# Interesting vintage custom



## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

I don't know why I like this car so much. I got it at the Lehigh show this weekend. The vendor had it for a while, I know I saw it at the LI show a year or two ago and pretty sure he had it at Aberdeen this past spring. When I finally asked him about it at this show, he said it had been done by a kid, and he thought it seemed pretty impressive for a kid to have had an eye like this maybe 40 years ago when it was done. I agreed. Maybe $15 was too much for it, maybe not; I rationalized it by hoping the chassis was a good runner--if so, then it alone was worth 10. Turns out it is a pretty good runner, but that's not why I bought it...

Can you tell what it was before?










Can you tell what it's supposed to be now? I think the taillights are a big help..










How about the front end? Does it come anywhere near the mark?










Overall, doesn't it look kinda cool, if somewhat crude?










Makes me wonder if this is how Mike Vitale got started... put together a piece of this and a piece of that till it looks like something else...

--rick


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

*Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple pie and Chevrolet...*

65 Impala..........Oh that was worth it!! 

 CHEVROLET 

Bob...very neat ride rick...zilla


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

actually, i'm thinking it was a couple years later... as in '68 Caprice.

Compare this to my second pic above:

http://stashsclassics.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/rearleftafter.2392512.jpg

Then compare this to the third pic:

http://www.impalass427.com/72res/My68SS427_frontqtr.jpg

Then try this on for overall effect. It's even almost the right colors:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/3894579897/

Hmmm?

--rick


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

rick,

O.K. I concur 

Bob...68 Caprice it is...zilla


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

Hey Rick, yep, thats what it looks like to ME ! Funny thing, I grew up in NJ, and my buddy had a gold'ish(w/black vinyl) '68 Caprice for his first car....and it instantly reminded me of his car.


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

ParkRNDL said:


>


I'm guessing it was once a Buick Riviera judging by the front end...Still a pretty cool version. Hey Rick, while your at the 7/11 getting milk, food, icecream, meat, & ice, see if they have any tires on sale!!!  RM


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## 1scalevolvo (Feb 5, 2004)

Judging from the rear roof line I think it may have started as a ' 67 T-Bird.

Neal:dude:


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Better have an MRI!


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## slotto (Feb 9, 2010)

Yeah, I was gonna say that too Hilly. Looks like it started out as a Riv. A keeper nonetheless.


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

I was thinking that Hilltop and Neal are both right... looks like he cut down a Riviera grille/bumper to fit under a '67 Thunderbird. The roofline sure looks like the T-bird...

--rick


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## win43 (Aug 28, 2006)

I'm with volvo. 67 T-Bird


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## torredcuda (Feb 1, 2004)

Decent looking conversion and with a little work will be nice ride.On a side note who makes the 7/11 store?


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

i'm thinking it was bachmann... i've had it since i was a kid, probably bought it in the early '80s, so i don't remember. i'll look underneath later to see if it's marked...

--rick


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## plymouth71 (Dec 14, 2009)

I'm thinking you need to call the police. There's a couple of cars sitting on the pavement and someone has obviously stolen their tires. Can't believe everyone else missed this... :tongue:


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

hahahaha. yeah that's one thing i hate about slip-on silicones... they stretch if you leave them on the tires, but then stuff looks dumb sitting there without tires. i need little cinderblocks to sit them on or something.

and i was wrong about Bachmann... it's actually Lifelike.

http://www.ho-scaletrains.net/lifelikekitsandactionaccessories/id76.html

http://www.proxibid.com/asp/LotDetail.asp?ahid=1549&aid=33758&lid=9142052

i found a couple in completed listings on Fleabay that sold for around $10 or less...

--rick


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Looks like those filched tires aren't the only criminal activity going on at the Seven-E...



















--rick


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

ParkRNDL said:


> He said it had been done by a kid, and he thought it seemed pretty impressive for a kid to have had an eye like this maybe 40 years ago when it was done. --rick


I don't know Rick, but that just might be one of the most significant archaeological finds in slot history. It may be the prehistoric cave cobblings of Mike Vitale's ancestors. In particular likely done by none other than Stone E. Vitalerock. :lol:

I agree with Slotto though... that *IS* a keeper. When I make it to shows on LI there are *always* a couple I see that I kick myself for not buying. Glad ya snagged it finally. :woohoo:

*Here's one I just couldn't leave behind. I dunno, sometimes they just speak to me...*


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## Hilltop Raceway (Feb 12, 2006)

ParkRNDL said:


> --rick


Dat's some art work there!!! You'd think management would have repainted since 82', but I guess that would have just created a new canvas so why bother...very cool... RM


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## slotto (Feb 9, 2010)

That's just plain cool there PRNDL! You forgot "Clapton is GOD"
I love it!
slotto


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

1scalevolvo said:


> Judging from the rear roof line I think it may have started as a ' 67 T-Bird.
> 
> Neal:dude:


Think you nailed it 1sv! :thumbsup: rr


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## bobhch (Apr 22, 2007)

7-11 & Willys gone chop, chop!!

Bob...rock on...zilla


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## Ralphthe3rd (Feb 24, 2011)

*Wow- Cool !*



tjd241 said:


> *Here's one I just couldn't leave behind. I dunno, sometimes they just speak to me...*


 Awesome, I love it too, and it gives me new ideas for converting a Willys into a low down Modified Dirttracker :thumbsup: Thanks for posting this pic, it truly inspires me to get down low and dirty


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## tjd241 (Jan 25, 2004)

...thought you might like that Ralph. You and yer "dirty" mind. lol

*Rick...* Is that graffitti freehand work? I swear it looks like little HO hands using HO spray cans did it. Really convincing to say the least. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

thanks! :wave: not only is it freehand, but if the date on the right-side corner is accurate, i did it the summer after 7th grade... :freak:

--rick


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

ParkRNDL said:


> thanks! :wave: not only is it freehand, but if the date on the right-side corner is accurate, i did it the summer after 7th grade... :freak:
> 
> --rick


... at least it kept you away from doing a 1:1 7eleven.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

*Folk art slots*

I love the inspired vintage pieces Rick, and wish I had collected more. You can usually get them for nothing; in most cases the shipping is more than the sell. In an attempt to build that which the manufacturers didnt provide or just building a better mousetrap, the curious expressions of art or insanity. Very few of them survive. 


Most all the grey backs will remember the "ugh! How could ya not bid on this?

"









Note: The "ugh!" is not in it's original form. She was under powered and suffered from excessive drag/bind. Tyco US wheel and axle sets were retrofitted in the place of crumbling t-jet tires. Their odd taper provides minimum track contact. The originally speced Lionel can motor had a lame pole and wouldnt pipe up. It was replaced with a Mabuchi can motor with 440 guts. I also added a red rear guide pin after the fact to prevent tipping when entering turns. 

Although I violated the originality of the piece, I justify it by thinking that some childs 40 year old dream came true when "ugh" finally took wing.


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## sidejobjon (Jun 3, 2010)

*Gto*

I am thinking it was a GTO look from the front roof back to rear trunk . the rear wheel wells? Any body see it?


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