Junior Builder Evan Tate’s AMT 1/25 scale 1934 Ford modified stock car featured Tamiya Light Metallic Blue paint with customized kit decals. According to Evan, the most challenging part of this 10-hour build was getting the heads matched to the engine and square with the body.
Jessica Goheen’s “Foxy Box” AMT 1/25 scale Chevy van features a lighted LED dance floor, a disco ball, and custom decals. Jessica’s tangerine and pearl white 1970s-inspired van took seven months to complete, and she said the most challenging part of her build was wiring and soldering the circuit board for the lights.
Brian Burwell’s Monogram 1/24 scale 1955 F-100 pickup features a lowered suspension, custom resin wheels, and balsa wood bed, dash, and door inserts. Brian painted this Ford street machine with custom-mixed Createx acrylics and a “blood red, candy-infused clear coat.”
Built as a 1960s mild custom, Brad Bowen’s 1940 Ford features a plumbed and wired engine, Modelhaus chromed steel wheels, and wide whitewall tires. Dupli-Color Fire Mist Red clothed Brad’s curvaceous, three-month build.
Justin Valentine placed a beautiful build of Burt Myers’ 2022 No. 1 modified stock car on the table. Justin used a WMCC/Salvinos JR kit with aftermarket ACE decals. He added a window net and mesh for the front grille and surprised everyone after he revealed this was the first model he’d ever built.
Jennifer Lawson learned some new tricks on her Revell 1/25 scale 1956 Chevy Delray build. Jennifer swapped the engine for a modern LS, converted the exhaust to side-mounted lake pipes, and agonized over the paint scheme until she settled on a beautiful Cordova brown and fawn combination.
Taking only three weeks to complete, Kelly Coons’ 1950 Plymouth Suburban wagon features a Bandit Resins 3D-printed body, Pegasus wheels and tires, flocking, and a Dupli-Color Light Blue and Stone White two-tone paint scheme. Kelly stated that this was the most unusual subject he had ever built.
Jeff McNaire’s cambered Honda Odyssey features a lowered suspension, full ground effects, a scratchbuilt speaker box, and mica blue with green-to-red flip paint. Jeff took approximately six weeks to complete this Japanese-inspired custom.
Bigger is better in the world of Aaron Thomas, and he proves it with his 1/24 scale Dodge Ram monster truck! Aaron’s monster Mopar is an out-of-the-box build of a Lindberg kit with just the addition of spark-plug wires and aftermarket decals applied over slick Tamiya Black paint.
A unique subject, Alex Melnychuk’s AMT 1/25 scale International Transtar CO-4070A semi-tractor features a shortened chassis, real-rubber mud flaps, and 3D-printed bumper lights and exhaust tips. He laid down a three-tone Testors lacquer greens-and-white paint scheme before applying custom-printed “Melnychuk Trucking” decals and finished with Tamiya Pearl Clear.
Ken Denza made the trip from Alabama to display his 1/24 scale Leyton House Porsche 962C. Ken painted this racer Tamiya Coral Blue under Testors Wet-Look Clear, added photo-etched metal brake rotors with machined aluminum calipers, billet aluminum wheels, and photo-etched metal seat-belt hardware, gas filler, and window clips.
It took Rocky Sink three weeks to build and finish this Meng Models 1/24 scale BMW Z4 straight from the box. He used Tamiya Metallic Blue over Revell Chrome to achieve this deep-blue-hued two-seat bimmer (that’s right, bimmer!).
Michael Ramp combined an AMT 1977 Ford Econoline “Cruising Van” with a Moebius ramp truck body to create this unique, 1/25 scale 1977 Ford car hauler. Michael stretched the van chassis, added Pegasus chrome dually wheels, and installed magnets to keep the ramp storage in place. He painted the rig to fit in with the ‘70s cruisin’ culture.
Seeing a 2017 Mustang GT350-R at a local car show inspired Fabio Curti to build a replica of the beautiful pony car. Fabio modified the hood, painted the body with Ford Light Mica Blue, and custom-painted the two-tone racing stripes.
Many custom features are present on Christian Dunn’s 1968 Volkswagen, or “VOLKSROD” as he calls it, like the removal of the front fenders, big and little resin rolling stock, and a fully wired and plumbed flat, turbo-charged, Pro 4 engine. Christian painted his VW Tamiya Black, White, and Red and added a shark mouth for good measure.
Don Betterton built a Monogram 1/24 scale Miller Buick stock car to replicate the 1988 Daytona winning car driven by Bobby Allison. He took approximately three weeks to complete his replica of the iconic NASCAR winner.
Wow! Wild! Unique! Those are just some of the comments overheard while viewing Brian Jackson’s 1/25 scale 1932 Ford Vicky. Brian sliced and diced the AMT body, spread it over a super-low, 3D-printed chassis, and modified parts from seven additional kits, including a tractor, to complete his way one-of-a-kind Ford.
Marcus Jennings entered his 1/25 scale 1976 Richard Petty No. 43 Dodge Charger into the Stock Car category. Marcus opened the trunk, added a gas filler and vent tube, and installed aluminum front and rear spoilers. He painted the mighty Dodge Tamiya Light Blue and went about placing the massive graphics with patience and perseverance.
Gerry Mason took six weeks to complete his Italeri 1/9 scale World War II Triumph 3HW motorcycle. He painted it in military colors with Vallejo acrylics and added a scratchbuilt luggage rack and tarp to complete a battle-hardened two-wheeler.
Jim Smith placed his 1/24 scale Ferrari 575M Maranello on the table as a weekend-style, track-day car. Jim added aftermarket wheels and tires, big photo-etched metal brake rotors, and racing harnesses. The Splash Paints Bright Yellow body is accented with a rear duckbill spoiler and a front valence air dam.
This Salvinos JR 1/25 scale Bobby Allisons No. 88 Buick Regal NASCAR 1982 race winner was built out of the box by James Helms. James used Dupli-Color White and 2K clear over the paint and kit decals.
Junior builder Zoe Rogers learned how to use an airbrush while building her Jeep Quicksand Concept. She used polished Alclad II Chrome and Sharpie markers to accent Zoe’s four-wheeling dune cruiser.
A rarity to see built and out in the wild, here’s an AMT 1/25 scale Tiger Shark. Al Stenger chose a 1965 release version of the kit for his entry into the contest’s Animals Theme category. Al added velocity stacks to the engine and used Testors Gold and Gloss Clear enamel to coat this unusual subject.
Patina hot-rod rides are the craze these days, and Irvin Arther Jr. took a 1/25 scale 1978 Dodge service truck and transformed it into a Pro Touring pickup. A 3D-printed Hellcat engine resides under the hood, custom mag wheels support a lowered suspension, and a flat, multicolored paint scheme round out this utility cruiser.
Scott Inman’s weathered and worn Mooneyes 1967 Volkswagen Type 2 delivery van won the SCMA Spartanburg Chapter annual challenge. The Hasegawa 1/24 scale V-dub features 3D-printed wheels and a roof rack along with Highlight Models photo-etch metal details throughout. Go with Moon!
Tim Goheen entered his House of Kolor Brandywine Revell 1/25 scale 1965 Cobra in the Animal Theme category. Tim added a 3D-printed Predator engine under the hood and Pegasus wheels under those muscular fenders.
Chris Propst took a month to complete his Burt Myers modified stock car. He marked it with ACE decals, and its fully wired and plumbed powerplant has an air filter made from foam.
Show rods are making a comeback on the contest tables, and Brent Barton’s custom Coca-Cola hottie came completely from his imagination. Using the cab from a ‘Lil Mixer kit and scratchbuilding a bed, he laced fine chain through the bed stakes to keep the chest fridge and bottles from slipping off the sides.
The unsung sibling to the Ford Mustang was the Mercury Cougar, and Hector Guadalupe could not sit back and watch the pony take the spotlight. Hector’s custom 1969 Eliminator features a wild black, metallic orange, and Italian red paint scheme with a mean, pony-eating silhouette on the flanks riding on a set of color-coordinated, 3D-printed wheels.
Bill Brewer builds some incredible replicas, and his box stock 1/25 scale 1965 Pontiac Grand Prix is just one example. Bill used Rust-Oleum Lagoon Blue paint to accent his Poncho’s lines. His wife, to this day, likes this particular car better than all before and since that he has built.
If you ever get a chance to look deep into a build, Bob Jernigan’s 1/25 scale 1964 Pontiac Grand Prix is one to get lost in. He machined a car encyclopedia’s worth of parts for his replica, from engine details all the way back to the fully furnished trunk. As you might expect, he accurized the scratchbuilt interior, opened the doors, and draped a smooth Sunfire Red paint job over it. It’s a wonder this project only took 700 hours to complete.
Fred Henry used OPI “I’m Not Really a Waitress” nail polish on his Monogram 1/24 scale 1955 Ford F-100 street rod pickup. Fred lowered the suspension, added custom wheels, and upgraded the bed with real wood to take this lovely lady from wait staff to CEO.
Joshua Morgan’s Moebius Models 1/25 scale 1968 F-250 features a wired and plumbed powerplant and weathered Tamiya Cockpit Green paint. This was his first attempt at modeling rust on body panels, careful not to go too far and keep it believable. Nice work, Joshua!
Sadly, Doug Soukup’s “Picked Clean” diorama depicts the fate of many of a great ride. Doug used real dirt and crushed leaves in his scene, drilled holes in the body where trim used to reside and employed a figure from an AMT garage kit to show someone removing the last salvageable bits from an abandoned Chevy.