Monogram's 1955 Lincoln Futura Concept Car: WIP

[Bainford]

Very nice work, David. It's coming along nicely. Likely the best build I've yet seen of this kit.

[gtx6970]

On 6/4/2024 at 4:18 AM, David G. said:

From the research I've done Bill, the original color was pearl white. Literally pearl white. In that thousands of seashells were ground up to make the paint. Quite an extravagance if you ask me. As I understand it, the green look in some of the photos was a result of some error in processing or printing the photos of the original pearl white car.

The other correct color was red as seen in the movie "It Started With A Kiss". That was before George Barris got ahold of it, painted it black and made it into the legendary Batmobile for the old TV show.

Your build looks good Bill, I think it's the only one I've seen built that's painted white. Most are some shade of pearl green.

Thanks for taking the time to post the photos.

David G.

Thanks, I went back and forth for days looking for info  / trying to determine the correct color. I decided on a Tamiya rattle can color , cant remember the name but its a pearl white with a  high gloss clear on top of that ,,,,,I think.

 

The kit can be a little tricky to get the body assembled.

 

If I were to do another one. I think I would cut the floor / chassis out of it and assemble the body as one piece.

Then build it like a normal modern day kit 

[David G.]

22 hours ago, slusher said:

Another very interesting and classic your building David  I haven’t been on very long lately.  Coming along nicely friend!

Thank you Carl. No worries, you gotta take care of your health first. Without that, you can't do anything else. 

 

20 hours ago, Bainford said:

Very nice work, David. It's coming along nicely. Likely the best build I've yet seen of this kit.

Thank you Trevor, it's most kind of you to say so.

 

19 hours ago, gtx6970 said:

Thanks, I went back and forth for days looking for info  / trying to determine the correct color. I decided on a Tamiya rattle can color , cant remember the name but its a pearl white with a  high gloss clear on top of that ,,,,,I think.

 

The kit can be a little tricky to get the body assembled.

 

If I were to do another one. I think I would cut the floor / chassis out of it and assemble the body as one piece.

Then build it like a normal modern day kit 

 

You're welcome Bill. I'm always happy to share information, tips and... (to the chagrin of some) ...opinions.

In my mind it seems like the assembly process you're describing could be more work than building it as kitted. Unless you were doing a conversion to a full chassis car, like the Moebius deluxe version Batmobile. 

That's an intriguing thought.

Thanks to all of you who follow along and take the time to offer your thoughts, opinions and support.

David G.

[sjordan2]

I believe the show car color was ice blue. A tiny tinge of blue is there.

[peteski]

From what I read in an article about this car in the Collectible Automobile magazine was that the color was very difficult to photograph.

They stated that the color was white with ground up fish scales or something like that so depending on which angle you looked at it and what type of lighting was used, the color would change.  Sort of iridescent. That is why different color photographs f it show slightly different color.

I wonder if painting it white and mixing some of the flip-flop Pearl-Ex powders into the clear coat would achieve similar appearance.  Maybe green-to-blue powder, or one of the other color combos?

EDIT:  I read some earlier posts and this was mentioned in an earlier post. Sorry!

Edited June 6, 2024 by peteski

[David G.]

On 6/6/2024 at 6:42 AM, sjordan2 said:

I believe the show car color was ice blue. A tiny tinge of blue is there.

I think the explanation that Peter shares below is a good summary for all the varying reports of the car's actual color. 

 

On 6/6/2024 at 3:27 PM, peteski said:

From what I read in an article about this car in the Collectible Automobile magazine was that the color was very difficult to photograph.

They stated that the color was white with ground up fish scales or something like that so depending on which angle you looked at it and what type of lighting was used, the color would change.  Sort of iridescent. That is why different color photographs f it show slightly different color.

I wonder if painting it white and mixing some of the flip-flop Pearl-Ex powders into the clear coat would achieve similar appearance.  Maybe green-to-blue powder, or one of the other color combos?

EDIT:  I read some earlier posts and this was mentioned in an earlier post. Sorry!

There are a number of differing reports as to the car's day-one color. Heck, there are even several theories just on this one thread alone!  

Yours is one of the better ones Peter.

But when it comes right down to it, I've already decided that my version of this iconic car is going to be painted in Tamiya TS-60 Pearl Green.

Because I think it will look better than a frosty pearl white.

Thanks for the feedback and input, I do appreciate your comments.

David G.

[Anglia105E]

38 minutes ago, David G. said:

I think the explanation that Peter shares below is a good summary for all the varying reports of the car's actual color. 

 

There are a number of differing reports as to the car's day-one color. Heck, there are even several theories just on this one thread alone!  

Yours is one of the better ones Peter.

But when it comes right down to it, I've already decided that my version of this iconic car is going to be painted in Tamiya TS-60 Pearl Green.

Because I think it will look better than a frosty pearl white.

Thanks for the feedback and input, I do appreciate your comments.

David G.

I think Peter is probably right about the ground up fish scales, but your choice of Tamiya TS-60 Pearl Green is far less complicated, and an excellent choice.

It does sound like a very interesting paint scheme, and actually a very interesting car . . . You know how to pick 'em David !

David W.

[David G.]

21 hours ago, Anglia105E said:

I think Peter is probably right about the ground up fish scales, but your choice of Tamiya TS-60 Pearl Green is far less complicated, and an excellent choice.

It does sound like a very interesting paint scheme, and actually a very interesting car . . . You know how to pick 'em David !

David W.

Thank you kindly David.

I honestly expected more push-back regarding my choice of color for this build.  Not from you certainly David, just the community as a whole.

"It's not accurate." 

"Actually. the color of real car was more..."

And so on and so forth.

Though there has been much discussion regarding the color, it has all been positive and informative. As it should be.

It's nice having one's choices validated every now and again. I truly am glad to be a part of a community with such a kind and generous people.

That's rare these days and I do appreciate it.

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

The grand adventure continues!

I just felt the need to do a mockup. This also shows some of the unreported tasks that I've been working on behind the scenes. I've completed the body work and sprayed the base color on the lower body pan. I've started painting the figures, and I've nearly completed the interior. All of this will eventually be included in future updates.

Now, on with the show!

 

 

I'm very close to having these rear sections shaped properly. Or at least more pleasingly.

 

 

This may seem rather boring but bodywork usually is.

It's like I say though, "Ain' nuthin' to it but the work to do it."

 

As always, thanks for spending some time looking and please feel free to share any comments or thoughts you may have.

David G.

[customline]

Bodywork is the best part, the best for me at least. To get it this good, I guess it's high on your list of faves. Nice work, Dave, keep 'er comin'.

Incidently, the Futura looks good as a two-tone. ?

[Anglia105E]

David G.  . . . I agree with Jim, that '50's motor cars generally look good in two-tone paint . . .

David W.

[David G.]

13 hours ago, customline said:

Bodywork is the best part, the best for me at least. To get it this good, I guess it's high on your list of faves. Nice work, Dave, keep 'er comin'.

Incidently, the Futura looks good as a two-tone. ?

Thank you Jim. Though I have in the past, I don't do much custom bodywork these days. Most of the bodywork I do these days is remedial, correcting some deficiency or design flaw in the kit. When I'm doing this kind of bodywork, I often find myself thinking, "I could have this painted already if I weren't spending the last six build sessions repairing these fenders." 

Though bodywork isn't among my favorite things to do, it's all a part of the process and I do it because I enjoy the process and the end results. My favorite task is probably detail painting, that's if I had to pick one.

I agree, cars from the Fifties do look good with two-tone paint schemes. This one however will wear only one.

13 hours ago, Anglia105E said:

David G.  . . . I agree with Jim, that '50's motor cars generally look good in two-tone paint . . .

David W.

Thank you for your comment David. I do value your opinion but I do have a firm image of this car already fixed in my mind and I'm afraid that image isn't a two-tone one. 

In part at least, I'm not sure I could come up with a flattering way of splitting two colors on this body. But if I did attempt a two-tone paintjob I don't think I would cut the paint at the beltline. I'd probably move the division up to the fender ridge and run it back along the fins.

Similar to the way I split the paint on my Chevy Proton.

 

If I had multiples of this kit, I would be more inclined to paint one as a two-tone. In fact, with multiple kits I would be inclined to build several different "what if" examples. But I don't, and I may only get one shot at building one of these so I need to build it the way I see it.

Thank you both for your opinions, I appreciate the time you took to share them with me but I'm going to stick with my original plan.

At least on this one.

David G.

[Russell C]

17 hours ago, David G. said:

... I'm not sure I could come up with a flattering way of splitting two colors on this body. ....

This body doesn't seem to lend itself to a good two tone look without adding additional chrome trim separators. Using an image borrowed off the internet, I can see the bottom sides and fins in a separate color without adding trim pieces ...

[Bugatti Fan]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Two tone on this particular model doesn't do it for me unfortunately, but naturally many opinions will differ !I

Emulating the Pearl White of the prototype is what I would personally go for. I would try spraying silver over a white primer and ghosting a very thin white over the silver to get the effect I want and finish with clear. This of course would be failing to obtain a proper pearl white. Not sure if Alclad make a white pearlescent candy colour in their range.

This particular build is coming along really well and it would be nice to see a reissue of the kit.

Edited June 11, 2024 by Bugatti Fan

[David G.]

6 hours ago, Russell C said:

This body doesn't seem to lend itself to a good two tone look without adding additional chrome trim separators. Using an image borrowed off the internet, I can see the bottom sides and fins in a separate color without adding trim pieces ...

I really like that one Russell! The color combination suits the style and era quite nicely.

 

4 hours ago, Bugatti Fan said:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Two tone on this particular model doesn't do it for me unfortunately, but naturally many opinions will differ !I

Emulating the Pearl White of the prototype is what I would personally go for. I would try spraying silver over a white primer and ghosting a very thin white over the silver to get the effect I want and finish with clear. This of course would be failing to obtain a proper pearl white. Not sure if Alclad make a white pearlescent candy colour in their range.

This particular build is coming along really well and it would be nice to see a reissue of the kit.

I thought about going that route myself Noel. Unfortunately without any really good photos or an "official" paint call-out, anything I did would be an interpretive approximation at best. Given that, I decided to paint the car as I saw it in my own mind.

Due to what I presume is the refractive nature of the paint, the few color photos of this car seem to show the color as either a frosty light steel blue or pearl green. Or white. For some reason, my mind grabbed onto the green-tinted version and that became the vision in my imagination.

That and I just though that white was a very boring color for such a radically styled car.  

Opinions... you know.  

Thank you for your kind comment on the build too.

I do agree. A reissue would be nice but a new and modernized tooling would be so much better. Moebius has experience with this unusual body style a'la the Batmobile...

Moebius are you listening? 

Thanks again,

David G.

 

[peteski]

On 6/8/2024 at 10:10 AM, Anglia105E said:

I think Peter is probably right about the ground up fish scales, but your choice of Tamiya TS-60 Pearl Green is far less complicated, and an excellent choice.

In my post I wasn't suggesting to grind up shells or fish scales of the model's finish. I was suggesting a less complicated method of using one of the many Pearl Ex powders mixed  into clear coat to achieve that shimmering color-changing property of the original Futura paint.  I also have that kit, and when I get to it, I will look into trying to make its color as difficult to photograph as the original.

[TarheelRick]

I firmly agree with your decision on paint choice. After all it is your build and reflects your vision of the car.  That being said, another source of pearl white paint can be found in nail polish.  I have two bottles I will be using on my 'Trailer Queen' 50 Ford convertible custom. Looking forward to more updates on this extraordinary build.

[Anglia105E]

13 minutes ago, peteski said:

In my post I wasn't suggesting to grind up shells or fish scales of the model's finish. I was suggesting a less complicated method of using one of the many Pearl Ex powders mixed  into clear coat to achieve that shimmering color-changing property of the original Futura paint.  I also have that kit, and when I get to it, I will look into trying to make its color as difficult to photograph as the original.

It's okay Peter, I understood that you were simply explaining how the original paint finish on the real car might have been produced using ground up sea shells or fish scales, and I wouldn't expect anyone to attempt such a thing with a model car !!! . . . I do like the idea of a paint finish appearing to be either white, pale blue or pale green, depending upon how the light catches the surface of the bodywork . . . Similar to how they create a paint finish on modern cars that shifts from blue to purple to red, or green even . . .

David

[Anglia105E]

5 hours ago, David G. said:

I really like that one Russell! The color combination suits the style and era quite nicely.

 

I thought about going that route myself Noel. Unfortunately without any really good photos or an "official" paint call-out, anything I did would be an interpretive approximation at best. Given that, I decided to paint the car as I saw it in my own mind.

Due to what I presume is the refractive nature of the paint, the few color photos of this car seem to show the color as either a frosty light steel blue or pearl green. Or white. For some reason, my mind grabbed onto the green-tinted version and that became the vision in my imagination.

That and I just though that white was a very boring color for such a radically styled car.  

Opinions... you know.  

Thank you for your kind comment on the build too.

I do agree. A reissue would be nice but a new and modernized tooling would be so much better. Moebius has experience with this unusual body style a'la the Batmobile...

Moebius are you listening? 

Thanks again,

David G.

 

If there was one manufacturer that could produce a newly tooled kit for this car, that would be Moebius for sure . . .

David W.

[David G.]

18 hours ago, peteski said:

In my post I wasn't suggesting to grind up shells or fish scales of the model's finish. I was suggesting a less complicated method of using one of the many Pearl Ex powders mixed  into clear coat to achieve that shimmering color-changing property of the original Futura paint.  I also have that kit, and when I get to it, I will look into trying to make its color as difficult to photograph as the original.

Always gong for realism, eh Peter?

 

 

18 hours ago, TarheelRick said:

I firmly agree with your decision on paint choice. After all it is your build and reflects your vision of the car.  That being said, another source of pearl white paint can be found in nail polish.  I have two bottles I will be using on my 'Trailer Queen' 50 Ford convertible custom. Looking forward to more updates on this extraordinary build.

Thank you Ricky. That's one of the many things I like about this community, it's supportive nature. It hasn't always been this way but it has been for quite some time now.

I've yet to try using nail polish but I'm sure there would be a suitable shade of white among the tremendously wide and varied selection of colors I've seen at my local Walgreens.

 

18 hours ago, Anglia105E said:

If there was one manufacturer that could produce a newly tooled kit for this car, that would be Moebius for sure . . .

David W.

The only thing I can think of that may hold them back would be licensing issues. But yeah, Moebius certainly have proven themselves.

Thank you all for your comments.

David G.

[TarheelRick]

2 hours ago, David G. said:

I've yet to try using nail polish but I'm sure there would be a suitable shade of white among the tremendously wide and varied selection of colors I've seen at my local Walgreens.

Was at my local Wally-world a couple of days ago and came across a single bottle of one called "Black Gold". It was a beautiful shade of black with really fine gold glitter. Only problem, there was only one bottle and I will normally buy at least two in case I mess up - which is quite frequent.

[David G.]

On 6/12/2024 at 9:02 AM, TarheelRick said:

Was at my local Wally-world a couple of days ago and came across a single bottle of one called "Black Gold". It was a beautiful shade of black with really fine gold glitter. Only problem, there was only one bottle and I will normally buy at least two in case I mess up - which is quite frequent.

That sounds cool Ricky. 

I'm really partial to Tamiya's TS-40 Metallic Black. I used it on my 1959 Chrysler Imperial. I have to be careful as it's a color I could easily overuse.

David G.

 

[Bainford]

On 6/9/2024 at 9:10 AM, David G. said:

 

I honestly expected more push-back regarding my choice of color for this build.  Not from you certainly David, just the community as a whole.

Speaking on behalf of the community, we are waiting for you to paint it and show it to us, at which point we shall berate you mercilessly for choosing the wrong colour. ?

[David G.]

16 hours ago, Bainford said:

Speaking on behalf of the community, we are waiting for you to paint it and show it to us, at which point we shall berate you mercilessly for choosing the wrong colour. ?

That's funny! Thanks for the chuckle Trevor.

The good news is that you won't have long to wait. I'm getting ready to post the next update presently.

David G.

[David G.]

Hello Everybody!

Finally! The bodywork on the upper section is done and the paint is on!

 

 

I'm very pleased with the initial coat of paint.

 

 

Even the problem areas that I had to correct came out quite nicely.

 

As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to post any comments you may have.

David G.