Restomods...

[cmatthewbacon]

I've been thinking, following on from the Brit or Euro cars as kits threads... I have wanted for a few years to build a Singer 911, and I've got very deep into research, but I suddenly had a moment: why do I need to slavishly copy one that exists? I'd still like to make a replica in scale of one of the Singer cars, but I'm going to have more than a few bits left over. Why don't I build my own Outlaw Porsches? Or not-Eagle E-types? Or Alfaholics GTA's? There aren't any rules about building Hot Rods, though believability seems to score as well as artistic flair. So why not Restomods? It's a lot easier (and cheaper) to make the engineering decisions and body mod choices in 1/24 scale and work up your ideal interior and colour scheme than it is in full size. Given how popular the restomod scene is in real life, is it maybe time to make it a genre in car modelling...?

best,

M.

[FG2Si]

I started something similar years ago but with a '59 Cadillac Eldorado. The plan was to give it some Yenko style stripes, some Mag wheels on slightly wider than stock tires and a slightly lowered stance. Still have it somewhere in the stash. 

 

Carl

[Pete in Lincs]

Me too. Twenty years ago in the middle East I was building nothing but American cars.

The kits were cheap out there, and I remember coming home on leave once. and buying half a dozen kits from The Works at about two pounds each.

Almost all were modified in some way, and paints were rattle cans from the car boot. Hours of fun.

Out of the box is boring!

[keefr22]

I've got one or two 'different' Porsches in various stages of 'progress' - but then I rarely build any of my non specific competition cars as the real manufacturer intended, I prefer to imagine them as how I'd have them in my Euromillions win dream garage, so they'll have different interiors, wheels, completely non standard colours, whatever. But does that mean they're restomods though...

 

In the real world if ever I did win the lottery I'd be throwing a bunch of cash at Retropower to build me one of these;

 

https://retropower.co.uk/2018/02/05/millington-diamond-powered-alfa-gt-junior/

 

I keep hoping Tamiya will re-release their Guilia Sprint GTA so I could do something 'similar'

 

(and if anyone with an interest in these types of cars doesn't sub to Retropower's Youtube channel, you should!  )

 

Keith

[Anteater]

Oh yes, Retropower would be getting my money, if I had any. 

 

I had a chat at the 2019 Dukeries with the dude who commissioned the Chevette HSR from Retropower. The attention to detail is exceptional but what sticks in the mind is the very clever optical illusion of a monochrome car in a full colour world. Ignoring the rear end where the required red lights and yellow number plate gives the game away, but from the front and sides it looks for all the world like a photoshop effect (but it really isn't). See the "RRG" gallery from Shelsley to see what I mean:

 

https://retropower.co.uk/2018/02/05/chevette-hsr-tarmac-rally-car/

[Sabrejet]

19 hours ago, cmatthewbacon said:

I've been thinking, following on from the Brit or Euro cars as kits threads... I have wanted for a few years to build a Singer 911, and I've got very deep into research, but I suddenly had a moment: why do I need to slavishly copy one that exists? I'd still like to make a replica in scale of one of the Singer cars, but I'm going to have more than a few bits left over. Why don't I build my own Outlaw Porsches? Or not-Eagle E-types? Or Alfaholics GTA's? There aren't any rules about building Hot Rods, though believability seems to score as well as artistic flair. So why not Restomods? It's a lot easier (and cheaper) to make the engineering decisions and body mod choices in 1/24 scale and work up your ideal interior and colour scheme than it is in full size. Given how popular the restomod scene is in real life, is it maybe time to make it a genre in car modelling...?

best,

M.

 

@cmatthewbacon - you know that Alpha does a Singer kit in 1/43? I bought one last year and I can heartily recommend. 

[cmatthewbacon]

Thanks @Sabrejet I’ve thought about it. My 1/43 instincts basically run to Heller for a Classic Kit reasons. I’ve got more than enough bits n pieces in 1/24 to do one Singer and a couple of Magnus Walker’s... I just need to get on with them! I’ve also got a couple of builds worth of more or less extreme 1/32 934/5s based on Matchbox donors and a very good multi version slot car body kit, which has enough wings and front end alternatives to adapt several chassis...

best,

M.

[Admiral Puff]

On 1/24/2021 at 4:17 AM, Anteater said:

Oh yes, Retropower would be getting my money, if I had any. 

 

I had a chat at the 2019 Dukeries with the dude who commissioned the Chevette HSR from Retropower. The attention to detail is exceptional but what sticks in the mind is the very clever optical illusion of a monochrome car in a full colour world. Ignoring the rear end where the required red lights and yellow number plate gives the game away, but from the front and sides it looks for all the world like a photoshop effect (but it really isn't). See the "RRG" gallery from Shelsley to see what I mean:

 

https://retropower.co.uk/2018/02/05/chevette-hsr-tarmac-rally-car/

Nice, but I have to say that I prefer the Gordon Murray escort ...

[Work In Progress]

 

On 1/22/2021 at 10:24 PM, cmatthewbacon said:

Given how popular the restomod scene is in real life, is it maybe time to make it a genre in car modelling

 

This is a good idea and one I should adopt. I have an early Mercedes R129 500SL, and both the Revell and Tamiya R129 kits.

 

For some reason I often seem to end up driving the car as much in the winter months with the hard-top on than in the summer as a convertible. I have often thought it would be a nice thing to own in a fixed-head configuration, adopting a completely different approach to the rear bodywork, with a tailgate.  I'd borrow design philosophy from the early Scimitar GTE (another extremely handy car I owned and enjoyed for many years) or, for the Scandi take on the same notion, the Volvo P1800ES. 

 

I would rework the interior by eliminating the absolutely massive well into which the convertible hood retracts, and having all that additional interior space available to enhance the currently pitiful and unusable rear seat space, and perhaps enlarge the (already surprisingly good) boot a bit too. Rear headroom would be improved by running the roofline higher for longer as it goes rearwards, and then have a deep glass tailgate.

 

This is evidently not something I'm not ever going to attempt IRL so I may as well try it in model form.

[DreamGarage]

Seems the aftermarket parts to modify are almost as expensive as the kits. Or am I just looking in the wrong places?

[Tyas]

I always wanted to do Singer restomodding for 964 kits. I thing I once saw a post of one, but those resin transkit are beyond the reach of my wallet, as well as unavailable anywhere within 500km radius...