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Post by Mr.409 on Mar 7, 2018 10:57:36 GMT -5
Here's another one of my older builds, I finished it in 2011. The project started when my dad's workmate gave me a "Junkyard Lot" of some of his old models, as he knew that I had been building these for several years. This Monogram '57 Chevy was the only unstarted kit in the lot so it was pretty easy to build. I didn't want to do any bigger modifications on it, I wanted to create something that would be very close to Box Stock, but as always, I had to add some extra detailing to the engine bay. The body was painted with Revell Enamel red shot through an airbrush. No polishing, no clear coat, only a bit of wax was added after paint had dried. Chrome trim was done with BMF. Interior and chassis are very basic, just the kit pieces painted and put together. Engine is also from the kit, but I added some extra detailing and some small parts like a battery and brake master cylinder from my parts box. I remember that this was a fun build and it turned out decent, even though the kit is not the best. I mean that it builds up really nice, but the body shapes are not very correct. Anyway, it's an old classic that I wanted to have on my display cabinet... ![](https://images41.fotki.com/v1661/photos/4/1674554/8819512/P3072167-vi.jpg) ![](https://images54.fotki.com/v1662/photos/4/1674554/8819512/P3072174-vi.jpg) ![](https://images56.fotki.com/v1664/photos/4/1674554/8819512/P3072168-vi.jpg) ![](https://images51.fotki.com/v729/photos/4/1674554/8819512/P3072172-vi.jpg) ![](https://images51.fotki.com/v729/photos/4/1674554/8819512/P3072169-vi.jpg) ![](https://images60.fotki.com/v361/photos/4/1674554/8819512/P3072177-vi.jpg) ![](https://images60.fotki.com/v662/photos/4/1674554/8819512/P3072178-vi.jpg) ![](https://images51.fotki.com/v1654/photos/4/1674554/8819512/P3072180-vi.jpg)
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Post by jffj on Mar 7, 2018 11:21:05 GMT -5
Awesome job 409! 👍👍
Love the stance- totally love it. Can you tell I am dating myself? 😋
Period perfect, wheels, tires, etc. 🏆
John
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Post by Mr.409 on Mar 12, 2018 13:13:13 GMT -5
Thanks John! I wanted to have just that stance, to make this thing look like someone built it when the kit came out. I like these old Monogram kits, even though they are fairly simple, they build up really well.
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Post by jffj on Mar 12, 2018 13:38:39 GMT -5
I can still appreciate a nicely raked rod 409. You nailed it.
I was blessed to work at an Amoco gas station from 1969-1973, pumping gas, washing the windshield, checking the oil..... Totally old school cool times.
The air shocks were popular back then. Remember them? Well, honest to God, one night I put gas in some kid's 63 Tempest, with the gas filler behind the license plate. His rear bumper was literally 3' off the blacktop. Gas went in really fast.... 😄😂
John
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Post by Mr.409 on Mar 12, 2018 15:37:34 GMT -5
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Post by jffj on Mar 12, 2018 20:53:25 GMT -5
Nice cars 409!
Yeah, I wish I could've made a career of working at the gas station. But the self service started right before I left in '73 to start my 33 year career in the steel mill.
We had two islands at the Amoco station, each had two pumps: one for regular and one for high test. My boss, Ed, was pretty much at the mercy of Amoco, and they changed the far island pumps to self service. They also put an automatic car wash in, eliminating one of Ed's repair bays. Good bye good old days 😥
We were right on a 4 lane highway that had lots of traffic and a 4 bay carwash next to us. I loved sweeping the lot when I worked nights, watching and listening to the local boys racing up & down the highway right in front of me.
A guy who worked at the station too, Rudy, had a sweet, sweet 57, sitting a lot like your build, but on Cragar SSs all around, root beer brown paint, and a black vinyl interior from a 67 Chevelle in it. 283, 4 on the floor. After he started working at the steel mill before I did, he started putting some money in it. Found out his pretty body was mostly putty- got it done up right. Then he pulled the 283, had it bored to 301, cammed, blueprinted, etc- the works. He got laid off around Christmas, just as he got the engine built back up and had no money to get antifreeze...... Yeah, he put plain water in it, cracked the block. I could have bought it for $200 from him. Back then, $200 was like $2500 is now. 😥
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Post by Mr.409 on Mar 13, 2018 14:26:23 GMT -5
Yep, all good things must come to an end I guess... Here in Finland we have one gas station chain that has "refueling service" or what is it called in English. Anyway, it's so that you don't have to do anything and a guy comes to refuel your car. Or at least it should be, I've never seen that happen when I pull over for a refuel...
You said street racing, it's not common anymore either. I know back in the late '70s and early '80s when Hot Rodding became popular here in Finland, there were several famous race spots around here, but not anymore...
That Rudy's '57 sounds like a very cool car! Too bad the engine block got cracked, a common problem around here in the old days as well. It's a shame that these Tri-Five Chevrolets are so expensive nowadays, I'd really like to have 1:1 scale '55 Chevy after I finish my current Chevy II project, but looking at the prices that's not going to happen anytime soon. Unless I find one that is really bad and start with that...
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Post by jffj on Mar 13, 2018 20:19:19 GMT -5
Maybe called "full service" refueling 409.
There might still be a Gulf station near where I used to live that still gives full service. Last I heard, maybe 2-3 years ago, they were still doing so.
I never knew of any official, or legal, race spots, back in the 70s. The area where I worked and lived was close to the Allegheny River, that flows from the north western part of my state Pennsylvania, down to Pittsburgh and below. In the area we had two larger bridges, one just shy of a quarter mile long and the other, the Freeport bridge, just a little longer than a quarter mile. The serious dudes usually raced on the Freeport bridge as it was in the countryside moreso than the shorter one.
We also had "Freeport Hill" that came up from the longer Freeport bridge. Some guys would race that, up the hill. It is steep and long.
Probably in the later 70s, there was supposedly a State Police Trooper driving a Rambler Machine, with the 390ci and tall hood scoop, maybe red, white, and blue(?) who would drive it "undercover" and race some guys. Seemed like he was a good guy/cop, and didn't bust guys unless they were really stupid, unsafe, etc.
Yeah, on the 55. My very first car was a 57 Chevy 4 door, straight 6, three on the tree, vacuum wipers, etc. Mom and Dad bought it for my 15th birthday in 1967 for $75.00. Loved that car, and the straight 6 in it. I would love to have one like it now, or a 53 Corvette with that same straight 6, but upgraded to the Blue Flame model with the 3 sidedraft carbs. Probably not too many $$$$ difference in the two, and more than I could afford.
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Post by TooOld on Mar 14, 2018 8:11:24 GMT -5
The body being a bit off never bothered me with this kit because for a very basic kit it builds up nicely and yours is excellent , very clean and it's got the look I remember from high school . I think every car I owned back then had air shocks installed to jack it up !
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Post by Mr.409 on Mar 16, 2018 4:08:29 GMT -5
Thanks for the kind words Bob! I appreciate them!
John, the race spots around here were not legal either, but most of the American Car Guys knew them very well. Around here pretty close to where I live there is a bridge that happened to be exactly 1/4 Mile long. It leads to a harbor area so at nights three wasn't much traffic in there. So it was a perfect race spot. There were several similar spots around Finland, but nowadays pretty much no one is doing Street Racing anymore...
The Rambler Machine sounds very cool. Those are nice cars!
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