Howard Quednau imagined an unrestored “barn find” when he built and finished an Italeri 1/12 scale Bugatti Type 35B. He used heavy thread, painted red, to simulate ignition wires and painted the numbers on the sides with stencils instead of using the kit decals. The body color is a custom mix of Tamiya Flat White and Light Blue acrylic over Tamiya French Blue lacquer.
Howard Quednau imagined an unrestored “barn find” when he built and finished an Italeri 1/12 scale Bugatti Type 35B. He used heavy thread, painted red, to simulate ignition wires and painted the numbers on the sides with stencils instead of using the kit decals. The body color is a custom mix of Tamiya Flat White and Light Blue acrylic over Tamiya French Blue lacquer.
Howard Quednau imagined an unrestored “barn find” when he built and finished an Italeri 1/12 scale Bugatti Type 35B. He used heavy thread, painted red, to simulate ignition wires and painted the numbers on the sides with stencils instead of using the kit decals. The body color is a custom mix of Tamiya Flat White and Light Blue acrylic over Tamiya French Blue lacquer.
Andy Rocheford’s Revell 1930 Ford Model A hot rod boasts a 1950 Oldsmobile 88 engine with 3D-printed block-letter valve covers, lake pipes, a flamethrower distributor, and a traditional rear suspension with a quick change — enough to make Tim Boyd’s heart sing! He painted with Rust-Oleum spray paints and Tamiya acrylics.
Modeling an “old altered drag car” Model T, Dave Cech used mostly parts from an AMT 1/25 scale model. He refinished all the chrome parts, wired the engine, and painted with PPG and Testors lacquers.
Michael Gutierres modeled a factory fresh 1941 Chevy pickup from a Revell 1/25 scale kit. He wired and plumbed the engine and painted the body Tamiya Dark Green and the fenders and running boards Tamiya Gloss Black.
Michael Gutierres modeled a factory fresh 1941 Chevy pickup from a Revell 1/25 scale kit. He wired and plumbed the engine and painted the body Tamiya Dark Green and the fenders and running boards Tamiya Gloss Black.
Imagining a street rod he would have liked to have built, Frank LuQue brought his 1/25 scale ’29 Ford roadster hot rod to life with a Revell 1/25 scale kit. He detailed the engine and interior, and that sparkling color is Chrysler F5 Poly Green sprayed from the can.
Imagining a street rod he would have liked to have built, Frank LuQue brought his 1/25 scale ’29 Ford roadster hot rod to life with a Revell 1/25 scale kit. He detailed the engine and interior, and that sparkling color is Chrysler F5 Poly Green sprayed from the can.
Kirby Hughes is well known for his luscious fades, and he didn’t disappoint with his AMT 1/25 scale 1957 Chevy pickup. He decanted Tamiya Pearl Yellow to airbrush the base and then applied candy orange over the top. Additionally, Kirby scratchbuilt the tailgate, taillights, and front bumper, molded the rear bumper, set the pickup atop Otaki wheels and tires, and tubbed the pickup bed.
This Fujimi 1/24 scale Honda NSX GT300 from John Zweber wears Splash Paints, trimmed and applied decals for Avex Group livery, and all of it is topped with a 2K Clear.
Erik Zabel built a hypothetical Gulf service/exhibition truck from an AMT 1/25 scale 1960 Ford F-100 pickup. He airbrushed the pickup Gulf colors from Model Car World, clear-coated, and polished the finish.
Erik Zabel built a hypothetical Gulf service/exhibition truck from an AMT 1/25 scale 1960 Ford F-100 pickup. He airbrushed the pickup Gulf colors from Model Car World, clear-coated, and polished the finish.
Chris Juno “painted all of the flat black trim the body color, used wheels from another kit, added chrome grille trim, removed the factory roll bar and roof to add a smaller, old-style roll bar, modified the taillights, and made the spare-tire cover from lens cleaning wipes.” All this is why Chris’ AMT 1/25 scale 2023 Ford Bronco stands out.
John Munoz added black screen to the rear fender air vents but otherwise built his Tamiya 1/24 scale 1977 BMW 320i Gr.5 out of the box. He painted it Tamiya Orange from the spray can and followed up with Clear to seal the paint and decals. John darkened panel lines with an artist’s pen.
Larry Roper added wires and coil to the engine of his Revell 1/25 scale 1929 Ford Model A hot rod. He 3D-printed Z-Force wheels and tires for a modern look and airbrushed the body with Tamiya acrylics and Scale Finishes Gloss Clear.
This Hasegawa 1/24 scale Jaguar XJR-8 Sprint was built by Paul Johnston. To dress it as the Jaguar entry for the 1988 WEC series, he painted the body white and applied decals for all of the purple markings. He added a metal antenna, but otherwise, this smooth-as-silk model is built out of the box.
All the doors open on Jimmy Edrman’s Revell 1/25 scale 1951 Thames panel van gasser. He converted the kit to a tilt hood, built the engine from parts in his spares box, and scratchbuilt the velocity stacks. Jimmy painted it with HoK lacquers, airbrushing a silver base followed by Lime Kandy.
All the doors open on Jimmy Edrman’s Revell 1/25 scale 1951 Thames panel van gasser. He converted the kit to a tilt hood, built the engine from parts in his spares box, and scratchbuilt the velocity stacks. Jimmy painted it with HoK lacquers, airbrushing a silver base followed by Lime Kandy.
All the doors open on Jimmy Edrman’s Revell 1/25 scale 1951 Thames panel van gasser. He converted the kit to a tilt hood, built the engine from parts in his spares box, and scratchbuilt the velocity stacks. Jimmy painted it with HoK lacquers, airbrushing a silver base followed by Lime Kandy.
All the doors open on Jimmy Edrman’s Revell 1/25 scale 1951 Thames panel van gasser. He converted the kit to a tilt hood, built the engine from parts in his spares box, and scratchbuilt the velocity stacks. Jimmy painted it with HoK lacquers, airbrushing a silver base followed by Lime Kandy.
It took three coats of Tamiya Clear over Bare Metal Silver for Doug Long to finally get the finish he wanted on his NuNu 1/24 scale 1996 Audi A4 BTCC race car. He added seat belts and an antenna to the model to finish a replica of the car driven by Frank Biela.
Tristan Morgan upgraded his Revell Germany 1/24 scale Audi R8 with a V10 engine from an R8 Spyder. He airbrushed his street car with Splash Paints Audi Jet Blue.
This custom 1/25 scale 1972 Ford F-100 has a sectioned frame and lowered body over aftermarket wheels. Ben Neu painted his pickup with an automotive touch-up gun and PPG colors. Who’d guess he started with a Moebius Models kit?
Paul Jacobson’s 1/25 scale 1930 Ford coupe has a Revell ’30 body, AMT ’32 frame, and parts from his spares box for everything else. He used real wood for the roof. This old-school hot rod wears Tamiya Pure Orange lacquer and a flat finish. Paul used the salt-chipping technique to simulate chipped paint and then accentuated the rusty areas by hand with a brush.
“My brother has this exact car,” Steve Melgard said of his Revell 1/25 scale 1932 Ford two-door sedan. The wheels on Steve’s model come from a Revell ’29 Ford roadster, and the exhaust tips are made from chromed sprue. He painted with Tamiya spray lacquers. Steve plans to give this model to his brother.
Don Molitor built his Tamiya 1/24 scale Aston Martin DBS box stock and used aftermarket decals for the Gulf Oil color scheme. He painted the body with Tamiya lacquer from the spray can, used Vallejo acrylics for the interior, and Tamiya acrylics for the chassis and engine.
Don Molitor built his Tamiya 1/24 scale Aston Martin DBS box stock and used aftermarket decals for the Gulf Oil color scheme. He painted the body with Tamiya lacquer from the spray can, used Vallejo acrylics for the interior, and Tamiya acrylics for the chassis and engine.
This year, Chris Vick brought a completed Revell 1/25 scale Ed Roth Mysterion show car to NNL North. Built box stock, he primed the body, sanded it with 1000-grit sandpaper, and then painted with Tamiya lacquers.
Dan Decko’s tricked-out Aoshima 1/24 scale Toyota Hilux mini truck attracted a crowd. He made a custom interior from foam, lighted the model with LEDs, and laid down a custom paint job with Createx and masks.
Dan Decko’s tricked-out Aoshima 1/24 scale Toyota Hilux mini truck attracted a crowd. He made a custom interior from foam, lighted the model with LEDs, and laid down a custom paint job with Createx and masks.
Rick Allen applied plenty of chrome Bare-Metal Foil to his snazzy Revell 1/25 scale 1940 Ford convertible. Even the firewall got the shiny treatment! Primarily a modeler of street rods, this model took him out of his comfort zone. Rick airbrushed automotive paint and clear, sanded, and polished for a flawless finish.
Rick Allen applied plenty of chrome Bare-Metal Foil to his snazzy Revell 1/25 scale 1940 Ford convertible. Even the firewall got the shiny treatment! Primarily a modeler of street rods, this model took him out of his comfort zone. Rick airbrushed automotive paint and clear, sanded, and polished for a flawless finish.
Steve Helfman lowered his Revell 1/25 scale 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302, added 3D-printed wheels and tires, and flocked the interior. He airbrushed the body with Splash Paints Grabber Green and added just a little weathering to the engine.
Steve Helfman lowered his Revell 1/25 scale 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302, added 3D-printed wheels and tires, and flocked the interior. He airbrushed the body with Splash Paints Grabber Green and added just a little weathering to the engine.
“Built as a tribute to my friend Rick 'Doc' Buikema, it’s a derby truck meant to look like an old farm truck being sent out with a bang,” Logan Hanson said of the demolition derby pickup he modeled from a Moebius Models 1/25 scale 1972 Ford F-250 kit. He scratchbuilt most of the interior, weathered, added rust, beat up the exterior, and used “lots of pigments and washes on top of salt chipping.”
“Built as a tribute to my friend Rick 'Doc' Buikema, it’s a derby truck meant to look like an old farm truck being sent out with a bang,” Logan Hanson said of the demolition derby pickup he modeled from a Moebius Models 1/25 scale 1972 Ford F-250 kit. He scratchbuilt most of the interior, weathered, added rust, beat up the exterior, and used “lots of pigments and washes on top of salt chipping.”
“Built as a tribute to my friend Rick 'Doc' Buikema, it’s a derby truck meant to look like an old farm truck being sent out with a bang,” Logan Hanson said of the demolition derby pickup he modeled from a Moebius Models 1/25 scale 1972 Ford F-250 kit. He scratchbuilt most of the interior, weathered, added rust, beat up the exterior, and used “lots of pigments and washes on top of salt chipping.”
It takes work to get a wide-body V-dub Beetle. Steve Hanson didn’t let that stop him. Starting with a Tamiya 1/24 scale 1966 VW Bug, he filed off the trim, 3D-printed the wide body, engine, wheels, and tires, and “drew” his own rotors. He accented the body with carbon-fiber decals and upgraded the interior with parts from a Revell Dodge Copperhead.
Valereigh Chatleain is an up-and-comer in the Juniors category who displayed an MPC 1/25 scale 1949 Mercury police car this year. Built box stock, she said she’d picked the kit because it was a police car, and that’s been something she’s wanted to build.
A VCG Resins 283 engine, wood veneer truck bed, scratchbuilt tailgate latches, and tire valve stems round out Coleman Mjos’ Revell 1/25 scale ’66 Chevrolet Fleetside pickup. The two-tone finish comes from Tamiya lacquers sprayed from the cans. Colman lightly weathered the engine bay with eyeshadow colors.
A VCG Resins 283 engine, wood veneer truck bed, scratchbuilt tailgate latches, and tire valve stems round out Coleman Mjos’ Revell 1/25 scale ’66 Chevrolet Fleetside pickup. The two-tone finish comes from Tamiya lacquers sprayed from the cans. Colman lightly weathered the engine bay with eyeshadow colors.
Marty Neyrink modified an MPC 1/25 promo kit to model a Pro Touring Yenko Chevette. He added a hood scoop from a 1969 Camaro, narrowed the rear spoiler, installed bucket seats from his spares box, and appropriated wheels and tires from a Jada die-cast model. He sprayed Testors Star Spangled Blue on Dupli-Color White Primer. The decals are from a slot car kit.
This mean, two-tone machine looks like a 1955 Chevy, but closer inspection reveals that it is ready to peel rubber, with super-wides in back and narrows up front. David Edwards replaced the rear end of an AMT 1/25 scale kit with the underpinnings of a 1966 Nova and painted the body with Tamiya acrylics.
Junior modeler Tarryn Murphy’s AMT 1/25 scale 1967 Shelby GT350 wears Tamiya Pink to show what a factory Mustang might have looked like if this color had been an option. Tarryn brush-painted the interior to mimic leather and installed a modern engine under the hood. Why? It’s cool!
Bob Maderich II added photo-etched metal details to his Monogram 1/24 scale Ford pickup to model a pristine, factory-stock truck.
Inspired by the modern hot-rod scene, Jeremy Smallbeck dropped the body of his AMT 1/25 scale 1960 Ford F-150 pickup to the pavement and swapped the kit wheels and tires with those from a Revell Snap Tite 1957 Chevy kit. He spray-painted the body Tamiya Grey Green and topped it with a few coats of Tamiya Clear.
Garrison Zipperer, 13, built his AMT 1/25 scale 1968 El Camino box stock. A friend helped him paint the metallic blue finish and black roof with an Aztec airbrush.
Let’s dive into Ronald Neuendorf’s MPC 1/25 scale 1971 Dodge Demon. He added armrests and door handles, window handles, a monster tachometer, and a fire extinguisher. Ronald also installed a six-pack hood scoop and made a vinyl top. Under the hood are dual carbs, an MSD ignition box, distributor, ignition coil, and battery cables.
Let’s dive into Ronald Neuendorf’s MPC 1/25 scale 1971 Dodge Demon. He added armrests and door handles, window handles, a monster tachometer, and a fire extinguisher. Ronald also installed a six-pack hood scoop and made a vinyl top. Under the hood are dual carbs, an MSD ignition box, distributor, ignition coil, and battery cables.
Yes, we did a double-take when looking at Tom Hoffman’s Porsche Junior 108 twin tractor. Kitbashed from Revell 1/25 scale kits, Tom was inspired to build it by a 1/1 tractor he saw on YouTube. He painted his replica Dupli-Color Bright Red straight from the spray can.
Mike Tinucci’s 1957 Chevy Nomad already had its top cut off when he found it, so he turned it into a pickup. Mike filled the hood bullets, added a custom grille, and finished the bed with real mahogany. The paint is Tamiya White with various shades of Createx pearl acrylics. The racer in back started as a Testors CheZoom. Mike replaced the chassis with one from a Pro Stock Camaro kit and stretched it 5/8 inch. It was painted Tamiya Metallic Red and topped with Testors Transparent Red.
Combining an AMT 1/25 scale kit and Best Resin Parts body and chassis, Bob Hood built a 1960 Ford F-100 short box pickup, or what he calls a “nice street truck.” Bob kitbashed the engine, wired it, and then put aftermarket wheels and tires under the fenders. That cool color is Krylon Caribbean Turquoise.
Bob Kremer’s stunning JoHan 1/25 scale 1962 Plymouth Fury convertible sports a resin engine with cross ram, modified steel wheels, and a custom interior. That eye-catching color is Model Master Hemi Orange.
Bob Kremer’s stunning JoHan 1/25 scale 1962 Plymouth Fury convertible sports a resin engine with cross ram, modified steel wheels, and a custom interior. That eye-catching color is Model Master Hemi Orange.
John Robinette went for a replica build of an unusual pickup he saw photos of online. He removed the cab from an AMT 1/25 scale 1953 Ford pickup, filled the gas door and air vent, reworked the stock grille, and cut down the windshield. Inside, he printed decals for the leopard print upholstery and installed real wood for the pickup bed. The wheels and tires came from his spares.
Brady Skog calls his custom restomod the “Vart,” a portmanteau of Viper and Dart, both Dodge cars. Brady chopped a Revell 1/25 scale 1968 Dodge Dart body and 3D-printed a new chassis, fuel tanks, suspension and bags, seats, and wheels. He scratchbuilt the trunk interior with a cooling cage and cut in a sunroof. He airbrushed Tropical Glitz Market’s Rose Gold over Tamiya Primer and sealed it with Mr. Hobby Super Clear.
Brady Skog calls his custom restomod the “Vart,” a portmanteau of Viper and Dart, both Dodge cars. Brady chopped a Revell 1/25 scale 1968 Dodge Dart body and 3D-printed a new chassis, fuel tanks, suspension and bags, seats, and wheels. He scratchbuilt the trunk interior with a cooling cage and cut in a sunroof. He airbrushed Tropical Glitz Market’s Rose Gold over Tamiya Primer and sealed it with Mr. Hobby Super Clear.
Brady Skog calls his custom restomod the “Vart,” a portmanteau of Viper and Dart, both Dodge cars. Brady chopped a Revell 1/25 scale 1968 Dodge Dart body and 3D-printed a new chassis, fuel tanks, suspension and bags, seats, and wheels. He scratchbuilt the trunk interior with a cooling cage and cut in a sunroof. He airbrushed Tropical Glitz Market’s Rose Gold over Tamiya Primer and sealed it with Mr. Hobby Super Clear.
Brady Skog calls his custom restomod the “Vart,” a portmanteau of Viper and Dart, both Dodge cars. Brady chopped a Revell 1/25 scale 1968 Dodge Dart body and 3D-printed a new chassis, fuel tanks, suspension and bags, seats, and wheels. He scratchbuilt the trunk interior with a cooling cage and cut in a sunroof. He airbrushed Tropical Glitz Market’s Rose Gold over Tamiya Primer and sealed it with Mr. Hobby Super Clear.