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19/08/2019 7:20 am
[PICS] One happy cross country rambler
The courier came this morning with my Neo '58 Rambler wagon.
I ripped open the packaging like a 4 year old child with a birthday present - well, maybe a bit quicker than that - and was relieved to discover that the model is as nicely assembled, painted and detailed as one could wish for. The contrasting white strip on the roof edges almost looks hand-painted and wavers very slightly on my specimen, but nothing serious.
And the much-debated colour actually looks to me like a rich Royal Blue with an extremely fine metallic grain and not a hint of purple about it. I couldn't find a really convincing match for this blue in any images or Rambler brochures or colour charts, by the way. they had a softer greyish-blue and a turquoise for '58
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and a much darker blue for for '59 which isn't really a match either,
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so I can't say for sure if Neo's colour choice is accurate or not, but in any case I'm not desperately fussy about factory-authentic colours.
Anyway, I took it out into the garden and shot some decently exposed photos in good shady sunlight, and this is where things get very strange - well, SLIGHTLY strange at least - because most of the photos seem to have just a hint of purple to my eyes. Or do I mean violet? Or deep lilac even?
I've read that some flowers are notoriously hard to take convincing photos of because the eye sees them differently from the camera. Something to do with the ultra-violet (ah, so maybe there's a clue in there somewhere).
Judge for yourself.
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The roof and bonnet/hood in this high-angle view taken in shade probably gives the best impression of the "pure metallic blue" as seen by the naked eye.
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It will sit quite nicely alongside the sedan version
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although the cool purity of that sedan makes the wagon look slightly "harsh" by comparison. But then dark blue isn't my favourite colour for a car. Ivory over powder blue might have been nice (although as colour schemes go it's kind of a period clich?). The 2-tone green version shown below, with the option of having the contrasting colour over the whole roof, would be quite pleasing.
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And if Neo had issued it looking like this ...
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... I would have been so overwhelmed by feelings of profound ecstasy as to be incapable of coherent speech, let alone taking photographs. I think that is terrific, but you may find it yukky.
Oh, by the way, you'll notice Neo have carefully reproduced two small oval chrome fittings on the roof. For one terrible moment I thought they were attachments for a part of the roof rack that had fallen off, but apparently not. Mounting points for an anti-aircraft gun? Or for twin flagpoles? If we have any obsessive nerd on the Forum* who can enlighten us, I am sure we would all be eternally grateful.
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*Not that I expect for one moment that we do.
Graeme.M. Ogg
London U.K.
19/08/2019 8:04 am
I take most of my photos on a leftover piece of plywood from a kitchen cabinet installation.
I toss it on an outdoor grille to take my photos. Now, on a light to moderate overcast day the photos are just fine usually. Sometimes I take pics on a partly cloudy day though, and even with the sun diffused by a passing cloud, the color can be off.
My computer has a few color editing tricks and the one I use most often is "warmth". I adjust using this setting until the wood surface looks right and, voila, the model is usually OK too. The plywood also has a light unfinished side, which is helpful for contrast with red or tan cars.
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19/08/2019 8:38 am
Some pictures from an "obsessive nerd." (PICs) 1958 Rambler wagons, it seems, are not commonly photographed from the top, but here are a couple of shots I found that further illustrate those "connections."
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Without a'58 Cross Country to verify this, I suggest these are tie-down points. NEO is to be congratulated for realism. (And thanks for your good review, Graeme. I think the sedan is sufficient for my Rambler holdings.)
19/08/2019 9:44 am
I see it as Kimberley blue myself....am I color-blind?