PT Ute

[Danno]

In my occasionally-continuing effort to remind myself (and others) that I actually finish some of my projects, I present my "If I Designed It" PT Ute.

A Cruiser pick-em-up concept, if you will.

Completed some time ago, I whacked the majority of the roof off, scratched up a bed and rear bulkhead for the cab, then blended all together. I didn't intend for it to have a tailgate, and I achieved that goal (LOL), although it has body seams that 'suggest' a traditional tailgate. [Do you like my ad-agency style spin?] Sprayed-in bedliner simulated with satin black overcoated with thick flat black sprayed from a distance to introduce texture.

Used the Black Force kit wheels & tires, thinking they were the best blend of nostalgia and modern. Added tinted windows (exposed 35mm film) and sunroof and a scratch-built bed floor of real basswood and stain.

I had this crazy idea to see what red oxide primer would look like clear-coated. So, I applied a base of ROP and polished that. Then, in an early experiment with flames, I made a masking tape mask, and applied a fade from white-hot to gold to silver, with a yellow fog on the front bumper and valance below. The whole thing was cleared with Pearl Clear.

Two comments on the finish: (1) I've never been satisfied with the front bumper. It sucks. I tried stripping it and chroming it, and that just doesn't look right, either. I may just give in and paint it white or satin black. (2) The pearl-over-primer turned out kind of a custom brick color. Not very flashy and this model gets over-looked all the time. I won't do this kind of finish again. But, it was interesting.

Oh, yeah. Don't overlook the blue dots! Those were tiny craft store gems added to the stock taillights. I thought they turned out cool, but they're easily missed because they're sooo tiny. Made the license plate on the ole computater.

Check it out!

[slusher]

Awesome build Danno. Real nice work

[Lovefordgalaxie]

You actually improved this little car!!

Always found it to be dull and no fun at all, but hey, now it is a fun car. Mine would have a stock paint, but the pick up conversion did the trick.

[Danno]

Thanks, Carl. I always enjoy your work, too!

Tulio, Thank you. High praise coming from you. I always find your models so very impressive.

I was pleased with how balanced the pickup looked. Almost a 'why didn't Chrysler do that?' moment.

[Brizio]

Love it! I missed the WIP

[Danno]

Glad you like it, Fabrizio! I didn't do a WIP on it.

Just slapped it together.

[Tom Geiger]

Nice work. I'd like to have one of those in 1:1! I was waiting for Chrysler to introduce the PT panel but they never got to it. Seems that they had big plans for the Fiat 500 and needed the production capacity. So the PT got killed, probably a few years earlier than needed.

[Nacho Z]

I like it Danno! I think it is a cool look. Like Tulio said, I think you improved it .

[Harry P.]

I think if you paint the bumper the same color as the flames it would look ok.

[Kit Basher]

I think you're right about "why didn't they do it" I think it would have sold. Great idea and interesting techniques all around. Way cool!

[PappyD340]

WOW, that's really COOL Danno!

[Danno]

Thanks, Tom, John, Hugh and Larry. Your comments are truly appreciated.

Harry, I think you're right. That'll probably be my next move.

[bbowser]

Neat concept, great execution. "Brick pearl" is an interesting choice. I owned a PT, I think they got killed because they were heavy, slow, and appealed mostly to the over 60 crowd.

[DeeCee]

I have a normal version of a P/T as an every day run around, how good would it be if it had this conversion!! Nice work and fabrication mate I like it!!

[unclescott58]

Well executed Danno. Other than the front bumper, I too like it a lot. I like Harry P's suggestion on how to fix that. The floor of the bed is beautiful. All the way around, a cool concept and nicely done model.

Scott

[Kennyboy]

Man that is so cool Danno! Great job!

[Danno]

Bruce, Dale, Scott, Ken,

Thanks, guys. It was kind of 'out there' as an idea, but your comments mean it worked. I appreciate your approval. {That dang bumper!}

[TFchronos]

Awesome build!

[Danno]

Thank you, Jonathan! Means a lot!

[Guest]

That is cool Danno, what did you use for the bed and cab rear?

Edited May 18, 2014 by midnightprowler

[Danno]

Thank you, Lee.

I formed the back of the cab by laminating a couple of pieces of sheet plastic and gluing them to the cut behind the "B" pillars of the PT. (I used the original issue PT, not the convertible, by the way.)

Next, I used sheet plastic to form the bed floor on top of the chassis. I found the wheel wells in the parts box (don't know what they came from). I fitted the body to the chassis with the floor and wheel wells in place and used card stock to develop patterns for the bed walls. Then used the patterns to cut thin sheet plastic. After heating the single piece in hot water, I formed into a "U" shape that conformed to the cargo area opening.

I tacked it all together with Tenax, and then used epoxy to blend the joints and corners together, forming a uniform radius all around the interior of the bed. Once it was set, I Tenax-ed the upper edges to the PT body and cab wall, and finished it off with a slight rolled edge. Lastly, I applied the 'spray-in bedliner' texture.

Then I built and stained the wood skid, marine-style, and dropped it onto the bed floor to visually break up the blackness of the bed and give it some interest.

Hope this helps. It was my first attempt and I thought it turned out pretty well, all things considered.

[Guest]

Looks great. I am doing the same thing with a BMW Mini Cooper, but am being lazy, hiding the bed with a tonneau cover.

[rustybill1960]

The rims do have a certain look to them

I totally agree with the bumper

That bed floor is out of sight Man!

I really like what You did there!

Fantastic!

Thank You for sharing

Later

Russ

[Danno]

Thank you, Russ. It's nice to have one's concepts validated by nice comments such as yours.

[always painting]

Dude that's so dope I love the pt pick up look.