SALSA WAGON
AMT LI'L GASSER & '32
PHANTOM KITBASH
BUILT BY IRA DAHM (11/02)
"STAFF PICK" AT
NNL WEST 2009 (3-09)
FEATURED IN THE 2004 SCALE
AUTO "CONTEST CARS" MAGAZINE ON PAGES 3 AND 64!
MORE COLOR PHOTOS BELOW!
The Salsa Wagon is made up from parts from
7 different kits. The truck cab and Salsa Tank are from AMT's Li'l Gasser.
The cowl is from AMT's '29 Ford Woody kit. The frame, engine, wheels, tires,
floorboard, radiator fan and dashboard are from AMT's '32 Phantom. The tail
lights and radiator shell are from Revell/Monogram's Pie Wagon. The seats
are from Revell's '39 Chevy. The exhaust pipes are from MPC's '53 Ford pick
up. The steering wheel and shifter are from Revell's Tweedy Pie 2.
Here's how it was built. The cab is made
up from 24 separate pieces. The top was chopped 1/4" and the body was
channeled 3/16". The body pieces were then glued with Zap-A-Gap. 1/4"
was trimmed from the roof overhang. The cowl was cut from the '29 Ford and
attached to the cab with 4 pieces of sheet plastic to fill in the gaps.
The rear window was cut out and trimmed with half round plastic strip. Additional
trim was added with half round plastic strip. The windshield frame was fabricated
from sheet plastic, half round strips and "L" shape angle strips.
The corners were all rounded off and the body panels were sanded smooth.
The '32 floorboard was trimmed to fit the cab.
The Salsa Tank was shortened to 1&1/8"
long and the filler platform was also shortened. Three of tank support pieces
were shortened and sectioned. The firewall was made from sheet plastic and
covered with Bare Metal Foil. The sharp edges of the radiator shell were
all rounded off and the radiator ornament was removed. The radiator was
made with sheet plastic. The backs of the seats were left off so that the
headrests would be open in the center. The backs of the headrests were filled
with putty and sanded smooth. The backs of the exhaust pipes were filled
with putty and sanded smooth. Mounting braces for the exhaust pipes and
tail lights were made with strip plastic pieces. The windows were made with
sheet Lexan.
The body parts and frame were painted with
Testors Gloss yellow. The body trim was done with Testors Gloss Black. The
interior and tank platform were painted with Testors Flat Black. The tank
is covered with chrome film and Bare Metal Foil. The "SALSA" decals
were custom made. The flame decals are from the original AMT '32 Vicky kit.
The seats were painted with Testors Flat Gray and covered with Detail Masters
Flocking. The radiator fan and the tank filler platform were highlighted
with a silver metallic paste available at most craft stores.
