Foose Cadillac

[Ace-Garageguy]

Picked one up today at HobbyTown (along with the Foose Ford pickup), where I usually buy current-production kits. The prices are competitive with mailorder plus shipping, and since they are the only nearby place that maintains stock of the supplies I need, I don't mind paying full retail to help keep them in business. Buying supplies and materials online can easily cost double what I pay at HobbyTown, so it works for me.

Anyway, it is a very nice kit. No warp, no problems of any kind, roof fits perfectly...(though the intake manifold looks narrow for a big-block Chebby).

In answer to one of the above questions, there IS sufficient meat to lightly shave the nose of the roof to get a more flush fit with the windscreen, but be advised there is a recess the windshield frame fits into, so moving the roof rearward will cause you more fit problems than you will want to...or need to...deal with. Shaving the front will be relatively easy. Moving the roof rearward...not recommended.

There is a small lip on the leading edge of the roof that will need to be added back with styrene strip if you shave it, but that's VASTLY easier than dealing with reworking the recess for the frame, as mentioned above.

The front suspension is plenty stout to support the car without the wire axle initially, so I fail to see what all the hoopla about that accomplishes. Revell may know that the relatively soft styrene the kit is made from MAY sag over time, and the wire axles may simply be there for insurance. If the wire axle in front bugs you, just omit it, and put a block under the car to support it on the shelf between underside viewings.

Easily worth the $25, and I'll fo' sho' be gettin' mo'.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I'm wondering (without) having the plastic in front of me) what would be the best way to eliminate the roof overhang and make it a smooth transition from roof to windshield. Can the roof be simply moved back or will it require some plastic removed from the length of the roof?

See my response above.

Something else to keep in mind is that the glass mounts to the front, outside, of the windshield frame...so when it's in place, the overhang is far less noticeable or objectionable than in the photo of the kit in primer.

Edited August 26, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[Jantrix]

See my response above.

Something else to keep in mind is that the glass mounts to the front, outside, of the windshield frame...so when it's in place, the overhang is far less noticeable or objectionable than in the photo of the kit in primer.

Thanks Bill. I'm kicking around a second build with an LSR theme and that overhang will be unwanted in that case. The front mounted glass is unique in my experience. I'm wondering how to glue that without having the glue joint visible through the glass.

[Ace-Garageguy]

... The front mounted glass is unique in my experience. I'm wondering how to glue that without having the glue joint visible through the glass.

White PVA "canopy" glue, etc. It disappears, dries completely clear, is water soluble when wet. Elmer's, Micro Kristal Klear, etc.

The edge of the 'glass' will need to be trimmed very carefully where the mold-tabs are attached, and polished to look good. The trough in the windshield frame may benefit from being painted or Sharpied black, too. Unfortunately, the trough shows through the windshield after assembly, so body-color may look carpy.

A very fine bead in the trough the 'glass' mounts in, press the glass in place, tape it lightly in position in front. Clean the squeeze-out off the back with wet Q-tips.

Actually, just a drop in each corner would be enough to keep it in place...but you might see a slight trace of it if you don't go all the way around.

Kinda not a great design. Mounting the glass from the rear would have been vastly preferable.

If you've got the skills, removing almost all of the ledge the glass sits on is going to give the best, cleanest look.

 

Edited August 28, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[niteowl7710]

Revell posted this across their social media today, showing like the Ford P/U, the Eldorod was also 3D scanned. If this can be done for two "one off" kits, I don't want to hear another word about how they can't 3D scan all their subject matter.

[bobthehobbyguy]

Hopefully they will be able to 3d scan future releases but it depends on whether of the car owner will allow the process. As can be seen from the pictures there is powder for minmizing reflections

Edited August 29, 2017 by bobthehobbyguy
added owner

[Exotics_Builder]

Hopefully they will be able to 3d scan future releases but it depends on whether of the car will allow the process. As can be seen from the pictures there is powder for minmizing reflections

That is what I have heard from them.  They need approval and also verify (as best as possible) if the car is accurate.  And, in Revell's case, only get about 5 new tools a year (and a modified reissue that is 50% or more modified is considered a new tool).  

[crazyjim]

I'll be doing a build & review of the Foose Caddy thanks to IPMS (a freebie).  My thought(s) so far are to strip the chrome off the bumpers and make them look like rolled pans and all smooth.  Maybe fill the taillights and make a long horizontal taillight.  Front?  Maybe dual quad headlights and a mesh grille? 

Might take longer to get it because it's coming out of TX.

[Mr. Metallic]

Fastback roof installed on Foose Cadillac, in progress.

Did I miss something, has this body made it to market yet?

Edited September 14, 2017 by Mr. Metallic

[Freeman Cars]

Did I miss something, has this body made it to market yet?

All have it out real soon. just a little more final detail work.   sam

 

[KDmitry]

Was realy surpised by package

No chance for window frame to survive.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Was realy surpised by package 

No chance for window frame to survive.

A lot depends on the individual packaging and handling of a specific kit.

I bought mine off the shelf at a hobby retailer (where it would have arrived at the store in a case) and it's perfect (as have been some others mentioned above).

I would suspect that individual kits delivered by mail might fare poorly, as the handling is notoriously rough, and packing for shipping of only one can be less-than-optimum

[KDmitry]

I'm not alone

http://www.revell.com/support/service-alerts.html

[Rob Hall]

They really should have cast the windshield frame as a separate part. 

[Joe Handley]

I picked one of these up at Hobby Lobby today, the windshield frame came out of the box OK.

[djflyer]

I finally got of the couch and bought mine at HL yesterday.(love that coupon).  Mine had the a-pillars bent slightly but not broken and was able to fix them easily.  Definitely was packed like a 5 pound bag which leads to lots of problems. I am guessing if packed EXACTLY in the right sequence then everything fits just fine but if the top of the body is to the outside of the box then broken pillars result.

For the kit, i like the breakdown of the assembly and kudos to Revell for having the attachment points for the wheels in the middle instead of near the front rim.  My kit also has some of the best chrome I have seen in a while.  The Eldorado logo on the fenders could have been a bit more distinct as I am sure it wont survive most paint jobs - maybe this should have been p/e.

As with most customizers, most people either like their work or they don't.  I tend to like more of what Foose does than not, but if you don't that's fine. People whined about the first Foose kits not being true customs (or matching the box art?) now some complained about not being able to build this one as stock, but I can see it being the basis for alot of different custom builds. Revell took a shot at making a kit of a modern show car and I'm hoping it sells well enough for them to consider doing some others - there's a bunch of things from SEMA or Ridler award winners that I would love to have kits of.

 

[stavanzer]

Talking about Foose's styling in regards to "this car only".

Seems really silly to brag about it being a Caddy 'Eldorod' when the two most prominent Caddy styling cues (Grille & Tail lights) Have been smoothed and replaced with pretty generic looking, 'kinda' GM inspired parts. The Grille and tail light lenses, might indeed be one-off, handmade custom parts, but the whole vibe to me is 'Bloated, Bland, Semi-General Motors inspired, 1950's Era, Cruizer" Rather than a specific Cadillac Inspired Rod. The Foose '56 Ford pickup retains the most prominent Ford styling cues, and has a distinct, 'Better than Ford' look to it. The Eldorod could be anything really. It would be as easy to believe that it was a Pontiac-Buick-Oldsmobile Rod, as it was a Cadillac Rod.  In fact I suspect that the average Car Show attendee, would be hard pressed to know WHAT it was. The only real chatter you would hear at most American Car Shows about it, would be either strong 'Like' or 'Dislike'. What sells this car is more 'Who' than 'What' IMHO. If "Robbie" the Bodyman" built this, it would be a coin toss, as to whether it ever made it into the public eye.

Foose is a smart guy and is "Making Hay while the Sun Shines" as my Grandfather used to say. I don't blame him a bit, but make no mistake. His creations are 'Checkbook Rods" just the same as any other member of that much maligned class of Showcars. His just require a much larger checkbook. In Fact, to compete at the level Foose (and others) play at, ALL the cars are just Owner Financed, Custom Built Toys. If they were not Rich Men willing to purchase the creativity of builders like Foose, none of the Top Tier Winners of the AMBR or Riddler would have ever been imagined or built. Which is fine. But lets not pretend about what these cars are. They are very sophisticated Fantasies, designed by Dreamers, and paid for by wealthy folks to win awards in a vicious competition for Top Dog bragging rights.

Alan

P.S. My Eldorod is already under construction. I'm thinking either Red or Gold for the Colour.

[Ace-Garageguy]

 

If they were not Rich Men willing to purchase the creativity of builders like Foose, none of the Top Tier Winners of the AMBR or Riddler would have ever been imagined or built. Which is fine. But lets not pretend about what these cars are. They are very sophisticated Fantasies, designed by Dreamers, and paid for by wealthy folks to win awards in a vicious competition for Top Dog bragging rights.

In general, that is indeed the way it is...but it's not the way it has to be, and I kinda know what I'm talking about.

The car shown below was built by a shop I worked with for several years (though I did exactly nothing on this particular build). It's obviously an AMBR contender, and the rather substantial cost was paid by James Hetfield.

HOWEVER, the POINT I want to make is that the car in the photo below is nothing but a VERY carefully built and detailed traditional hot-rod. There is nothing on this car that couldn't be duplicated by a skilled and motivated amateur in his own garage. Though the builder, Josh Mills, is well known internationally for building some of the best period-correct cars and bikes on the planet, he's not a magician, and he puts his pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of the "car guys" out there. And Mr. Foose, another man I admire very much, is also only human (though admittedly he has more talent than most of us were blessed with). But he took his talent, and with a lot of hard work, turned it into a set of skills that make his cars, and the big money he can command to build them, possible.

There was a time when top-tier hot-rods and customs were built by ordinary people, and some of them were truly outstanding. 

But these days, where very few people want to take the time or invest the effort to develop the skills to do something at this level for themselves, damm right it's only the tiny minority with money to burn who can pay a "professional" to do the work for them.

So remember that all professionals started out as ignorant beginners, and it's only the drive to become truly proficient (and some God-given talent that you either have or you don't) that sets the naysayers and whiners apart from the guys who say "hell...I can do that"...whether they go on to build cars for rich guys or do it in seclusion, simply for the love of mechanical creation. Anybody with above-average mechanical aptitude and a pretty good brain can build a world-class car if he wants to badly enough.

        

Edited October 28, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[stavanzer]

Bill, you said it all.

I agree with you 110%

[Freeman Cars]

I finally completed my Foose Cadillac body!

Other work at the shop kept me from finishing it as quick as I wanted.

Basic body will include a template to cut out a rear package tray from behind the seats, or perhaps cast the extra piece if there's enough interest.

Let me know if you are interested. Questions and comments encouraged.

[sfhess]

I finally completed my Foose Cadillac body!

Other work at the shop kept me from finishing it as quick as I wanted.

Basic body will include a template to cut out a rear package tray from behind the seats, or perhaps cast the extra piece if there's enough interest.

Let me know if you are interested. Questions and comments encouraged.

I'd like one Sam.

 

[stavanzer]

Yeah, I like it too. Template would be fine for the package shelf. I'll take one.

[Ken Kitchen]

I finally completed my Foose Cadillac body!

Other work at the shop kept me from finishing it as quick as I wanted.

Basic body will include a template to cut out a rear package tray from behind the seats, or perhaps cast the extra piece if there's enough interest.

Let me know if you are interested. Questions and comments encouraged.

I'm interested. How do I get one of these?

[Alfa158]

I have been trying to find a hobby paint that most closely matches the color of the actual Foose car. Some people have used a Tamiya  blue but I see in photos on-line the car is a custom dark blue with a tinge of purple to it. The closest (but not quite exact) color match I have been able to make from on line searches is Lamborghini Hera Blue Pearl.  Gravity Colors has this paint. I found multiple images of the Lambo in this color, and the Foose Eldo, and these two attachments seem like good representations.

Does anyone have anything closer? If not, I'm going to try the Gravity Pearl over a black primer to darken it a bit.

[Jhedir6]

10 minutes ago, Alfa158 said:

I have been trying to find a hobby paint that most closely matches the color of the actual Foose car. Some people have used a Tamiya  blue but I see in photos on-line the car is a custom dark blue with a tinge of purple to it. The closest (but not quite exact) color match I have been able to make from on line searches is Lamborghini Hera Blue Pearl.  Gravity Colors has this paint. I found multiple images of the Lambo in this color, and the Foose Eldo, and these two attachments seem like good representations.

Does anyone have anything closer? If not, I'm going to try the Gravity Pearl over a black primer to darken it a bit.

Maybe the F1 blues? http://www.gravitycolors.com/product/red-bull-f1-pearl-blue/

The matte blue might work too, its darker, then just use a gloss clear over it? I just picked this kit up today while in the US at Hobby Lobby and I think I'm going with the Red Bull F1 matte blue on mine with a gloss clear.