Revell 65 (66) Chevy Stepside "Deep Purple"

[LAV25]

So back in 2011 I posted a thread detailing my build of a Revell 65 Chevy Stepside that I attempted to make as close to the one I got in 1988 as possible. Here's a photo of the original truck and my recreation: 

 

 

[LAV25]

Back then I assumed that every American boy had a genetic ability to turn a junker into a wonderful hot rod. Like Arnie in Christine. Well, my truck didn't Christine for me and I ended up selling it ten or so years later. But now I'm going to try to fix that mistake. First I dechromed the bumpers and grille with some カビキラー, kabi killa Japanese mildew remover. One of the headlights kept its chrome, but oh well. Then I chopped out and filed the grille. Not perfect but not bad. Backed it with a piece of very fine perforated aluminum for a custom look.

 

[LAV25]

Black base coat, Mr. Color Purple. Then I tried to do a fade to black on the bottom but it didn't work out so well. I may attempt to respray it since I think I know what I did wrong (I'm very new to the airbrush, so advice and tips are always welcome): 

[LAV25]

Next I did the cab. I wanted to keep a complementary color scheme without just going full Purple Rain on it, so I went with Mr. Color Wine Red. The seats are from... I don't know what. The makerspace has a little bin that members can drop unneeded greeblies into. First day I walked in I found two 1:25 bucket seats, which was great because the 1:1 truck had Camaro buckets when I bought it but I had to model it originally with the bench. 

 

 

[LAV25]

Some more progress. No more three on the tree, I put in a center console with a drink holder and a shifter. Once it was installed I realized the shift lever was a little long, but I'm not going to stress over that. 

[LAV25]

I brought out the older brother for some repairs and comparison. The rustbucket version was built in 2011 when all I had was rattle cans and a windy balcony, so it's cruder in a lot of ways. It's also more distressed than it should be because in 2018 we had an earthquake that sent my whole hobby shelf crashing to the floor. Some of the pieces may have gotten swept up and discarded. Anyway, a comparison of what was and what could have been. 

 

 

[NOBLNG]

That is very realistic looking “rust” on the frame of the older one, and the purple one is coming along nicely.?

[David G.]

Nice paintwork on the body interior for the new one. 

Excellent weathering and damage simulation on the older.

David G.

[Tcoat]

I LOVE the idea of a real vs dream side by side build! 

[LAV25]

5 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

That is very realistic looking “rust” on the frame of the older one, and the purple one is coming along nicely.?

 

4 hours ago, David G. said:

Nice paintwork on the body interior for the new one. 

Excellent weathering and damage simulation on the older.

David G.

Thanks Greg and David. The rust was done with a Japanese product called "Sabiten" (sabi is the Japanese word for rust). It's a two-part formulation with part one being iron filings in a gluey gooey medium. Brush that on, wait a day or so, and then add the second liquid which is an oxidizer that causes the first coat to actually rust. I understand that the US has a similar product available at... Michael's Hobby/Craft shop? Not sure, but I know I've heard of it. The damage work was done with a lighter, a soldering iron, and some patience and good luck. The rust holes in the front quarters were done with a dremel and a ball grinding bit from the inside. 

4 hours ago, Tcoat said:

I LOVE the idea of a real vs dream side by side build! 

Thanks! I just wish that my life had panned out so that I was posting this on a 1:1 car site, but so it goes. 

 

And... A quick thanks to everyone who has posted their build of a Revell 65 Stepside in the last few years. Before embarking on this project I did a lot of reading on the model and looking at different modelers' takes on it. I can't remember who or what or where, but if you see something that looks like what you did, you're probably right. 

More later. 

[Tcoat]

1 hour ago, LAV25 said:

Thanks! I just wish that my life had panned out so that I was posting this on a 1:1 car site, but so it goes. 

 

And... A quick thanks to everyone who has posted their build of a Revell 65 Stepside in the last few years. Before embarking on this project I did a lot of reading on the model and looking at different modelers' takes on it. I can't remember who or what or where, but if you see something that looks like what you did, you're probably right. 

More later. 

I have so so many cars that I had that I wish had 1:1 again!

Ironically enough the next kit in my to build que is the '65. Was my dad's old truck and will be much closer to your rusty one than anything new so I will be taking ideas from YOUR old build!!

[LAV25]

One feature of the '66 is its small rear window. For some reason, maybe safety, lots of owners of the 1:1s go for the "big window conversion" which gives a full-width window in the back. 

I'm having none of that, my truck came with a small rear window and if I wanted to know what was behind me, I'd install mirrors (side note, I forgot to install the rearview mirror before gluing the cab together. Oops.)

So when I built the rustbucket version I spent ages trying to create a rear body panel with a small window out of polystyrene. 

I was unsuccessful, but then I realized I could just mask out and paint the big rear window piece to look like the original small model version. And I still had the template this time, so problem solved. The template isn't pretty, but I use it to get the basic shape down and then cut the mask with a straightedge and a hobby knife. I put down two layer of masking tape, but for the second one I de-tacked it on my flannel shirt first to make the two layers (one for the inside of the window panel, one for the outside) separate easily. 

 

 

[LAV25]

Next I made a real wood bedliner for it out of some 1mm thick balsa dyed with coffee. It's... okay I guess. I need to make some chrome strips to go between the boards, might have gone about things the hard way. On the bottom of the bed I used wood bed waterslide decal that came with the kit. Not totally accurate or smooth, but if I put it on a mirror it'll look like I didn't forget. 

 

[LAV25]

Finally, did someone say cherry bombs? My truck as I bought it had dual exhausts and glasspack mufflers, but that was beyond my modeling skill when I built it back in 2011. No such issue this time. It took me hours to get the bends right, but by using some flexible 3mm hobby wire to make the pipe and some shrink tubing (used for soldering) I managed to pull it off. 

The mufflers were made using two pieces of shrink tube each. I don't remember the dimensions off the top of my head, but let's say I took 15mm of shrink tube and threaded it over the "exhaust," then heated it with a lighter until it shrunk down. I found it was still a little too mobile so I hit each with a dot of superglue to keep them in place. Then I cut another piece of tube, maybe 20mm long, and slid it over the first, now-shrunken bit. Make sure it's lined up and hit it with the lighter. The middle will conform to the slightly larger diameter of the first bit and the ends will shrink down to the diameter of the wire. Voila, glass packs!

I do not recall seeing anyone having done this before. Not saying it didn't happen, but I'm pretty sure I came up with it on my own. 

I still need to make exhaust tips using an old telescoping antenna. That I know I learned from Jun's Mini Garage on YouTube. 

EDIT: Exhaust mounting brackets are outside of my current abilities. I just used superglue. 

Edited February 24, 2023 by LAV25
forgot a point

[slusher]

Some very nice work!

[Sam I Am]

Love this. Now you have me wanting to do the same with a 1961 panel project I used to have when I was 19. 

[LAV25]

9 minutes ago, Sam I Am said:

Love this. Now you have me wanting to do the same with a 1961 panel project I used to have when I was 19. 

Go for it! Nothing like remembering those days when you had the coolest beater in the world. 

[Sam I Am]

1 hour ago, LAV25 said:

Go for it! Nothing like remembering those days when you had the coolest beater in the world. 

Never did get it running, but I have a couple pics of it still and know what the power train was. I already pulled out my box of '60-'66 stuff.

You are bad association.  ?

[bobthehobbyguy]

Great idea of building a unrestored and refurbished truck. Will look great together.

[BuilderX]

That is so cool Nice build! I had a 65 fleetside short bed when I was in High School and I want to do the same build of it someday!

[ChrisR]

COOL!!!