OldTrucker Posted February 5, 2020 Posted February 5, 2020 Snake was kind enough to send me decals for this kit. When we were emailing I told him what this build was about and he suggested that I should post it when I was done and posted the finished build. I am hoping to locate Bill's wife or son so I can send this build to them in remembrance of a guy who was a great friend to everyone he met! I am building a replica of a car that belonged to a mechanic we called Hippy I worked with in the VW shop. He bought it wrecked and I mean a total wreck for 600 dollars and like the Phoenix it rose from the ashes. It only had 19'000 miles on it when he bought it out of a garage where it had been from late 1969 to 1976. Took him 15 years (1991) to get it close to done when cancer stopped him. All of us in the shop pitched in and got the engine and trans back in, buffed out the pearl lacquer paint job and put all the chrome back on and installed and detailed the interior. He wound up back in the hospital for treatment and they said he was doing great and would be out in a week. That Friday afternoon the tires finally came in (UPS lost them for a week and a half) and we were going to drive it down to the hospital and his wife was going to wheel him out to see it. We were closing the shop just before 5:00 and the phone rings and his son told us his dad had died unexpectedly about 4:30. His wife drove the Vette with her son riding co-pilot behind the Hearse on Hippy Bill's last ride. From what I have heard since he passed the Vette only gets driven 4 times a year when she goes to the cemetery and back, his birthday, their anniversary, Christmas and their son's birthday. About a 35 mile round trip.
larman Posted February 6, 2020 Posted February 6, 2020 Nice job! A sad story, but it was really nice that you tried to get it together for him.
Snake45 Posted February 6, 2020 Posted February 6, 2020 Great story and an even better model! I don't think I've ever seen a set of decals go for a better cause. VERY well done and model on!
Plowboy Posted February 6, 2020 Posted February 6, 2020 Nice and clean! I don't think there's a cleaner look than white. Nice work!
OldTrucker Posted February 6, 2020 Author Posted February 6, 2020 It is Pearl White Lacquer but the pearl doesn't show well in my picture.
1930fordpickup Posted February 6, 2020 Posted February 6, 2020 Very nice model. sad story that hits very close to home.
TooOld Posted February 6, 2020 Posted February 6, 2020 Great looking '67 and a very nice tribute to a lost friend .
crazyjim Posted February 6, 2020 Posted February 6, 2020 Sweet, clean, SHINY ??? with an awesome story.
Snake45 Posted February 6, 2020 Posted February 6, 2020 10 hours ago, OldTrucker said: It is Pearl White Lacquer but the pearl doesn't show well in my picture. I see it. Looks great!
espo Posted February 6, 2020 Posted February 6, 2020 Beautiful looking build and a great tribute. I hope you can get this to his widow and his son .
spencer1984 Posted February 8, 2020 Posted February 8, 2020 Beautiful job on this, it looks super clean!
OldTrucker Posted February 8, 2020 Author Posted February 8, 2020 On 2/6/2020 at 10:51 AM, espo said: Beautiful looking build and a great tribute. I hope you can get this to his widow and his son . It's not to be. My little brother whom I have just recently reconnected with after over 20 years lives down that way and I had him trying to find them. He let me know this afternoon that he found from her former neighbor she passed away just before Thanksgiving last year and all anyone knew was her son was somewhere in west Texas. The neighbor did say she still had the Corvette and that her son took it back with him. Kind of depressing.
donb Posted February 8, 2020 Posted February 8, 2020 Sharp car. That entire car is beautiful. The paint, wheels, interior are all top notch. Well done Sir!
espo Posted February 8, 2020 Posted February 8, 2020 12 hours ago, OldTrucker said: It's not to be. My little brother whom I have just recently reconnected with after over 20 years lives down that way and I had him trying to find them. He let me know this afternoon that he found from her former neighbor she passed away just before Thanksgiving last year and all anyone knew was her son was somewhere in west Texas. The neighbor did say she still had the Corvette and that her son took it back with him. Kind of depressing. Sorry to hear everything that has happened to that family. You will at least have this model to remember someone you obviously respected and thought a great deal of. Put it in a nice covered case and think of your friend when ever you look at it.
OldTrucker Posted February 8, 2020 Author Posted February 8, 2020 18 minutes ago, espo said: Sorry to hear everything that has happened to that family. You will at least have this model to remember someone you obviously respected and thought a great deal of. Put it in a nice covered case and think of your friend when ever you look at it. It will go into a case and sit next to the last model I was working on that my grandson Isaac always asked about before we lost him.
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