Rusty & Crusty Dementia

[Dr. Cranky]

Sometimes you sit there for a couple of years building the same kit, trying to capture something unique and special about it. For all these years, the AMT 50 CHEVY 3100 has been such a kit for me. I've built several work trucks . . . and a couple of shiny ones . . . and the testament to my failures is the fact that I don't really have anything to show for it. I mean, I have a couple of them in the display case, but they are certainly not amongst the first kits I would turn to to say I am proud of the results . . .

It's a great kit, and every once in a while it calls out to me from the shelves . . . but with kits you are familiar with you know it's a matter of time, except this next time the inspiration came via a picture a buddy on another forum posted, a picture he said was inspiring him to build this kit, which of course triggered an immiade reaction on my part, and once I saw the picture I knew I too would have to try one . . . such is the beauty of the influence and inspiration that goes from builder to builder here on this forum and elsewhere . . . .

Now here's the picture . . .

Edited September 12, 2009 by DamnCranky

[vizio93]

Wow that is beautiful. as some one has inspired you to build one, you have inspired me to build one. . i can't wait to see your WIP on it.

[Dr. Cranky]

One of the things that first appealed to me about the above picture was the level of natural rust, paint fading, and the fact that you could still some of the original colors around the edges of the panels . . . the other thing that got to me right away were the clean rim and wheels and the stance . . .

While I took a break from another project during a recent weekend, I looked around and found the right wheels and the right wide whites . . . .

Often, it's easy to think that you are going to get into a project head over heels because you find the right components right away . . . so how could you not think the Styrene Muses will be with you on this one?

Edited September 12, 2009 by DamnCranky

[Dr. Cranky]

One of the main factors that has made me fail with the 3100 kit before has been the chassis, getting the right stance has been a chore, and there's really no way to bring down this puppy to the weeds without modifying the frame. Even if you are using the STREETMACHINE kit version, you still have modify the frame and do a little bit of cutting . . . then again most of the work trucks I've built before have not required this kind of radical suspension . . . but again, this is the major part of the appeal of the above picture . . .

So a couple of days later of intense work on the chassis, this the result . . .

Now, those of you who are familiar with the way I paint will know that I tend to glue all my components before painting them. This always insures a clean, well put together compent . . . it also--as it is always a case with rolling chassis--it give me a chance to square up everything on a jig so that all the wheels touch . . . something I learned a few years ago from Pat Covert . . .

As its clear on this next picture, I cut a little bit of the frame up front and glued the suspension bar straight to the frame . . . and in the back, I brought the wheel all the way to the side of the frame . . . you need to remember there's got to be enough room for the tires to fit into the wheel wells of the bed . . .

Sometimes you have to take a little builder's poetic liscense . . . if you look closely at this next picture, you will see the rear axle and the wheels don't line up . . . and the reason for this, after I mulled it over, was that I did not want to change too much of the look, or rather I took the easy way out . . .

Here's another angle, and this one fools the eye pretty well, and so I figured if you looked at the finished and painted model and turned it over this is what you would see of the chassis . . . hard to tell that much has changed . . . or at least I think so . . .

[Dr. Cranky]

I am not trying to copy the picture exaclty, but it's all about the STANCE, STANCE, STANCE with this build . . . you can tell that in real life it is as low as the owner could take it . . . and so it is in my build . . . .

Here's a clear view now of the modification done to the suspension in the back. In a purist's handbook, this would be blasphemy, in Cranky's book it's called POETIC LISCENSE!!!

As long as you like the final results . . .

[riz]

Looking good so far, Cranky. I can't wait to see ahat you do to this one. The inspiration pic is awesome !

RIZ

[riz]

No offense to the purists out there but if we don't all take a little creative chances every now and then we don't get to come up with stunning model builds.

[Dr. Cranky]

After working on the rolling chassis, I turned my attention to the cab and body . . . I sanded and removed all the unwanted imperfections . . . there are a few mold lines on this kit . . . but it's not a big deal . . . and I sanded everything smooth with 600 grade paper . . . I realized the hood didn't fit just quite right, so I had to thin down the plastic around the edges and also pull open on the sides so it'd fit and sit right . . .

With my Dremel I wanted to add some damage to the driver's side door. Again poetic liscense . . . the original picture shows a fairly smooth and good body, but I wanted to give this one my own style and character . . .

The Dremel made just the right dents for the impending bullet holes to come . . .

It's not really a lot of work to get the body looking good in a short time . . . .

[Dr. Cranky]

Thanks, Riz, plus we can always claim the model to be simply a curbside!

Stay tuned in for more . . .

[Dr. Cranky]

Next up I got the firewall and fender wells assembled and cleaned . . .

You don't know how many of these kits I ruined by putting these elements glued to the body from the beginning and then the interior tub would not fit . . . ah, I don't even want to think about it . . .

I recommend assembling and glueing after a few mock ups fitting the parts where they go . . .

[Dr. Cranky]

The last major component of this kit is the bed, and it is a BEAUTY. It's one of the prettiest beds of any pickup, at least in my opinion, and the one in this kits goes together clean, smooth, and very well . . . so asembling it is quick and hassle free . . .

The bed lid should work and it adds another dimension to the bed . . .

[Dr. Cranky]

I have described and shown my salt weathering method in several other threads on this forum and elsewhere, so I am going to skip right along to some of the progress on the paint . . .

This is a slow, but fun process . . . the spattering of color you see here and there on the body were applied at the end of the process with a sponge and acrylic paint . . . just enough to stay on the subtle side, if that is possible!

The process is to create texture and the right cruddy look. I have seen many such vehicles at car shows . . . daily drivers, people having fun with their jalopys. That's the spirit I am trying to capture here . . .

[Dr. Cranky]

This next pic really shows the results of several layers of salting and then the sponging . . .

It is also showing me that the hood is returning to it's ill-fitting form . . . but we'll fix that later . . .

Here's a progress pic of the main body parts . . .

Although, I could stop here, I want to make this vehicle a bit more red-orange in appearance . . . which will require some washes, and some MIG PIGMENTS . . .

[Dr. Cranky]

Sometimes those place you don't really pay any attention to when you are painting and doing this kind of rusty/cruddy model turn out to be pleasant surprises . . .

This is why I believe this kind of build is so SO stress free and so much fun . . .

[Raul_Perez]

Excellent work, as usual, Virgil!!

I'm going to have to try your sponge technique when I get back to building rust buckets!! That looks like it really works well.

Yours is such a stark contrast to the '50 Chevy truck I'm building. I would be great to see them side-by-side when they're both done, (yours beind done first, of course). Too bad you're so far away from sunny CA... Oh well, maybe someone can Photoshop them together once they're both built!!

Later,

[Dr. Cranky]

That would be very cool, buddy, or you can just send it to me when you are finished and I will photograph them together . . .

Yeah, yeah, I'll send it back to you . . . ahem . . . ahem . . . what model are you talking about? Nah, man, you never sent me a model to photograph . . . you must be crazy.

[Raul_Perez]

That would be very cool, buddy, or you can just send it to me when you are finished and I will photograph them together . . .

Yeah, yeah, I'll send it back to you . . . ahem . . . ahem . . . what model are you talking about? Nah, man, you never sent me a model to photograph . . . you must be crazy.

That's too funny!!

[Dr. Cranky]

Oh, yeah, when it comes to rust and great weathering, Ken is about the very best . . . as you can see from his latest project . . .

He is truly one of our very best builders . . .

[Dr. Cranky]

More progress on the chassis . . .

One of the great effects of using salt is that after a few repetitions, it creats this sort of mapping of the paint, and when it works well it looks very realistic . . .

[Dr. Cranky]

Here's a better shot of what I am talking about:

[Dr. Cranky]

Mocking up sure is a heck of a lot fun, and it helps keep one excited about a build . . .

[riz]

I'm loving it so far, Cranky ! Every time I see your progress pics it makes me want to work on my projects. Now if I can only stop running around so I can finally sit and work on something ! I'm going to try to work on one of mine later on and post some pics. Keep up the great work !

RIZ

[CB]

Nice work on your 50 Virg! You're right about the chassis on these--I got one in the works somewhere hereabouts, and the firewall/inner fender thingee too -- I almost glued it in before the intereior, but something told me to follow the instructions for once

Absofrutely love what ya done with the rear wheels -- with all your watch parts mebbe you coulda made the rim a ringgear and run a progression of gearing off'n the rear axle into it to drive them purty widey whites .

You also have done inspired me wit them bullet holes-- if'n I have any more trouble finishing mine, I might just shoot it

[Jon Cole]

You do have a knack for weathering, Cranky! May I suggest some weathering for the grill as well? Maybe the headlite bezels too? It's gonna look like a rolling advertisement for a Tetanus shot!

[Dr. Cranky]

Thanks, everyone . . . I am making some progress even though it's raining cats and dogs here . . .

The chrome trim on this build is weathered, but it is hard to see it in the pics because too much light is reflecting off the paint on the chrome . . . perhaps, I will add a bit more, dull is somewhat . . .

Stay tuned in for more progress . . ..