Guest Gramps-xrds Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 (edited) This hasn't been an easy job so far. I bought 2 MPC kits 30 or 40 yrs ago when they came out. Built them and then stripped them and stuck them on a shelf. A couple of weeks ago I decide to try and make my old 71 firebird. Have you ever tried to find 30 yr. old parts in a bunch of boxes scattered all over the place. Well I can tell ya. it isn't easy. After many many hrs of looking I managed to find just about all the parts for both of them, except the glass for 1. The main problem is all of these kits were TAs or formula 400s. Here's what I'm tryin for. The next problem (and a big one) was the hood. At one time I tried casting a stock hood from fiberglass resin, That didn't work, so I thought of aluminum. It took a lot of tapping and bending but I finally got something that looks right. Here's what it ended up looking like. This one fits better than the original. Now all I have to do is find enough energy to finish the rest of it. Edited August 2, 2009 by Gramps-xrds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Baby moons on a FireyBird??!! .......I aint sayin' anutter word Wowzwr, Gramps-- yous can do bodywerk fer me anytime (jest no hubcappin) dat dere aluminummy hood looks so real, I thunked it was plastic! Seriuosly, great job! Can't wait to see you paint that muriel & them pinstripes on it. Nice project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Flowers Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 That is some nice work you did to make that hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 My kind of build ... one you owned. That hood IS gorgeous .. great job! .. and I like those babys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crispy Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Beautiful work on the hood! I love those 70-73 Firebird/Trans Am's, having owned a few myself. Drink a red bull and get back to work on that! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gramps-xrds Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 (edited) That hood IS gorgeous .. great job! .. and I like those babys CB did you read this. At least someone likes my baby moons. I was thinking of painting it gold, like it was when I bought it, but now that CB brought the murals up, I may just paint it black w/ the murals. That'd be a challenge, but I think I can pull it off if-in the old eyes'll let me. I did it back then, but I was 30 some yrs younger. And thanks guys for the nice comments. Edited July 30, 2009 by Gramps-xrds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 ... I may just paint it black w/ the murals. That'd be a challenge, but I think I can pull it off if-in the old eyes'll let me. I did it back then, but I was 30 some yrs younger. ... Dat would be a real challenge Gramps-- you's 30 years olders and dat hood is 25 times smaller than it was 30 yearn ago too! Hope this helps ya out buddy. Maybe if'n ya had a photo of it you could make a decal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george 53 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 (edited) Bill, JEEEEEZZZEEEE O PETE'S Dude,Where does your ship end????!!!! Guys like you an Treehugger,an BIGGS, just freak me out ta call ya my good freinds!!!! I thought the hinges on the garage were beautiful, But THIS just takes th cake guy! I waz gonna say somethin dumb like"Try fillin the hole in the Trans-Am hood". BUT NOOOOOOOO! YOU hadta jus go an MAKE YOUR OWN HOOD!!!!! OUT OF METAL, no less!!!!! Oh well, just ONE MORE goal for me to try an reach, since I started out here! Your hood is TRULY a work of art, Bill, Just beautiful! Edited July 30, 2009 by george 53 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gramps-xrds Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Crapn you young whipersnapper you. I'll show YOU. I just put the black on it and now just for you, I'll do the hood before I do the car. Can I do it !!!! I'll do it if it kills you. Now the trunk might be a bit harder. This is what was on it. George the kids pickin on me again. I'm gonna have to put him in his place Him don't know me very well do him Besides I got me one of them big honkin eye glasses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Like all Firebirds, this appears to be getting personal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gramps-xrds Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Like all Firebirds, this appears to be getting personal! Naaah, ain't nothin personal bout it. Georgey and CB are my buds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gramps-xrds Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Ok I got the hood painted but, there's no clear on it yet. I don't think it turned out too bad for an old half blind guy with the shakes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george 53 Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 Not Bad Atall! OOOOH!, waz at a smack I jus heard,beein put on the ol CB's noggin???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gramps-xrds Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 George, now you know I'd never smack the kid Well maybe just a bit to get his attention. Hey Brian, how you been ? Glad you like the hood, but that trunk thing is a heck of a lot smaller. Sorry I didn't take any progress pix but I started it and I just wanted to get it done. It only took bout an hr. or so. That's the first thing I've done in a bunch of yrs and I wasn't really sure it could be done. I think I spent more time tearin the badger apart and cleaning it than it did paintin. That thing was really crusty. I could have probably made stencils and done it but I prefer freehandin things. I did take some pix of the aluminum work on the hood but unfortunately they somehow got deleted from my chip thanks to the wife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Ok I got the hoods painted but, there's no clear on them yet. I don't think they turned out too bad for an old half blind guy with the shakes [this quote edited by CB just for to rile Gramps up on 07-30-09] Wowzers Gramps!! Ya done it! and ya done done it-- I mean 'them' really good! Ok?--which one ya gonna use? Looks to me like the bottom one would fit yer 'bird better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyBad Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Free hand????? Dang, that looks Incredible.. You've done that a time or two haven't ya? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gramps-xrds Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Glad you approve CB. I guess it could have been better but, tryin to detail something that small w/ an air brush ain't easy. It looks good enough from a few ft. away to look like my old car. Depending on how long I have the grandsons I might try the trunk today. Rodney, I used to do a lot of this stuff a long time ago (motorcycles,cars,vans and pictures I just wanted to try) Most of it I tried to freehand because it was quicker than cuttin stenciles but, they make better murials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 That's pretty amazing at this scale with an airbrush, no matter what your experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Yep Gramps, I totelly approve! Too bad you couldn't do a YouBtuBey video of you freehandin' dat under yer big honkin' magnifrier --now dat would be cool to see! Lookin' forwards to seein' your 'bird come together--moonbabys & all! Ways ta go Gramps!-- and jest think-- if'n ya screw up the trunk muriel, you can always just hammer out a new lid fer it! (seein' as hows ya done 'hammered' & 'nailed' the hood ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george 53 Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 RRROOOOAAAADDDD TTTRRRIIIPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 RRROOOOAAAADDDD TTTRRRIIIPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEEEAAAHH! Catch the old fart inna good mood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custom Hearse Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 That is truly amazing Bill! I couldn't even think about doing that. This is gonna look awesome! P.S. I got a van model.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gramps-xrds Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 NO ROAD TRIP Marshall if you got a decent airbrush you could learn to do these too. I use a Badger 150 for this stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Just showed the hood to a couple co-workers, one of them thought it was for a real car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george 53 Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 !!! DAM!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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