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Posted

Hi there, 

this is not really a NASCAR... it is a look-alike moviecar from the 1981 movie "The Cannonball Run"... 

Remember Mel Tillis and Terry Bradshaw jumping the car in the pool... 😁

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Screenshot2025-06-29151815.jpg.d12c1ef0a7265602379fa1e5f08317d4.jpg

(Source - Google, IMDB, YouToube screenshot)

 

As a big movie-car fan and especially a fan of THAT movie, I always wanted to build this! And I thought it would be an easy job buying a reissue Laguna NASCAR and a decal-set from "Mikes Decals"...but as ALWAYS it turned into a fight! 

But the Community build contest keep me keeping on!

As you can see, the base kit was not really looking the way it should...wrong front, rear-panel, no taillights wrong bumper, crappy fit and a horrible chassis!

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nooo... don´t look good - try myself.

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You remember from above...:

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A friend 3D-printed me some nice taillights:

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Added headlights:

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I made the missing decals needed, by taking the shape of the body with masking tape, scan it and work on it with "corel draw" (so if someone needs them -> rockinroller@gmx.de):

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You see the set fro mike´s decals up/left, but it don´t fit the movie-car...

Screenshot2025-04-25094735.jpg.531f9721b250236456c10ad464ff493d.jpg

 

Body was primed with Tamiya pink surface primer (especially for red paint), zero paints "Starsky & Hutch" Torino red..., Automotive clear-coat with hardener will follow.

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The whole kit-body is too low on the side walls and the whell openings are rounded out for Racecar-tyres... the movie car is a stock-model... so I had some difficulties to fit the decals in the right order above... you can see that over the front wheel-opening... "Good Year, NASCAR and Daytona - Talladega" should fit under that fender line... but you see, why all that stuff takes so long for me - because I care for that.

 

Some clear-parts customizing... no fear for it: use wet sandpaper 600-800-1200-2000, the micro mesh 400, 6000,8000,12000 and Tamiya polish coarse, fine and finish... takes some time but worth the time!

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But this car gets some details, referring to the movie, that most people doesn´t recognize... like the trailer hitch (!), chewing tobacco, Budweiser Beer -> "The man does not live on bread alone..." look for it on YouTube... 

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Screenshot2025-04-25101550.jpg.94e02bda10755aaa7e4d2ce6308108ad.jpg

Mhh...M....M... More to come, Greetings from Berlin/Germany,

Oliver 😄

 

 

  • Like 8
Posted

Great job so far. Yeah, that kit has the old MPC universal chassis. They stuck it under every NASCAR car they made back in the day. Only difference is the engine and the body. Salvino's seems to have better NASCAR replicas. 

Posted

I'm impressed with what you did with the windshield. The whole thing really, but what you did with that is something else 

  • Like 3
Posted

Great progress on a classic Chevy! Have wanted to make one as well but I have not gotten around to it yet. I am building an other one right now but with the earlier style bumper. Btw, if you want a Monogram NASCAR chassis to go underneath it ( more correct than what the kit gives) I know a place in EU that carry NOS kits. Otherwise any amt/ revell Chevrolet or olds cutlass will suit the bill chassis wise.

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