Original SMP '59 Chevy Impala Convertible

[Junkman]

I never was quite happy with the general body proportions of the 59 Revellogram Chevy which was released a decade and a half or so ago. Hence, I hunted down an original SMP 59 Chevy, since I believe they captured the real thing a lot better back then:

The model is crudely handpainted in atrocious colours, the chrome is shot, the wheels are incorrect, the windscreen has crazed and the car had custom fender skirts (spats) installed with lots of glue.

But

The windscreen frame is undamaged (sensational for a 50 year old plastic kit!), the glue damage from the fender skirts is restricted to body surface only, so no detail is lost, and apart from the incorrect wheels, the model is complete!

Hence I consider it restorable.

General detail level leaves much to be desired, as would be exptected from a late 50s kit:

I will therefore only use the slightly modified body from this model and 'marry' it to the underpinnings and chrome pieces from the AMT 59 Chevy El Camino. The interior I will use from the Revellogram 59 Impala.

The first step in any restoration project is to disassemble the model. Once disassembled, this is what I got:

The chassis will be discarded (stored) and the rest of the pieces are ready to be soaked in thick bleach to get the paint off. Two weeks in fresh bleach should lift off all paint. I will show you the parts after this is accomplished, so you will have to wait now.

[Junkman]

I can't believe my luck! After just one day (!) in the bleach, the entire paint was stripped. See:

[lordairgtar]

I am amused by the swirly colored plastic that was under the chrome bits.

[Junkman]

So am I. They seem to have used leftover stuff mixed together for the plated parts.

[retrobuilder]

wow, yours is in a lot better shape than mine was. the sides were filled with wood putty and the chassis was all filled in with candle wax. i cant get over how nice that body is. great find!!

[Junkman]

Show me yours.

[Marc @ MPC Motorsports]

Great find!!!

I love all the old vintage kits and combining them with bits and pieces from new kits often gets you the best of both worlds. I'll be watching this thead for future updates.

[garryrenfro]

I recently finished a quick rebuild of an eBay '59 body that had almost all of the body detail removed and was painted red with hand-painted trim. I had other 59 odds and ends around, and used a Trophy Series El Camino grill/headlights. Not a contest entry, but lots of fun.

[charlie8575]

Looks like you're off to a good start so far.

Charlie Larkin

[Blake Rogers]

I can't believe my luck! After just one day (!) in the bleach, the entire paint was stripped. See:

WHOA what kind of bleach u use?

[jeffs396]

Nice find of a great subject!

I think you should just clear over the swirled trim parts!

[Junkman]

@ garryrenfro

If mine will look half as good when I'm finished, I'd be tickled pink.

@ charlie8575

As we all know this can change in seconds.

@ moparfan426

I use ordinary household bleach from the supermarket. It's called 'thick bleach' over here. The essential thing is to keep it in an absolutely air tight container, like Tupperware or similar, and use it completely undiluted. Once it loses it's 'bite', you must change the whole lot, i.e. completely empty the container and refill it with fresh bleach.

@ jeffs396

It crossed my mind. But in the end, I'm too riff raff for such expressionism.

[philo426]

Looks like you have a great start on the resto! What don't you like about the Monogram '59 Impala? I think its cool!

[Junkman]

It just doesn't look right to me. I find it too wide, the beltline too high, the windscreen too low, the bodysides not tucking under enough at the sills, it just doesn't look like a 59 Chevy to me. Great build btw.

[philo426]

Yeah you may be right1 THanks! I custom-mixed the Aqua paint and cut open the doors and trunk!

[Jon Cole]

Yeah, the '59 Impala by Monogram is "off", and the moon is made of "cheese"

BTW, the aqua convertible is beautiful!

[philo426]

THanks! It came out sweet!

[impcon]

I too love the old kits - mind you, I like almost anything old - including people. I scooped an old AMT Craftsman '59 Impala convertible kit a few years ago on Ebay. It came with the box and I was the only bidder at $20.00 plus shipping! Needless to say, I was a happy guy! It was painted a sort of an emerald green - rather decently done - and I have chosen to leave it just like I got it. The car is undamaged and complete and being as the '59 Chevy is my all time favorite car, I really treasure this kit. I could post a pic of it if anyone wanted.. I don't want to seem like I am trying to hijack this thread so I refrained.

I am looking forward to seeing what you do with your car. When I was building regularly, I loved to take something like your model - something that had been built long ago and kind of messed up - and taking it apart and redoing it. To me, it was always much more gratifying then building a box fresh kit. Sounds weird I know.. but that's just the way it is.

[Jim0205]

I enjoy restorations as well always good to breath new life into an old project and it's true they don't build them like they used to.

[Jon Cole]

I'm going on the belief that adding pics of our Craftsman era '59 Impalas only add to, rather than hijack a thread. Especially when the thread is several days old.

I built this about a year before the Monogram kit was introduced. I stripped an ugly two-tone green paint off from it, and used resin bumpers and grille purchased from some guy named George in Pearl, Mississippi (anyone know him?) The wheelcovers came from the '59 El Camino. The seat pattern was hand painted, and the mirror and fender spears were scratch built.

[Junkman]

WOW! This is beautiful. If I get mine near this I'll be over the moon.

I do encourage everyone to highjack this thread to show off his 59 Chevy! Revellogram or AMT, please feel free to show them off. Gunze Sangyo anyone?

[philo426]

Wow! I like that white Impala with the red interior ! Very nice indeed!