´58 Chevrolet Impala

[Slotto]

Nice job Andy. Great mirror fabrication 

[Roadrunner]

Chrome terrifies me, and this car has a lot.

[David G.]

I'm impressed by all the detail work you've done with this build.

Everything looks great!

David G.

[David G.]

4 hours ago, Roadrunner said:

Chrome terrifies me, and this car has a lot.

 

I know what you mean!

Sometimes I select my next project by how much BMF and chrome paint I'm in the mood to deal with.

David G.

[bobss396]

Sometimes I place a small piece of masking tape loosely on the oil pan or transmission. Just to keep them clean and not nicked up during fitting, etc. If I'm going to hand-paint the transmission, I save that for very late in the build.

[Andy Oldenburg]

First of all I would like to express my thanks to all you guys watching this thread and for your friendly comments! ?

I am finished with the building process now and here are the last images. Connecting the body with the undercarriage was quite smooth and needed only minor cutting and sanding. Starting at the tail I added a tiny metal bead to the trunk for the press/key button. Only later did I realize that the middle lamp of the taillights on the original car were white. Oh well...

The trunk turned out fine. The surface is flocked red on red. Don´t get fooled by the spare wheel. I sliced it to make it fit.

I could have opted between the standard bumper look or the custom front. Instead I decided early on that I wanted maximum opulence and combined both. The custom grill AND the heavy bumper. Behind the grill I set a piece of fine metal mesh. The headlights are by Scale Production.

To the end I had the idea for a latch mechanism for the hood. Styrene hook set with a wire pin and piece of insulated wire. I filed the styrene to shape with diamond files. And a bit of rust too.

The engine bay is as crowded as the real thing. The coil and the brake booster are home made with different pieces of styrene and wire. They too are connected with 0.5mm brass pins. I feel much more comfortable now with this procedure. Once attached to the body with super glue, I can work the wiring much harder now without risking to break them off again.

Taking a last look in my big book, I discovered that my model needed those cool slanted double antennas. I filed styrene triangles glued to 0.5mm wire to shape and chromed them with a Molotow pen.

And on these last days I was surprised and shocked by THIS!

A hinge arm had applied too much pressure to the fender and chipped off the paint. I was fuming, damn! ? I haven´t experienced this before and didn´t take measures to prevent it. I could have/should have filed the arms thinner to have more room to swing. Well, lesson learned. I was aware that whatever I do, this flaw would stay visible. First I sanded the gap a bit wider to prevent further trouble. Then the chip was sanded "round". I carefully applied tiny drops of paint to cover the spot. The result is, well, OK. The spot looks like this now and I can get along with it. It´s an old car with history. The owner must have had issue...?

I will show the final images on an "under glass" thread asap. Thanks for looking and best wishes!

[Slotto]

She turned out great Andy! Awesome details as usual. Love the hood latch.

[David G.]

It looks fabulous Andy! The added details are way over the top and very well done.

And honestly, most casual viewers will not notice the chip unless you point it out to them. Which if you're anything like me, you're almost certain to do.  

David G.

David G.