Hector Guadalupe turned Aoshima’s Hiace Hot DNA Van into a mild street machine with Tamiya Camel Yellow paint and custom decals and slammed it all to the ground to set it rolling on Aoshima 5-spoke deep-dish wheels.
Lewis Hicks’s seductive, red Revell 1959 Chevrolet Impala features lowrider suspension and wheels, a fully wired and plumbed 3D-printed big-block engine, and a multi-layered custom paint scheme on the roof that took Lewis approximately one week to mask and paint.
Josh McCall arrived from Port Richie, Florida, with his 1962 Pontiac Catalina known as “Catalina Wine Mixer.” This Poncho features a multi-layer Japanese-inspired custom paint scheme while rolling on a lowered suspension and 13-inch lowrider wheels.
Arron Thomas is known for his motorcycle builds, and the latest addition to his collection is this Repsol Honda RC213V. The bike features a flawless orange paint scheme and blue Stuff decals. Arron modified the motorcycle using a detail set that contained a 27-piece clutch assembly and a working chain, assembled link by link.
Racing fans growing up in the Northeast are accustomed to seeing big-block super-modified racers like the one created by Lance Spangle of Indianapolis, Indiana. Lance’s ’80s-inspired Oswego, New York, open-wheel monster features a scratchbuilt cage, bodywork, and suspension and includes a nestled offset between the frame rails for the injected big-block Chevy engine.
Joshua Morgan took a Moebius 1971 Ford pickup truck, added little bits of Jaguar XJR, and shook it well with custom bodywork and an olive drab paint job to create the ultimate Hoonigan-style XJRF-100. Joshua’s truck features a lengthened Jag suspension, 1/20 scale Formula One tires, and a whole array of custom touches.
Tom White started this 1932 Ford by acquiring a Jimmy Flintstone body, a Revell 1930 Model A chassis, and a blown, small-block Chevrolet engine. Tom used Spaz Stix color-shift paint with brass accents to set this coupe apart from the competition.
Updating the iconic 1965 GTO into the modern age was the idea behind Rick Wykoff’s Pontiac with the addition of a modern LS3 engine, Tri-Power fuel injection, and a set of modern, one-off, 3D-printed wheels and tires. The Porsche turquoise Poncho took around four months of steady work to complete.
Robert Langone’s 1963 Ford Galaxie features a smooth body with no trim, custom one-off machined aluminum wheels, and painfully smooth PPG Denim Blue paint. Robert’s Ford is motivated by a wired and plumbed Boss 9 engine that features a custom intake manifold.
Scott Ridley likes to dabble in the world of small-scale vehicles. His 1/43 scale 1955 Mercedes Benz 300s Custom started life as a Plumbies white-metal kit. Robert chopped the top, smoothed the body, added the interior from a Porsche 928, and finished it with Pactra RC paint and Dupont Chroma Clear.
Finding an article on this 1968 Chevrolet El Camino in an old copy of Hot Rod magazine inspired Andrew Graf of Arnold, Missouri. To build a replica of the cover car, he began with an out-of-the-box build of an AMT ’68 El Camino and gave it a ‘70s lifted rear suspension. Andrew used various shades of HOK paints and took four weeks to replicate the iconic masterpiece.
Inspiration for Jimmy Ledford’s 1970 GTO came from the AMT Street Outlaws Big Chief’s ride. Jimmy modified every part in the kit, scratchbuilt the chassis, and a fully detailed twin-turbo engine resides under the slick painted body.
Brian Venable wanted to combine the old with the new when he built his Nismo-inspired Datsun 240Z. Brian’s Porsche Chalk Gray Z-car features molded hood vents, a front spoiler, and wider rims and tires covered with fender flares. The No. 46 is what Brian calls an experimental livery.
Jorge Ramos always brings some interesting subjects to the table, such as this stance version of an Aoshima Toyota 86 Rocket Bunny. The roll bar in the interior was scratchbuilt, and the graphics were inspired by, and feature, the pigs from the game Angry Birds applied over Tamiya lavender paint.
Jerimiah Purks’ 1995 Ford Lightning pickup truck has been lowered, had its body molding removed, and aftermarket 17-inch Lightning wheels added. Jerimiah’s PPG Vermillion Red Ford features a 5.0-liter engine and took six months to complete.
If you have never watched tractor-pulling before, you have no idea what you’re missing. Wayne Stevens started this project from a discarded 3D-printing mistake and a bunch of spare parts. Wayne wired and plumbed the twin V12 Allison engines, added a supercharger in the center, and scrounged for the massive tractor tires and decals to bring this behemoth to life.
Bill Richter took an ill-fitting Fernando kit and turned it into the jewel pictured here. Bill’s German GP 1958 Ferrari Dino 246, driven by Peter Collins, features many engine and interior details, including a scratchbuilt magneto and the engine pedals in the interior.
James Hart’s LLV is nothing like the ones USPS workers drive daily. James started with a pull-back toy, lowered the suspension, added a fully wired stereo system with subs and amps, and scratch-built the front seat. Express mail, anyone?
The Tamiya 2020 Mustang GT4 kit is a gem to build, and Dylan Thomas took his model to the next level with Splash Paint’s Volt Green and aftermarket Volt and carbon-fiber decals. Dylan added all the wires and hoses needed for a 1/1 car’s interior and handmade the seat belts.
Gary Kulchock is well known in the scale modeling community, and his latest adventure took him to a very wild place. Gary combined a Nissan NSX with a Myers Manx dune buggy and created the NSX MANX. Gary stated that this orange pearl beauty has nearly every part modified to create this one-of-a-kind street buggy.
Classy is the only way to describe Fonzell Brown’s black cherry 1941 Lincoln. Fonzell chopped and sectioned the body, removing ¾ inch from the rear and streamlined the roof. The lowered stance makes it all come together with oversized wheels and sweet paint.
This Pontiac Ventura, built by Bob Jernigan, packs many features you don’t usually see, like plated brass wing windows, rear taillight surrounds, and eight-lug wheels. The exhaust and mufflers are also made from plated brass and soldered together.
Gary Seeds never disappoints with his incredible graphics and mile-deep paint. Gary’s 1956 Chevy gasser features a scratchbuilt firewall, doghouse, and interior, along with a molded, one-piece flip nose with blown Hemi-power residing below.
Henry Trent’s Radwood-themed car was this German DTM Mustang. Henry used a Scale Productions transkit body over a modified Tamiya Alpha DTM chassis. The unusual Radwood focus on the ‘80s and ‘90s culture inspired Henry to build this unique car.
Bob Downie is another name most car modelers have heard, and he tends to think outside the box. Bob’s Chevrolet “El Corvairo” mixes an AMT Corvair with a resin body and interior. He upgraded the bumpers and headlights and added 1969 El Camino wheels and tires.
Ford should consider building a version of this Mustang touring car that Sam Kelly brought to the show. Combining a Mustang snap kit with a wide body and Dodge Magnum roof, Sam has created a version of the Mustang that would storm the wagon market.
Mike Siegmans’ 1/43 Pooh Jeans BMW M1 started as a Sapphire Models resin kit. Mike took 20 hours to complete his out-of-box build of this iconic racer.
Brian Burwell’s Aoshima Lamborghini Sesto Elemento is coated with a custom-mixed Createx Candy Yellow and Quicksilver satin paint and was built straight out of the box. He detail-painted to bring out the exotic’s beautiful features.
Splash Paints Apple Green graces the body of Tim LaCapra’s Tamiya Yamaha Virago motorcycle. The two-wheeler was built straight out of the box and took two weeks to complete.
Unusual subject matters are what Dale Turner loves to create. Dale kitbashed a Volkswagen bus front end, grafted it onto a slingshot-style dragster frame, and painted it blue and white. With some spare decals, he came up with the “Digger” exhibition dragster.
Dodge 1969 A12 Super Bees are one of the most raw and unapologetic muscle cars ever produced, and Mike Hackey modeled a beautiful replica of the iconic Mopar. Mike used Model Master Sublime Green paint, Fireball Modelworks wheels and tires, and fully plumbed and wired the “Six Pack” 440 engine.
Robert Hattersley’s love of Mopar monster trucks inspired him to create his dream car crusher. Starting with a monster-truck chassis from his spares box, he grafted an MPC 1978 Dodge pickup body on top and coated it with Tamiya Orange and Black paint. The base shows a defeated Chevy crushed beneath the Dodge’s heavy wheels.
Erik Love’s Kawasaki Zephyr café-style motorcycle was entered in the Radwood class. The Aoshima two-wheeler was painted orange with a pink champaign topcoat and completed straight from the box in three weeks.
Kevin Rogers’ Aston Martin DB9-R was exhibited in the closed-wheel racing category. It’s a Model Factory Hiro kit finished straight from the box with Scale Motorsports carbon-fiber decals and Zero Aston Martin Green paint.
“Cute” is the only way to describe Robert Wandby’s build of Hasegawa’s 1/24 scale Subaru 360 Deluxe. The little subbie features Mr. Color Yellow paint and was completed out of the box.
Richie Cabral’s 1973 Chevrolet Caprice Custom donk convertible started life as a hardtop. Richie replicated a car that the owner wanted in scale, adding a custom suspension, losing the top, and finishing it all off with HOK Kandy Blue paint and the massive rolling stock.
George Ramos decided that the Porsche 969 Carrera needed a little more zing. Built in the Japanese style, the Porsche features a slammed stance, an LSA engine, and a racing interior with a scratchbuilt roll cage, all engulfed in beautiful pink paint with 2K clear.
Skip Farrell combined a Lindberg Little Red Wagon A-100 pickup kit with dually fenders and a 4WD drivetrain from his spares box to create a unique work truck. Skip just wanted to build something unusual, so he created this two-tone twist in just three weeks.
Dennis Matthews knows how to build them low and slow. His 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air features a lowered suspension with the proper rolling stock, an LS engine, and smooth-as-glass candy root beer paint.
Rob Smorey’s “BOSS 302” Ford F-100 pickup features a transplanted powertrain from a Revell Boss Mustang, a lowered suspension with custom rolling stock, and a two-tone Tamiya Racing Yellow and White paint scheme with the iconic Boss 302 stripe decals.
Pico Elgin sculpted the buck for this body out of foam and vacuum-formed the finished body over it. The build has too many details to list, but Pico scratchbuilt most of the model, including the wire wheels and seats.
Andy Caldwell’s build of Parnelli Jones’ 1963 Watson roadster took almost two years to complete. The Indy racer features a resin nose, resin wheels and tires, a vacuum-formed windscreen, and proper markings over Tamiya Pearl Whit and Mica Blue paint.
“Cruising the USA in my Chevrolet!” Kenny Shores’ built his sunset gold 1963 Chevy II wagon box stock and scratchbuilt the teardrop trailer. Both are ready to hit the highway for many adventures.
Post-Apocalyptic vehicles come in all shapes and styles, and Tim Kolankiewicz knows how to create something even Mad Max would question. Tim used a 1976 AMC Pacer body, turned it 180 degrees, added a 4WD chassis, and weathered it with rust effects. It ranked in the show's Top 10.
Clay Kemp’s Bobby Jones sprint car features an all-brass chassis, machined aluminum wheels, and a custom-made resin hood. Clay’s open-wheel racer also features working steering and suspension and a smooth Tamiya paint scheme covered in Omni clear.
Randy Derr took home the show’s top honor with his 1975 Greenwood IMSA Corvette. The racing Chevy is primarily made from brass and aluminum. Randy took over 4,000 hours to complete this 1/12 scale masterpiece, and the spec sheet is so long you could write a book to show all that’s been done to make this incredible replica.
Steve Bouette is known in the model community as one of the best, and his 1949 Ford Custom shows many of his talents. The anti-establishment green Shoe Box has been modified with extended fenders, a chopped top, a scratchbuilt steering wheel, and machined wheels covers and bumpers.
The Radwood theme winner was this replica of the car featured on the show’s flyer. Mark Batson modified the body and stance, added the wheels and brakes to match, and massaged the lower side panels for the right look. Tamiya paints turned it into the theme car.
Luis Perez’s replica of the Brumos Racing Porsche 911 started with a Profil 24 kit. Luis added custom-printed decals, Hobby Design photo-etched detail parts, and a driver figure behind the wheel to create a hometown race team from Jacksonville, Florida.
Junior builder Ruthie Inman won an award with her build of AMT’s 1970 Chevelle SS. Ruthie used MCW Green paint to complete this one-month box-stock build.