1959 El Camino Custom - Update 12/05/2022 - Calling it Done

[bisc63]

Looking snazzy! Glad to see this one continued. DIGGING that color.

[Exotics_Builder]

Now the fun begins.  Got the clear coat on and through mid-level polish.  Time to apply the Bare Metal Foil (BMF).  The kit trim was pretty “soft”.  So, I augmented with Evergreen L-shaped strips as explained before.  I also added a custom side spear. 

One BMF sheet I have kept tearing even with a new blade.  Fortunately, I have an older sheet that is working out.  Since a custom, I will not be following factory stock trim.  But a lot of pieces will be the same.

 

[TransAmMike]

I'm really liking this one Gerry!!

[espo]

Great looking color and finish. I like what you have done on the chrome body trim. I built one a while ago and as you pointed out the trim is really faint on this. I wish now I had done as you have here on the small trim portions. The trim around the roof and rear window especially. 

[Exotics_Builder]

1 hour ago, espo said:

Great looking color and finish. I like what you have done on the chrome body trim. I built one a while ago and as you pointed out the trim is really faint on this. I wish now I had done as you have here on the small trim portions. The trim around the roof and rear window especially. 

I decided that the trim around the roof was not going to give me the effect I wanted so I've omitted it.  I have a couple of references to customs without it.  I could still add it if I change my mind, but have to be careful.  Since it is a custom, I do have some discretion ?

 

[oldscool]

That is looking really good!

[espo]

4 hours ago, Exotics_Builder said:

I decided that the trim around the roof was not going to give me the effect I wanted so I've omitted it.  I have a couple of references to customs without it.  I could still add it if I change my mind, but have to be careful.  Since it is a custom, I do have some discretion ?

 

Since this is a custom, it should be done in whatever fashion you wish. The one I built only had the hood and tail gate shaved and I was staying closer to stock. As you mentioned the trim in many areas including the fins is so light that it gets lost under a coat of paint. I do like the way you chopped the roof on your build. 

[goon]

Can't wait to see this one Under Glass. All your mods, such as the chop, trim, color scheme, etc. really seem to compliment the

clean lines of this Elco. 

[Zippi]

Looking pretty sharp man.  Great looking mods on this kit.  Love that color.

[Sam I Am]

My 59 has stalled due to the foil work. I love the cars from the age of excess era, but all that chrome comes back to bite you when it's time to bmf them. ? 

[Exotics_Builder]

Back at the El Camino after a lot of disruptions this month.  Finishing up the interior.  Starting with the kit interior, I removed parts of the seats and the door panels and incorporated ones from the custom option of the Revell 59 Impala.  Then I added “carpeting” and detailed up the dashboard using specialty foil, Evergreen plastic half round, Best Model Car Parts gauges, photo-etched speaker grill, steering wheel from the parts box and carved out a spot for a radio I removed from another dashboard.  Other than gear shifter, this is as far as I am going with this.

[Zippi]

The interior and dash look pretty kewl.  I have this kit but have stayed away from it due to all the chrome trim.  Yours looks pretty nice.

[speedy5963]

Looking good!   Like the changes to the interior 

[Exotics_Builder]

Had to do a little more adjustment of the floor of the interior to get the chassis to finally lay in.  The engine has pieces from the parts box to improve.  I did add a dip stick and some Detail Master PE to “hang” the generator.  The engine bay does not seem to match any of the reference photos I have nor the Revell 59 Impala, but it will do.

The 348 was a very tight fit (it is a wide engine in 1:1, but the headers from the kit are touching the frame to get it to fit right.  Not visible, but not a happy camper.  Also, the hood sticks up a bit even with some shaving I had to do to improve it.  There is no interference with the air cleaner or engine parts as the problem manifested itself in test fitting with no engine in place.  Even initial test fitting of the kit out of the box showed that was going to be a problem.

Remaining, I need to finish off the engine bay including touch up; finish the hood; add the front wheels; add the last chrome bits; and call it done.

[espo]

Looking great. I had a similar air cleaner and hood clearance issue on the one I did. I used an OEM style dual snorkel air filter with the 3 twos. I had to shave a little off the inside of the air cleaner and the top of the carbs to get it to just fit. Used the headers from the old AMT '62 Bel Air 409 with a little sanding the worked. Hope this info can be of some help. 

[slusher]

Looking fantastic Gerry!

[Exotics_Builder]

I’ve taken this as far as I think practical although I may go back and visit the hood some.  It just did not fit well from the get-go.  I’ve shaved the edges to the point where the hood is touching the radiator shroud and other parts of the engine bay.  No impact from the air cleaner, so I will probably chew on it a bit more or just leave it be.

Although better than some older AMT releases, the reissue I have has some major shortcomings.  Besides the aforementioned hood fit, the parts of the pickup bed did not join well and had gaps requiring a lot of putty work in an area with detail that would be quite hard to retain.  The tailgate did not fit well, and I decided to glue in place positioning as best I could.  The passenger side body detail is “softer” than the driver’s side.  The firewall does not reflect any El Camino photos I’ve used for reference plus there is no brake master cylinder there.  The engine squeezes into the engine bay requiring the headers to touch the frame.  Not really visible but not what I like to see.  There is no starter included even though shown in the instructions.  With the fit into the body, the headers would have “collided” with one anyways (I tried with a parts box piece).  So, I simulated one with a piece of Evergreen Rod cut to about the right length.  Again, it is buried from view, but not to my liking. 

Summarizing the work.

·        3-inch chop

·        Modified pickup bed

·        Highly modified and detailed interior

·        Shaved off door handles and trim and added custom side trim

·        Added rear fender skirts

·        “Built up” the chrome trim on the fins and pickup bed surround as they were soft

·        Modified the front end using the kit custom pieces and “eyebrow” fillers from the Revell 59 Impala

·        Upgraded the dashboard as it was lacking a lot of detail

·        Seats and door cards from Revell 59 Impala

·        Detailed the 348 engine and added air cleaner from parts box

·        Painted Bob’s Paint Crème Brulé and cleared with Tamiya TS13 Clear.

 

The chop was easier than I anticipated, at least in the front curved A-pillar.  The B-pillar needed some attention as it is quite thin and needed a bit of stiffening.  This was also my first use of Bob’s Paint and needed a little practice to thin appropriately. 

Reasonably satisfied with the result. 

 

 

[NOBLNG]

Beautiful work Gerry!? The color looks great on it and I really love all the detailing you’ve done.