Peter Lombardo Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 My “Art Deco Aero Coupe†is finally finished. This is the first body that I designed, carved from a block of bass wood and vacuum formed. I drew inspiration from my 1936 Auburn Cybele Special that I built last year from a heavily modified Lindbergh Auburn kit. My plan was to design and build a coupe “mate†to go along with the roadster from last year. The chassis on this car is a stretched out and widened Viper Roadster. The engine and suspension came directly from the Viper. The interior contains custom made door panels and seats for an old Prowler Concept snap together kit. The dash is a shortened 1980’s Ford Taurus piece and the floor and transmission hump are scratch built. The windows are acetate sheet and the interior colors are custom mixed cream/tan and a dark blue/purple. The floor was painted with the same dark blue/purple paint and then covered with dark blue flocking. The headlights are Viper units filled with clear epoxy. The grille is styrene horizontal slots cut and shaped and then bare metal foiled. The hood is hinged and two struts were fashioned from “teeny tiny†brass tubing and brass wire. The gullwing doors are also hinged and each has one very small strut to hold them up in the open position. The wheels came from the Revell Dodge Magnum kit and the tires from an old set of Pegasus wheels and tires that were in one of my many parts boxes. The wheel opening spats are held on with small magnets and thin pieces of metal so they can be removed. The taillights (kinda weird) have a “free form†opening that mimics the shape of the headlights (kinda’) with a aluminum tube filled with clear Tamiya red mixed with epoxy surrounded by clear epoxy….like I said, it is different. The center exhaust openings are aluminum tubes bent and shaped to carry the same design theme. All the moldings are strip styrene glued to the body and bare metal foiled. The car is painted in a two tone combination, again inspired by the Cybele Special of last year. The top in a GM Cream solid that was over coated with a translucent Gold Pearl top coat. I looks different from every angle. The lower color is a Mopar Dark Amethyst Purple. Both were clear coated and after the bare metal foil was applied it got a coat of future. (A side note…… I have to tell you that the BMF was really miserable to work with….as many have stated here; the quality of the new stuff is pretty poor. After it was applied and set up, it developed wrinkles and dull spots. I had to take much of it off and redo it, but it still had problems…so sorry for the wrinkles and seams but that just the way it is) That’s it. This is the second vehicle I have now completed from my own design. I have more in the works and I am still completing the new vacuum formed body for the 1977 Tyrrell P34 6 wheel F1 car. I have built two bodies, but have a problem with the engine clearance in the back so the mold is being reworked a bit and a 3rd new body will be completed. I want it right so it is taking a little longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordRodnKustom Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Beautiful design and craftsmanship. A piece of fine art. Very nice work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielG Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Very nice scratch build. Sorry you are having trouble with BMF, I thought that I was the only one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyn Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 Nice looking car. I saw one just like this on a contest table last weekend, but it was painted a yellow and white two tone. It's hard to say which color combo suites it more. Hang on to you blood pressure, Peter. I'm just kidding. You certainly have cornered the market on unique with this and many of your other creations. Gorgeous design, engineering and workmanship. You've hit the tri-fecta. Everything about it impressive. A wonderful car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RodneyBad Posted March 6, 2010 Share Posted March 6, 2010 WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Awesome. Incredible Design and execution WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Kern Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 That is really wild! Lots of imagination there, and craftsmanship. It may not be everyone's styling cup of tea, but I think it's cool. It reminds me of some old, small metal cars I had handed down to me (probably made in the '30s) with that kind of look. Hope to see it at NNL East! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caine440 Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 A true work of art,simply stunning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Reminds me of a Delahaye. Very nice work. That's model making to the nth degree... designing your own car, carving the body, vacu-forming the parts... man, that's Gerald Wingrove-type stuff!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjordan2 Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 (edited) Something that Figoni & Falaschi would be proud of. And even those crazy guys would never have thought of gullwing doors. Reminds me of their Delahayes. Your stuff is immensely creative, and takes model building beyond craftsmanship to art. http://www.2blowhards.com/archives/2008/05/hidden_front_wh.html Edited March 8, 2010 by sjordan2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Lombardo Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 Reminds me of a Delahaye. Very nice work. That's model making to the nth degree... designing your own car, carving the body, vacu-forming the parts... man, that's Gerald Wingrove-type stuff!!! Thank you very much, Harry, I really appreciate the kind words. To even think about Gerald's work, let alone have mine mentioned in conjunction with his, marks the long hours on it worth the time. As I have said before, I really enjoy the creative side of this the most. Now when I look at kits on the store shelf, I look at them as "doner" cars and parts for something elso. Thanks again. Randy, God willing, I will have my "Dog and Pony show" at NNL again this year. I am looking forward to seeing you and your "stuff" too. As for the styling, I was really trying to exaggerate the 1930's look....you know, almost "cartoony" in scope. I made the hood too long, the fenders too big and the overall length bigger and grander than real life just because I could. I guess it is called "artist's License". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 By hook or by crook, I'll find a way to get down to the NNL this year if that's going to be on display. Fantastic job on it! Definitely one car I'd consider purchasing if they made a real one just for the "cool" factor. Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crispy Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Superior creativity. Art Deco for sure. Peter, your imagination knows no bounds. It's not my type of stuff, but your creativity and penchant for raiding the parts box makes this interesting to me. Great Work. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plasticfanatic Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Truly a masterpiece of craftmanship and desing, I love this model look and execution down to the paint combination, superb work!! And the super modified Auburn looks superb too!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Cole Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Peter, Your Art Deco Aero Coupe is a masterpiece! I will look forward to seeing this (I hope) at the NNL East! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul_Perez Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 That is really wild! Lots of imagination there, and craftsmanship. It may not be everyone's styling cup of tea, but I think it's cool. It reminds me of some old, small metal cars I had handed down to me (probably made in the '30s) with that kind of look. Hope to see it at NNL East! Reminds me of a Delahaye. Very nice work. That's model making to the nth degree... designing your own car, carving the body, vacu-forming the parts... man, that's Gerald Wingrove-type stuff!!! I'll second all of that!! This thing is just WAY too cool!! Thanks for sharing, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89cxsport Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Sweet, that model is a piece of art. Very nice build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outlaw035 Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 truly amazing....N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darquewanderer Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Absolutely beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 I have to second everything said. This really came out grand. What makes it work so well, besides you're superb craftsmanship, is your great design sense! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David G. Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 (edited) Impressive and beautiful. Edited March 18, 2010 by David G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Cullinan Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I have this kit:lol: Man this is right up there with the coolest,most creative,original builds I've ever seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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