Custom 70’s Vette

This started as an MPC Street Fever Vette. A very good friend gave it to me; it was complete, unpainted and (poorly) partially assembled. It came apart with only minor damage (all repairable) to a few parts.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05451_zpswtacdkhi.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05451_zpswtacdkhi.jpg.html)
The opening for the grill is probably the worst damage to the body, but not a real problem. The rear panel has some glue smears, but a minor issue as well.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05452_zpsbk1bmgjx.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05452_zpsbk1bmgjx.jpg.html)
I decided to go curbside. After I cleaned up the body and cut out the “scoop” in the hood I reinforced a few spots inside the body and cemented the hood on.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05453_zpsilr4jibl.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05453_zpsilr4jibl.jpg.html)
Next it was just a case of trueing the body, (typical ‘70s tooling), scribing in the panel lines to be more uniform and sanding off molded in details like the Corvette scripts.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05454_zpsvu7roc4x.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05454_zpsvu7roc4x.jpg.html)
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05455_zpsiwfohzue.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05455_zpsiwfohzue.jpg.html)
I plan to go with some type of metal-flake paint job. I have a few bottles of original Testors Metal Flake colors that seem appropriate.

I set up the stance and ride height with wire axles and brass tubing. I intend to use the kit’s tires, but not the turbine style rims. I also want it to sit a lot lower than the way the kit builds. I had to hog out the rear chassis and inner wheel wells to make room for the tires.
I had these resin wheels I cast laying around and they have bosses for wire axles molded to them. I probably will not use these wheels, at least not without some added machined rims to make them deeper. Right now I’m leaning towards Daisy’s.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05456_zpshpagig91.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05456_zpshpagig91.jpg.html)

This is the simplified/salvaged chassis. Just enough suspension pieces hanging down to give the look of something being there from the top.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05463_zpsmgxsxnhf.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05463_zpsmgxsxnhf.jpg.html)

Recover it! Good luck, we looking forward to see your build.

I cast a bunch of wheels in a couple styles and offsets for a friend and I decided on the Daisy’s from those for this project. They were cast modularly (each of these are two pieces in the photo) and these would normally make 15 x 8s, but I will add another rim section to the back and make them 15 x 10s.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05923_zpsv1xs0bgw.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05923_zpsv1xs0bgw.jpg.html)

I decided on a green, but not the Testor’s Jade Green I had been leaning towards.
I test shot this Tamiya TS-20 over an olive green and didn’t like the coarse look of the metallic. Over yellow it looked much finer. It still needs another couple coats and I might tweak the shade to be a bit louder after I see how it looks with full coverage.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05924_zpsu9gfopal.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05924_zpsu9gfopal.jpg.html)

Full coverage of the metallic green and I decided it did not need to be brighter to go with the black graphics I came up with.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05926_zps6qpskvxw.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05926_zps6qpskvxw.jpg.html)
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05927_zpsnje25mwp.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05927_zpsnje25mwp.jpg.html)
The tires from the kit were salvageable.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05925_zpsk7solhe0.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05925_zpsk7solhe0.jpg.html)

The interior was the most “glue-bombed” part of the kit that I am using. I pried it apart, painted it and tried to reassemble it a bit truer than it was.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05939_zps6avakr9i.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05939_zps6avakr9i.jpg.html)

Cleared…
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05943_zpsczcscymn.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05943_zpsczcscymn.jpg.html)
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05944_zpsmbytnrz2.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05944_zpsmbytnrz2.jpg.html)

The interior and chassis are stuffed into it.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05972_zpshovdi3ku.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05972_zpshovdi3ku.jpg.html)

The wheels are under it. Final stretch, it will be done soon. It just needs the windshield, roof and a final waxing.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q280/BigRulerModels/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05973_zps1x3q3jxr.jpg (http://s138.photobucket.com/user/BigRulerModels/media/Custom%2070s%20Vette/DSC05973_zps1x3q3jxr.jpg.html)

nice progress!

Very cool!