On Saturday, September 11, 2021, the Indy Chapter of the Studebaker Driver’s Club, in conjunction with its 57th annual International Meet, sponsored a model car show at the Marion County Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana. Administered and judged by the Hoosier Model Car Association, the contest was open to plastic, resin, and die-cast models of cars and trucks of all makes, types, and scales. Here’s a sampling of what builders brought for display.
Photos by Wayne Montgomery
Junior modeler Maggie Martinez built this 1955 Chevy convertible with her grandfather. Why? “I just love to build with my papaw.” And we think that’s a great reason!
Len Carsner says this 1965 Impala SS 409 in Splash Colors Evening Orchid “replicates one of the first cars that came into the dealership when I started there in 1974.” Wow! He flocked the interior, brought up the chrome with Bare-Metal Foil and Molotow Liquid Chrome, and installed a metal pin for the antenna.
Dave Williams started this AMT 1/25 scale 1964 Avanti back in the ‘80s and let it sit for several years before finishing it for a show. He transformed the kit into a convertible, opened the trunk, modified the engine to R3 specs, and scratchbuilt the carb housing.
“Muncie Stud” is a ’50-’51 Studebaker Funny Car built by Tom Lescavage using the frame from a Revell kit and a Jimmy Flintstone resin body. Wanting to add something a little different to his collection, he painted with Model Master Flame Orange and White, wired the engine, and designed his own decals.
Rexton Kemp displayed his Tamiya 1/12 scale Repsol Honda RC213V race motorcycle at the show. A fan of MotoGP, he added a Tamiya Detail-up set to the model, painted it with Tamiya colors, and finished with Omni Clearcoat.
Spending all of five days on his Revell 1/25 scale 1950 Ford F1, Arnold Hunt only added aluminum exhaust tips to an otherwise out-of-the-box build. The main color is Testors Root Beer, followed by Tamiya Clear Orange, with a top coat of Tamiya Clear Pearl.
Tony Martin likes the look of the shoe-box Ford and began his model with an AMT ’49 Ford street machine. He cut open the doors and trunk, slid in a 427 Merc engine under the hood, and added fuel lines and plug wires. He made it so the seats turn, fitted them with seat belts, and finished the interior with a custom dash.
Using “hillbilly” cars he’s seen, Kenny Edwards kitbashed his hot rod from parts of three AMT kits and a Parts Pack. After about a year of work, he finished it with a flat black body and gold and chrome trim to add razzle-dazzle.