30+ Yr Old AMT 37 Chevy Gasser-Finished/ "Under Glass" 08/16

Thanks for the comments Octane.  While I did pretty her up slightly more than the it was ,there were a number of things I left the way they were in the name of "originality". A little flash that wasn't removed here, original plastic color showing through there, untrimmed sprue removal points and the list goes on. It bugs me somewhat as well (and it was -and still is- everything I can do to not fix it) but it's a testament to where I was then and my other builds ,like my 1970 Challenger, a testament to nowadays skills.

Thanks for the good word James.

That turned out awesome! It has that classic look to it!

Well thank you Toshi!!!

Wow, what a fantastic transformation you did!  Amazing and beautiful build!

Toshi

Mike: I'll be lookin' for it!

Duster: Thanks and you bet I like looking at this one alot more. lol

Well you certainly "won the war" with one. GreatJob!  Bet you'll enjoy looking at this one lots more now.

mustang1989

Thanks Mike!! Say, I never did see the finished pics of that G-10......

 

lol. No you didn't. I've lost my interest in it temporarily. I assure you, I will get back to her when I'm in the mood lol.

Thanks Allan! The finished product took me by surprise as well given its age.

Im sure some people would never have believed the age of this model if you hadnt showed the Before pics.  Like watching an episode of that car restoration show in National Geographic (or was that History Channel?). She's a real beauty again.   

Thanks Mike!! Say, I never did see the finished pics of that G-10......

Inspirational! I've got a couple of these sitting around somewhere. :)

Thanks fellas! I really enjoyed this alot and may still modify the glass hood to a one piece painted hood with the side panels removed. More than likely I'll throw the kit hood scoop on it as well.

Outstanding finish Joe. All your work tuned it into a stunning piece. Fabulous work my friend and thanks for sharing that with us.

Didn't know quite what to expect when you started this becuase I've neither done nor seen a restoration job. All I got to say is Wow, Joe. You did good, bud.

Beautiful! And congratulations - you finished it on time and on budget, so to say - I mean you ddin't go total rebuild, I admire that! Good luck with your future builds and have a nice day

Paweł

Well I took the glamour shots this morning and am content with how this all turned out. Lot's of touch up and some parts replacements along the way helped out some. The paint is all original with only clean up and a polishing with Novus to bring out the shine. On the original build I never installed any glass or headlamps so right off the bat there was an improvement there. Wheels and tires are all replacements with some tricks that I've learned here and there to enhance those items. All exterior chrome was replaced and the hood was added as well. I'm not just real happy with the hood but I'll work around that for now. Interior is all original with no upgrades other than cleaning up. The engine is terrible and if it weren't for the fact that the headers were visible all the way up to it I would have left it out.
All in all this has been some good fun with little frustration and I've even got to try out a few tricks and ideas in what was unchartered waters before this build. As stated earlier: Is this my best model or will this win in any shows?? No. It does, however, have it's place inside a good display case to pay tribute to some of my earlier days 30+ years ago. With any luck it will last another 30+ years............

Now.....I focus all my efforts on the F-100.

To recap. Beginning shots:(Take note: The front tires have melted away from the wheels....the heat was terrible in that back room!)








Finishing shots:

Thanks Joe and Allan!!! I've still got a little touch up here and there and I'll post 'em.

"I can see ! I can see!! " LOLOLOLOL

Thank you as well Joe !!!!

Looks awesome!

I can almost hear the car saying "I can see!" Looking real good every step. Can't wait to see the glamor shots.

Great work on the restoration Joe. You have certainly breathed some new life into it.

Ok. I finally got the headlamp assys completed. I got complete with the passengers side lamp and started on the drivers side. While trying to glue the lens in place I dropped it into a drop of clear parts glue and blemished the outside of it. I dropped into a small bottle of Windex and stripped off the Future and started over with it. A while later I was able to finish the drivers headlamp assy off. I also managed to paint the hood sections last night and this morning were dry enough to fit on for pics. After 30 years the original blue has faded and is noticeable here.
You know, this model will certainly never be one of my best nor will it ever be in a model show however I look on this one with the mindset of it was one of the stepping stones toward getting better as well as admiring the fact that it's survived all these years.

A couple more finishing touches to go and I'll get some glamour shots of the ol' mule. BTW I have since fixed that utterly disgusting gap between the front fender and the drivers side step as well as the 3/16" offset towards the passengers side of the body mount on the frame. Took some patience but I got it. The glamour shots will reflect this change.

Thanks Allan! I hear you on the sturdier installation. Mirrors seem to fall off alot less with this method when even nudged.

the differences are noticeable once you point that out. Nice work!

I do the drill and pin method too, although I do it to ensure sturdy installation. Repeated re-attachments/repairs could also mar paint jobs.

Got to work on the stock hood. I didn't like the side panels so I cut 'em off....





and both sides ready for washing, priming and paint....



I also started working on the headlights. The replacement kit came with tinted brown headlights. I didn't much care for that so I stole some out of that Boss 429 Mustang kit that I stole the engine out of for my F-100. I trimmed em up and applied some Future over the lenses. No pics but you'll see the results here in a week or so.

Ok I'm back with a few updates on this rascal. I have done a lot to this thing even though it doesn't really look like I did a thing. The side steps have been touched up with a fresh light coat of black as have the rear bumper mounts. I put the body on and it was an act of Congress to get that to happen as all the years of heat damage have warped the crap out of this model.......but......I got it. It fits terribly and there's just only so much I can do. I installed the rear bumper, door handles and fuel cap. I've painted replacement headlight buckets that will be set aside to dry/ gas out for the next two weeks.
I did drill into the body and into the headlight buckets so I could pin them in place. I don't know about anybody else here but getting stuff like outside rearview mirrors and externally mounted headlights mounted on the body is like dancing with the devil. If you slip up and "miss" the target glue point with the part then you risk screwing up a nice paint job. I pin 'em for an exact fit so I don't have to worry about this.
I'm working just as hard on this thing to keeping it true to my original build as I am modifying my decked out kits so if this aint perfect , there's reason. I wanted at least one "restored" model depicting my skills then vs. these days.
The recent pics...

Thanks Allan. It was a nifty little trick to use.

Well I worked on the engine a little today. I'm going to replace the exhaust but I'm trying to stick as close to my building style back then as possible. New chrome wheels mandate new chrome exhaust you know. Anyways I did manage to get a couple of test fit shots of most everything together today. The fit of the body onto the chassis is lousy at best. I'll work on it and get everything lined up for when the final assy time comes.