# I got it one piece at a time... thanks to Ed!



## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Some of you know that I have an unhealthy fetish for huge Detroit road barges, both in 1:1 and miniature scale. If I may compare myself to Johnny Cash, I too have always yearned for a Cadillac, sometimes hanging my head to cry when I saw what Faller Caddys go for on Fleabay. So a few years ago I devised my own plan, like the Man in Black himself, to build my own. I bought a Johnny Lightning hearse with the intentions of cutting it up, customizing it into a Coupe de Ville, and using it as a resin mold master. Well, this is as far as it got before I learned just how unpleasant it is to cut diecast with a Dremel:










When I finally did get around to dabbling in resin casting, this project had dropped off my radar and I only ever did a couple bodies. Maybe someday I'll get back to it... but I digress.

Fast forward a few years, to when our own Ed (sethndaddy) did a resin casting of the same hearse. I was fortunate enough to snag a few from him, and the boys in the shop attacked one of them with implements of destruction right away.










I must admit, at this point I was still somewhat skeptical.










The resin windshield just didn't work... I'd have to adapt something, probably from a diecast. Then it occurred to me that I still had the pieces of the original diecast I cut apart for this project. Hmmm...

But did I want to go convertible or hardtop? Playing with some spare parts I had around, it turns out that the roof off a Mustang actually looked okay, kinda. The roof off a Galaxie also could have worked, possibly. But I was having a hard time getting the trunk lid, which was made from what was left of the roof, to play nice with the back window. It ended up much easier to go ragtop...



















Windshield is from the JL diecast. Interior is from a Mustang. Convertible boot is off a Dash Falcon. Not quite as diverse as Johnny's, but still pieced together kinda like his. Obviously there's still a bunch to do, but I'm thinking it's headed in the right direction.

But now I have a big decision to make. Boss Hogg white? Big 'n Little Enos red? Or something else? Hmmm....

--rick


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## Super Coupe (Feb 16, 2010)

How about "THE KING"

http://elvisinthebrowser.blogspot.com/2007/12/elvis-caddy-on-ebay.html
>Tom<


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

DANG. that's pretty close. It's gotta be within a year or two, looking at the grille and headlights. Looks good in that color, too. Hmmm. 

--rick


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## TBI (Apr 25, 2011)

1 vote for Big and Little Enos :wave:



Cash would be proud! :thumbsup:


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

Elvis was a slot car guy too, hard to find pictures, but his 155ft slot car track is mentioned, but it was dismantled and made into a trophy room.

Cool work on the car Rick, I have been chopping on a black one too, but nothing worthy of a picture yet.


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

Cool slicing and dicing!!! It's a shame Ed worked so hard adding that scoop, the four doors, and the top... One's gotta do what one's gotta do, to make it his own!!! RM


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Frankencaddy!!! :tongue: Looking good Rick!!:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

Hilltop Raceway said:


> Cool slicing and dicing!!! It's a shame Ed worked so hard adding that scoop, the four doors, and the top... One's gotta do what one's gotta do, to make it his own!!! RM


All that was original to the master, I didn't add anything.


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## Joe65SkylarkGS (Feb 15, 2010)

Good stuff Rick. Ed cool car, I have one here too lol. Not sure where i'll take mine but great cut up job rick!!!


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## XracerHO (Feb 6, 2008)

Great work slicing & grafting on one cool Caddy!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Like the colour but remember your Buford police car which started the Bandit theme so vote for: Big and Little Enos. Notice you have one more on the workbench for the next one & thanks for the tutorial. ..RL


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## beast1624 (Mar 28, 2009)

Rick
Glad to see you finally 'broke your rusty cage and ran' with it!

I kinda like Big & Little Enos too.


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

You make it look so easy.... why not make both?


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

rick this is a Way Cool build man!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Bob...top off the day to you sir...zilla


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## WesJY (Mar 4, 2004)

bobhch said:


> rick this is a Way Cool build man!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:
> 
> Bob...top off the day to you sir...zilla


yep i agree with him!!! 

Wes


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Outstanding!*

Really nice shuffle Rick. 

Just because you dont have all the pieces in the right order doesnt mean ya cant make a few minor adjustments. LOLOLOLOL! 

Your "have at it" attitude and this project in general is very instructive for folks who are afraid to make that first cut. It really demonstrates that if you isolate the different steps, pert near anything is doable in the way of modeling if you can see the way.


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## Shadowracer (Sep 11, 2004)

Great job on the custom...however I vote against Big Enos or Boss Hogg. Go with the one that inspired ya....Johnny Cash black all the way. 

So go downtown to get the tags, and head it right on down the main drag...cept there won't be anyone laughing this time around. 

:thumbsup:


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

*Aaaaaand lemon-lime it is*

I agonized over a color for this thing for a while. I love anything close to the old Ruby Red Metal Flake or Sapphire Blue Metal Flake from the old days of Testors... but that means that I have lots of red and blue customs, so I keep trying to get away from them. And as cool as it sounded to go with one that was "long and black" in honor of the Man in Black himself, I tend to shy away from painting cars black... unless you possess mad autobody finishing skillz, it seems that it's never shiny and deep and glossy enough and it ends up looking like you never quite finished it. (That's how it goes for me, anywho.) And black cars don't always look as cool running around a black track. Soooo...

I created this pic to for comparison, just to try to find one that won me over. I have most of these colors in DupliColor spray bombs, thanks to Ollie's Outlet:

http://home.comcast.net/~rwurtz/images/eldopalette.jpg

(I didn't link the image right into the thread because it's wider than the screen and would have hosed the frame width here and y'all would have been mad that you had to scroll back and forth to read the text.)

And then I went and picked something totally different that wasn't represented there anyway. I can't tell if it's perfect or if it's hideous, or maybe if it's perfect BECAUSE it's hideous. Forget about Johnny Cash, for this one ya gotta cue up either ZZ Top's "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" or the theme song from The Sopranos. Anyways, here it is:



















Somehow, these shots with the pool make me think of old car ads. A yard with a swimming pool would have been a good backdrop for a Caddy ad. (Or maybe a country club, but I don't have one of them on my layout...)



















Something about the washed-out lighting in this one is kinda cool.



















I think this guy is just really enjoying his ride.










Hindsight: I could have dropped the trunk lid lower between the tailfins. The way it ended up, it looks more like a '70s model where the fins were lower. But then I would have problems with gearplate clearance or it would have had to sit even higher, and it's already kinda high.

--rick


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## Shadowracer (Sep 11, 2004)

Hey I'll give it a thumbs up. (I get it about the black) 

Looks awesome :thumbsup:


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## XracerHO (Feb 6, 2008)

Cool cruising on a Sunny day! Like the Caddy & the T-Bird in the driveway. ..RL


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

*Definition of HIDEOUS. 1: offensive to the senses and especially to sight.*



ParkRNDL said:


> I can't tell if it's perfect or if it's hideous, or maybe if it's perfect BECAUSE it's hideous. and Hindsight: I could have dropped the trunk lid lower between the tailfins.


Don't sweat the trunk or the color Rick... Great job all around. I wouldn't change a thing. Matter of fact I've used that color a few times myself with pretty good results. Tween Greens is what ya call that. It's a great representation of that not so spectacular mid-tone green metallic that sooo many mfgs used back in the day... it grows on ya actually. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

Hey--rick, I like it :thumbsup:, the color is cool, and don't sweat the trunk deck, coz like you said- it's the lesser of two evils.
Off topic, I gotta a question about the track on your layout. And yeah- I know it's Atlas, but why is it a darker/shinier black between the rails ? Are you trying to simulate the oil drippage line that main roads used to have in the 1960's ?


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

ParkRNDL said:


>


For a one piece at a time project, it sure came together good!!! :thumbsup::thumbsup: I likes that color too...RM


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Maybe next time, Johnny... :lol:


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Thats a great custom.

...and the finish was surprising to boot!

for whatever reason I flashed on the ending of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

*(Off Topic)I'm guessing here....?*

Hey Rick, I'm gonna reply to my own question sorta- lol. 
Are those track sections of yours with the yellow lines- Lionel track ?



Ralphthe3rd said:


> Hey--rick, I like it :thumbsup:, the color is cool, and don't sweat the trunk deck, coz like you said- it's the lesser of two evils.
> Off topic, I gotta a question about the track on your layout. And yeah- I know it's Atlas, but why is it a darker/shinier black between the rails ? Are you trying to simulate the oil drippage line that main roads used to have in the 1960's ?


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## Super Coupe (Feb 16, 2010)

Hey Rick the Caddy came out great looking and cool color combo also. :thumbsup:
>Tom<


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

thanks all. it came out good enough that i'm thinking about a couple other slice-and-dice projects once things slow down around here...



tjd241 said:


> (snip) Matter of fact I've used that color a few times myself with pretty good results. Tween Greens is what ya call that. It's a great representation of that not so spectacular mid-tone green metallic that sooo many mfgs used back in the day... it grows on ya actually. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


Yeah, that color has certain memories of the not-so-good old days attached to it. Back in high school, a buddy of mine lived across from an old lady who had a '70 or so Skylark in that color tucked in her garage. he used to mow her lawn and shovel her snow in hopes of getting his hands on that car someday, but it never happened. we used to call the color Grandma Green. a few years later, i bought a '70 Monte Carlo in roughly that color with a dark green vinyl roof and dark green interior. that car is the one that got away. and now, our extra car is an '85 Caprice that's kinda that color where there's still paint left...



Ralphthe3rd said:


> Hey Rick, I'm gonna reply to my own question sorta- lol.
> Are those track sections of yours with the yellow lines- Lionel track ?


yes indeed. the white lines are Atlas, the yellow are Lionel. the Lionel sections have a different texture to them... the areas where the tires run are slightly pebbled for traction, but the areas between the rails are more shiny and smooth. no idea what the rationale was...

--rick


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Hey Rick,

That Caddy looks great! The color is awesome. Earth tones rock for street cars(pun intended).
I don't think anyone would have noticed if you wouldnt had said anything about the trunk lid.
It all came together great. This kinda stuff makes me wanna do more street cars.
:thumbsup:

PS, on the Lionel track.
You think they made the center section smooth for less noise and drag on the guide pin or screws???


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## fordcowboy (Dec 27, 1999)

That looks great man. Keep the great work up. fcb


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Granny green!! I made that observation myself back in the mid 80's. It appeared the only cars of the late 60's and early 70's to make it out unscathed (unmodified or not quite as butchered) were the green ones, and for that exact reason!! Thanks for restoring that memory!!


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

Excellent work Rick, I love the detail and color.
I like the "no hood scoop" look, I wish the original was flat when I cast it.
Who said you can't polish a turd, I know my resins aren't top notch, but you sure made it look it.
All the years of casting cars I never thought of painting them, I tried decaling my very first batch of cars (the matchbox ambulance) and they didn't take, so I figured painting them would never work, so I started casting in color...

And yep Nuther, I see the S&D motors nomad, not only cool colors, that car kicks ass on the track too. Thanks


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

*Couldn't resist Ed...*

I think Rick hit a homer with his color choice. That green is one of those go-to colors that look real good when others are just ho-hum. Perfect for the unusual builds that need a more subdued period look and not just flashy packaging. :thumbsup:


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## 66Galaxie500 (Jun 18, 2004)

And now MEV Originals is coming out with a similar 1965 Cadillac. I wonder what _it_ will look like in Dynasty Green?


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