1958 Dodge - WIP

[FASTBACK340]

George, funny thing you called the cars "Tuna Trawlwers"... I've got a funny story to tell you at lunch today about a "Tuna Boat".

That's why I mentioned Tuna Boat ! Please, tell all!

[Ramfins59]

OK John, here goes,

Back in the late 90's when I owned my '59 Dodge Coronet, it was my daily driver. One day I drove another family car to work instead. When I got back home from work I noticed that I had left the driver's side front window open. It was a hot July day but I went over to close the window for the evening. When I looked into the car there was a dead baby sand shark about 8 inches long on the passenger side of the front seat..!!! Plus, there were about a hundred BIG black flies buzzing around in the interior (feeding off the dead fish). It appears that one of the neighborhood idiot kids thought it was funny and he threw the baby shark in the car that his dad had caught while on a fishing trip off Long Island (where I lived at the time). The fish was stuck to the upholstery as it had apparently baked in the hot sun most of the day. Obviously I was INCENSED over this and got the fish and all the flies out of the car. It took over a month to get the smell out of the car using Lysol, Febreze, air fresheners, after shave and whatever else I could think of.

My "friend", Tom Valenta, took the opportunity to play a trick on me after this incident. I was at a LHS "Happy Hour that a friend who owned the shop had every Friday night. My older daughter called the LHS hysterically crying, telling me someone hung fish from the Dodge's antenna's and put the words U.S.S. TUNABOAT on the side of the car. I'm thinking spray paint on the side of the car and more dead fish hanging from the antenna's and I jump in the family car I drove to the LHS and drive home at top speed. I get there to find 2 beany baby fish on string hanging from the antenna's and magnetized plastic, colored letters on the side of the car spelling out U.S.S. TUNABOAT. Immediately I said to myself, freakin' Tommy, as I knew only he would do something dumb like this with his crazy sense of humor. Sure enough he admitted doing it, knowing it would freak me out..!!!

From that day on all my friends and guys in the LIARS Club called my Dodge the TUNABOAT.

As an ending to this story, one day a few months later Tom and I were at a local cruise night with our cars (Tom had a '67 Pontiac LeMans) and my younger daughter was with us. She was in High School at the time. A kid walks by my car and says to his friend "That's the car that had the fish thrown in it." I grabbed the kid and asked him how he knew about that. He said he knew the kid that did it. I asked him who it was and he told me. My daughter said she knew the kid from High School and he lived a couple of blocks away from us. Well, I stewed about this for a couple of days trying to think of the best way to handle this kid. I could go kick the you know what out of him, but that would probably only get ME in trouble. I eventually wound up calling the local Police Precinct and spoke to a detective explaining the whole situation. I told him that I would just like him to go to the kid's home and confront him and his parents about the incident, without pressing any charges. The detective said "We don't really handle things like this." I said that all I want is for him to go and put the fear of God into this kid, otherwise, I might have to go and take matters into my own hands over it, and, he may not like what happens. I said I'm trying to handle this right, like a "good citizen". Needless to say, the cops did go to the kid's house and confronted him and his parents over his little shenanigans. The kid saw my daughter in school a few days later and said to her "Why did your Dad have to call the cops.....I got SO GROUNDED...!!!" My daughter then told him he was lucky that I didn't kill him for messing with my car. I don't think that kid ever even st foot on my block again after that.

So that's the story of the U.S.S. Tunaboat.

[Shardik]

Great story, Rich. And a great model. Your uncanny ability to find the most obscure (to the modeling industry) subjects just amazes me. I'm looking forward to yet another stunning example of automotive americana.

[FASTBACK340]

You handled it the right way Rich. Not too sure how I'd react to finding a rotting fish in my car...

[Ramfins59]

Thanks a lot Johann. I don't really set out to look for and build "obscure" cars, but it just seems to have happened that way lately because of my desire to build as many cars for each year of the 1950's that I can. Aside from all the actual kits of 50's cars that are made there are many promos that also fit into those years for the cars that are not made in kit form, providing they can be found in good condition and not warped. I've only purchased promos in good condition for my "Class of" builds for each year. The fact that they might seem to be "obscure" to me seems to be mainly due to the fact that not many people want to take apart a "good" promo and redo it. What I can't locate in either kit form, or as an old builtup, or a promo, I'll buy in resin. I especially like Modelhaus' stuff but I also have my eye on a few other resin casters products. Of course a lot of the promo's and resin kits can be pricey so I try to space out my purchases as my limited budget permits.

Right now I have a pile of kits and promo's of 50's cars to last me well over a year. Of course there are always more new kits coming our way and EBAY always has a good deal here and there if you can get lucky.

Unfortunately from about the 1955 year and prior there are not really a lot of kits, promo's or resin offerings out there. I have whatever plastic kits that were made, a '55 Pontiac promo, and the '55 Olds diecast that I recently finished. There are a few resin offerings but not the extensive choices available for 1956 and up.

I'll keep plodding along and try to knock out as many 50's cars that I can get my hands on., I've finished a bunch but I've got a whole lot more to be built and to buy. Wish me luck.

[Tom Geiger]

Great project Rich. They say that the old promos only warped until the plastic dried out completely, so yours shouldn't warp any further.

[Drgon63]

U.S.S. TUNA BOAT........miss those days man....hey make sure when you do a replica of your 59 Dodge Rich that you get a little fish to throw in the rear seat.....LOL...

[Ramfins59]

Tom G., thanks a lot. I'm really hoping that you're right. I'd really hate to see this car start to "smile" after I got it finished.

Tom V., thanks a lot old pal.... with the beany baby fish and magnetic letters LOL. By the way buddy, the fish was on the front seat.... and I've already done a model of a '59 Dodge... remember the black one? I keep getting outbid on the ones I see on EBAY, and I haven't seen one for sale at a show in over 10 years.

By the way, I did send an email to Modelhaus asking if they might be interested in taking some molds of this car to put in their product line before I do any more work on it. I'm waiting to hear back from them.

[Customman]

John,

I didn't turn my PC on at all today, I just called Rich and told him when I meet him at the resturant so I knew nothing about his story with his '59 Dodge. I got to the place and I hardly had a chance to sit down and the first thing that came out of his mouth was the term I use "Tuna Trawler." He had a straight face on I thought Oh boy I'm going to get my head ripped off for insulting his car.

I was in the car business all of my life in sales, I sold cars for a lot of years, and was also a used car manager. One thing you learn don't ever call a customers car junk, rust bucket, etc. people take offense to that. A customer might have never had a problem with a car you start cutting it up and it might cost you a deal. Ya man I thought I was going to get hammered, instead I was totally amused he's a howl, I laughed hearing that story.

That was a great idea to make him tell the story I'm sure everyone will enjoy it !

George

Edited October 7, 2013 by Customman

[rocklandrambler]

But, Rich !!! Where's the love for the Ramblers??

[Ramfins59]

Yeah George, I'm hoping everyone enjoyed that little story. It wasn't so funny at the time, but looking back on it kind of makes me smile.

Mike, It's not that I don't like Ramblers, it's that there aren't many models in plastic of 1950's Ramblers (I only know of the JOHAN '59 Wagon, which I have in my pile), and the only resin pieces I'm aware of are Nash Metropolitans from Modelhaus, which I have yet to buy.

If anyone knows of more Rambler kits available, please speak up.

[Ramfins59]

I got a reply from the Modelhaus in response to my email about using this promo body to make molds so they can have a '58 Dodge in their product line.

Carol Holthaus thanked me for my offer and advised that Don has a straight '58 Dodge body and is currently working on a '58 Dodge kit. I'm sure that a lot of people will be happy to hear this news. They did not give any estimation of when this might go into production and join their product line. I'm sure it will be worth waiting for.

[FASTBACK340]

I've already done a model of a '59 Dodge... remember the black one? I keep getting outbid on the ones I see on EBAY, and I haven't seen one for sale at a show in over 10 years.

My dear old friend Mr. Manson, I just happen to have one in my collection. Knowing what it means to you, PM me your mailing address and I'll send it out this week. No way I can keep it when it belongs to you.....

[Ramfins59]

Hey John, thanks a lot buddy. PM sent. Give Amy a hug for me.

[charlie8575]

I got a reply from the Modelhaus in response to my email about using this promo body to make molds so they can have a '58 Dodge in their product line.

Carol Holthaus thanked me for my offer and advised that Don has a straight '58 Dodge body and is currently working on a '58 Dodge kit. I'm sure that a lot of people will be happy to hear this news. They did not give any estimation of when this might go into production and join their product line. I'm sure it will be worth waiting for.

Oooh....I can finally make a Regal Lancer. Not much different from a Royal Lancer aside from special wheelcovers, but two exclusive two-tone paint treatments that looked GOOD. A nice, deep bronze accenting black or white. The colors, along with the design made it one of the nicer-looking cars of the late '50s.

Thanks for the tip, Rich.

Charlie Larkin

[Drgon63]

Rich...

I remember the black one but ya gotta do one Baby sh** Brown and tan to match the real one with the pin stripe flames....display the pic next to it....remeber Fish are our friends not food..

.

Edited October 8, 2013 by Drgon63

[Ramfins59]

I got the body painted with a pale yellow shade of paint by Krylon. It came out nice. It's gonna be a load of fun masking around the fins and top to paint them black.

The interior is finished. I flocked the carpet black and painted the seats and door panels a yellowish tan and black. I added some chrome trim pieces to the side panels along with resin cranks and handles which I painted chrome silver. The dashboard and steering wheel are painted body color. I detailed the dash with BMF, some gauge decals and chrome silver paint.

Thanks for checking in on this build. It's moving along pretty quickly as most curbside builds usually do. More progress to come as it happens.

[Ramfins59]

Hey Tom. A Tunaboat replica has been "on the list" for a long time. I still have to find the right shade of baby s... brown for it. And the pin stripe flames... those could be a problem.

[slusher]

Very sharp shade of yellow Rich. The interior looks great, you do excellent interior detail...

[peekay]

Looking good Richard, can't wait to see the black.

[Tom Geiger]

Interior looks great! On the exterior, are you painting just the fins black? I think the roof would look good in black or white.

[Ramfins59]

Thanks a lot guys.

Carl, I really enjoy doing model interiors. They've kind of been my "specialty" for a long time. Not that I don't try to Make the whole model look good.

Tom, I'll be painting the fins and the roof black. I originally wanted to paint black under the side trim too, but from all the Googled reference pictures I've seen, only Coronets have that area painted a contrasting color because the Coronet's side trim spear extends all the way back almost to the taillights, whereas the Crown Royals script at the rear end of the side trim prevents that for a straight edge. I could mask it off through the scripts anyway, but that wouldn't be correct from what I've seen.

[Tom Geiger]

Tom, I'll be painting the fins and the roof black.

That should look great Rich! Back when I was a kid I painted all my models yellow and black, an effect of seeing the movie "The Yellow Rolls Royce". That lasted a few years with me. As an adult, I bought a bootleg copy of the movie on DVD (it never went to tape or DVD) and watched it again. It wasn't that great a movie, just the cars!

Edited October 9, 2013 by Tom Geiger

[Dandydan]

Loving this-had a 58 in the family for a very long time-thanks for jogging those memories!

[TFchronos]

Very nice color choice and interior work.