1961 Ford Ranchero ready for the crusher

[Alex Flint]

I built this to look like it's ready to be crushed. I started it by grinding some rust holes in the body. Then I sprayed on some rusty metal primer. Next, I sprinkled on some Epsom salt and sprayed on a Light Blue. Once the blue color dried, I brushed off the large pieces and left the tiny pieces to resemble rust bubbles. After all that I brushed on some rust-colored paint around the rust holes. I even added some watercolor paints to the rust holes as a wash. On the rust hole in the roof, I added some very slight green watercolor paint to look like it's got a little bit of grass starting to grow on it. I completely eliminated the engine and the hood but kept the hood hinges and the radiator. I added a radiator hose made from a black hollow rubber bead cord and a wire mesh screen for the radiator itself. The broken windshield and rear window are made out of a glass laptop screen protector that I cut out with scissors and smashed with a hammer. The passenger side window is done the same way except I cut out a thin strip and wedged it in between the body and the door panel then chipped along the edge to look like it was shattered into pieces. The passenger side taillight was eliminated and replaced with some red and black bead wire for detail. I patted on some rust-colored paint onto the bumpers and grill to make them look like they are rusty and attached them on at an angle, so they look like they are falling off the car. I ground out a hole in the bench seat and glued some pillow stuffing to the underside of the seat and painted it a brown color and weathered with a brownish watercolor paint with a little black mixed in. I eliminated the steering wheel but kept the steering column and the dashboard. The crushed soda cans are 3D printed. I put a pack of Camel cigarettes on the seat that i printed out on an inkjet printer and filled with some very thin styrene rods to resemble 1/24 scale cigarettes. I painted the undercarriage with a rust-colored primer and, while the primer is still freshly wet, I sprayed a flat black color on and let it mix while it dried. I used a technique I learned in Scale Auto Magazine to make one of the tires look flat. I carved out the middle of one edge and glued a piece of styrene plastic to the leftover flaps and the painted it flat black and the end result is a flat tire. The rims are painted flat black. I added a bunch of stuff in the bed. Those items include a mesh screen radiator with rubber hoses still attached, two rubber tires from another kit, a set of bumpers from a 1980s GMC Pickup kit, a real metal jewelry chain I painted with black calligraphy ink to make it look greasy, a 3D printed crushed soda can, and a 3D printed roll of duct tape. This is my rustiest build I've ever done.

[Iraceitall]

Very nice! Love the trick with the screen protector!

[STU111]

G’day Alex. I like this one a lot. You’ve captured the look of a vehicle that’s been sitting out in the elements for a long time very well.??

[ChrisR]

COOL!

[Claude Thibodeau]

Hi Alex!

Masterfull, and brimming with details. Bravo!

CT

[NOBLNG]

Excellent work Alex!? The rust looks very real.

[thatz4u]

looks real, seen a few like it in my time, well done

[Falcon Ranchero]

That's actually really cool; I gotta have the guts to do a rusty car myself.

[espo]

Great looking patina finish looks very used-up. 

[stavanzer]

Outstanding Weathering, and Rust. The Junk in the back works well too.

A real "Home-Run" of a build.

 

Good Show.

[PappyD340]

Awesome build, great job on the weathering!!

[DJMar]

Now, that there is car you would see in a "I know what I got" Craigslist ad, with an asking price of $9k. ?

Seriously cool build. That screen protector trick for the broken glass is great!

[Jim B]

Beautiful job. Fantastic weathering. 

[Firebuilder]

Well done, amazing job on the weathering and the rust! Great detail for entire build.

[TooOld]

Not really into weathered models but yours is one of the most realistic looking ones I've seen !  Along with your other techniques I'd say the glass really sells it !

[ncbuckeye67]

That is incredible! The weathering and added details are amazing.

[rv1963]

Next level weathering, outstanding.

[Thedragsterdude]

How is that rust so realistic???

[Bainford]

Outstanding! I think you have captured the neglected look beautifully. Nice work. 

[Rattlecan Dan]

You have attained maximum grunginess! Great weathering and overall detailing. Good job!

[MeatMan]

Well done! Awesome detail!

[Sam I Am]

I would still try and save it. ?