Flash Gordon's car..?

[Ramfins59]

This is something that has been on and off my workbench for a little over 10 years..!!! What lit the fire for this project was a picture I saw in an issue of Custom Rodder many years ago. It is a wild, futuristic Custom '48 Buick believe it or not. While the front of the car did nothing for me, I thought that the rear end just looked so cool (different strokes for different folks I suppose).

This is the car that lit the fire... (The pictures were taken at different times which explains the 2 different colors.)

I chose the AMT Blackforce Slammer for the basis of this project and added a small fin to the rear of the body, and reshaped the rear window openings. I filled in the holes in the top of the hood and also the holes for the taillights and license area at the bottom rear and the trunk lines. I wasn't happy with the grille area but couldn't decide what else to use there or how I should change it. I also couldn't decide on parts to use as starting points for the rear's center exhaust port and taillight pods. I knew I'd have to use a bunch of bondo or putty along with some plastic pieces. In addition, I had a specific type of wheel that I wanted to use on the front of this car but I could never locate them. The car and bits and pieces that I was finding for it over the years sat in a box off to the side of my workbench in the "To Do" pile that I'm sure we all have.

When the Custom version of the '36 Ford came out by Revell, I confiscated the custom, dropped headlight pods from the coupe version to use as the taillight pods on this car. I then found a fluted aluminum carburetor stack which, when polished up, would be perfect for the center exhaust port to be mounted in a round plastic base. After stewing over the grille area I decided to trim off the top, curved and pointed sides of the Blackforce's grille and I CA glued them in place on the body. They were sanded smooth once the glue dried. I then chose the chrome '40 Ford standard grille which fit the opening with a very minimal amount of tweaking.

Finally, while searching EBAY I ran across a 1/25 scale diecast '53 Cadillac kit by JADA that had the exact set of wheels that I'd spent such a long time looking for, and those wheels were "extra" parts. The kit only cost me $16, plus, the purchase was supposedly benefiting Disabled Vets.... That seemed like a win-win deal to me.

This is how the body looks sitting on the chassis with the wheels mounted. It will be sitting a tad lower to the ground once everything is properly "snapped" together. It will also look better once all of the bodywork is done and it is in primer...

While I originally had "grandiose" plans for this car (opening and hinging the hood, installing a resin straight eight engine with a turbo, opening and hinging the doors, creating a full interior) I think that after all this time I'll be more than happy to just finish it up as a Curbside. I am still undecided on a color for the car, although I was thinking of maybe some silvery shade.

[slusher]

That a cool looking car for inspiration Rich, you know I will be watching...

[cobraman]

Very cool project ! Good luck with it.

[Ramfins59]

Thank you Carl and Ray.

I'm straying a little from my 1950's builds with this project.

At the moment I actually have 3 different models in the works, which is unusual for me. I have this one, which just landed back on the bench since I found the wheels, the '67 Cadillac for my brother, which I had to strip and have yet to repaint (but I did finish up the interior), and the stalled '54 Dodge (stalled because at final assembly time I had to start modifying the interior/dashboard to get it to seat properly into the body. Some dremel grinding of the top side of the resin chassis is also necessary for the chassis to properly sit up into the body.)

[slusher]

Kind of know how you feel Rich, I have 4 stalled but I am working thru my hold ups one build at a time. I have nothing completed but I will soon..

[khier]

I love vintage science fiction, and I love your idea. But I would vote for the phantom corsair as a FG car:

http://www.remarkablecars.com/1938-heinz-phantom.html

[72 Charger]

That looks cool it reminds me of one of the early batmobiles . I vote for Alclad chrome

[Ira]

Great Start Richard!

I Love the rear end. I built a low Custom with the Slammer. I ended up sectioning the middle of the body, removing the running boards and removing more from the bottoms of the Fenders and chopping the top. I'll be watching the progress on this one...

[Ramfins59]

Thanks guys, I appreciate your input and comments.

Walid, that Phantom Corsair is certainly a wild looking vehicle.

Ira, that car looks great. What did you use to extend the rear fenders..?? Another question, you have an interior in the car yet it appears that you filled in the door lines... While I know it's only a model, how would one get into the car..?? LOL.

[lanesteele240]

That looks cool

[Ira]

Thanks Richard!

I extended the fenders with Formula One body parts. The interior is from the Chrysler Atlantic Concept Car, easy fit for the Slammer. You are right, it does looks like the door lines are invisible...

Edited March 6, 2014 by Ira