Plastic Modeling

[soundman98]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

what's the dashed lines in the carpeting?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by soundman98

what's the dashed lines in the carpeting?

Just the pattern it had. It was the 70s

[bcj]

Don't see any two fours. No long necks to roll around?

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by bcj

Don't see any two fours. No long necks to roll around?

That is coming. Although no long necks since at that point in time all domestic beer was still in stubbies.



I could only find one decent picture of a stubby case type label (although it is actually quart bottles) online so have to do some shop work before I can print it up.

[Tcoat]

You guys sick of this thing yet? Almost done I promise. Unless of course I remember more!

I almost forgot a vital piece of equipment!

Section of 69 Fairlane console with shifter for the transplanted C6 tranny scratch built. The real section of console was literally cut out of the car, placed on extenders and raised up. Was a bit awkward to reach and the linkage was home made and wonky but it did get the job done.

[Tcoat]

How about a change of pace?
The Impala is done and to avoid you guys having to go back to old posts I will tell some of the story again.

This is a model of my very first legal car. By "legal" I mean it had it's own real plates (not off another car) and insurance. When I bought it in 1975 it was fresh out of the body and paint shop but the rest remained 11 years old so the build reflects that mix of old and new.

So here it is.






















I bought this car from a used car dealer shortly after my 16th birthday in 1975. It was safety certified, plated and you could still smell the paint it was so fresh. Up to that point (from age 13) I had been driving unregistered cars that I picked up cheap, drove for a bit and flipped for a profit to buy a "real car".

While digging through old photo albums for a picture of it (I failed) I did find the original sales slip. Anybody know where I can match that price today?



The poor old girl saw a lot of miles through high school and Sea Cadets as I was often the only person with my own car much less one that could hold so many people. For the next couple of years I had no real issues and it was trouble free.

In 1977 I was station to Germany with the Army and left the car in the care of a buddy. When I returned in late '78 I went to pick up my car and he told me he hadn't driven it all summer since it was making a "funny noise". Took me all of five minutes to find the 6 inch crack up the side of the block where it had frozen after he had put pure water in it. Since the engine was toast and he was paying I went off to the wreckers and found a low miles '66 300HP 327 to swap for the origional base 265hp one. Since I was in barracks and had no place to work on the car I took it to the garage I worked in as a kid and had them do it.

I don't think I was overcharged.



It ran like a dream and all of a sudden could do burnouts that it would never do before. Unfortunately the rest of it was still a 14 year old car and one day while going down the highway at 60 the diff locked up solid. Both hubcaps shot straight down hit the road and headed for the horizon. I came to a screeching halt without further incident retrieved the one cap that headed into field and gave up on the other which was someplace far, far down the road.

A couple of years ago I was cleaning up some boxes and fund this in the bottom. Somehow I had hung onto it for 40 years!



Of course I had to have the diff replaced.



While it was in for repair I stumbled across my Econoline and bought it as my daily. Although I still had the SS and it would carry on for a few more years in a secondary role it was the beginning of the end for the poor old Impala. In '82 the starter went on it and I parked it at the end of my apartment complex parking. Some kids slit the top climbed in and slashed ever single soft surface in the car. Dash pad, seats top cover, door panels, EVERYTHING was cut up. Since I still didn't want to give it up as the body was still great and other than the starter it ran perfectly I towed it over to my sisters shed. On the way the passenger side of the rear bumper dropped almost to the road. A quick look showed the worst! As many of these cars were inflicted the frame had rotted off right where the exhaust crossed it by the gas tank. That was the last straw and the car sat in the shed for a few more years before I finally broke down and sold what was left of it for $3,000. Today it would be seen again on a Barn Find Will It Start video but back then I had no clue where it went. Due to the era I wouldn't doubt it became a Lowrider someplace and could still be around today.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

You guys sick of this thing yet? Almost done I promise. Unless of course I remember more!

Hell no! It's brilliant.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Hell no! It's brilliant.

Well the interior is almost done. The outside will be easy as there wasn't much there. I do need to make up some mirrors though.

[soundman98]

none of this bothers me. i'm enjoying the stories and the details!

[Spuds]

Well I'm a contrarian...



And even I say Tcoat should keep it up!

[wolffbite]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Getting down to the nitty gritty and will be ready t close it up soon.
Added some clutter and decorating to give some colour and interest. Posters are 100% accurate to what was there and the 8-track tapes on the doghouse as well. I did make some concessions to history with the magazines since I was not building models nor reading model magazines at age 19.

Helmet and duffle bag made out of epoxy putty and textured foil from chip dip lids. Added some mud and dirt made from sawdust to the carpet because I usually tracked a bunch in and the maid only came by twice a week.

I thought at first that was a watermelon... then once I finished reading with some context it made way more sense!

Very cool. Amazing attention to detail!

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by wolffbite

I thought at first that was a watermelon... then once I finished reading with some context it made way more sense!

Very cool. Amazing attention to detail!

Oh god now I can't unsee that! I better do some better contrasting paint.

[Tcoat]

Almost ready to close up

[Dadhawk]

Back to those of us mere mortals.... (incredible stuff @Tcoat, keep posting!)

For Valentine's Day, I gave MomHawk a set of Lego Flowers, which we spent Valentine's Day evening putting together, after a nice steak dinner we cooked in-house. The Lego Flower collection is pretty spectacular for what it is.