A downtown car show diorama

[Sixties Sam]

Hi, all, I built this car show diorama last summer. It was mentioned in some of my posts, but I never posted photos of it till now. It measures 50" x 12", and replaces a shelf in a hutch in our living room. The photos were taken outside to look more realistic. It represents part of a block of storefronts where a car show is going on in mid summer. I use it to display my models, swapping out old ones as new ones are completed.

This is downtown before the cars showed up.

Here's the registration canopy, made of paper, plywood, and music wire.

Building fronts are mostly plywood and balsa.

Here are some of the cars. The VW bus dragster model is 40+ years old and has a hemi in the back seat and hand painted "Poison Ivy".

Grocery store has brick paper over plywood with awning made of painted strips of masking tape on a music wire frame.

This shot puts it in perspective. It was on a table on the deck of our house. The whole diorama was built with scraps of materials I had laying around. I bought the G scale (more or less 1/24) figures from ebay. I spent about a month making it, and was pleased how it came out. I hope you like it, too!

Sam

[JamesW]

VERY nice.

[Greg Cullinan]

Sam this is awesome. The only pic that isn't that convincing is the last one . You must've used Google Earth to photo your neighborhood and then photoshopped it onto a picnic table!!! The street,curbs and parking lines are perfect as is everything.Thanks

[Tony T]

Wow, that is awesome! Makes a great background for photos, and display! Bonus that it was stuff you had laying around, too!!

[whale392]

Looking at that, and reading your descriptions of the photos, somehow just brought a touch of summer feeling to a cold snowed-in Ohio winter. I can see downtown Tipp City right now; feel the sun warming my skin, the gentle breeze carrying with it scents of the festival going on down Main Street, the sounds of children laughing, cars firing to life, the buzz of summer activity. Thank you for that little moment away from the opressive cold and blanketed snow that is now.

[Eshaver]

Very novel building approach there Mr. Sam ...... Ed Shaver

[LUKE'57]

From one "foto fooler" to another, that is some fantastic work, both models and photography!

[Sixties Sam]

Looking at that, and reading your descriptions of the photos, somehow just brought a touch of summer feeling to a cold snowed-in Ohio winter. I can see downtown Tipp City right now; feel the sun warming my skin, the gentle breeze carrying with it scents of the festival going on down Main Street, the sounds of children laughing, cars firing to life, the buzz of summer activity. Thank you for that little moment away from the opressive cold and blanketed snow that is now.

I was thinking the same things as you when I posted this, Bradley. I was taken back to the inspiration for this diorama; the Bellefonte Cruise Car Show held in Bellefonte, PA, about ten miles from where I live. It's in mid-June, and it's always hot, and you can smell the food from the vendors' stands, and hear oldies music playing in front of the courthouse. Bellefonte is a 200+ year old town filled with gorgeous Victorian architecture, and makes a perfect backdrop for the show and cruise. I patterned my building facades after some of the buildings there. These shows are the soul of America, and are a car lover's heaven!

Sam

[crazyjim]

Excellent execution.

[outlaw035]

Sam what a neat idea wish i had a shelf to replace....lol....neal

[disabled modeler]

SWEET !!!

[ricky12]

LOOKS GREAT AND HAS MORE THAN ONE USE ALSO

[tuffone20]

That is really cool and you should make them to sell, I'll take the 1st one........

[Railfreak78]

Very very very nice I'll take one as well

[KarDude.com]

Very impressive!

[Wayne Buck]

Wow!! I don't even know what to say besides that looks AWESOME!

I wish I could put together something like that!

[Sixties Sam]

Thanks for all the kind words, guys. I'm glad you like the diorama. For the guys who said I should make them and sell them, I don't have the time for that much work, but I do have an AutoCAD drawing of the storefronts in 1/25 scale that I can send you if you want to make one similar to mine. Let me know if you want a copy.

Thanks,

Sam

[gbdolfans]

Hi Sam,

Your dio is incredible!!! The attention to detail is great.At first,I thought the first pics were your reference pics.

E-mail sent.

[charlie8575]

I've had similar ideas for building things like this, Sam, but your execution is very nice. I might "borrow" ideas for my own work.

Charlie Larkin

[Sixties Sam]

I've had similar ideas for building things like this, Sam, but your execution is very nice. I might "borrow" ideas for my own work.

Charlie Larkin

Thanks, Charlie. Feel free to use any ideas you want.

Sam

[Repstock]

[looks great! I'd hit the figures with some dullcote. I really like this idea!b]

[mopargreg]

Wow excellent work, very realistic. I sent you a pm about cad drawings.