A Ratty Fat-Fendered Ford Forty

[Per Olav Lund]

Simply the coolest step by step I've ever seen! This is realy an inspiration for all of us, thanks for sharing.

Per Olav

[vsuarez666]

Thank you for the kind and generous comment. I most certainly have been having lots of fun with this build . . . the minute I saw that the challenge was to build a rusty and abandoned vehicle, my imagination just went wild.

The inspiration also comes from watching everyone on this forum just build their hearts out!

[vsuarez666]

Thank you everyone . . . your comments is the forum economy, it is what keeps it all going. Thanks . . .

Oh, the shake-and-bake tire weathering technique comes from Terry Jesse a while back, I think either from his book or from a magazine article (or both!) where you take your tires and dunk them in a plastic bag full of the finest dirt you can find.

This is EXACTLY what I do. I clean the tires with warm soapy water. I use a 3"x5" piece of sanding paper and then I just sand all the shine off each tire. I this case, I sanded more than usual until some of the actual rubber started to fleck off . . .

You wash your handy work once again in warm soapy water. You let the tires air dry or use a handy hair dryer . . .

When the tires are dry I put them in a Ziploc bag where I keep all my No. 4. dirt that comes in the Rustall syster, but really any fine ground dirt will do . . .

You can also use pigment the way Mig and Adam and many other modelers here do . . . but the above is very FAST and SIMPLE and it produces good, consistent results . . .

[vsuarez666]

Hello, folks, I got up early today to start wrapping this project up, and move on . . . I realized that I had not really worked at making the hood and the chassis the best components they could be, so I worked on them a bit . . .

Here are some pics . . .

Here's the underside of the hood . . . with some Mig pigments mixed and blended . . .



I also finisehd the top. I wanted a little bit of old great to come up through those old trim holes . . ..



And I know what you are thinking, no, the 1940 Ford did NOT have trim on the hood, just the ornament . . . could three bullets have fallen in line out of the sky around New Year's?

[vsuarez666]

Here are some pics of the rolling chassis dressed gunky, junky, rusty, moldy, and pretty ratty--just the way I likes it!!!

All of these different textures were done using Mig Pigments, Washes, and also a bit of that arts craft store rusting system . . . a little goes a long ways . . . also lots of washes!!!





I decided to put a piece of rusty mesh/screen over the mid section of the chassis for a little variety and visual interest . . . that's all . . . or perhaps this had been used as a floor at one time?

[vsuarez666]

Who remembers that Beatles' song that went: Happiness is a Gunked Chassis? Shoot, shoot, shoot . . . ?

Perhaps that's not it goes . . .

There's something about old, abandoned vehicles and chains!!!



Ha!!! I think I left some pigment powders on the tires . . .

[vsuarez666]

Well, maties, this one is done for all practical purposes . . . although I stil have to add an exhaust tip and maybe another little bird's nest in that headlight, but the basic idea is there . . .

I have to say that as long as the chassis sits flat with all tires touching the ground, it's a good idea to make the body look like it is riding a bit higher and ill-fitting . . . I think it gives it more character this way . . .

Enjoy the pics and thank you for watching as I built his!!! --2-5- --2-5- --2-5-



Ah, no smudges on the camera lens does make a big difference!!!

[vsuarez666]

Just a couple of last shots . . .

One of my favorites because you can see the sagging shreds of headliner but also that dirty window behind the driver's side!



It seems to me that these kinds of vehicles, as they dry, the paint and textures get better and better!



Perhaps the end? The End!!!

Maybe . . .

[Siara]

Superb work!
I like it very much.

Couple ideas- not criticism.
1 without the engine the front en should sit much higher- i think it is worth considering.
2 the dashboard would get burned as the rest of the interiour
3 i would consider flattening the tires a bit to give the impression it was left to rot for long period of time.

just my 3 cents about otherwise brilliant model.

[franck_edet]

Go rats GO !

wow what an amazing work you did there ! and fantastic SBS too !

[vsuarez666]

Thanks, Franck--RATS RULE!!!

[marsiascout]

Really great work! It's gonna be hard to win a prize in this contest.

Lars

[vsuarez666]

Thanks, but it really is much more about the fun!!!

And what great fun it is to watch you guys build!

[Sven_Frisch]

You work ultra fast, man ! And you never stop to amaze me. What a cool finish !!!

Thanks for sharing your sbs !
Cheers
Sven

[Jan Peters]

Very cool rat ride! "Rust is not a crime" as they say
Thanks for the sbs, this will come in handy!
Jan