Rusty's not very quiet cuda progress

Don't drink coffee but hot chocolate is great. I hear you on scary. My daughter in law works in the lab at LHSC. Been retired myself for 9 1/2 years. Wasn't bad but this sh!!t gets you stir crazy.
 
There's a lot of hours in the day to fill, if I ever finish the pick up, I'll be forced to start on the other 'Cuda out of sheer boredom if nothing else, was waiting for the money from the 73 to plow back into the 74. On retirement at least my timing was good, with all that's going on, did a video conference with a good part of the family today, my nephews wife just had a baby girl & the grandmas can't even hold her, this is nuts, I miss my grandsons too!
 
I got back into scale model building to help pass the time and deal with some of the need to keep my hands busy. A relatively inexpensive hobby, those little bastards are sometimes harder than the 1:1 scale cars! :)
Have around 50ish unbuilt kits, probably half of which are already painted and ready for the glue sniffing, with maybe 60 or 70 built cars & trucks in the display cabinet.
I did have a little bit of a side business going, building and selling replicas to car owners. A few guys appreciated the time and skill level demanded, and the accompanying price point, but many more thought $75 should be the going rate for "a toy car". Still do one or two a year, but I don't actively market them anymore.
 
Been toying with HO trains, started with dad's collection.....................002.jpg
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then I built a layout in a spare room (no real basement here) but I moved my mother in this year so the train room is now Mom's room. Most of the trains are again stored in the attic. B units 013.JPG
For about 3 years now I buy junk lots of mostly engines on ebay, tinker with them & sell em off, not really a money maker but it keeps me busy, I set myself up a spot in the garage to work on them at least, but that cuts out the dead of winter when I need em the most. DSC06115.JPGDSC06114.JPGBottom shelf under the work area & middle kinda sprawls around to the back bench all train stuff.
Right now I'm working on a batch of 41 that I got last week! DSC06324.JPG
That's part of them...........
 
Nice!
When Dan was much smaller (he's 6'4" and 220lbs now), we briefly had a HO layout in the basement. Nothing big, nothing rare, just a fun set-up. Then Dan discovered video games... :( I kept it for awhile, but other things pulled my interest away so we sold it off. Wish I'd have kept it...
 
Two of my most recent builds...
Finished the Dodge truck before the world fell apart. The '50 Ford was two weeks ago.
 

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If you're doing replicas for hire, Mr. Resto, I'd be interested in one of my Challenger. Yes, I'm fully aware of what just the kit for a '72-'74 Challenger brings these days, at least a decent one. I also know what 68R/T's replica cost (but I'll never tell).
 
That's quite the collection Rusty. Mike, those look like the work you used to put out of your shop. All the care and detail you did on the 1:1 can be seen in these models.
 
I have a '70 Challenger kit somewhere, if that would help anyone out. Was going to make a vanishing point replica, but been too busy.
 
Doc, send me the particulars of your car. The particulars when it's finished, not in it's current state... though that state would be easier... ;)
 
The first 2 I did some tears ago ..........slimer3croppedmodels_0939.jpgtopanglecroppedmodels_0935.jpg

This one is more recent, a higher shill level kit, I'm amazed I only ruined the wind shield with glue, made my own & saved the model DSCN0597.JPGDSCN0601.JPGDSCN0603.JPGDSCN0606.JPGDSCN0610.JPG
 
Rusty, is the '74 going to be the same color as the '73?

Prepare your wallet if you're going to look for a '73-'74 'Cuda model it. If they're anything like the Challenger stuff, they're about 40-50 times what I paid for 'em as a kid!
 
I always picked up mine at the hobby shop (long gone now) I won't go crazy if I run across one cheap enough I'll get it.

The 74 is a B5 blue car, was blue inside but like nine different blues, if I can save the seats I'll go black & blue inside, outside will be B5, gotta be cheaper than anything red!
 
Yeah, reds are brutal. In our premium line (Sikkens) at the old store, body-shop cost on the Inferno Red I'd picked for my old LeBaron was almost $1,500/gallon. My cost on it was in the upper-$800 range, which gives you a good idea of the markup on paint. Yes, it's that bad on all brands in all their various price levels: Sikkens/Lesonal/U-Tech, Dupont/Nason, PPG/Omni--doesn't matter--toners or mixed.

That's why they freely give away sticks, strainers, and paint cups. ;)
 
Well this repaint was to net me a couple a grand more, went to PPG & it was 1200 a gal & they couldn't even mix the original code I bought there 7 or 8 years ago, no guarantee on a match, with clear I would have been close to that 2k, just not worth it, talked to a friend, he found a fairly local supplier with sherman williams, walked out with the red you see on it & the clear for under 600.
Not a lot of those fancy pearls & such in it, but the metallic really pops in the sunlight!
 
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A good friend is re-doing his brother's '68 442, in a 2020 Nissan blue. His cost per mixed litre - Lesonal, mixed on his shop system - is $300 per... it's loaded with pearls.
That doesn't include thinners, clear or hardener.
Been a while since I've stood in front of a mixing bank or scale, but I'd hate to see what that blue would cost, mixed, from a jobber.

I never got free mixing sticks, strainers or cups from any of my suppliers... :(
 
That looks great Rusty! I like the current color a bit better than the previous. I'm glad to see you didn't let the disappointment of the first go keep you down. Nice work!
 
Resto, it's gonna be a bit of a menagerie.

It's a '74, but I went with '70 bumpers to get rid of the holes for the "buck teeth" (front bumper guards) and the jack slots. It's 340 Six Pack, but the engine will be Corporate Blue (di riguer for 1972-up). No console, Rallye dash--have yet to see a Challenger kit without a moulded-in console, or with a Rallye dash for that matter (the Monogram '70 T/A might have had a Rallye dash). Black with a '71 R/T-style stripe in yellow, minus the R/T but with "340" cut out of it (I could send you that artwork). Standard Rallye dual-scoop hood. Minilite wheels; mine are 17" but beggars can't be choosers.

Lots to figure out... but I've got time and it'll keep you plenty busy.
 
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