Youth builder Nathan Keske moonlights as a tractor-pull photographer, which fuels his desire to build accurate pullers in scale. His Ford SM2WD pulling truck dubbed “Screamin Demon,” features a scratchbuilt frame and body made from sheet styrene. With limited aftermarket accessories available to help him achieve this replica, Nathan was most proud of his scratchbuilding prowess.
Seeing the real car race at the 24 Hours at Daytona was enough to push Kevin Cecil to build this impressive Tamiya 1/24 scale Mercedes AMG GT3 replica. The kit is dressed in Wynn’s livery decals from SK Decals, and colors came courtesy of Zero Paints. It marks Kevin’s first time applying carbon-fiber decals.
Vern Heizer describes this belly tanker as “10 pounds of crap stuffed into a 5-pound bag.” We were impressed with the bag and all its stuff! The 3D-printed salt flats racer is powered by a flathead Ford engine from VGC Resin and pays homage to vintage aircraft with its toothy nose art.
It was tough to choose just one photo of Ken Clem’s angle-chopped MPC 1/25 scale ’75 Dodge Van. It is dressed up with scratchbuilt wheel arch flares and a Venturi vent. In addition to the radical chop, the upper rear doors were leaned forward and the rear bumper was removed, giving the van a more pleasing, custom shape.
Inspired to honor a friend who had recently passed, Glenn Marek crafted this 1/25 scale 1961 Chevy Corvair rampside pickup, based on the resin kit from Best Model Car Parts. He felt challenged yet satisfied with the two-tone paint scheme, and says the job was made easier thanks to using Model Car World leveling thinner.
Drag racing is an integral part of the culture in northeast Ohio, which is evident by the amount of drag builds on the local model show tables. Tim Stuper added a scratchbuilt wood bed to a Lindberg 1/25 scale Dodge L700 and then provided a slick JoHan AMX as its cargo. The patriotic pair was painted exclusively with Tamiya lacquers.
How many of you have finished building a kit and were so pleased with it, you started the same kit again? It happened to Gavin Foster and the Tamiya 1/24 scale Nissan Fairlady 240Z Street Custom. This one wears a custom light green finish and was stripped of its side mirrors for a sleeker look.
This photogenic Ford Bronco is the work of Jason Foster, who says his main goal was to recreate the 1/24 scale High Roller version of the Bronco from Monogram in the ’80s. He did so by adding a lifted suspension and a wheel swap for an all-around, clean build.
A rendering Rob Smorey saw online got his gears turning, and he produced what he’s dubbed “Ford Bronco GTB.” Giving off concept-car vibes in the Boxy Icons category, it was stuffed with a Mustang engine and suspension and gobs of aftermarket and scratchbuilt details. When the dust settled, Rob took home the trophy for best in theme.
Prompted by a club build theme, Mike Blaskovish cranked out AMT’s 1/25 scale Ford C-600 stakebed truck with real showroom shine. Dupli-Color and Rust-Oleum paints provided the pop, while wood-grained Washi Tape and Bare-Metal Foil were applied to the bed. Mike was most proud of the two-tone paint scheme and the scratchbuilt headache rack.
Buffalo-area modeler John Hasiak’s first time working with a resin body, a ’32 Ford from Bandit Resin, yielded great results! Doused in Tamiya Mica Red paint and outfitted with red-tinted windows and Modelhaus tires, the build was inspired by a 1/1 car John saw at the Syracuse Nationals years ago.
College football tailgating provides a really interesting sector of car culture often combining utilitarianism, team color coordination, and one-upping your fellow fanatics. Don Woodward designed and printed his own decals for this 1/25 scale Ford Buckeye Bronco and pull-behind. He stuffed a Ford engine into the curbside AMT kit and designed and 3D-printed the trailer. What’s inside the trailer is still under review by the officials.
Ken Malysa kept it simple with his build of a Revell 1/25 scale Foose Ford pickup truck, applying a smooth coat of color and clear, and, for the first time, adding a pre-wired distributor. He focused on nailing the stance and clean building techniques. MCW’s Tahoe Turquoise Metallic enamel and two-part clear bring the build to life.
Kevin Smith admits to always being a fan of the AMT 1/25 scale 1950 Ford pickup kit, despite the fit of the hood and how much work it required to “make it right.” The metallic lacquer on the curvy fenders of this old truck looks right at home. He used a finger-paint method to get the grain of the bed boards to look right. Elementary, but effective!
It’s evident that moving to Pennsylvania got Matthew Viggiano feeling nostalgic for Don Yenko’s famous high-performance Chevrolets. He displayed this cleanly built ’69 Chevelle based on Revell’s 1/25 scale 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396 kit. Matthew dipped into his spares box for the motor and decals to complete the conversion.
Jaimie Bowen’s No. 23 Carson Loftin open-wheel asphalt modified is a 1/25 kit from Wes’s Model Car Corner. It benefits from a variety of 3D-printed goodies from Jaye’s Model Garage, including the jack stands, race helmet, and steering wheel. Ace Decals and Speedkote 2K clear seal the deal.