Tom Geiger Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Finally finished, this 25 year project! The saga started back when I was friends with Joe Cavorley and became interested in how he weathered his models. I bought a Poly S weathering kit, and grabbed a junk Volare body (they were expendable in those days!) and had at it. And this was the result. I brought it to our next club meeting and was encouraged to build a model around it. So started this project, using the very first thing I attempted to weather! So this is the grand daddy of all the worn and weathered cars I've built in my modeling career. All in all, the weathering isn't all that great. The first thing Joe told me was I needed to dab my weathering rather than brush it since real cars don't have those front to back brush strokes! So this car was a good learning spring board. I keep my unfinished projects in boxes on shelves right above my work bench so I cannot forget about them. So every couple of years it got pulled down and worked on a bit. There were times that I got one more step done, and there were times I just screwed something up and put it back in the box. It is on it's second chassis from my failed attempt at putting a full detail front end under it. Live and learn. Lettering is from before the era of easy computer graphics. Those are rub on letters. The company name "Better Letter" was the logo on the top of the lettering sheets. That just kind of worked out. The slant six engine came out of the Lindberg '64 Dodge kit. In my opinion, this is the nicest slant six ever done in 1/25 scale. I had started the engine years ago, but didn't get past the assembly not fitting correctly into the chassis. I overcame that with the last sitting and then decided to see how far I could detail out the engine bay, just for the sake of learning. I added the hood latch and all the detail of the latch assembly etc that would be visible through the missing grille. Rear view has a pad locked trunk, we'd see a lot of vehicles that way in the city. There's a missing lens and I made bulbs in there too. The license plates were early computer graphics made by a friend way back in the 1990s so I used them on the final build. The interior was worked on during the last few times I had this on the bench. I did the final detailing and glued everything into place this sitting. And the chassis is the basic unit that was under the kit. I had carved out the molded in drive shaft and molded in a hump. That was necessary since I changed the engine / trans unit. I also had to make the exhaust system using a duel exhaust from the AMT 71 Duster kit. Each piece was cut and put together with bits of straight pin, the same way you'd assemble a 1:1 exhaust. I decided to not mess with the front suspension, since I failed at that once, and in the name of getting this project onto the shelf once and for all. This was my Christmas Model Car Amnesty Build for this year, and once again I did finish what I planned to do. Last year I finished the Dodge A100 van, the year before my '34 Ford rat rod, all projects older than dirt. So it's great to get these out of boxes and on display. And it has me eyeing those boxes, to see what I pull down next! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porscheman Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Incredible detail Tom!!! Was that a new Volare when you started 25 years ago??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Incredible detail Tom!!! Was that a new Volare when you started 25 years ago??? Al, it was a 13 year old junker that Todd had given me. I think he had built it when he was a kid. Back then you could find a Volare kit at shows for $5-10. I did that several times as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTalmage Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Thats awesome! There was a mailman that used to run around the area who drove NOTHING but A body Mopars. And as the years went by the started looking like this til he moved on to the next A body he had in the stash! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filter Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 very cool! the details in the interior are awesome motor looks great i can imagine that car driving with some big withe clouds coming out the exhaust Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Very nice detail Tom. Nice work ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
o-man Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I like all the little details you've added and the body work is cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobthehobbyguy Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Neat project. Glad to see you got it finished. Like all the little details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Stock Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Tom that is a masterclass in detailing!, love it extremely authentic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Goschke Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Great detail work, Tom! Love all that stuff in the interior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
am73grand Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 That looks awesome Tom!!! Been waiting years to see that one finished and you really nailed the look. It was worth the wait! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrknowetall Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Oh Wow! I'm still pondering my next clapped out, weathered model car. You've nailed it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrecker388 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Awesome Tom! I loved this thing the very first time I saw it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Super build Tom, so realistic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DumpyDan Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Looks great Tom, this must be the year for finishing projects that have been sitting around for decades, I can relate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilrathy10 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 That's a great looking model.....Absolutely amazing detail.....Weathering is top notch....The dents are so realistic, it boggles the mind.......Very original.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Excellent, Tom!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helix Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Love the details Tom ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taaron76 Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Great work! Amazing detail!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisR Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Nice work, Tom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Excellent work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modlguy Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I'm almost going to miss seeing this one continue to progress, after following it all these years. Excellent, realistic detail. Just glad you didn't sacrifice any of your rare stamps for postage, lol. Great job, Tom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smellyfatdude Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Wow, what a piece of junk. Simply beautiful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Hamilton Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 That one looks like it was ridden hard, and put away wet. Excellent work Tom!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffs396 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Excellent Tom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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