Building Something From Nothing...

[Tom Geiger]

Hey, the thread about the high cost of modeling got me thinking.  I do own a lot of old expensive kits and my fair share of resin.  Still, I find myself being amused by bits of cheap or free junk and building models around them.   How about you guys?

One year at NNL East, Howard Cohen handed me a brown paper lunch sack full of parts and said, "You need to restore this!"  He knew I had a soft spot for ancient builds and especially this generation Ranchero.  It was literally in parts, the body was broken apart at that crack over the rear wheel well. It's pieced together here for the photo.

And yes! We got it all together.  

Here's the saddest '63 Valiant body you'd ever see.   Someone gave it to me many years ago, probably so he wouldn't have to throw it away.

And I eventually built this!  Chassis and engine from a junker '71 Duster kit, you may even recognize that front bumper as '57 Chevy from my parts box.

This old original Monogram Blue Beetle came to me just like this.  I did pay $20 for it. At the same show someone wanted $100 for a mint in box original  Blue Beetle.

And here she is all restored and looking better than she ever did!

Original issue Monogram Model A coupe. This was with the side mount fenders not found in the later releases.  Top chop courtesy of some kid in the early 1960s. A big $4 purchase.

And yes we rebuilt this one!  People in the hobby helped me with a few extras of that really cool wheel cover!

And the ultimate nothing!  See the body in the back?  I stole both ends of it to create the purple pickup. The remaining van section banged around the model room for years and was a paint stand in my paint booth.  Then one day I looked at it differently....

And in the end it became the Dog House Camper!   Most of what you see is scratch built from plastic sheet and basswood.  The ultimate cheap model!   

So what do you have?  Post 'em here!

[Khils]

4 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

Howard Cohen handed me a brown paper lunch sack full of parts and said, "You need to restore this!" 

AND... he knows you Well! Tom

[Snake45]

50 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

So what do you have? 

Have you met me, Tom? 

Seriously, didn't we just have this conversation: 

 

[SfanGoch]

At least you're not a Tamiya-addicted "box shaker."

You cracked me up with that one.

[afx]

I think this unfinished project might qualify.

Edited March 18, 2020 by afx

[Snake45]

7 hours ago, SfanGoch said:

At least you're not a Tamiya-addicted "box shaker."

You cracked me up with that one.

Later I wished I'd typed "Tamiya-spoiled box shaker." It just flows better. 

I wanted to thank Roadrunner for the backup in that thread, too. 

Edited March 18, 2020 by Snake45

[Fat Brian]

I'm working on one now. After seeing a picture of a 63 Falcon drift car I started looking for unlikely American cars to build a track day style car out of. I had originally settled on using the 69 Falcon modified stock car as the base of the build but didn't want to pay the going rate for the kit to only use the body, bumpers, and glass out of it. I had had a 61 Ranchero body my father in law gave me kicking around my junk boxes for about 15 years or so and could never settle on what to do with it. After a member graciously traded me a 62 Falcon body that had seen better days I was able to convert my Ranchero into a coupe. I threw in a parts box engine and will be building most of the chassis from Evergreen so for a whopping $5 for postage to complete the trade I'm one my way.

[ewetwo]

Great creations.

[Snake45]

Here's a Revell EMPI Imp I'm working to complete for the current round of the BOYD build (which closes at the end of this month--two weeks from today). I bought the pieces literally in a baggie in the early '90s. Last year I spent two or three afternoons reassembling and painting the chassis. Last month I painted the body. The hard work is done, just need to reassemble and detail the little monster. 

[slusher]

Good topic Tom, I have not rebuilt anything as bad as you guys yet...

[Richard Bartrop]

A couple of projects to use up some Model A parts.

[Sam I Am]

You are not nice Tom. ?

I was looking through my parts boxes for a single hubcap that another member needed and had a squirrel moment thanks to this thread. All I need are a couple frames and bodies.

Oh, and yes I found the hubcap. 

[Dennis Lacy]

A few (seven or eight) years ago I decided to see what I could make from some of my left overs. 

?

Edited March 21, 2020 by Dennis Lacy

[Snake45]

8 hours ago, Dennis Lacy said:

A few (seven or eight) years ago I decided to see what I could make from some of my left overs. 

 

?

That's absolutely beautiful! 

[MrObsessive]

While not as bad as others on this thread when first received, looks can be deceiving!

It wasn't till it was time to take this thing apart did I run into some issues. Namely the glass was toast and the chassis IMO was simply UNUSABLE!  Sooooo..........after some thorough stripping of the paint and correcting some body gaffes, I came up with this......

As far as I can remember, in my over 40 years of building, this is the first time I do believe I've restored a glue bomb. If you want to take a look at the whole WIP, you can click here.

[TarheelRick]

Some really interesting saves and parts box builds.

This Chevy was part of a glue-bomb CBP from another forum.  A few days in the purple pond removed all paint except the silver on the chassis.  Used an wheels/tires and engine from parts box, scratch built cage and other interior pieces.

This Willys modified is all parts box.  Body is leftover from a failed custom, engine is 6 cylinder from Revellogram '53 Chevrolet, chassis is Revell 41 Chevy pickup, wheels and tires are resin and parts box.

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by TarheelRick