AMT/Matchbox 1.16 1957 Chevrolet rag top.

[TonyW]

A part built 1.16 scale Matchbox PK7504 1957 Chevrolet rag top is the latest on my bench. It's going to take a fair bit of rescuing!  It will make a change of pace from the tanks and planes currently surrounding me.

 

 

 

An Ebay buy, intended for the Matchbox group build here. That brilliant idea fell at the first fence, the kits AMT origins barring it from the build. Not to worry, it will slot in here just fine.  A mild, mid sixties custom is the plan for it at the moment. These things have a habit of changing though, so don't hold me to it.

 

First job is to sort out the rolling stock. I'm not a fan of standard '57 Chevy hubcaps so they are non starters. The optional Cragar SS rims in the kit are really nice and good for around 1964 onward. They will get used. The rubber is problematic. The wide Cragars stretch the standard tires a bit much. They can be made to work though, even if they might look a bit skinny on the back. The redline I've applied below pushes all my buttons so this may well be the way to go here. The line was applied with a thinline POSCA red pen, No15 in the range. The pen will lay down an opaque 0.7mm line almost effortlessly.

I've also tried to save the terrible looking wide Goodyear radials that AMT/Matchbox intended for the Cragars. I've removed all the lumpy script lettering and a good chunk of the heavily embossed outer edge. 400 to 1000 wet and dry paper and a bit of slicing with an Exacto blade made short work of the ugliness.  It looks a whole lot better now. The modified tire is centre stage below with the stocker to its right. The modified tire is also a contender for the build. I have a spare set of AMT/Matchbox Thunderbird wheels and tires somewhere. They might give me a slot mag option as well. I'll have to find them first!

It's early days yet, let's see how it all pans out as it comes together.

 

 

[Thud4444]

Are you building a SEDCO Black Widow tribute car?

 

If you are going for a mid sixties look,  that was the double and triple white wall era. There where red walled tires but they where red and white walled in the mid sixties. (Like what Ford offered on the Thunderbird) As far as I know, the single red stripe first appeared in (I think) 68 as an option on high end GM cars. I've been told that the aftermarket had red stripes in late 67, but that's kind of a chicken and the egg thing. Unfortunately the red stripe was quickly made out of style by the more aggressive looking white letter wheels of the very late 60's. A little known fact Ford made a blue walled tire and one aftermarket firm made a gold walled racing tire. If you had some orginal gold walls, they would be worth almost as much as the entire car!

 

[TonyW]

The SEDCO car is a stunner. I'm not sure a convertible suits the race car style though. A two door post model, with base side trim is a thing of beauty though.

 

You are right about the timeline for redline tires. That limits me somewhat. First thoughts were along the lines of a Larry Watson type paintjob or a straight candy over metallic. The car will be lowered somewhat and built kerbside. If I'm not too firm with myself over a date for the build, I guess I can do anything really!

 

I'll get the painted parts of the car into a gallon of bleach, then into primer and start mocking up different settups. 

 

In the film Two Lane Blacktop you can see the pair of racers loading Goodyear blue line tires into the '55's trunk after a street race. A tiny detail, but good to see.

[DieterRewitzky]

I have three of these kits in my stash, all Ebay purchases.

Kit 1 moulded in baby blue, completely assembled, UNPAINTED!!!!

Kit 2 moulded in white, incomplete, using as a parts car for kit 1.

Kit 3 moulded in black, complete, unassembled.

 

Plans are Kit 1 & 2 build up as a custom rod.

Kit 3 build up as an original car.

[Thud4444]

Really the sky's the limit with cars from that era. And a candy apple red Bel Air is always lovely. 

 

 I've always loved a Larkspur Blue car. They just scream the 50s to me.

 

 

Alot of cars where repainted Hugger Orange in the 60s.

 

 

And belive it or not but Bermuda Coral, a Lincoln color, was popular in the 70s and again in the 90's. 

 

 

Yea, that's pink.

 

 

 

 

[TonyW]

The Hugger Orange one is very nice, although those wheels would have to go.

 

Here's a hardtop that floats my boat...

 

 

It's from a January 1974 copy of Street Rodder. I had the picture on my bedroom wall at the time and still like the car today. Raised all round and perfectly proportioned wheels and tires. Lovely stuff. The look won't transfer to a soft top though.

 

Here's one that's getting close...

 

 

A really cool sit to it. It would carry over to a convertible without any problem. The sidepipes can go, the custom grill can stay. A bit of fine tuning on the wheels and tires and we might have a goer here!