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1955 CHEVY BELAIR CORVETTE


E St. Kruiser50

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EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE BODY :P

I am having so much fun with my old camera, and the newly discovered "MACRO FUNCTION". This is like having a new camera. I love these pic's.

The car I'm having fun with too, but it's another one of "THOSE BUILDS" :P;) .

Found a way to recycle all the old Corvette parts I have left over :lol: .

Just a few detail's.

The hood was sectioned across the front to lower it, a scale 1 1/2 inches, so it would fit in with the over-all fluid motion theme.

Fender top's front and rear, rounded ala Chezoom style.

'94 'Vette Windshield and cowl.

Stretched '05 'Vette interior.

Heavily modified door panels and seats.

Stretched '05 chassis, in several places, with a '55 Nomad rear clip.

Stretched '05 drive-line.

Late 'Vette style opening hood, with rear a extension to match the windshield/cowl area.

I love the detail of these pic's.

Hope you guy's do too :lol: .

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Edited by Treehugger Dave
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Wow. I really like how the major element work on this. What great sense of motion the body has. The intricate door panels also give it a feel of depth and fulness and weight. Very good stuff!

Scott

Thanks Scott :D , and everyone else too.

As an artist as well as model builder, I'm really enjoying the subtlties that can be used to accentuate a cars design and style, without disturbing the classic appeal and recognition.

From part of my career as a tool maker, and custom/proto-type machinist, I find myself going back to some of those "ROOTS", to get a more, crisp, razor-edge look to the builds, as well as a tight precision fit and sharpness in all the pieces and details, while combining the "ARTSY" side of my designing personality.

It's fun to be aware of these new traits and interest's starting to arise in my building style and skills, and being capable of pushing into higher levels of personal accomplishment.

To me, the art-deco style of chrome trim and emblems, that to me pretty much ended in the 50's, will probably continue to be a big part of these kind of builds of mine.

Instead of removing all the trim, and doing major body design changes as in the past, where the car is almost un-recognizeable, I'm going to explore more of this type of style where the changes are ALMOST UN-RECOGNIZEABLE, but keeps the cars design contemporary and fresh, by using the trim, emblems, and color contrast style's of the '50's, to breath new life into an already beautifully retro-classic design, like this '59 Chevy.

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Edited by Treehugger Dave
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Dave,

It looks like you're off to another GREAT start!!

I really like the waterfall that divides the rear seats. That's a great, memorable touch from the early Vettes that carries over well into your design.

Keep up the GREAT work and thanks for sharing,

Thank you Raul :o .

The compliment's are always nice to hear, and what I also enjoy is when I hear that someone is inspired to try to do something new, better or different.

For me, that makes sharing here that much more worthwhile and fullfilling.

Have a great week-end and Easter - dave ;)

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Dave-

What a beautiful build. I like the mix of old and new that you have created here. It is what I have tried to do with my stalled 53 Stude. If you would, please look at my project at this link and see if you can give me any advice or maybe just a good, swift kick. http://s486.photobucket.com/albums/rr225/M...baker/?start=20

Thanks.

Later-

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Dave-

What a beautiful build. I like the mix of old and new that you have created here. It is what I have tried to do with my stalled 53 Stude. If you would, please look at my project at this link and see if you can give me any advice or maybe just a good, swift kick. http://s486.photobucket.com/albums/rr225/M...baker/?start=20

Thanks.

Later-

Hey Tom :lol:

I checked out your web-site. Actually, I think you're doin' exactly as I would do on your Stude. It's a really cool start and everything looks like it's coming together very nicely. Got colors picked out yet?? Only advise I could give is to stay focused on what you want to accomplish, and be determined to make it happen.

"GIVING UP IS THE WORSE THING WE COULD DO TO OURSELVES."

Is yours shortened?? I had someone here challange me to build one like you're doin, so I bought everything I needed.

I'll watch how you do your's and I'll get to learn from you :lol: .

Edited by Treehugger Dave
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Dave-

Thanks for the kind words. I have been frustrated by this one for quite a while. I started it back in 99 or 2000.

At one time the doors were cut out. Had to glue them back in because it was so flimsy and my work speed on it meant that it was destined to end up snapped in half at the rocker panels. The windshield frame got busted at one point, so I put in the window frame from a 53 Ford convertible. My problem now is that in order to get the rear wheels to sit in the center of the wheelwell I need to do some surgery on the Vette frame in front of the rear wheelwells. Always something....

Yes it is shortened. To me the Stude has always been too long. The first thing that I did was to remove about 5/8 to 3/4 inch behind the door. I didn't really measure, I just eyeballed it. This, to me, made it look more the length of say, a 53 Vette. I also took a little height off of the front pan before gluing it on and I leaned the headlights back by putting in a spae set of buckets from a Fujimi 85 Porsche.

This project has been an on again off again project for years,but I do intend on finishing it. The main reason is because I originally thought that I could make a beautiful car out of something that I always thought was one of the ugliest body styles. I'm sure that I made a few enemies there, but to each his own.

As far as paint is concerned, I'm not sure. At one time I thought that I might go silver. Kind of a low key elegance. I'm still not sold on that though. Any ideas?

Thanks again, Dave and I'm sorry for the novel and hijacking. I just really admire your work and creativity. You're one of the best, if not, the best on here. IMO.

Later-

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Dave-

Thanks for the kind words. I have been frustrated by this one for quite a while. I started it back in 99 or 2000.

At one time the doors were cut out. Had to glue them back in because it was so flimsy and my work speed on it meant that it was destined to end up snapped in half at the rocker panels. The windshield frame got busted at one point, so I put in the window frame from a 53 Ford convertible. My problem now is that in order to get the rear wheels to sit in the center of the wheelwell I need to do some surgery on the Vette frame in front of the rear wheelwells. Always something....

Yes it is shortened. To me the Stude has always been too long. The first thing that I did was to remove about 5/8 to 3/4 inch behind the door. I didn't really measure, I just eyeballed it. This, to me, made it look more the length of say, a 53 Vette. I also took a little height off of the front pan before gluing it on and I leaned the headlights back by putting in a spae set of buckets from a Fujimi 85 Porsche.

This project has been an on again off again project for years,but I do intend on finishing it. The main reason is because I originally thought that I could make a beautiful car out of something that I always thought was one of the ugliest body styles. I'm sure that I made a few enemies there, but to each his own.

As far as paint is concerned, I'm not sure. At one time I thought that I might go silver. Kind of a low key elegance. I'm still not sold on that though. Any ideas?

Thanks again, Dave and I'm sorry for the novel and hijacking. I just really admire your work and creativity. You're one of the best, if not, the best on here. IMO.

Later-

Hi Tom :D

Good to hear back from you.

KEEPING THE BODY FROM SNAPPING:

I always build support into area's that are "Flimsy"When cutting the doors open especially, I attach appropriate removeable braces, cut out the door's, build plenty of strength into the jams to make the body ridged, and then remove the braces, when I feel confident it will work. That's what I did on the "Retro-Vette".

As far as color, we all have different preferences, so I'd just use your imagination, and try picturing it in the one's you like.

Remember, you can always repaint it.

Hope this helps - dave ;)

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hello there friend!! This is some heavy duty stuff goin on here.... How?.. Well where? OH!!! never mind ....LOL.. jus choppin Dave' keep on wit the keepin on...

all in all have fun right Dave' B)

peace

tito

You're right Tito ;) .

Had some pretty rough spots in my earlier life, and I learned later on, that to enjoy the times when they were good, was to PURPOSELY have fun with friends, family, and the things you love to do.

For me, life's too short not to - dave :lol:

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During my career as a mechanical engineer, I hated the term's "If it ain't broke don't fix it" - or

"That's the way it's alway's been done, and that's how we'll do it"

I was alway's searching to find way's to do things faster , more efficiently, more cost effective, better, and some times different to be fun, mixed with the others mentioned here.

Small things like a hinge design can be a lot of fun and challage me to look at area's of my building differently, and keep my building skills challanged and kind of "Edgy and "Fresh" at the same time".

This is a double-acting hinge that pivot's in two places and allows a variety poses that can be unique and even function as sun block at an out-door car show ;) .

Here's the stretched chassis and stretched drive-line set in place.

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Here's the first pretty normal hood position.

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Here's an interesting position, where the hood is resting on the bumper pan.

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Here it is resting in front of the car for a more "Distracted Look" :P .

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And here we are getting some shade at a local cruise in :rolleyes:

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Dave, this is coming along very nicely...I really like the interior door panels...very nice, they will look great once painted.....Mono Tone???? Two Tone??? Tri Tone???? Either way, this looks great and the individual seats look sharp too. I don't recall if you mentioned it before, but I assume the body is going to be two toned...yes? As for the hinge design, very nice...I have used the "double hinge" design before where it pivots from both ends like this...pretty sharp. Keep it up.

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Dave, this is coming along very nicely...I really like the interior door panels...very nice, they will look great once painted.....Mono Tone???? Two Tone??? Tri Tone???? Either way, this looks great and the individual seats look sharp too. I don't recall if you mentioned it before, but I assume the body is going to be two toned...yes? As for the hinge design, very nice...I have used the "double hinge" design before where it pivots from both ends like this...pretty sharp. Keep it up.

Hey Peter B)

This will be a more "Traditional" :P style build for me with the "BIG wheel/tire combo.

The interior, I THINK, will be a tri-toned combo.

A "cordova" color, which is a reddish brown, that took me 4 colors to mix, and it really came out nice. There'll also be carpet, the lower part of the dash, and seat inserts painted a custom mixed urethane "BUCKSKIN" color, and the door panels will be woodgrained like the "Retro-Vette.

The body, which will be one color, is a custom mixed urethane that I'll spray a gold highlighting pearl over.

What color is it ??? :lol::lol: . You'll see :lol: hehehe

VEWY VEWY SEEKWATIVE :D

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