Custom 1/64 Sprint Car Project
This last September I got an idea for making a Christmas present for a buddy of mine. I haven't kept in touch with Terry for years but we're still friends. I'd run into his cousin and while shooting the breeze with him, he told me he was going to have George Trosley (famed cartoonist from CARtoons magazine) make custom artwork of Terry's old Mustang racing against his old 'Cuda. I guess that idea stirred up my own desire to get Terry something unique.
Terry lives in Lincoln, Nebraska and has raced sprint cars for years. I thought maybe I'd make him a miniature version of one of his cars.
I've got tons of old die cast cars stored out at our farm. I went there and picked up a 1/64th scale RACING CHAMPIONS - Steve Kinser car to use as my starting point.
I wanted to make my present to Terry look as though it was an official retail item. To do so I needed to disassemble the blister pack as carefully as possible so it wouldn't get ruined. These are pretty old so my main concern was not to break the brittle plastic. After getting them apart I had to find something to remove the adhesive that had held it together.
The card stock backing didn't come out looking so good but I didn't care. - Worst case scenario, - I'd make a new one.
I smoothed out the old backing as well as I could and used my printer to make a new
facing for it. RACING CHAMPIONS had used a number of different designs. Although this isn't quite an exact copy, it's close.
I struggled with various computer programs as I tried to make images of his car that would print with an acceptable level of detail. - I'm not well versed in image manipulation software.
My next step was to print out a new 'driver's' card similar to the ones RACING CHAMPIONS included. - And a new nameplate for the front of the stand.
This is the car I started with.
And this is a picture of one of Terry's sprint cars.
I didn't have good enough images (straight on) of all the body panels. Fortunately, Terry posted some new pics a few days ago on Facebook of his planned paint scheme for next year. It was just what I needed!
It sounds as though that's close to his paint for the coming season but I suspect he'll eliminate the lage orange panels on the bottom.
This is the car after I re-detailed it out.
And here it is back in the blister packaging.
I hope he gets a kick out of getting it!
This last September I got an idea for making a Christmas present for a buddy of mine. I haven't kept in touch with Terry for years but we're still friends. I'd run into his cousin and while shooting the breeze with him, he told me he was going to have George Trosley (famed cartoonist from CARtoons magazine) make custom artwork of Terry's old Mustang racing against his old 'Cuda. I guess that idea stirred up my own desire to get Terry something unique.
Terry lives in Lincoln, Nebraska and has raced sprint cars for years. I thought maybe I'd make him a miniature version of one of his cars.
I've got tons of old die cast cars stored out at our farm. I went there and picked up a 1/64th scale RACING CHAMPIONS - Steve Kinser car to use as my starting point.
I wanted to make my present to Terry look as though it was an official retail item. To do so I needed to disassemble the blister pack as carefully as possible so it wouldn't get ruined. These are pretty old so my main concern was not to break the brittle plastic. After getting them apart I had to find something to remove the adhesive that had held it together.
The card stock backing didn't come out looking so good but I didn't care. - Worst case scenario, - I'd make a new one.
I smoothed out the old backing as well as I could and used my printer to make a new
facing for it. RACING CHAMPIONS had used a number of different designs. Although this isn't quite an exact copy, it's close.
I struggled with various computer programs as I tried to make images of his car that would print with an acceptable level of detail. - I'm not well versed in image manipulation software.
My next step was to print out a new 'driver's' card similar to the ones RACING CHAMPIONS included. - And a new nameplate for the front of the stand.
This is the car I started with.
And this is a picture of one of Terry's sprint cars.
I didn't have good enough images (straight on) of all the body panels. Fortunately, Terry posted some new pics a few days ago on Facebook of his planned paint scheme for next year. It was just what I needed!
It sounds as though that's close to his paint for the coming season but I suspect he'll eliminate the lage orange panels on the bottom.
This is the car after I re-detailed it out.
And here it is back in the blister packaging.
I hope he gets a kick out of getting it!
