Fuelie '57

[dencon]

Back in Nov of 1985. I got my Dec. issue of Hot Rod Mag in the mail. That was always a happy day for me. I was a young kid, dreaming of one day owning a cool hot rodded classic car. (I was driving and fixing up a 69 Cutlass Convert)The 1957 Chevy has always been my ultimate dream car.

Well, I came to this page that had a photo of the strangest 57 and the name of the article was "Fuelie '57". I did not know much about cars back then, but I thought I did. I did not get raised around cars. But on this page I saw this 57 that did not have the normal chrome down the sides following the fin. All it had was, what I thought, the 55 Chevy trim. It also had this cool looking color matched steel wheels with the small caps. And it was all orange!!! I could not stop looking at it. That orange looked cool! Then I read and saw the photo of the engine. It has "Fuel Injection"!!!! I did not know they had that in 57!!! Man this car is COOL!

Well because of the interest that I got with the building of my Cutlass. I also had found a new hobby. This model car building thing. I had just finished my 3rd model car. The old AMT 57 Chevy. Well I thought that I would build a model of this 57. How hard could it be. BUT WAIT!!! POSTS!!! Well I think I can scratch that. NO! What about the 55 trim. Darn! So I put it on the back burner. One day I discover the flip nose MPC 57. There is my post car. But not stock. So I try cutting the roof off and swapping it onto the AMT 57. Could not get that one to fit. Then I discover, in a Revell 55 that the chrome trim is separate on the chrome tree. So I got that covered now. Well lets make a long story...well not SO long. Needless to say at many attempts over the years. Lost chances of getting the AAM 150. This model stayed in my head for some 22 years. never getting built. Then it happened. Revell announce it. My Fuelie '57 is coming. I got it the day it got to my LHS. Got it home and started to play. FINALLY, I can build it. Well, I kind of put it aside because of other projects. So it sat

Now we get to 24 years and 4 months from that first time I saw that car in the Hot Rod. Me and a couple of buddies make a challenge to each other. Lets pick out the same kit. Build it, and try like anything not to tell each other about what we are doing. Then in Sept. We show each other, after we try to guess what each of us built. We all went with this new Revell 75 kit. Well I picked this car to do because. Heck, 24 years and 4 months was just long enough. That was March.

As I started to build the car. I came upon a problem. Chevy never painted 57s orange. They had Matador Red, and that was stated in the article of this car. Yes I still have that Hot Rod Mag. I am building a replica of the car. But do I do it as it is for real, Red? Or do I do it as I saw it that day in November of 85? The Orange was what got me into that car. Got to go Orange.

So now, after 24 years and now 9 months after seeing it in the Hot Rod Magazine and wanting to build a model of it.

Finally

My Fuelie '57

I still have not found the right battery for it. I need something that looks 80's like what was in the real car.

...and this is what I saw in Hot Rod that started this some 24 years and 9 months ago.

The model is all box stock with a little detail to the engine. The paint is all Testors Lacqures and rubbed out with polishing cloths.

[gilsdropshop1]

great job love the color and detail work is super clean

[highway]

Nice job, Matt. At first until I reread your post, I thought it took you almost 25 years to finish this, and I thought I took forever to finish a model!!

Luckily, I read it again, and that is very nice for 5 months of work.

[Brett Barrow]

Great model! I really dig the lower model '57's! I'm currently working on converting the Revell 2-door post Bel Air kit into a 210, and I have plans on doing a 150 with the dual carb and "batwing" aircleaner set-up, which is the next step down from the fuelie, power-wise. The 210 may get the fuel injection, or I might turn it into a gasser or a jr. stock. I should have a workbench post up in the next few days on the 210.

[impcon]

Oh wow!!!!!!!!! Is that clean and sweet! What a breath of fresh air to see a '57 built like this rather than modified! The red suits the car perfectly and it sits just right.. An outstanding job indeed!

Edited September 15, 2010 by impcon

[codie27]

How cool to see an old 57 thats different from all the others. Great build and detailing.

[crazyjim]

I wasn't sure I'd get to the pics. Long but worth reading and your build came out gorgeous.

[Fuel Coupe]

Great job and a beautiful car....

[my name is nobody]

Beautiful Build.

Awesome 1:1 car too.

Nice story, and obviously this was worth the wait.

Great Model........

[Fisher61]

Very neat and clean! I love this kit, everything goes together with ease, and you don't have to spend days foiling it! Beautiful!

[stevehansen]

I like it, well done

[george 53]

It sure does LOOK like the car in the picture, right down to the color! GREAT job!!!

[Danno]

Nice job, Matt. Probably your nicest build IMHO.

[vaughn]

Whew...... Mission accomplished!!!! Looks great!!!

[Sixties Sam]

Great model! You nailed the look of the 1:1 perfectly! It's neat to build models of actual cars sometimes. That Revell kit is a good one. I built one a few months ago, and it went together so easily. Good work!

[Guest]

Beautiful, simply beautiful!

[W-409]

Looks great! Like these one fifty series Chevrolets so much. Painjob looks very nice and that detailing on the engine is very good looking too. Inteior looks good, it's nice to see these wich are not black and white. Black Widow cars are nice but I don't like black and white '57 Chevys, where people says ''Oh yeah, it's black widow!''

[BigEdsGarage]

Great looking build. I think the color looks great on it!

[charlie8575]

Very nice work, Matt.

Looks great and gives me some ideas for my 150.

Charlie Larkin

[Darbo]

Thats a beauty, I love it.

[Sport Suburban]

That is a great story of a car that has stuck with you. Real nice job on the build too.

[dencon]

Thanks guys. That is about only the second model I have finished in 2 years. I just have not had the building time that I use to. I am working on changing that. Thanks for the good words.

Matt

[David G.]

Excellent work! Also a great story, it looks like it was well worth the wait.

[tuffone20]

Nice job Matt, It's really cool when you build a model of a car you see in a magazine years ago and it comes out that nice!!

[davyou5]

I love it! . You said that you used Testors paints but I am still wondering the Name of the Red you used on that Body. Extraordinary job! The Chevy fans are shouting for this one.