'64 Impala SS Convertible Revell

Installed missing mirror and convertable mech interior panels and decided that it did need an antenna sice it is so ovious on these.

If looking at my parents cars there are probably another 10 or so I could add but they were not "memorable" ones for me personally. Both my parents were "car people" but since there was little money most were pretty rough. At one point my dad had 3 identical early ranger pickups and whichever one he could get to start was what got the plates put on it. 

Many of those cars that I owned overlapped and I would drive whichever suited my needs or desires at that time. Some I only had for a short time before I got bored or smething else caught my eye. They were all daily (or semi daily) drivers that were already well worn when I got them so that is how they will be modeled. Well, other than the FRS and Hakone that is. They are the only two cars that were new (or even close) when I bought them. 

Holy Cow!  What an awesome list of vehicles.  So many of my personal favorite cars on that list too.  Can't wait to see the rest of the builds!

tjs

MR TOM SCHRY

WOW!  What a beautiful model of a very special car.  I really like all of the personal touches that you employed in this build, hood color, chassis weathering,etc.  I have to say that you have had some great vehicles over the years!

tjs

 

Thanks!

It is my goal to complete all the important or cool cars in my life as they were then (or at least how I remeber them) and I have barely even scratched the surface yet so stay tuned.

My list doesn't even include many of the mundane drivers owned for 2 months and thrown away cars such as a Maverick, early 80s Chevy Citation and 74 Delta 88 four door or some buy and flip ones like a 64 Skylark or 64 Meteor

In stash I have 

1958 Nomad Stationwagon - Mine (have gathered all the parts but huge project)

1966 Corvair - Mine (started)

1970 Coronet R/T - Mine (almost done)

1977 Ford van - Mine (started)

2014 Scion FRS - Mine (started)

2020 Toyota GT86 Hakone -Mine

1965 Chevy Stepside - Dad's (started)

Still looking for kits that I know were/are made

1964 Karmann Ghia - Mine

1962 VW Van - Dad's 

1964 1/2 Mustang - Mom's

1966 T-Bird - Mom's 

1976 Gremlin - Wife's

1976 Pacer - Wife's

Ones I have little hope of ever getting but may be able to convert something:

1991 Eagle Talon TSi - Mine

1974 Chevy Cheyenne Duelly - Dad's

1973 Datsun B210 - Wife's

1958 Ford Custom 300 two door - Mine

1992 Geo Metro convertible - Mine (very customized)

1956 Chevy 4 door hardtop - Mine

WOW!  What a beautiful model of a very special car.  I really like all of the personal touches that you employed in this build, hood color, chassis weathering,etc.  I have to say that you have had some great vehicles over the years!

tjs

Another story told by the finishe model. It is hard to tell in the pictures because it just looks like lighting but if you look really closely at the hood you will see it is slightly lighter than the rest of the body.

This picture shows it best against the drivers side fender.

This is because I added a drop of white to the paint when I did the hood in a deliberate  replication of my real car (the cat hair in the picture is not authentic to the real car).  A few weeks after I got the car my dad put a bottle of brake fluid on the hood while working on his car next to it in the driveway.  Of course he knocked it over and didn't notice. Since brake fluid and fresh enamel paint do not play well together there was a nice bubbled trail leading to the grill. He had it repainted by the same place that "restored" it but after about 6 months it had faded slightly. I lived with it and was probably the only person that ever noticed. I did get an Earl Scheib $69 paint job not long before I stopped driving it though!

MarkJK

Excellent job, Tcoat. The weathering is perfect for a super realistic look. Looks exactly like a 1:1 version of this car. You should be very proud of your accomplisnment with this build. I had a 63 Super Sport chevy that was maroon that your build makes me think about . It was my second car I had ever purchased and I had just graduated from high school. It was 6 years old when I bought it for 900 dollars.Great memorys with that car.

 

Well I do have stories!

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 stationed 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.

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.

About 5 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 (see other build theard on forum) 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 Bran 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.

Tanker-Builder

I was reviewing;

        I have always liked the 64. Now that said. I was disappointed when they changed something and the Model companies followed suit. Originally, based on the one I saw at Gillogly Chevrolet in Buffalo New York, there was a noticeable trim difference between the Half year period upgrade.

      The "ORIGINAL SS" had a thin trim strip with a recessed color line all around the side cove. It made the car stand out for sure, then at the half-year point of production they went to the Ugly(to me anyway) straight spear above the cove. I thought it ruined the look. BUT, the whole automobile is still handsome. I guess the change was to make it look less "Dainty" which to me it never did anyway.

 

I have never seeen a '64 SS with anything but the wide spear with the "holographic" silver and white center. I know the the straight Impala had the narrow trim around the side cove but didn't know the SS ever had it. 

I was reviewing;

        I have always liked the 64. Now that said. I was disappointed when they changed something and the Model companies followed suit. Originally, based on the one I saw at Gillogly Chevrolet in Buffalo New York, there was a noticeable trim difference between the Half year period upgrade.

      The "ORIGINAL SS" had a thin trim strip with a recessed color line all around the side cove. It made the car stand out for sure, then at the half-year point of production they went to the Ugly(to me anyway) straight spear above the cove. I thought it ruined the look. BUT, the whole automobile is still handsome. I guess the change was to make it look less "Dainty" which to me it never did anyway.

       Oh one more thing-"See the USA in your Chevrolet" was what got me into those cars. Dinah Shore sang the song in her show intro because Chevy was one of her sponsors. Now  I close with a question. Which famous Chevrolet's, Sale price with Tax,! added up to a dollar a pound. Any Takers?

Excellent job, Tcoat. The weathering is perfect for a super realistic look. Looks exactly like a 1:1 version of this car. You should be very proud of your accomplisnment with this build. I had a 63 Super Sport chevy that was maroon that your build makes me think about . It was my second car I had ever purchased and I had just graduated from high school. It was 6 years old when I bought it for 900 dollars.Great memorys with that car.

Annnnnd.... Done

MarkJK

Well, it sure looks good from where I'm sitting. But you have to satisfy yourself for sure.

 

It does look better in person than the pictures so maybe I just need to stop nitpicking what the lens shows and just believe my eyes. I just know I could do better now that I have had some practice. 

Well, it sure looks good from where I'm sitting. But you have to satisfy yourself for sure.

MarkJK

 Wow, that is looking so real. Excellent job so far.

 

Thanks! I am 100% happy with the interior, engine and chassis but only 75% satisfied with the body and trim. This was my first go at gloss paint and Bare Metal Foil on car trim about 2 years ago and it is not my best work. This project keeps getting pushed aside while I learn some car modeling techniques and gain experience. Even after reworking them 4 times the taillights are still just shapeless blobs on the back of the car so I am most certainly going to scratch build them after I get the right materials. I will see how it looks once I get the grill, bumpers and top tonneau cover on it but may just end up striping all the trim and paint and starting over on the body..   

Tcoat

Almost there!

 

Wow, that is looking so real. Excellent job so far.

Tcoat

 

 

MarkJK

Thanks, but that wont work for me. I'm strictly a brush painter. Thats why I like future .

 

 

 

 

You can use Tamiya X-21 flat base mixed with Future to knock the gloss down for brush painting. It doesn't take much. 

 

Thanks, I have some vallejo flat varnish that is acrylic. I might try that on an old body.

Almost there!

MarkJK

Thanks, but that wont work for me. I'm strictly a brush painter. Thats why I like future .

 

You can use Tamiya X-21 flat base mixed with Future to knock the gloss down for brush painting. It doesn't take much. 

Thanks, but that wont work for me. I'm strictly a brush painter. Thats why I like future .

MarkJK

 

 

Tcoat

 

 

MarkJK

Great job turning this hardtop into a convertible. What are you going to use for your testors silver chrome paint when you run out of your current bottle. I hear testors is no longer with us. I too use it for my interior chrome pieces. 

 

 

 

 

 

I use so little my curret bottle will probably last me years yet. Then most likly Alclad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tcoat, did you say that you added something to the future to make it less glossy and more satin looking?  I need something to put over a black car to make it a satin finish instead of a glossy one.

 

 

I don't add anything to the Future but just give it a mist coat of Tester's Dullcoat. One light coat will knock the shine down but not make it completly flat

Tcoat

 

 

MarkJK

Great job turning this hardtop into a convertible. What are you going to use for your testors silver chrome paint when you run out of your current bottle. I hear testors is no longer with us. I too use it for my interior chrome pieces. 

 

 

 

 

 

I use so little my curret bottle will probably last me years yet. Then most likly Alclad.

 

 

Tcoat, did you say that you added something to the future to make it less glossy and more satin looking?  I need something to put over a black car to make it a satin finish instead of a glossy one.

I really don't know where to begin with this build. Perfection around every corner.

BTW.....I definitely am in agreement with you in regard to kit chrome brutha.

This is fantastic.  The brightwork on the interior looks awesome.  Great job.

Thanks, guys. 

MarkJK

Great job turning this hardtop into a convertible. What are you going to use for your testors silver chrome paint when you run out of your current bottle. I hear testors is no longer with us. I too use it for my interior chrome pieces. 

 

 

I use so little my curret bottle will probably last me years yet. Then most likly Alclad.

MarkJK:

     As far as I know Testors Div. Of Rusteoleum is still producing paint. The only line they dropped that I Know of is ModelMaster!

Great job turning this hardtop into a convertible. What are you going to use for your testors silver chrome paint when you run out of your current bottle. I hear testors is no longer with us. I too use it for my interior chrome pieces. 

Great job Tcoat. The underside is fantastic with the detailing you did.

GlennH

That is exactly the car my mom had same colors too but hers was a convertable.

 

The red on red was very popular in the SS line. Many of the survivors are that combo.

Thanks for your scanned pictures! You have set me on a path for a new project as I used a similar loader in the identical manner as your pictures. A few (not a lot) years later, training fire only and for Canada but same job.