Neil Bass Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 I built this one several years ago. I think it's the AMT version. I swiped the engine from it so it's a curbside now. The decals came from a Johan Caddy El Dorado. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bastardo Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 Love the model, but the weathering doesn't seem too convincing. The brush strokes are too evident. I believe you can still fix this Think about the direction in which the streaks would appear on a car - top to botom, front to back, from wheels up and so on. Keep this in mind as you apply weathering to your model and results will be much better. Don't get me wrong - it still looks great, but there is still ground for your improvement Cheers! Damir Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peekay Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 Nice old truck - looks like someone had a go at cleaning it but gave up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris White Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eshaver Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 chrome grilles weren't available until 1956 . The Korean war saw to that issue . The Ivory is what is supposed to be there . Yes, that is my 53 Ford panel in case anyone is interested and NO , it's NOT for sale . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dyno Davo Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 Thumbs up from me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randx0 Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 I like the interior details . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonderbread Kustomz Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 I like it, but agreed, the weathering could be a bit more convincing... Take a peek at Dr Crankys builds and some of mine as well... I learned a lot from the Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmvw guy Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 I like it, the yellow sets it off for me, love old trucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 Pretty cool looking truck Neil! Looks like it's just in the beginning stages of rusting. chrome grilles weren't available until 1956 . The Korean war saw to that issue . Not true. Ford pickups have always had chrome grilles and bumpers as an option. Exactly how did the Korean war have an effect on chrome grilles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 (edited) A few thoughts... First, I like your seat cover that follows through on the ranch theme. This is one of my favorite old kits so I always love to see one done! On the grill, yes that grill was available in 1953, but the kit has the high end grill with the little bumps. You can make it a standard grill by cutting those off. I did on my build, then painted mine since it was painted on the truck I was replicated. The grill is fine on your truck. As far as the weathering, I do see the brush strokes as others have mentioned. The good part about weathering is that it is forgiving and can be updated even on a finished model. I'd sand it with 400-600 grit carefully to take down the brush strokes, then add some more weathering with a small tight sponge. That will give you the non directional look. Also note that trucks and cars weather from the top down, so a top surface will show more sun wear (especially from a dry state!) than the sides. Sometimes I'll go dullcote on the top and semi gloss on the sides to replicate that. Edited September 20, 2013 by Tom Geiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydime Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 (edited) I actually like the weathering. Looks more like it was scratched to death in the woods than it does rotted by time. Some of the front to back even makes it like someone did a poor 1:1 effort with a rattle can to cover up some bad spots. Look at the side of the hood. Just like someone had taken some yellow spray can laying around and went front to back trying to repaint it. Edited September 20, 2013 by Skydime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Bass Posted September 21, 2013 Author Share Posted September 21, 2013 (edited) Thanks everybody for your comments and suggestions with a special thanks to Skydime for explaining exactly what I was trying to do. His description really nailed it. I actually like the weathering. Looks more like it was scratched to death in the woods than it does rotted by time. Some of the front to back even makes it like someone did a poor 1:1 effort with a rattle can to cover up some bad spots. Look at the side of the hood. Just like someone had taken some yellow spray can laying around and went front to back trying to repaint it. At first I was very confused about all the comments about brush marks because I couldn't see any (except a brown one on the left door near the steer's horn). Now I understand: The "brush marks" really are tree and brush scratches I made with sand paper and highlighted by India Ink thinned with alcohol. The hood, bed, and rear fenders actually have two shades of yellow paint, one revealed from beneath the other by sand paper (check out the rear fender above the license plate). That is supposed to represent a home made spray can paint job fix. Rust is just starting in some crevices (and about to flake through on the panel under the tailgate). And, finally, the truck is cleaned up for a Saturday night in town. It did get a little dirty on the way down the hill to town but it's got all its hubcaps on! I guess maybe it depends on where you live or what you're used to. Cattle ranches around the central California coast are on steep hillsides with meadows and deep forests. Paint gets stained, faded, scratched up, and rusty. Edited September 21, 2013 by Neil Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skydime Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 Thanks everybody for your comments and suggestions with a special thanks to Skydime for explaining exactly what I was trying to do. His description really nailed it. At first I was very confused about all the comments about brush marks because I couldn't see any (except a brown one on the left door near the steer's horn). Now I understand: The "brush marks" really are tree and brush scratches I made with sand paper and highlighted by India Ink thinned with alcohol. The hood, bed, and rear fenders actually have two shades of yellow paint, one revealed from beneath the other by sand paper (check out the rear fender above the license plate). That is supposed to represent a home made spray can paint job fix. Rust is just starting in some crevices (and about to flake through on the panel under the tailgate). And, finally, the truck is cleaned up for a Saturday night in town. It did get a little dirty on the way down the hill to town but it's got all its hubcaps on! I guess maybe it depends on where you live or what you're used to. Cattle ranches around the central California coast are on steep hillsides with meadows and deep forests. Paint gets stained, faded, scratched up, and rusty. See, I told ya'll they beat it to death in the woods and tried to rattle can it back. Opinions may vary and keep the world going round but, I like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 Neil, it's a great truck and most important is that YOU are happy with it. It's your truck! If you are happy with it as a curbside, that's cool too. Other wise I have some parts kits open of this truck and would be happy to send you an unbuilt engine, and even some bumpers if you'd like. PM me. I do like your truck. It has a unique look to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Bass Posted September 21, 2013 Author Share Posted September 21, 2013 (edited) Hi Tom, Thanks for your encouragement and generous offer of an engine. I really do appreciate it but I thought it over and I reckon I've moved on to other models and I'm content to leave this one as a curbside. It was an understatement when I said I built it several years ago: I think I built it in the 1970's during High School. It definitely pre-dates the introduction of BMF. The flash photography makes it shinier than it is but even so, one thing I'd do differently is to give it a shot of dull-coat. Also fewer scratches more deliberately applied. But I'll save that for the next one. Edited September 21, 2013 by Neil Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Most Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 I like how this one came out- the finish and overall look remind me of the '54 and '55 F-650 flatbeds my father and grandfather used to use on the farm. I like the fact that you're thinking of doing "the next one". Not true. Ford pickups have always had chrome grilles and bumpers as an option. Exactly how did the Korean war have an effect on chrome grilles? Well... they had nickel plated grilles up until the '30's, but Ed's right- from the factory, you couldn't get a fully-chromed grille from the factory on a Ford truck. A great-uncle of mine lamented not being able to get a chrome grille on his '55 when he bought it new. A lot of guys did get them chrome plated after purchase, and some dealers even had it done, and of course nowadays you can buy a plated repop from places like LMC, but they didn't leave Dearborn that way. As far as the Korean War was involved, there was a shortage and resulting run-up in price on metals like copper and nickel (just like there was in WWII, only not as extensive), that led to automakers refraining from using as much chrome, especially on utilitarian vehicles like pickem-ups and medium duty trucks. That shortage lasted right thorough to the summer of 1953 when the war ended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eshaver Posted September 22, 2013 Share Posted September 22, 2013 Thank You Chuck. Look, I am a tech writer for the Early Ford Club of America . I spend a lot of time researching material BEFORE I just say something that I can't back up. I get a lot of "Armchair " engineers always trying to start a fight because MOST of them won't do the leg work I do ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Bass Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 (edited) chrome grilles weren't available until 1956 . The Korean war saw to that issue . The Ivory is what is supposed to be there . Yes, that is my 53 Ford panel in case anyone is interested and NO , it's NOT for sale . Well, in the early spring of '76 a couple of Valleys came over the hill from San Jose in a cherry custom Ford pick up. It was metallic red with wide rubber on what we called "mag" wheels (we were probably wrong) and there was new chrome everywhere, including the grille. They drove up the coast, looking for the nude beaches but I reckon they got a bum steer because they ended up on Last Chance Road. That time of year, Last Chance is a muddy slalom run that you have to take fairly fast or sink. The Valleys were loving it until they came face to face with a psychedelic VW van full of Deadheads. The truck slid off the road and bounced down a ravine past pot farms and the shallow graves left by serial killers. They finally landed in a limestone quarry and, fortunately, walked out. They never came back. I got a lot of wire and that shiny grille from the wreck. It came in handy because I had crunched my grille pulling a tree stump from my front yard. I made all that up; I don't have a real pick up. However, I have gone to junk yards and bought a lot of grilles, bumpers, hub caps, and interior parts that were not for the same year or original equipment, as my car. The tricky bit is making sure that you pull all the mounting brackets etc. that allow you to adapt the parts to a different car. So regardless of who is right about what grilles appeared in dealerships in 1953, I don't think my model's grille is wrong for an old ranch truck. Edited September 23, 2013 by Neil Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 So regardless of who is right about what grilles appeared in dealerships in 1953, I don't think my model's grille is wrong for an old ranch truck. Neil, your truck grill is wrong. The model car police will be landing their helicopter on your lawn shortly. Kindly surrender the model so they can incinerate it so there will be no evidence. Then the world will once again be safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Bass Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 (edited) Oh man, I laughed so hard my dentures fell out!! Okay, first I went to the window and looked out but then I laughed!! I admit I'm exaggerating. It was only the top plate. Edited September 23, 2013 by Neil Bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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