Bob Maderich II left off his Tamiya 1/12 scale Ducati’s cowling to make a fictitious café racer driven by Mike “The Bike” Hailwood. Bob painted his “what if?” scheme with Tamiya and Alclad II lacquers sprayed through an Iwata airbrush.
While parts of an AMT kit are in this 1/25 scale Chevy Titan oilfield truck, Don Holleson scratchbuilt 90% of it, including the fracturing pump in the back. He painted with Krylon colors straight from the spray cans.
Frank LuQue adores Corvettes and couldn’t resist building a replica of Bob Budurant’s 1959-60 Le Mans racer from a Revell 1/25 scale kit. He made the roll bar, cleaned up the kit’s dashboard, and wired the engine. Frank finished with Dupli-Color Medium Blue Metallic lacquer from the can.
Recently returning to Minnesota from living in Arizona, John Zweber has quickly made a name for himself as a superior model builder. He proves it with his Le Mans Miniatures 1/24 scale Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S finished in Asahi Team Dragon’s 2000 livery.
Bob Hood’s 1/25 scale 1967 Ford race truck includes Moebius Models parts and a Missing Link four-door cab. He painted with Tamiya Coral Blue, Dark Gun Metal, Silver, and White Tamiya lacquers and marked the truck for the fictional “Tim Boyd Racing and Hauling.”
This 1966 V-dub Beetle was a showstopper. Bill Read’s California “surf bug” started as a Tamiya 1/24 scale kit. He opened the engine bay to fit a 3D-printed engine and added Highlight Models photo-etched metal safari windows, floor mats, and door panels. For that ocean blue, he airbrushed a Tamiya Polished Aluminum base with Alclad II Transparent Blue on top.
Mike Tiucci doesn’t know where the original Studebaker Avanti kit he used came from, but he upgraded it with the chassis and fenders from a Monogram 1/24 scale Miller Mustang IMSA racer kit. He made a plywood base and added a crew and a driver to round out the scene.
Restomods continue to be popular in 1/1 cars and scale models. Need proof? Here’s Tom Hoffman’s ’59 Chevy Biscayne sedan delivery. He employed a Revell chassis and drivetrain, topped them with a resin body and interior, ordered up aftermarket wheels and tires, and marked it with Slixx decals.
Stew Edwards built an MPC 1/25 scale 1914 Stutz Bearcat box stock. He painted with Tamiya colors and decided against a clear coat for a vintage appearance. He achieved the realistic brass look by painting clear yellow over AK Interactive Polished Aluminum.
By its looks, we’re not surprised that Jason Klein’s custom ’55 Ford drag truck underwent extensive body modifications and wears 3D-printed parts. A Monogram 1/24 scale kit is in there somewhere! Jason painted with MCW enamels sprayed through a Gaahleri airbrush.
Ben Neu painted his AMT 1/25 scale 1964 Olds Cutlass a custom color. He made the Hearst wheels himself.
Basically box stock, Mike Klessig’s Studio 27 1/24 scale Mazda 757 wears Tamiya Pure White and Bright Red paint. Mike chose to mask and paint the red rather than use the kit’s decals and did the same for the black scoops and headlight surrounds. The real car did not finish the 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Debbie Kasper themed her 1/25 scale 1968 Volkswagen bus for the Disney short film Ku’u Lei, hiding Mickey and Minnie in the hand-painted stenciled graphics. She added ground effects and a 3D-printed engine to a Revell Germany kit. Debbie painted the surfboard by hand and used Tamiya lacquers for everything.
“Just a street cruiser” is what Kirby Hughes says about his AMT 1/25 scale 1970 Buick Wildcat. He lowered the suspension and tucked Pegasus wheels and tires inside the wheel openings. The color is Testors Bronze lacquer over gray Tamiya primer.
Rick Allen’s abandoned junkyard wrecker was pieced together entirely with parts from his spares box. He airbrushed enamels and then set about weathering with washes and pigments to achieve a suitable patina.
To make a 1/25 scale replica of his real-life, modified 1954 Willys Overland pickup, Greg Hoffman made a resin copy of a corrected die-cast cab and scratchbuilt the bed, suspension, bumpers, and bead locks all from aluminum.
Doug Long built a replica of Will Hoy’s 1993 Toyota Carina driven in the British Touring Car Championship series. He added seat belts and an antenna to the BeeMax 1/24 scale kit. He painted it Tamiya French Blue over gray and white primer.
Paul Johnston’s Fisher 1/24 scale Porsche 917-LH in Gulf colors of course attracted our attention! He built the model box stock and masked and painted the white circles for the livery because the decals wouldn’t lay down. He airbrushed Number 5 lacquers through a Badger 200 for the finish.
A modeler of varying tastes, Eric Zabel only added a few engine details and interior door handles to his Monogram 1/24 scale 1933 Duesenberg SJ roadster. That beautiful green comes courtesy of Tamiya and is protected by Testors Model Master Clear.
Scott Glatstein replaced the kit dash with real wood for his Monogram 1/24 1947 MGTC die-cast kit. He further improved the look with photo-etched metal gauges, wheels, and steering wheel. Scott painted the body Splash Chevy Racing Yellow and Semigloss Black under 2K clear.
We’ve come expect exciting motorcycles from Tom Finch, and this year, he came through once again with a Tamiya 1/6 scale 1969 Honda CB750. He added the fuel cap release, detailed the front caliper, placed an odometer reset knob, fashioned a new lefthand mirror stalk, turned aluminum spark plugs, and trimmed the seat with annealed aluminum tubing.
Check out the fade on Adam Folk’s period-correct, custom 1950 Ford convertible. He used the front of an AMT 1/25 scale kit, sectioned to maintain dimensions. In the back, he added a roll pan and ’58 Edsel taillights. Adam completed the build with a Carson top and tuck-and-roll interior. He airbrushed the incredible fade with House of Kolor and Createx paints
Chris Juno calls this custom ’72 Ford pickup Lightning and Thunder. He added an AMT ’66 Thunderbird grille, taillights, and hood scoop to the body from a Moebius Models kit. Then he put that over an AMT ’99 Ford Lightning engine, chassis, wheels, and tires. Chris scratchbuilt the air dam, tonneau cover, and door handles.
Splash Paints Deep Jewel Green dresses Steven Helfman’s Testors 1/25 scale Boyd Coddington CheZoom. Steven reworked the chassis, lowered and added springs to the suspension, and opted for Iceman wheels and tires. Inside, he completely modified the interior with new seats, speakers, door panels, and consoles.
Rod Maskiw built his MPC 1/25 scale 1973 Cougar XR7 in four weeks as an experiment to see how the latest Mustang parts would work in an old MPC body. It did! The detailed engine bay and chassis are from the new Revell Boss 351 Mustang kit. That deep black is Bob’s Paint lacquer.
Ryan Chatleain confused his mother with questions about what kind of muscle car she would own. But armed with the intel, he built an AMT 1/25 scale 2015 Chevy Camaro SS out of the box and gave it to his mother for her birthday! Painted with Testors spray cans, Ryan finished small details by hand.
Tim Rocheford wanted to build a “what if?” air-powered race car like you might have seen in the 1920s. To his spares box he went and started picking parts. Tim designed the engine frame, brake drums, and wheels in Fusion 360 and 3D-printed them. When he was finished, Tim realized his Air Car Rally Racer.
According to Michael Gutierres, Bo Ljungfeldt should have won the 1964 Monte Carlo rally, and he built a model of the driver’s 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint in homage. Underneath the AMT 1/25 scale body is the chassis from a ’67 Mustang Fastback, scratchbuilt interior, and full wiring and plumbing.
Kitbashed from a Moebius Models 1961 Ventura and a Revell ’66 GTO comes Steve Guthmiller’s 1964 Pontiac Bonneville. He airbrushed MCW lacquers and clear coat before polishing for that glass-like finish. Steve lightly weathered with acrylic craft paint.
David A. Edwards finished a Revell 1/25 scale ’67 Plymouth GTX in the purple and green of the Joker made famous in Tim Burton’s Batman. He printed the floor mats, hinged the hood and deck lid, and scratchbuilt the rear suspension from aluminum.
Going for something a bit different, Rick Shepard added a Rickie Rods Resins body and a Revell 1/25 scale ’41 Willys street rod to create an unusual pro street pavement peeler. He modified the kit chassis to fit the body, painted with Bob’s Paint Gold and Candy Red, and wet-sanded the clear.
Want a glimpse of the Indy car of the future? Here’s Victor Demichei’s scratchbuilt 1/25 scale concept of what one could look like. The monocoque started as a toy spacecraft whose shape caught Victor’s eye. The markings came from his spare decals, and he painted with Tamiya lacquers.
The paint at this year’s NNL North was something to behold. Case in point, check out Dan Decko’s custom 1940 Ford. Beyond the scratchbuilt sun visor, Decko Car Co. resin wheels, and the custom tuck-and-roll interior, he painted this exquisite design with Createx Silver Sealer, Tequila Yellow, and Transparent Black and Brown. He even has a YouTube video showing how he did it!
Inspired by early surf culture, John Kunkel built a Monogram 1/24 scale 1930 Ford woody. He made a seat blanket for the interior and “relic’d” the floorboards. He painted the wood beige chalk paint and went over it with Minwax oil stain, which is a first in our book!
Dennis Ezmerlian made the trip to the Twin Cities from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to display his 1/25 scale 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle. The body is from Motor City Resin, with a modified Revell Z-16 chassis and interior underneath. He cut the bumper from the grille, drilled out the headlights, and added disc brakes and mags all around. The engine is a fully-detailed ’67 Corvette 427 Tri-Power from a Revell kit.
Chris Vick dressed his Tamiya 1/12 scale Yamaha in aftermarket decals for the 2004 race season. Built box stock, he said he only had to do basic bodywork before priming, sanding, base coat, clear coat, wet-sand up to 2500-grit, and then buff the paint.
This exotic-looking Honda CB900F2 made its way to the show with Deb Salmon. She built a Tamiya 1/12 scale kit and painted the majority with spray paint from the can using a piece of plastic to create the marbling effect. The zebra-print seat is a photocopy applied to the part. Creative as always!
Randal Olson built his Monogram 1/24 scale Land Rover for the 2024 18th annual 24-hour Build hosted on Facebook. He painted with Testors lacquer straight from the spray can.
Inspired by fellow RPM member Scott Glatstein, Claude Rickert built his second Hubley kit, a 1/20 scale 1930 Packard Dual Cowl Phaeton. He wired the engine, ran fuel lines, and used old bits of electronic parts to detail the firewall. He painted the body with Peacci Central Park nail polish and finished the fenders with Gravity Dark Highland Green.
John Munoz built a replica of the Porsche 956 that finished second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1984. A 1/24 scale Tamiya kit, he built the model from the box, painted the body Tamiya spray colors, and turned to an airbrush for the cockpit and small parts.
Here’s a Model Factory Hiro 1/20 scale replica of Jackie Stewart’s 1970 Tyrrell Formula 1 car. Bob Ferreira built the kit stock except for running brake lines. He airbrushed Tamiya Blue and Gloss Clear over Tamiya Fine White Primer.
Paul Jacobsen scratchbuilt the bed rack in his surf-scene-inspired AMT 1/25 scale 1955 Chevy Stepside pickup. He de-chromed the bumpers and grille, painting them Tamiya White. Paul sourced the surfboards from his spares box. He used the salt technique to get some of the rust spots and lightly sanded other areas for the patina effect.
Troy Deal makes no bones about modeling what he calls “junk.” But what beautiful junk it is! For his 1973 Chevrolet Caprice hardtop, he took an MPC 1/25 scale kit and replaced the rear driver’s side quarter panel with aluminum foil to simulate sheet metal damage, detailed the seats with exposed springs and foam, packed the trunk with resin garbage bags and a milk crate, and even left a forgotten bottle of Jack Daniels in the glove compartment. Troy said it’s a “typical 1970s piece of junk I remember as a kid growing up in my neighborhood.”
Brady Wallkog said his custom 1965 Ford service truck depicts “an image in my mind, brought to life.” He combined 3D-printed parts with a Moebius Models kit to see his imaginings made real. Brady used Splash Paints Marrone Dino and Lime Green Metallic for the slight fade and mesh look on the roof and hood.
Junior modeler Austin Dean returned this year with a Revell 1/25 scale 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass. He lowered the suspension and installed an LS1 Corvette engine. Built as a restomod, he painted it Testors Gold lacquer topped with 2K clear.
Not to be outdone by his elder brother, Wesley Dean, 14, rolled up with an AMT 1/25 scale Chevy Stovebolt. He replaced the engine with an inline-six, fixed Corvette wheels at the corners, and sprayed root beer brown paint from nose to tail.
Ed Carlson’s AMT 1/25 scale Ford Starliner certainly is eye-catching. He lowered the model’s suspension for a street cruiser vibe and finished the chrome with Bare-Metal Foil. The body color was no muss, no fuss: primer, Testors Extreme Lacquer, clear coat, done.
Christina Grissom calls her 1/64 scale diorama Off-road Adventure. This was Christina’s first diorama, inspired by a YouTube video. She carved the Styrofoam base, layered it with landscape cement and clay, and applied static grass and coarse and medium gravel. Well done!
Wile E. Coyote in a ’68 Road Runner chases Road Runner in a ’70 Superbird. What?! David Babson cut down Monogram and AMT kits to properly make the cars look cartoonish and put the respective Looney Toons characters behind the wheels. Just watch out for those painted tunnels!
Dupli-Color Saturn Yellow shout for attention on Robert Hyman’s luscious Monogram 1/24 1970 Buick GSX. Testors Wet-Look Clear tops the body, and Tamiya Semigloss Black accents the hood and finishes off the interior. He detailed the engine with a Gopher Racing wired distributor.
Steve Sutter scratchbuilt an industrial woodchipper to accompany a Moebius Models 1/25 scale ’66 Ford F-100 pickup. He painted the body as a “township work truck sold as surplus to private guys who ran a tree trimming service.” Steve said it was a dream of his and a couple of other firefighters to run just such a business as a second job.