The Mummy Machine: Finished

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

This is the Mummy Machine by AMT-ERTL and MPC at least according to the logo cast on the bottom of the body tub. Originally released in (I think) 1972, I first encountered this kit around 1975. So yeah, this is another nostalgia build in which I try to recapture my youth. I don't believe that I ever completed building it as I can remember having the mummy head and other various bits around for years afterward. 

Believe it or not, there was an actual Mummy Machine show car created by Jack Kampney in the early Seventies. I'm still not entirely certain whether the show car or the model kit came first as the earliest print references to the actual car I can find are from 1975 and the model kit was first released in 1972.

 

Here's my rendition of the kit.

 

This kit is quite good at capturing the whimsical over-the-top style of the Show Rods popular during the Sixties and Seventies. I came to think of it as "Delightfully Ridiculous."

 

 Golden sphynxes or "fender puppies" as I came to think of them, adorn the running boards. 

 

A close up shot of the death mask radiator with cartouche covered scarab "headlights". I can't imagine that the radiator would allow much air flow for cooling. This image also some of the detail painting on the mummy hands.

 

That's all for now. For those who may be interested, I made a build thread in the WIP section. Here is a link

As always, thanks for taking the time to look. Comments and critiques are always welcome.

David G.

 

[Zippi]

Haha....now I'm really liking this one.  That just looks so kewl.  Really nice job on the paint.  Love that face.

[bobthehobbyguy]

Wow this came out great. Well executed and finished. A whimsical show rod for sure. 

[espo]

I followed your trim making for this, some great work, The finishes, especially the macabre looking head, are all well done.    

[bisc63]

This was a really fun ride-along, thanks for the WIP. It turned out so nice, probably the best build ever done of this kit!

[70 Sting]

That is one creepy car. Great job on the mummy!

[David G.]

On 9/4/2022 at 5:26 AM, Zippi said:

Haha....now I'm really liking this one.  That just looks so kewl.  Really nice job on the paint.  Love that face.

Thank you Bob, I'm glad you like it.

On 9/4/2022 at 6:08 AM, bobthehobbyguy said:

Wow this came out great. Well executed and finished. A whimsical show rod for sure. 

Thanks for your kind comment Bob. I like to think of this one as "delightfully ridiculous". It's a car that makes your inner 12 year-old smile.

22 hours ago, espo said:

I followed your trim making for this, some great work, The finishes, especially the macabre looking head, are all well done.    

Thank you David, I appreciate that. That kind of detail painting is something that I really enjoy doing and it's good to know that I can do it effectively.

16 hours ago, bisc63 said:

This was a really fun ride-along, thanks for the WIP. It turned out so nice, probably the best build ever done of this kit!

Thanks Rusty, I'm glad that you enjoyed the WIP. Thank you for your kind words, I always try to give my best effort for any kit I build and it's nice to know when it turns out well.

12 hours ago, 70 Sting said:

That is one creepy car. Great job on the mummy!

Thanks Harry, creepy is just what I was aiming for. Well, creepy and a little silly.

David G.

[MeatMan]

Nice detailing!

[David G.]

19 hours ago, MeatMan said:

Nice detailing!

Thank you Dennis.

David G.

[fireguy14]

Nicely done! 

[David G.]

9 minutes ago, fireguy14 said:

Nicely done! 

Thank you David, I appreciate that.

David G.

[FLHCAHZ]

That came out excellent!  Superior detailing.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

I have found, for myself at least, that when someone posts a large number of photos under a single topic entry it's often difficult for me to appreciate each of them on their own merit. That after the first five photos in a series of fifteen, twenty or sometimes more, my brain seems to stop processing the new information. I stop really seeing  the pictures for what they are. Visually they are still there, but I seem to lose most of my appreciation and enjoyment for them.

So, rather than barrage everybody with a wall of photos, I decided to post them in sets of three or four. Sort of similar to the way art is often displayed in a gallery. 

It has a bit of an odd profile but it works for what it is.

 

The engine is a very basic Ford (I think) V-8. Maybe that's why the designer felt the need to dress it up with some cobras. Maybe it's a Cobra-Jet? ? There's even a cobra used as an upper radiator hose. I did have to very carefully heat and bend the cobras into an angle that looked right to me.

 

The engine is even topped off by a sarcophagus air scoop. I chose to use actual gold leaf to gild the figure on the scoop.

 

Please let me know if this method of posting works better for anyone else as well.

Thanks, 

David G.

Edited September 6, 2022 by David G.
typo

[David G.]

7 minutes ago, FLHCAHZ said:

That came out excellent!  Superior detailing.

Thank you Chaz, I'm glad you like it.

David G.

[mustang1989]

The attention to detail in this build is what really throws it over the top. That and your painting effects on the mummy head. Very well replicated Dave!! 

[AMT68]

Very impressive work on a model I didn't know even existed. 

I agree with splitting up the photos on separate posts. Nice close-up photography. 

[slusher]

A great build of a neat kit!  I really enjoy following the build  and learned a few things"..

[David G.]

23 hours ago, mustang1989 said:

The attention to detail in this build is what really throws it over the top. That and your painting effects on the mummy head. Very well replicated Dave!! 

Thank you Joe! I pride myself on my detail work and weathering and it's nice to know when those come out well, thanks!

20 hours ago, AMT68 said:

Very impressive work on a model I didn't know even existed. 

I agree with splitting up the photos on separate posts. Nice close-up photography. 

Thank you Tom. Now that you know it's out there, any plans to build one of your own?

Thanks also for your feedback and compliment regarding my photos. I received a Cannon EOS M50 a couple of years ago and I'm still learning to use it.

7 hours ago, slusher said:

A great build of a neat kit!  I really enjoy following the build  and learned a few things"..

Thank you Carl. That's one of the main reasons I continue posting the WIP topics for my builds.  Education. 

When I started building models again as an adult, I learned a tremendous amount regarding techniques, practices, procedures and resources from the WIPs in forum. I like being able to help continue making that resource available to others.  

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

Here's the next set for the Mummy Machine.

From this angle the pyramid gas tank can be seen with its accompanying tail lights. At least I think that they're supposed to be tail lights. I did see one illustration on the box that showed them in red while most of the other photos they were shown in standard chrome. I split the difference and drew some red lenses on them with a marker.

 

 

A better shot of the tail light along with the crook and flail, an ancient Egyptian symbol of royal authority.

 

The "body" of the car is reminiscent of an ancient Egyptian royal barge covered in hieroglyphs. I ought to decipher them to see if there is any hidden message. Also, I hand painted the raised white letters on the tires with Tamiya XF-2 acrylic white.

 

We're almost done here folks, thanks for your patience.

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

Things have been a little busy in real-life land. We're having all new duct work installed in the house so I haven't had a lot of time for the stuff that keeps me sane. But If I did hobby stuff all the time then it would be work and who wants that?

There are severed mummy hands on the fenders. This one seemed to have a bone cast into the stump so that's the way I painted it.

 

I tried to get a good shot of the interior with its golden cobra steering wheel and gear shift as well as its tongue-shaped seat.

 

This was a fun kit to build. As I mentioned, I had one of these kits  when I was eleven or twelve years old and at that time, lacked the skills and patience to build it. Though that didn't prevent me from enjoying it back then. 

It's nice to have the opportunity to build it as I would have only dreamed I could the first time I owned it.

 

Thanks to all of you who support and encourage me.

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

Finally. Here it is, my traditional Display case shot.

 

Thanks again to all of you who followed along and commented.

David G.

 

[Street Rod]

Phenomenal job! Your detailing work is over the top good! Very creepy fun car, I might try one sometime.

[David G.]

18 hours ago, Street Rod said:

Phenomenal job! Your detailing work is over the top good! Very creepy fun car, I might try one sometime.

Thank you Doyle, I'm glad you like it.

It was a fun build. The kit is rather basic and in the version I built which was released in 2000, the molds are definitely showing their age. It wasn't a difficult build but it did have its challenges.

You may want to check out my thread on this one in the WIP section if you haven't already. Here's a link.

Thanks again for your comment,

David G.

[Bronzekeg]

great job, I like different!

[David G.]

Thank you Mike, I do too.

David G.