'64 Impala SS Convertible Revell

[Tcoat]

This is the very nice Revell latest release. Beautiful kit with very nice details until you come to the tail lights. They are different sizes and just too large so will be replaced at a later date but for now calling it done. This project took me 2 years to complete as it was my first ever real car model build and it kept getting put away while I practiced some skills.

This is a model of my very first legal car. By "legal" I mean it had it's own real plates (not off another car) and insurance. When I bought it in 1975 it was fresh out of the body and paint shop but the rest remained 11 years old so the build reflects that mix of old and new. I will post some stories about the real thing later so anybody just looking at models doesn't have to read through it all!

So here it is.

 

[TransAmMike]

Well Tony, the '64 sure did come out great and especially for your first "real" car build.  The weathering underneath is sure impressive?

[Tcoat]

6 minutes ago, TransAmMike said:

Well Tony, the '64 sure did come out great and especially for your first "real" car build.  The weathering underneath is sure impressive?

I built a couple cars about 20 years ago but the gloss paint always messed me up. This was my first success. I have done a few since I painted it and gotten a bit better at it with each attempt. It is a whole different world than flat military paintjobs! 

[michelle]

Nice job looks great 

[Smilesperhour]

Nice build, the underside looks great and like a car should! I'm a long way of trying that sort of detail

[70 Sting]

Nicely done. The undercarriage is amazing!

[Tom99]

Great build.

[Tcoat]

Stories:

I bought this car from a used car dealer shortly after my 16th birthday in 1975. It was safety certified, plated and you could still smell the paint it was so fresh. Up to that point (from age 13) I had been driving unregistered cars that  I picked up cheap, drove for a bit and flipped for a profit to buy a "real car". 

While digging through old photo albums for a picture of it (I failed) I did find the original sales slip. Anybody know where I can match that price today?

 

The poor old girl saw a lot of miles through high school and Sea Cadets as I was often the only person with my own car much less one that could hold so many people. For the next couple of years I had no real issues and it was trouble free.

In 1977 I was station to Germany with the Army and left the car in the care of a buddy. When I returned in late '78 I went to pick up my car and he told me he hadn't driven it all summer since it was making a "funny noise". Took me all of five minutes to find the 6 inch crack up the side of the block where it had frozen after he had put pure water in it. Since the engine was toast and he was paying I went off to the wreckers and found a low miles '66 300HP 327 to swap for the origional base 265hp one. Since I was in barracks and had no place to work on the car I took it to the garage I worked in as a kid and had them do it.

I don't think I was overcharged.

It ran like a dream and all of a sudden could do burnouts that it would never do before. Unfortunately the rest of it was still a 14 year old car and one day while going down the highway at 60 the diff locked up solid. Both hubcaps shot straight down hit the road and headed for the horizon. I came to a screeching halt without  further incident retrieved the one cap that headed into field and gave up on the other which was someplace far, far down the road.

About 5 years ago I was cleaning up some boxes and fund this in the bottom. Somehow I had hung onto it for 40 years!

 

Of course I had to have the diff replaced.

 

While it was in for repair I stumbled across my Econoline and bought it as my daily. Although I still had the SS and it would carry on for a few more years in a secondary role it was the beginning of the end for the poor old Impala. In '82 the starter went on it and I parked it at the end of my apartment complex parking. Some kids slit the top climbed in and slashed ever single soft surface in the car. Dash pad, seats top cover, door panels, EVERYTHING was cut up. Since I still didn't want to give it up as the body was still great and other than the starter it ran perfectly I towed it over to my sisters shed. On the way the passenger side of the rear bumper dropped almost to the road. A quick look showed the worst! As many of these cars were inflicted the frame had rotted off right where the exhaust crossed it by the gas tank. That was the last straw and the car sat in the shed for a few more years before I finally broke down and sold what was left of it for $3,000. Today it would be seen again on a Bran Find Will It Start video  but back then I had no clue where it went. Due to the era I wouldn't doubt it became a Lowrider someplace and could still be around today. 

 

 

 

 

[Phildaupho]

Great story. Very cool first real car and the model is pretty nice too !!

[charger74]

Very well done ??

[PappyD340]

Very nice, well done!

[ChrisR]

Very nice!

[KWT]

Very nicely done

[espo]

First, it's always rewarding to build a model of a car that was important to you. This had to have been a beautiful car just like your model. The pictures of the chassis looks just like a car from the "rust belt". At least the charges for repairs were reasonable even for the times. Always enjoy the back stories on builds like yours as you can better relate to the look and why it is finished the way it is. Any time you want to have some fond memories you can just look at this and remember when. 

[Tcoat]

24 minutes ago, espo said:

First, it's always rewarding to build a model of a car that was important to you. This had to have been a beautiful car just like your model. The pictures of the chassis looks just like a car from the "rust belt". At least the charges for repairs were reasonable even for the times. Always enjoy the back stories on builds like yours as you can better relate to the look and why it is finished the way it is. Any time you want to have some fond memories you can just look at this and remember when. 

Well three important to me, or at least story worthy, cars done. Three more are in process and three more are on standby waiting their turn. Not to mention the bunch I still need kits for. Man I had a lot of cars!

 

Oh and yes I am getting sick of red and there are still more to go.

Edited February 12, 2023 by Tcoat

[espo]

2 minutes ago, Tcoat said:

Well three important to me, or at least story worthy, cars done. Three more are in process and three more are on standby waiting their turn. Not to mention the bunch I still need kits for. Man I had a lot of cars!

 

Oh and yes I am getting sick of red and there are still more to go.

Nice looking display. Like you I have owned far too many cars and a few pickups in my time. One problem is many of them can't be found even in the resin world. But most hold a special meaning.  

[Tcoat]

3 minutes ago, espo said:

Nice looking display. Like you I have owned far too many cars and a few pickups in my time. One problem is many of them can't be found even in the resin world. But most hold a special meaning.  

LOL I will need to be very lucky to ever finish my list! Doesn't even include many of the mundane drive for 2 months and throw away cars such as a Maverick, early 80s Chevy Citation and 74 Delta 88 four door or some buy and flip ones like a 64 Skylark or 

In stash I have 

1966 Corvair - Mine (started)

1970 Coronet R/T - Mine (almost done)

1977 Ford van - Mine (started)

2014 Scion FRS - Mine (started)

2020 Toyota GT86 Hakone -Mine

1965 Chevy Stepside - Dad's (started)

 

Still looking for kits that I know were/are made

1964 Karmann Ghia - Mine

1962 VW Van - Dad's 

1964 1/2 Mustang - Mom's

1966 T-Bird - Mom's 

1976 Gremlin - Wife's

1976 Pacer - Wife's

 

Ones I have little hope of ever getting but may be able to convert something:

1991 Eagle Talon TSi - Mine

1974 Chevy Cheyenne Dully - Dad's

1973 Datsun B210 - Wife's

1958 Ford Custom 300 two door - Mine

1992 Geo Metro convertible - Mine (very customized)

1956 Chevy 4 door hardtop - Mine

 

[espo]

On my shelf now are two '57 Ford. One a convertible and another is a resin Mainliner two door. A '66 Impala SS, a '67 El Camino, a '72 Nova SS, a '72 Monte Carlo, an '85 Monte Carlo SS. The 1:1 was a first-place winner at two different Super Chevy Magazine shows. The '05 GTO that I should never have sold, and a '10 Dodge Charger RT. I used the Revell Manex body kit without using the body to make the dune buggy I had. I'm collecting parts to build a '51 Ford and have a resin body for a '58 Chevrolet Yoman wagon. I also just picked up the new Round 2 '21 Dodge Charger that I'm going to back date for the '19 Charger in the garage now. There are others I need to get but there are some that will just never get done. 

[Tcoat]

22 minutes ago, espo said:

On my shelf now are two '57 Ford. One a convertible and another is a resin Mainliner two door. A '66 Impala SS, a '67 El Camino, a '72 Nova SS, a '72 Monte Carlo, an '85 Monte Carlo SS. The 1:1 was a first-place winner at two different Super Chevy Magazine shows. The '05 GTO that I should never have sold, and a '10 Dodge Charger RT. I used the Revell Manex body kit without using the body to make the dune buggy I had. I'm collecting parts to build a '51 Ford and have a resin body for a '58 Chevrolet Yoman wagon. I also just picked up the new Round 2 '21 Dodge Charger that I'm going to back date for the '19 Charger in the garage now. There are others I need to get but there are some that will just never get done. 

What body are you using for the Yeoman? It is a two door right? I have the 58 sedan delivery body to do my Nomad but if I don't have to cut out windows it would save some work even if I do have to add some doors.

Edited February 12, 2023 by Tcoat

[Jim B]

Fantastic job.  Really well done.

[Kenmojr]

Love these old Impalas. Very nice build.

[espo]

2 hours ago, Tcoat said:

What body are you using for the Yeoman? It is a two door right? I have the 58 sedan delivery body to do my Nomad but if I don't have to cut out windows it would save some work even if I do have to add some doors.

The resin body is one I got from Star Models two years ago. The body is a two door as was my wagon. The Nomad you mentioned would have been a four door wagon in '58, unless you're doing a phantom two door wagon.  Star also has a nice Biscayne two door sedan body that I would also like to do. I never owned one, but always liked the way they looked. 

[Tcoat]

26 minutes ago, espo said:

The resin body is one I got from Star Models two years ago. The body is a two door as was my wagon. The Nomad you mentioned would have been a four door wagon in '58, unless you're doing a phantom two door wagon.  Star also has a nice Biscayne two door sedan body that I would also like to do. I never owned one, but always liked the way they looked. 

LOL we have talked about this before and I forgot!

I am doing the Nomad at a very specific moment in time. I have the Jimmy Flintstone sedan delivery body already so will just move forward that route. Just means cutting out some windows, removing the trim and rescribing some doors. working with the resin Econoline body has given me the confidence that it isn't that huge a project really.

 

[Zippi]

Nice looking 64 Impala.  I like the red on red and the weathering.  

[Tcoat]

12 hours ago, Zippi said:

Nice looking 64 Impala.  I like the red on red and the weathering.  

The weathering is pretty much accurate for when I bought the car. If I did it as it was 6 years later there would have been a pile more rust underneath and the exhuast would have a bunch of tin can and hose clamp patches.

It is hard to tell in the pictures because it just looks like lighting but if you look really closely at the hood you will see it is slightly lighter than the rest of the body.

This picture shows it best against the drivers side fender.

 

This is because I added a drop of white to the paint when I did the hood in a deliberate  replication of my real car (the cat hair in the picture is not authentic to the real car).  A few weeks after I got the car my dad put a bottle of brake fluid on the hood while working on his car next to it in the driveway.  Of course he knocked it over and didn't notice. Since brake fluid and fresh enamel paint do not play well together there was a nice bubbled trail leading to the grill. He had it repainted by the same place that "restored" it but after about 6 months it had faded slightly. I lived with it and was probably the only person that ever noticed. I did get an Earl Scheib $69 paint job not long before I stopped driving it though!