could this be the best rendition of this kit ever done?!?!  I just keep going back to look at it.  Wow.

[vintagercr]

Very nice build!

[Hmann68]

Super build! Nicely done!

[darthsideous]

Thanks for the comment... I have limited pics of the interior, as it's a Vette and not much there to see

 

The interior looks looks great too. I have to ask is the licence plate a tribute to the movie, "The Shining "

Edited June 7, 2017 by darthsideous

[RestoModGuy]

The interior looks looks great too. I have to ask is the licence plate a tribute to the movie, "The Shining "

Al, funny you noticed that. I made that plate and yes, sort of a tribute to the movie but in a very backwards way. The Shining was filmed in a famous hotel near where I live in Colorado. 20 years ago I stayed there and at the bar they had bottles of rum in this beautiful red glass and the name of the rum was REDRUM. When I painted this Vette I noticed how close it appeared to look in color to the bottle as you can see. That's the story of the plate.

Edited June 7, 2017 by RestoModGuy

[darthsideous]

An even better backstory than just naming it after a word in the movie. Fantastic!?????

[jaymcminn]

Man. That is insanely cool. You've taken the things Tom Daniels got right with the California Vette and improved on them while fixing many of the issues with the design (still not in love with the roof louvers, though). Stunning!

[ChrisR]

Looks great!

[Perspect Scale Modelworks]

That's beautiful. Your mods flow with the body perfectly. Nice! I wish I would have saved kits from when I was a kid.

[mcandela]

Great color!!

[djmcguire]

The Shining was filmed in a famous hotel near where I live in Colorado.

While 'The Shining' is about The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park the movie itself was actually filmed in at a resort in Bend, Oregon.  I found this out when I was at a BBQ this past weekend with some friends who had just taken the 'Ghost Tour' at The Stanley.  I was adamant that it was filmed in Colorado also and Google was kind enough to prove me wrong.

[Geno]

Jim, that Vette is sexy as all get out. That is definitely the best version I've ever seen of this model. You knocked it out of the park.

[RestoModGuy]

 

Daniel, yes, I stand corrected, the actual filming did not take place at the Stanley, only used as the "frame" for the location. I didn't know it was filmed in Bend OR, good to know...