BDSchindler Posted March 4 Posted March 4 (edited) So there was some recent talk either here or on Facebook about the scale models that were once produced by Kaucher Kustoms. I've seen some of their stuff before and really liked them. I contacted them via FB to see if they were, in fact, planning on bringing out the kits again (they are apparently known for the real 1:1 customs) and yes they are in fact planning on doing them again. Not sure when but they are developing a list to see if it is feasible for them. This caught my eye...kind of the illegitimate offspring of a '66 Thunderbird and a Ranchero. Checking my stash, I had the '66 T-bird and the '60 Falcon derived Ranchero. I had never opened the T-bird and it is...well, very "old school" detail...or lack thereof. So I figured, WTH...lets use the '60 Ranchero bed and roof line (with some modifications) and the '66 T-bird Convertible and slice and dice the 2 together. Then I got carried away with the bed. One piece sheet plastic painted a light tan and cut and filed to fill the bed (primarily because there to so many nasty mold lines that were hard to remove so I opted to cover them). Using Burl Wood decals from Uschi, applied to the one piece plastic and trimmed to fit then Clearcoated after the decals were dry. The slats are silver painted thin evergreen strips attached with Canopy glue and a permanent marker dots for the attachment points then Clearcoated again and set aside. Back to the body/bed...Sanded and modified to get it to fit the way I wanted. The wooden bed is not attached yet...just lying there for the shot. Still lots of sanding and filling re-sanding and styling to go. These shots are simply a mock-up (aka...not glued down yet) to see what the '60 Ranchero bed will look like mated to the T-bird. Since I hate the chassis and it's lack of detail, I think the chassis, suspension (front and rear) from Revell's '66 Shelby GT-350H will work but will need to confirm that later down the road. That's all for now...thoughts are always welcome. Edited March 4 by BDSchindler 16 1
Pierre_tec Posted March 4 Posted March 4 You make it look so easy! Definitely will be watching the project
BDSchindler Posted March 4 Author Posted March 4 Uschi decals...They have many different styles but this the one I used... 4
BDSchindler Posted March 4 Author Posted March 4 16 minutes ago, Pierre_tec said: You make it look so easy! Definitely will be watching the project Thanks! It is tedious so say the least!
dino246gt Posted March 4 Posted March 4 (edited) Wow, that is one sweet conversion! I don't think anyone else has done that, and it looks so natural, nice! There are so many attempts at 'Cheros, and 'Caminos that just don't look right, this one does! I hope the roof isn't too high at the back, I know it's not glued yet. Edited March 4 by dino246gt
BDSchindler Posted March 4 Author Posted March 4 5 minutes ago, dino246gt said: I hope the roof isn't too high at the back, I know it's not glued yet. Yeah...I've been looking at that also and to be honest...I'm not happy with the rake of the roof or the fact that its so straight at the rear. So I'm thinking of cutting that down just a tad before I start "slingin' mud" on it. Thanks for the input guys...it's definitely appreciated!
Ace-Garageguy Posted March 4 Posted March 4 Man, I really like that concept illustration. If you can pull it off it'll be one seriously cool build. Good luck. 1
Rob Hall Posted March 4 Posted March 4 I used to see a Thunderchero in Tempe, AZ.. the front end of a '77-79 Thunderbird bolted onto a Ranchero of the same years.
dino246gt Posted March 4 Posted March 4 If that roof has a nice flow to it, this mash-up can be gorgeous! That illustration is sure beautiful. I KNOW you'll make a fantastic model!
customline Posted March 4 Posted March 4 (edited) On 3/3/2025 at 10:41 PM, BDSchindler said: So there was some recent talk either here or on Facebook about the scale models that were once produced by Kaucher Kustoms. I've seen some of their stuff before and really liked them. I contacted them via FB to see if they were, in fact, planning on bringing out the kits again (they are apparently known for the real 1:1 customs) and yes they are in fact planning on doing them again. Not sure when but they are developing a list to see if it is feasible for them. This caught my eye...kind of the illegitimate offspring of a '66 Thunderbird and a Ranchero. Checking my stash, I had the '66 T-bird and the '60 Falcon derived Ranchero. I had never opened the T-bird and it is...well, very "old school" detail...or lack thereof. So I figured, WTH...lets use the '60 Ranchero bed and roof line (with some modifications) and the '66 T-bird Convertible and slice and dice the 2 together. Then I got carried away with the bed. One piece sheet plastic painted a light tan and cut and filed to fill the bed (primarily because there to so many nasty mold lines that were hard to remove so I opted to cover them). Using Burl Wood decals from Uschi, applied to the one piece plastic and trimmed to fit then Clearcoated after the decals were dry. The slats are silver painted thin evergreen strips attached with Canopy glue and a permanent marker dots for the attachment points then Clearcoated again and set aside. Back to the body/bed...Sanded and modified to get it to fit the way I wanted. The wooden bed is not attached yet...just lying there for the shot. Still lots of sanding and filling re-sanding and styling to go. These shots are simply a mock-up (aka...not glued down yet) to see what the '60 Ranchero bed will look like mated to the T-bird. Since I hate the chassis and it's lack of detail, I think the chassis, suspension (front and rear) from Revell's '66 Shelby GT-350H will work but will need to confirm that later down the road. That's all for now...thoughts are always welcome. A very cool idea, and it looks like it's going to work. Edited March 5 by customline Removed my dumb idea.
BDSchindler Posted March 9 Author Posted March 9 (edited) So…I wasn’t really happy with the way the roofline looked on the original mockup… So I took the T-bird hardtop (it was a separate part in the kit) and hacked it up and sanded it smooth to remove the molded in “vinyl” top look. Just a mock-up at this point as it is not attached yet but I like it better… the rear glass will be back set as opposed to being mounted at an angle. From here, I’ll start slinging mud on it and other than a different chassis, engine and wheels/tires, the body will be all t-bird from here on out. Edited March 9 by BDSchindler 4 2
BDSchindler Posted March 9 Author Posted March 9 16 minutes ago, Zen said: Looks much better! Thanks...I like it better also. I had to custom make a rear glass for it. Since it won't be flush mounted like the T-bird rear glass was, it will be set back at the front of the bed more like the original rendering from Kaucher Kustoms. Fortunately, back when this kit was designed/produced, they used some seriously thick plastic on the roof. I didn't have to worry about sanding through the roof or making the roof too thin when I sanded off the molded in vinyl top.
dino246gt Posted March 9 Posted March 9 Much nicer flow to the roof and a bit more T-Bird as well. Great decision!
rickcaps55 Posted March 9 Posted March 9 9 hours ago, BDSchindler said: So…I wasn’t really happy with the way the roofline looked on the original mockup… So I took the T-bird hardtop (it was a separate part in the kit) and hacked it up and sanded it smooth to remove the molded in “vinyl” top look. Just a mock-up at this point as it is not attached yet but I like it better… the rear glass will be back set as opposed to being mounted at an angle. From here, I’ll start slinging mud on it and other than a different chassis, engine and wheels/tires, the body will be all t-bird from here on out. Yes this roof looks much better i like the look of the angle fits the look of the car much better.
TarheelRick Posted March 9 Posted March 9 Very well-developed concept. Before I saw the picture with the T-Bird roof I was thinking some form of buttress to break up the vertical C pillar would make it look better.
BDSchindler Posted March 14 Author Posted March 14 (edited) So first shot of primer with lots of clean-up, body repair and sanding to go but I needed to see if this was headed in the right direction or not. So far, I like it and glad I changed the roofline. I’ll let it dry a couple of days before I mess with it. I opted for the kit supplied custom hood. Just something about it that I liked better than the stock one with chrome “V” in it. Comments are welcome!!!! Edited March 14 by BDSchindler 8
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