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Topic starter
16/08/2026 1:59 pm
The vision was a driver hunched over, head up with both hands on the tiller and feet angled to rest on the brake and the accelerator. So I don't have to completely sculpt it from head to toe, there numerous scales accessory figures with various heads, torsos, arm and legs on trees optimally in styrene. Here's an example in 1/24 scale:
Starting with construction below the belt line, the easiest way to position legs and feet are to wedge , heat and reposition. For the feet to meet the pedals, remove a wedge just above the top of the foot and to stretch out the legs (on a lower body part that's in a seated position) Cut a wedge behind the knee (with a razor saw) heat if necessary and straighten the legs to meet the pedals. The wedges can be filled in with a type of A+B epoxy putty. I also used the putty over the legs to create blue jeans.
At this stage, I took a stock torso with head and repositioned the head to face upwards becausethe torso will be leaning forward. I did a rough painting of the head to see how it would look and fabricated goggles from scrap styrene softened with liquid styrene cement which acts like a solvent.
I then mated the torso to the lower body with a bit of shaving and temporarily held them together with removable museum putty which also allows subtle movement of parts before a permanent fixation. As to the arms and hands, they had to be treated like the the legs and feet to mate with the torso and the tiller handles.
Leaving the upper and lower tacked together, as the intact figure can't actually be inserted in one piece, I could now finish and paint his shoes, jeans, leather jacket in epoxy and lead foil collars belt and cuffs. And I topped his head with a backwards peaky newsboy cap of putty as a brass shim brim.
16/08/2026 2:17 pm
AWESOME! Thanks for this re-post, Rich!
16/08/2026 4:20 pm
Fantastic work! I know a lot of collectors are against models with drivers but they can work very well. Your work on this one not only gives the car 'motion' but also establishes the cars size to the minds eye. A real winning addition.
16/08/2026 6:30 pm
Wow... Amazing creativity RS. I think it's best if I stick to having the Chinese do my dirty work. By the packaging, it would appear you live on the same side of 'the pond' as do I, and perhaps in the same time zone?
Tony Perrone and Christopher Moroni reacted
Topic starter
16/08/2026 6:45 pm
@chris The one diorama that I wish I'd taken pics of during the build was the vignette for the 1908 Thomas Flyer New York to Paris race. I did a much better job on those 4 figures.
This post was modified 2 days ago by Rich Sufficool
Tony Perrone and Christopher Moroni reacted
16/08/2026 9:25 pm
@rich-sufficool Well, ALL your figures look good to; I've always loved this particular diorama! I'm 99% sure I've actually seen this very car at the Henery Ford museum in Michigan years ago.
Again, great job Rich!
Tony Perrone reacted
16/08/2026 9:32 pm
"I know a lot of collectors are against models with drivers, but they can work very well."
That's true, occasionally I've fitted 1/18 models with "augmented figures" that I've re-worked to fit. Mine don't match Rich's level of detail, but you get the idea. 😉
Here's just a few examples:
This post was modified 2 days ago by Christopher Moroni
Tony Perrone and Rich Sufficool reacted
Topic starter
17/08/2026 12:26 am
@chris That blue semi is just AWESOME!!!
Christopher Moroni and Tony Perrone reacted
17/08/2026 7:02 am
@rich-sufficool Thanks... that was my part of my first 1/18 hauler project - which was featured in a magazine and about 300,000 times online. Years later, I completed a second one - which garnered even more attention. I'm thinking of another (in 1/18.... but I've done a few in other scales too ).
Rich Sufficool and Bob Jackman reacted
17/08/2026 8:11 am
Chris, your haulers and their loads are superb. The attention to detail is beyond words, the wheel covers taken off and the windows rolled up get my attention.
Christopher Moroni reacted
17/08/2026 9:13 am
@bob-jackman Thanks Bob! Both of those "side-projects" were a PITA! Each window had to be cut-to-fit, then frames had to be fabricated, then those had to be chromed! 😳 😳 😳
The rims had to be a scale 14" (Ford used 14" rims in 1958 ) and 99% of 1/18 steelie rims are scale 15"
So...... I had to custom make ONE (which was two pieces ) then make molds and cast SEVERAL sets! 😬 🤪 😩
NOTE: Each Ford ALSO has a box of scale 14" wheelcovers - that fit perfectly on those 14" rims - in the trunk! (SEE PIC )
This post was modified 2 days ago by Christopher Moroni
Rich Sufficool reacted
Topic starter
17/08/2026 9:52 am
@chris What a magnificent display they make. I could envision a truck stop diorama that would probably take up half a room! You could use those scantily clad 1/18 females as resident hookers. LOL
This post was modified 2 days ago by Rich Sufficool
Christopher Moroni reacted