A happy New Year to you all. Welcome to my little pocket of space/time weirdness! Fancy, it’s 2025 already? I feel like I’m still in 1970.
Last year I began with ‘Anomaly Street’ showing the outliers among my models. This year in CC-in-scale I thought I’d begin the year by giving you an idea of what I have planned. A tasting plate, you might say.
Most internet modelling groups have special builds during the course of the year. Some have one every month! I’ll probably be involved in two at least, though probably not the 24 hour one over the Daytona weekend. I’ll just have to look on this year. But for one of those that I do, I’ll take you along so to speak, showing you how I build a model from opening the box to the finished product. I’ve chosen the subject (above), and mapped out a plan of attack. I’ll wait till the model is finished, then write up the story. So far I’m thinking of a stockish build but for a wheel swap. The hood is a separate part, but no engine is provided. Do I hunt down a Toyota six, squeeze in an SBC or SBF, or just glue it shut? Decisions….
At some stage we’ll take a look at the Classics. They’re not a major area of enthusiasm for me, but I should be able to round up enough for a feature. There’s this Duesenberg Torpedo Phaeton on my back bench; I was building it for a group build but health got in the way. I’ll finish it first, then include it.
And I intend equal time for the old non-classics. I’ll have to check what I’ve already shown. Some appeared in my Woodward story, but there are many more that I’ve built stock. Somehow I’ve always been more interested in the ordinary people’s cars than the famed and fabled exotica. All have a place here.
And at some stage we’ll look at newer Exotics. I’m not up with all the latest Ferraris, Lambos and McLarens, preferring the ‘classic exotics’ but once again I think I can find enough. They’ve never been a major interest of mine. I have a Ferrari 275 GTB-4 on the back bench; I’ll wait till I’ve finished that. Might as well get my latest builds in the story.
We’ll also take a look at muscle cars. Of course. I was 14 when this came out. Like most, I was captivated by the style and the sheer power. Things such as build quality and fuel economy never entered my head. With a model fuel economy is a non-issue, and the build quality is up to me.
If we look at muscle cars, we also have to look at pony cars. I haven’t yet thought how I’ll approach this. I might do one story just Mustangs, and a separate one for Others. But then I have so many Mustangs, from ’65 to ’13, so maybe I’ll do just the ’64-’73 models as a first story.
Classic big American cars; call them land yachts, call them luxury cars. As I write this, I think I might to have enough for a story, but I’ll have to check and see. Off the top of my head I can think of two Lincolns, two Cadillacs and a few Buicks, a Chrysler or two.
Sporty coupes should be easy. I could probably do a story on Celicas alone. Throw in a few Preludes and sixties Isuzus, some rotary Mazdas, with cameo appearances from an Alfa or two. But would an Alfa require a separate Sports Car category? Probably, and we could do that too.
El Caminos and Rancheros would make an interesting theme. I might have to expand it to all smallish pickups. Once again, it depends on the numbers.
Of course, this brings us to ‘real’ pickups. I’ve shown some older ones before, so perhaps this story could be from the later sixties forward.
I could maybe do SUVs if you insist; I might even have enough.
Then we get into off-roaders. This Jeep is an obvious fit, but a lifted 4WD pickup? An off-road-equipped SUV? It gets confusing…
Then there’s vans, like this ’37 Ford. I’ve built a whole series of these with different vintage logos. They’d make for a colourful story.
And we’ll take a look at several eras. The forties and early fifties come to mind. Maybe not enough models of each individual year, but we could put a few together.
And individual years; there’s plenty to choose from in the ’55 to ’75 era. Some years, like 1970 and ’71 I might have to split and run over several weeks.
Newer cars like this Evo X might get a look in; I don’t build too many newer cars though.
What else could we do? Some of the older Japanese cars maybe? Perhaps a story on the Japanese four door hardtop? Italian cars? Those famous Austro-German cars? I’m sure some of you will think of a category I haven’t mentioned. And when I look through my files, I’m sure to find things that don’t fit any of these categories! Guess that means a Random Sightings sort of story. We can do that.
So that’s something of what’s in store from CC-in-scale for 2025. Enough varied themes there to do us through until July at least.
We’re in for an amazing flight this year.
I’d better get busy! See you again in a couple of weeks.
You must have one helluva model shelf in your house… Nice builds on some cool metal, (plastic), as it were… Looking forward to new year postings… Bring em on…!!!
Thanks Tom. Just did a count, and I have 68 on display. This week. I’ve done several features on my display areas. I don’t have the technical nous to post a link here, (Rich handles that ‘backstage’ stuff for me), but if you click on my name at the heading up top it’ll take you to a listing of everything I’ve written; you can find them there.
Sixty eight on display? I think I have almost that number of unbuilt models stored away. Only not cars but military aircraft and carriers. I don’t know if I will ever get to them while working on the real things.
Around 300 in cabinets for me. Mostly banished to the man cave downstairs.
Sixty eight on display! I must have at least 70 unbuilt models. Only they are military aircraft and Navy carriers. I don’t know if I will ever build them since working on the real thing is more important.
I don’t know how many unbuilt kits I have, but probably enough to see me out. Trouble is, they keep bringing out interesting new ones…..
So many good themes here, and I want to see them all! The beginning to end build story sound particularly fascinating.
Thanks Jeff. I’ve started that Cressida, but my enthusiasm ran away with me (happens a lot) and I forgot to photograph some of the steps! At the moment the body is painted in the main colour. There was a change of plans there, as what had been going to be the base colour Iooked better than I expected. The chassis is all assembled except for the wheels (decisions, decisions!), and I’m just detailing the interior today. Should have that story ready in four to six weeks.
Should be a good year! Thanks Peter.
Looking forward to any and all of them!
Can’t wait!
Looking forward to your coming articles! The ones that caught my eye here are the ’66 Buick Wildcat and the 1949 or ’50 Mercury 2-door.
That Wildcat is an eye-catcher for sure. The dark blue/green avoids the ‘yawn – just another black car’ syndrome, while still being a dark colour to show off all the shiny stuff, and the Wildcat has plenty.
The Merc’s AMT’s old ’49, dating back to 1963. I get the feeling I might be one of the only guys to build two stock ’49 Mercs! And three customs…..
I don’t think there are any good pictures of it, but my grandparents had this two-tone green ’49 Mercury.
All of your articles are enjoyable, but I am particularly looking forward to the Toyota build process piece.
Thanks Dan. As I said to Jeff above, I forgot to photograph some steps (like the individual paint coats), so when I write up the story, the model in some of the photos won’t be the Cressida.
Nice Mercury, very different to the colours I chose. Makes me want to build another one……
Happy New (modelling) Year Peter! I’m back at the bench with a glue bomb restoration. After the worst modelling year I’ve ever had, I’m back enjoying it.
Looking forward to your glorious adornments to this site, Sir.
I momentarily thought that that El Camino was real. Superb.