Known Survivors - Original Old Customs From Our Youth

[OldNYJim]

I was looking at the themes for NNL East next year and the main theme is “Known Survivors - original old customs from our youth”.

I don’t remember any customs from my youth ??. Well, maybe KITT from Knight Rider, if that even counts...

I was wondering what imagery that prompt brought to anyone else’s mind...anyone building something cool for this theme for next year’s show?  I’d love to build something for this, but I definitely need some help with inspiration...

[Snake45]

Not long ago, I bought this original build '65 Mustang custom off eBay and restored it pretty much to original. 

Earlier in the year, I bought this '65 Mustang, built by Paul Sable, which appeared in the February '66 issue of Car Model magazine, and restored it as well. 

I also scored this amazing '67 Malco Mustang, converted from stock by Phil Jensen and subject of an 8-page how-to in Car Model, on eBay about the same time. Haven't gotten around to restoring this one yet; it's going to take a bit a careful, skilled work and I just haven't had the time. 

Are these the kind of thing the NNL theme wants? 

[Tom Geiger]

24 minutes ago, Snake45 said:
Are these the kind of thing the NNL theme wants? 

Yes!  As with most of our themes, we leave interpretations wide open.  If you have old beauties you have restored, bring 'em!  If you want to recreate a model from your youth, do it!    And we have faux survivors, models built in the style of the early sixties from current issues of those kits, using all the old custom parts!

Here's the raw artwork we'e received from Brad Leisure.  This will be on all our promo materials as well as the t-shirt!   

[OldNYJim]

Nice builds Snake!  And I really like that poster art Tom!  Brad did a great job!  What car IS that top one?  I’m sure I SHOULD know...Impala?

[Tom Geiger]

1 minute ago, CabDriver said:

Nice builds Snake!  And I really like that poster art Tom!  Brad did a great job!  What car IS that top one?  I’m sure I SHOULD know...Impala?

It's an Oldsmobile, kit had all those custom parts.  All three vehicles in the artwork are in Brad's collection.  He was happy to do the art this year since he has a connection to the theme!

[TarheelRick]

Here is one I am working on now.  It is the AMT 61 Ford Starliner repop, using the 'extreme' stylized parts and a bubbletop from the Monogram 58 T-Bird.  I wont be at NNL East, but thought I would share it with you.  Right now it is in the box.  I had to give it a swim in purple power, some of the filler came loose and I am still trying to decide on another color.

 

[SCRWDRVR]

12 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

Yes!  As with most of our themes, we leave interpretations wide open.  If you have old beauties you have restored, bring 'em!  If you want to recreate a model from your youth, do it!    And we have faux survivors, models built in the style of the early sixties from current issues of those kits, using all the old custom parts!

 

Interesting, I'm actually currently doing that. I built a 69 Cougar as a kid and rehabbed it once in my late teens and I recently located my original kit that I am currently replicating with a current issue of the kit. No custom parts involved but same type of thing. Doing the same thing with a 50 Ford convertible.

[Snake45]

5 hours ago, CabDriver said:

Nice builds Snake! 

Thanks, but I didn't build any of them. Just restored two of them, and hope to restore the third. 

[Snake45]

Maybe I should try to get one of these restored or rebuilt....

[stavanzer]

Dang! The custom roof on that '55, changes the whole look of the car. My first thought was, '58 T-Bird.....

That has to be an original issue of the Monogram '55, right? The one that later got converted into the Bad Man?

[Tom Geiger]

And restorations of old classics deserving to live again!

 

This Ranchero was handed to me in pieces in a paper sack by Howard Cohen many years ago. He knew I'd take good care of it!

Body restored and all damage repaired...

And how she sits today!   

 

Edited November 3, 2019 by Tom Geiger

[Snake45]

2 hours ago, alexis said:

Dang! The custom roof on that '55, changes the whole look of the car. My first thought was, '58 T-Bird.....

That has to be an original issue of the Monogram '55, right? The one that later got converted into the Bad Man?

Near as I can tell, that's exactly what it is. I'm thinking of polishing up that lovely turquoise plastic. and putting it back together. IIRC all it's missing is a headlight lens. 

[Snake45]

2 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

And restorations of old classics deserving to live again!

This Ranchero was handed to me in pieces in a paper sack by Howard Cohen many years ago. He knew I'd take good care of it!

Body restored and all damage repaired...

And how she sits today!   

 

Tom, from what I've seen, I think you might have the board's largest collection of old original "survivor" customs--some restored, some not. I'd think you could fill out that show theme table all by yourself! 

[Tom Geiger]

11 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Tom, from what I've seen, I think you might have the board's largest collection of old original "survivor" customs--some restored, some not. I'd think you could fill out that show theme table all by yourself! 

Thanks!  It's the folk art of our youth! 

We chose the theme due to multiple suggestions from people who write to us, along with the passion shown on Dave Darby's page for survivors on Facebook. 

I cringe when I think about how many examples of work we lost over the years, as people stripped models down to build their way. I think now we have an awareness in the hobby that these deserved to be preserved and restored for what they are!  

[stavanzer]

Well, Model On. That idea sounds great! I look forward to seeing it oneday.

[Snake45]

13 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

Thanks!  It's the folk art of our youth! 

We chose the theme due to multiple suggestions from people who write to us, along with the passion shown on Dave Darby's page for survivors on Facebook. 

I cringe when I think about how many examples of work we lost over the years, as people stripped models down to build their way. I think now we have an awareness in the hobby that these deserved to be preserved and restored for what they are!  

Tom when is this event? And where? Isn't it in New Jersey? 

I have no interest in traveling to NJ, but if you're going, I might think about sending you something to display there, just to show support. Pretty sure I could get at least that '55 done in time. Maybe the '65, too. 

[Draggon]

I got this from John Goschke a few years ago. An amazing model even by today's standards. It was supposedly in a magazine, or on the cover, but I don't know which one. It's the centerpiece in my collection.

[Mark]

On 11/3/2019 at 8:30 AM, Tom Geiger said:

It's an Oldsmobile, kit had all those custom parts.  All three vehicles in the artwork are in Brad's collection.  He was happy to do the art this year since he has a connection to the theme!

That's the AMT '65 Dynamic 88, the one that was unfortunately butchered into the Modified Stocker kit...

[DukeE]

Wonder if the convertible promo mold out there, or was it converted to coupe. IIRC they ran converts first then coupes, hence re-issues usually only coupes. 

[stavanzer]

Snake, I have a partial, yellowed set of decals for the Monogram '55. Yours if you want them. Just PM me and address and I'll drop them in the mail to you.

 

Regards, Alan Alexis

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, alexis said:

Snake, I have a partial, yellowed set of decals for the Monogram '55. Yours if you want them. Just PM me and address and I'll drop them in the mail to you.

 

Regards, Alan Alexis

I appreciate the generous offer, but I wasn't really planning on trying to decal the thing. But I'll keep your kind offer in mind if plans change, and in the meantime, if someone else can use them, by all means let them do so. Thanks again my friend! 

[Snake45]

A few months ago, I got this zooty survivor '62 Corvair in a trade with SamIAm. If I hadn't already stripped and disassembled it for rebuilding, I'd clean it up as well as possible and send it up to the show. I doubt I'll have time to get it done by then, though. (The body was so nice underneath that I decided to restore it stock, and bought another one in worse shape to transfer the custom parts to.) 

[Gramps46]

Just a mild custom but it is original and a survivor.

[Snake45]

30 minutes ago, Gramps46 said:

Just a mild custom but it is original and a survivor.

And tasteful, too! I'm not a '49 Ford fan but I like this one a lot! 

[Tom Geiger]

13 hours ago, Snake45 said:

A few months ago, I got this zooty survivor '62 Corvair in a trade with SamIAm. If I hadn't already stripped and disassembled it for rebuilding, I'd clean it up as well as possible and send it up to the show. I doubt I'll have time to get it done by then, though. (The body was so nice underneath that I decided to restore it stock, and bought another one in worse shape to transfer the custom parts to.) 

 

Here's one from my collection...