Used Car Salesman Award
(First Posted September 3, 2013) I had just recently bought my father’s 1979 Chevy Caprice, for what I recall was a very good price. My mother had used this car but was no longer driving. It was identical to my father’s 1978 Caprice save for the F41 suspension which my mother’s car did not have. The deal needed to be commemorated with a suitable award.
At the time we needed a larger car than my wife’s rapidly rusting-away Datsun B210, as our second son had just been born. The Caprice was perfect. As I recall it had a 305 V8 and the metric auto trans. The torque converter predictably blew beets, and the choke pulloffs ceased pulling off, but otherwise it was a reliable car.
The walnut base was the real deal
The windshield text (in real deal Witeout) at one time proclaimed “Low Miles”.
Right Side Beauty
I had fun creating this award, and my Dad got a big kick out of it. He had it in his den from 1984 until his death in 2001.
Ass End
I don’t recall there being any ‘79 Caprices available in model kits. This ‘64 Impala was an AMT 1/25th unit, and obviously was available. I don’t think that I used my air brush or Unger soldering iron since then.
Need to make some more awards.
Love it. What an incredible feeling it must be to have your father cherish something you gave (or did for) him.
If you ever need a parts car, I have a survivor barn-find rat-rod ultra-rare unbuilt red factory 409 1/25 ’64 Impala AMT kit I’ll let go for cheap today only. No money down, 30 days same-as-cash. Slight blemish on box* Will haul to crusher tomorrow if no takers. Make offer. No lowballers, Money talk$
I gotta stop looking at Craigslist & E-bay ads…
*was underwater at some point
Well, at least the ’64 WAS the right color at some point…
This one hits me on two levels. First, I built a model kit of a black 41 Continental with red interior and made a walnut base. My father had always loved the 41 Connie that had been an ultra status symbol in his youth, and kept it on display in his office until he retired. He eventually gave it back to me before he died.
On the second level was I once built a model beater. I had a kit of a 70 Ford Galaxie 500 police car that I had muffed up somehow. I decided to turn it into a model beater. Glue-softened plastic could be dug out to make rust holes or bent to simulate collision damage. Then, I masked off and sprayed a body panel or two in different colors. I topped it off with a buddy’s model railroad paints which simulated rust, dirt, and a bunch of other stuff. I still have that one somewhere. It would make a great award, now that you mention it.
Three levels, actually – I built that AMT kit of the 64 Impala SS. I did mine in navy blue with a white top and white interior. If some of my posts seem out there, I think it may have something to do with all of the model glue I inadvertently inhaled as a kid while building those kits in my bedroom.
A friend built a 64 Chev from filler, he did a good job of it and the finish was ok better than that model it looked like a used car rather than a rust bucket.
Very sweet story behind this award. Your custom work on the model was very good. Until I read the story, I would have assumed that this was the product of a trophy company that was making awards for a demo derby.
I tried making an “accident” model once. The gas stove was a little too aggressive. So was my mother afterwards.
Ha ha! I tried flattening out a warped 45 rpm record in a frying pan once – that didn’t work too well, either!
But after that you knew for sure that records couldn’t be flattened in a frying pan. It was a learning experience.
Looks just like a 10 yr old car in salty NE Illinois at the time. I was from the west coast and wondered where all the old cars were when I arrived in the midwest. I soon learned.
Great model!
I remember that in the early ’70s body shops would unbolt damaged fenders from VWs and repair them…while the Bug drove on. So it was a common sight a Beetle without one fender, or even without two, one front and one rear. I can’t imagine how the traffic authority would let them go with only one light, but that was how it was in Uruguay at the time.
8 year old me had a Lesney ’70 or ’71 white Beetle, and decided it should look damaged. So I took a hammer and an awl and semi succesfully removed a front fender, damaging the front suspension as well. It was all for the better, I could play with a crashed VW….
One of the first models I attempted was one of the battleship Arizona. As I recall it was a Christmas gift but in any case it was too difficult for my limited skills and non-existent patience. I finally did get it assembled but it was ratty (to say the least) and in no way resembled one of the Navy’s warships. After looking at it on a shelf in my bedroom I decided that the Arizona should be put to rest. I didn’t have any body of water to sink the ship in but did cut a couple of holes in the deck, stuff some firecrackers into the holes, and then lit the fuses. A couple of seconds later the Arizona was no more.
That is awesome!
What a cool thing to do! As a model builder myself I can appreciate the work that went into that. It’s easy to build a new car from a model kit, but very hard to do a convincing beater – it’s all too easy to go too far.
Man, I miss Kevin’s stories. Although I never met him, I think I can safely say he was a good guy…
Reminds me of someone else’s car I know
https://www.google.com/search?q=cheech+and+chong&prmd=ivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwja_ICe5urkAhXkKqYKHf0XAxoQ_AUIGCgB#imgrc=PsFInk7Yt2KO5M