Added 4 new models: the Dodge Monaco used by Rosco P.Coltrane in the serial "The Duke's of Hazzard", the Chevy van used by B.A.Baracus in the serial "The A-Team" (I will customize this model in the next weeks), the Ferrari F40 and the Lamborghini Countach used by Dolph Lundgren in the movie "Joshua Tree / Army of One".

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 4/5/2007 10:18

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   Unfortunately, these Easter Holidays are finished but I'm very happy because I received two new models for my collection... These models are very rare to find in my country, but finally they are in my hands!! These two models are the wonderful Munsters Koach and the incredible Munsters Dra-g-ula. In addiction, I discovered that I own an amazing Citroen XM produced by Solido that it's the car used in the famous chase scene in the movie Ronin!

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 4/10/2007 12:05

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   At last, I've completed the main cars used on this great movie: the green Mitsubishi Eclipse used by Brian O'Conner at the beginning of the movie; the red Mazda RX-7 used by Domenique Toretto during the chase with the Mitsubishi Eclipse driven by Brian O'Conner, and finally the black Dodge Charger '70 used by Toretto in the final scene versus the wonderul orange Toyota Supra.

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 4/20/2007 15:45

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   Finally, after 2 weeks, I received the Dodge Charger '68 (used in "Bullit") that I won the 20th April on eBay. When I received the car has the rear shock absorbers not connected at the chassis, but in 5 minutes I corrected the problem with a simple screwdriver. Moreover, I have corrected a problem on the rear lights that are attacched in a wrong way to the body. In the end, I have washed the body with the polish and now it's very very shine!
   Only for fun, I have organized a meeting only for my personal Chargers: the new one (1968), the General Lee (1969) and the Fast & Furious stock car (1970), but I think that in the future I will organize a second meeting with more Chargers!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 5/8/2007 12:14

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   Finally, I extracted from the boxes the last 2 diecast models arrived to my home, the Mustang GT "00" and the General Lee with black interior. However, looking the new General Lee I noticed some differences respect my first General Lee: apart the black interior, the main differences are the license plates. In the rear, there is no the common Georgia's "CNH 320" plate but a Florida plate. Moreover, in the front, there is no the common "confederated flag" plate but the same Florida plate. This Florida plate is "072069" (with a little "10" before the other numbers).
   At the end of the evening, I shoot some pictures using my 2 General Lees so, after the 1st Charger Meeting, I organized the 1st General Lee Meeting!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 5/24/2007 14:53

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   A new car in my garage!!! This time is the turn of the wonderful F430, the Ferrari used in the 2006 movie "Miami Vice". The model needs only a simple customization to looks like the original car: in the movie, the interiors are not red but black, so in the next days I will change the color.
   Moreover, in these days I'm preparing some new dioramas based on "Hazzard". Stay tuned!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 6/4/2007 17:27

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   Yesterday, I received a new package with new 2 diecast models. It contains a surprise model but I will show you the next week.
   However, today I would to show you that I've started to work on the "Traveller", the '69 Dodge Charger used by John Schneider in the movie "Collier & Co." To do this, I've used a "General Lee" (2005 version) and for the moment, I've removed all the decals with acetone. Moreover, I've started to prepare the engine and the engine compartment.
   In the next days, I will update new pictures with my progress!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 6/29/2007 11:46

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   The last weekend, I worked a lot on the Traveller's engine. I painted every pieces of the engine and then I recreated an air filter with plasticard and paperboard: the original one doesn't looks like the filter used on the real "Traveller", so I preferred to create a new one. Moreover, I added some decals to the body of the car, in particular the two license plates and the sun stripe on the windshield. Now, this model begin to be the "Traveller"!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 7/2/2007 09:07

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   This evenening I've finished to add details to the engine, so in the next pictures you could see a detailed engine and the hood with the autographs of all the living original cast members and crew that were on "The Dukes of Hazzard" TV show.
   Moreover, I started to work on the internal rollbar: I created it using a plastic drinking straw and some pieces of the original rollbar installed when I bought the original model. Now this rollbar is raw, but tomorrow, I will paint it with opaque black, adding the protections for the passengers with sealing tape.

   Moreover, this morning I received a package from the US... on the package there is a label: "John Schneider Webstore". Yeaaa Haaa! In that package there was the "Collier & Co." posters (with autographs) that I bought on eBay from John. Now, I will wait the DVD with the movie. I hope it arrives as soon as possible!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 7/5/2007 23:28

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   The next weekend I will go to visit my girlfriend in Verona, so I will stop my work on the "Traveller". I will restart to work on it monday. However, yesterday evening I've painted the roll bar with black spray and I tryed to see how it looks into the car: I'm enough satify but I need to see the final result when I will finish the car interior. Moreover, I replaced the original exhaust with two little tubes that I've painted with silver spray and now the rear is equal to the real "Traveller".
   Have a nice weekend and see you monday!!

P.S.: Yesterday evening I also received 2 new pictures from Roberto's Collection: the first is the '69 Dodge Charger "Cale Yarborough" version, and the second is a General Lee in "Dusty" version. To see Roberto's collection, please click here.

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 7/6/2007 10:06

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   New week, new updates!! This time I propose you new pictures of the Traveller's dashboard: to prepare it, I preferred to create a homemade detailed decals, starting with a simple sketch obtained directly pressing a paper on the original dashboard. Then, I scanned my sketch and I acquired it on my PC; with a good graphic software I elaborated it (below, you could see an animation about the steps needed for this process) and when I finished it, I printed on adhesive paper.
   If you want to see more pictures about this step, click on the following picture.

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 7/9/2007 20:24

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   Good news, good news!!! Other updates on the Traveller: Yesterday evening, I created the Overdrive box using a simple plasticard paper. I've modeled it with a cutter and at the end I've created a little box attaching every piece with a good glue. Then, I've painted the box with gloss black and I've attached a decals created using a picture of the real Traveller owned by John Schneider.
   But I've not finished... I also created the safety belts for the front seats. I used an old shoulder strap and with it I created 6 narrow stripe, 3 for every seat. Then, I glue the pieces and I realized the metal buckle with plasticard painted with silver spray.

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 7/12/2007 08:59

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   As announced, during the last weekend I found the correct paint for the interior parts!!! It's a good tan spray, dug-up in a small paintshop in Erba (CO). So, yesterday evening I started to paint the 2 front seats and the right door panel. The result is very good and I like very much this color (in the pictures, you could notice the difference between the new color and the old plastic effect). This evening, I will paint all the other parts and then I will add some decals to the safety belts.

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 7/16/2007 09:53

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   Do you remember my project to create a futuristic version of the General Lee? Ok, today it's arrived the moment to show you my last purchase. I bought the great orange Dodge Challenger Concept produced by Maisto: with the "General Lee" decals created by Bugsy's Junkers, I will convert it in a new car for the Hazzard County!! So,I will put together two my passions: the "General Lee" with the wonderful Dodge Challenger Concept!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 7/18/2007 17:18

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   Yestarday, I worked hard on the Traveller. First of all, I corrected a problem on the passenger's door: originally, when I extracted the car from its box, I noticed that the passenger's door has been glued to the body, because a screw was broken. So, with a good pincer I extracted the screw and I substituted it with a new one.
   Moreover, I prepared the car carpet to simulate the internal moquette: to do this, I used a Vinavil glue diluted with water, and then I dredged Borotalco. When every components was dry, I painted the car carpet with opaque black. The result is very good!! Now to finish the Traveller I need only 2 things: the fire extinguisher (I order it on eBay) and the rear seats (I will order it monday or tuesday from Bugsy's Junkers).

Posted by: Fabiano on Sun 7/22/2007 11:05

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   Yesterday evening, I mounted the two front safety belts on the Traveller. If you notice, I also added 2 stickers with the brand "SIMPSON" (produced with my PC), like the real Traveller. This morning given that it's a sunny day, I shot some new pictures on the interior part and with the main body mounted. Now, the Traveller is near to be finished...

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 7/25/2007 12:14

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   Yesterday, it's arrived a package with some new models: one of this is another '69 Dodge Charger "General Lee" that I will convert in the Traveller #2 owned by Erik Dimitriou. I think that I will create 3 replicas of this car: one for me, one for Erik and one for Roberto (the greatest collector of Hazzard diecast model in Italy).
   Anyway, before start to work on this model, I organized a new Charger Meeting: this time the presence was very high, infact there was 6 Charger (included the last oncoming). The next time, I think the meeting will be still larger!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 7/26/2007 11:06

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   Finally, yesterday it's arrived another little package with the fire extinguishers I won on eBay. Now my Traveller, with this distinctive feature, is more similar to the original one. I have also unlocked the doors, so now it's possibile to open the doors and look the interior parts.

   Moreover, yesterday I visted a gentleman that I know on eBay and that lives near my town. Cristiano (this is his name) is a british car restorer but also a great diecast collector (on his body shop he has about 4000 pieces!!!). I visited his body shop and for the occasion I bought for few euros 3 models that I will restore in the next weeks: a black Dodge Viper R/T 10 (I will recreate the car used in the TV series "Viper"), a red Jaguar E-type Coupe (I will recreate the car used by "Diabolik") and a red Ferrari 348 GTB (I will restore it but I think I will sell it on eBay).

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 7/27/2007 09:58

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   Yesterday, I started to work on 3 models: first of all, I created the correct license plates for the Traveller #2 (using some original pictures posted by Erik Dimitriou on CGLFC forum) and then I started to remove the paint from the Jaguar and Ferrari bodies. This evening, I think I will start to paint the Jaguar body with a good gloss black and then I will remove paint from the Viper body.

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 7/31/2007 11:16

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   Finally, I restarted to work on the Jaguar E-type: I painted the internal parts and the body! I colored the internal chassis with a wonderful opaque black and the engine with a shine metal paint. However, the interior is not finished because I need to add more details to the stearing wheel, to the seats and to the dashboard.
   Moreover, I painted the body with a great gloss black: with this paint, the car is very very elegant, sporty and shiny!! Also on the body, I need to add some details, especially the chrome profiles. This evening I will continue to work on it, so tomorrow I will post some new updates!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 8/2/2007 11:31

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   Good news today! Finally I completed the interior: I painted the seats with the same tan color used for the Traveller and the dashboard with a opaque black. The combination (also with the stearing wheel) is perfect! I created other details for the interior: I painted the stearing wheel with a silver pen and then I added new instruments created with my PC; today, I will print another decal with the tachometer and the speedometer and this evening I will stick it on the dashboard.
   Besides, I created on the body (with the usual silver pen) the chomed profiles. At the end, I only tested every parts to see how the car will looks like, and I think that the result is very good!! I believe that this evening Diabolik will be very happy for his new car

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 8/3/2007 09:24

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   Finally the Diabolik's Jaguar is completed!! I finished to assemble all the model and now looks great with this new colouring. To increase the details level, I added some decals to the dashboard (now it's more realistic respect the originals used by BBurago). I need only to add the handbrake but I will do it in the next days (I'm doubtful, because I don't know if paint it with black paint or brown paint). However, looks all the pictures of my last creation!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 8/6/2007 10:20

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   Hi guys! Today, I want to show you my R/C "General Lee": it was produced by Hitari, it has "Dixie" horn and "Yeeeee Haaaaa" sound effects and it's very fast!! The original model has only a flaw: there wasn't the front and rear license plates. So, with my usual PC, I created a rebel flag for the front and the famous "CNH 320" for the rear. Now, looks very good!! In the next days, I will prepare some videos about this General in action

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 8/7/2007 12:15

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   When I finished the Diabolik's Jaguar, I started a new project: unfortunately, it's not the Traveller #2 (I'm waiting some detailed pictures from Erik to create a perfect replica of his car), but the Dodge Viper used in the TV series "Viper". To replicate it, I used an old black Viper I bought for few euros 2 weeks ago, and after a good paint remover, I started to paint it with red paint. At now, I painted only the hood, the trunk, the rollbar and the 2 doors; moreover, I prepared with the PC a correct license plate.
   In the next days, I will finish to paint the rest of the body, and then I will prepare some accurate decals for the interior to reproduce the technological instruments located in the dashboard.

   Moreover, this morning I saw these awesome pictures posted by Bugsy and Motorhead on CGLFC message board. On these pictures, there is the new Dodge Charger produced by RC2/Joy Ride/ERTL (the maquette, certainly) and I can only say that this time the model is perfect (correct rims, trunk that can be opened, accurate engines, etc.) There is also a pre-release General Lee with test color, without tampos... I can't wait!!! I want this General!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 8/8/2007 09:32

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   Before the break on the weekend, I finished to paint all the Viper's body. The result is perfect and the paint is bright and without imperfections: the Viper will be reassembled monday evening, also with all the decals on the dashboard. So, finally, I will start to work on the Traveller owned by Erik Dimitriou.

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 8/10/2007 10:18

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   New week, new updates! This morning I want to show you the progress on the Viper. It's almost finished, but I need to add some little details to complete perfectly the model. I assembled all the body parts and then I added the decals for the dashboard, so the interior is very similar to the original car used for the TV series. I think this evening I complete this model and then I will start the Erik's Charger.

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 8/13/2007 12:38

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   Finally, yesterday I started to work on the Traveller model based on the car owned by Erik Dimitriou and used in "Collier & Co." movie. First of all, using the pictures furnished by Erik, I created a new license plate, so now it's identical to the last one installed his owner. Moreover, I started to remove the paint from the body, starting from the hood and the doors.
   This evening I think that I'll continue on the rest of the body, and in the next days, I will start to paint it with the correct colours.

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 8/16/2007 11:32

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   Yesterday, I went to Gavirate (VA) in my preferred paintshop and I found all the correct colors to paint the Erik's Traveller. On to the road to home, I was very anxious to try my new paints, so just arrived in my house I immediately tryed to paint all the parts unpainted. The result is good: the light grey is perfect and it looks like the color on the pictures sent me by Erik.
   This evening, I will continue to work on the body and in the next days I will show you the progress. Have a nice weekend!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 8/17/2007 11:02

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   Finally, today I resumed the Traveller: I removed all the old paint from the body and then I painted the front with the same color (light grey) used for the hood and the doors. Then, changing the mask, I painted the passenger side with a redish color: I'm very excited for the result obtained, but unfortunately today it's a rainy day and to show you my progress, I shot some pictures indoor, so the light is not perfect. I hope tomorrow will be a better day, perhaps a sunny day, so I will shoot new pictures with the right light.

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 8/20/2007 22:57

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   Yesterday, I painted the body with the dark grey: to do this, first of all I prepared a mask to cover the parts just painted, and then I sprayed the new color on the visibile parts. After some hours, the paint was air-dried, so I removed all the mask and I shot some pictures with all the parts assembled.
   However, if you notice, there is a little difference between the light grey used on the front and the light grey used on the hood and the doors. I don't know the reasons, but I don't like this imperfection, so today I will repaint another time the hood and the doors and I hope this time the paint effect will be the same for every piece. Moreover, I will paint with the same color also the trunk and tomorrow, perhaps, I will paint the roof with a semi gloss black.

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 8/22/2007 10:20

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   As promised, I resolved the problem about the differences on the light grey parts: now every pieces have the same shade!! Moreover, I painted also the trunk with the same light grey and then I assembled all the parts with also the front lights and the rear lights.
   I think that until the 4th Septmber I will stop to work on the Traveller because tomorrow I will leave for my due holiday. However, in this period I will think how to create the roof, because I want try to create the vinil roof with a particular tapes... See you in September!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 8/23/2007 11:21

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   Finally, after the holiday, I took in my hands the Traveller and I corrected some errors I discovered watching carefully the pictures sent me by Erik.
   First of all, I repainted all the front grill removing the wrong orange frame: now the headlights grill is all black with silver edges. Then, I modified the left rear corner: in my previous version, I painted this point with dark grey, but now I've corrected it with a light grey. Last but not least, I corrected the hidden side of the right rear quarter panel, painting it with red color, instead of light grey.
   Now the car looks better and the next step is to paint the roof, giving it the look of a vinal roof.

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 9/13/2007 10:49

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   As announced, yesterday evening I painted the roof. To obtain the vinal effect I used a opaque black paint: I sprayed the paint with a lot of little squirt, manteining the cylinder at 40cm from the model. For every squirt, I generated a thick cloud, so the paint was deposited in granular way on the body.
   I think that the result is awesome and I'm very proud for my job... The next step is to create the silver profiles around all the windows and then, when the exterior will be finished, I will start to prepare the interior of the car.

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 9/14/2007 11:29

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   Today, "Collier & Co. - Hot Pursuit" will be realesed in the US on the new version with 2 DVDs. So, to celebrate this event, yesterday I worked hard to finish the exterior of the Traveller: I painted all the silver profiles around every window and then I assembled some external details like the windscreen, the back window, the fuel cap and the windshield wipers.
   Moreover, I shot some pictures with the orange Traveller that I created some months ago, so I tryed to reproduce a future meeting between the cars owned by John Schneider and Erik Dimitriou.

   Besides, I want to show you a custom "General Lee" that Luca.77 (an Automodellando's user) has created in this period: he has used an Hot Wheels model in 1/64 scale and using some pictures downloaded from Internet, he has created a perfect "General Lee" livery in miniature. Good job Luca!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 9/18/2007 11:14

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   Yesterday, on the Traveller, I added the lateral rear windows, created using vinyl acetate papers. Now I think the exterior could be considered finished: I need only to fix every part to the the main body and then I will start to work on the interior. Moreover, this morning, I organized another little meeting with all the main cars used in "Collier & Co. - Hot Pursuit": yes, this time there is also the Shelby Series-1 I bought some weeks ago. When I will finish the Traveller, I will try to substitute on it the red stripes with the correct blue stripes.

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 9/19/2007 11:27

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   Yesterday, I started to work on the Traveller's core!! I dismantled all the model and I started to paint the chassis with a opaque black color. This evening, I will continue to work on it, and I think I will paint the engine.

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 9/26/2007 12:10

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   As promised, I worked on the engine. First of all, I painted the block with a gloss red, and then I painted some details with a chrome paint. To increse the detail of this engine, I prepared some decals "MOPAR PERFORMANCE" for the headers. To complete it, I will add some cables and other feature in according with the picture of the real car.
   Moreover, I painted with the same gloss red, the torsion bar (so now it looks more real) and I prepared 2 new exhaust tubes, using the same drinking straw I used on the previous Traveller.

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 9/28/2007 15:03

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   New updates on the Traveller: with a tan color, I painted all the internal parts like the dashboard and the lateral door panels. Then, I prepared a dashboard decal using the pictures sent me by Erik (below, you can see the usual animation I use to illustrate the steps needed to create this decal).
   In the next days, I will work on the internal floor: I need to decide if I will realize the movie version (no carpet inside) or the actual version (with tan carpet inside).

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 10/1/2007 14:27

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   This time, I want to present you my last purchases. The first 2 cars concern the movie series "007, James Bond": a Lotus Esprit Turbo (submarine) from "The spy who loved me" and an Aston Martin DB5 from "Goldeneye", both produced by RC2/ERTL. The last car concern the TV series "Magnum P.I." and it's a red Ferrari 308 GTS produced by Kyosho.
   I hope you appreciate them.

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 10/9/2007 12:30

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   Today I want to show you my last purchase: the dirty version of the rare 1970 Dodge Challenger from the movie "Vanishing Point". Considering that in my collection there is also the new 2006 Dodge Challenger Concept, I organized a little comparison to show how a car can change in 36 years!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 10/22/2007 12:09

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   After Halloween, a new model has arrived in my house: this time is the turn of the Tucker Torpedo (Kyosho), a particular car produced in the 1948 by Preston Tucker in only 51 items. The story of this car is incredible: Preston Tucker took a different tack, designing a safety-conscious car with innovative features and modern styling. His specifications called for a rear engine like Porsche, disc brakes, fuel injection, the location of all instruments on the steering wheel, a windshield that popped out in a collision and a padded dashboard. It featured a directional third headlight, dubbed the "Cyclops Eye", for use in turns, in a fashion similar to the prewar Czech Tatra T87 (the Tatra cars also had a rear mounted, air-cooled engine and advanced streamlining): it lit up whenever the car was steered by more than 10 degrees, a feature now known as Adaptive Headlights.
   The Tucker story and legacy were recounted in the 1988 movie, Tucker: The Man and His Dream. Starring Jeff Bridges, the film was produced by George Lucas and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who owns one of the 47 remaining Tuckers in existence (the 1003, sold at auction in September 2005 for $385,000).

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 11/9/2007 11:34

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   Finally I received one of my last purchases, the wonderful Porsche 917K used by Steve McQueen in the movie "Le Mans". This model is produced by AutoArt and the details are very high, in according with the tradition of this brand. The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Powered by the Type 912 flat-12 engine of 4.5, 4.9, or 5 litres, the long-tailed version was capable of a 0-62mph time of less than 2.5 seconds and a top speed of over 248 mph (394 km/h).
   Besides the Le Mans (film), another well-known appearance of the 917 in movies was in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo. Driven by Bruno von Stickle (Eric Braeden), and painted in the colors of Germany's national flag, it was perhaps the most formidable entry in this fictitious Trans-France Race. The car shown in the movie was obviously not a real 917, though, but a very fine replica, the US produced Laser 917. As it is based on many components from a VW Beetle including chassis and engine, it has a stunning (for a grass roots kit) resemblance to a true 917.

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 11/20/2007 10:22

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   New week, new model!! Today, I would like to show you the Grease Lightning, alias the last car I bought some days ago: the car is very strange and it's not my preferred for the design, but it's a great movie car, so it can't miss in my "virtual" garage. However, I like very much the transparent hood with the engine on sight: a classic modification used in the '60 cars!! The real car was prepared by the great George Barris for the movie "Grease" and in the May 2005 it was sold during a cars auction.

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 11/26/2007 11:33

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   Finally, after 2 months, I resumed to work on the Traveller (owned by Erik Dimitriou). The exterior now is perfect, so I'm concentrating my pains only on the interior, especially on the internal carpet: infact, using a particular pasty velvet sent me from Max (Diablo), I recreated a perfect carpet for the floor. This is the first time I use this technique, so I need to improve me, but considering the final result, I'm quite satisfy. In the next days, I will paint the seats using the correct paint and then I will try to reproduce the plaids that cover them.

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 11/28/2007 15:16

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   Working on the Erik's Traveller and watching the result obtained with the interior, I decided to make the same modification on the John's Traveller... So, I cleaned-up all the floor (removing all the painted talc) and I created a "moquette" effect with the same pasty velvet: the only difference is the color, because this time I used a black velvet, like the real car.
   Clicking on the following pictures, you could watch the final result: I hope you like it!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 11/30/2007 14:28

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   Finally, after the great strike organized by the italian truck drivers, I received some models: one of these, it's the beatiful Aston Martin V12 Vanquish used by Pierce Brosnan in the 007 movie, "Die Another Day". The model is produced by RC2/ERTL and, like the real Vanquish, also this model has some particular gadgets: machine guns, rockets, removable roof, etc.

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 12/18/2007 11:37

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   Yesterday, I started to work on another model: with an another General Lee I want try to create the "Lee 1", the very first General Lee ever created (it's famous because it's the General Lee that appears at the end of every theme song).
   First of all, I started to create the CB antenna: to do this, I used a simple eraser and using the cutter, I modeled the correct shape to create the base; then, using a bristle taken from a broom, I painted it with chrome paint to create the rod. Moreover, using Paint Shop Pro, I created the cross flags decal and I attached it in front of the CB antenna (remember that the "Lee 1" belong to the "Georgia Era", so it has this decal near the back window). For last but not least, using 2 original ERTL rollbars, I created a full rollcage following the shape used in the real car: the result is perfect and this evening I will paint it with the correct color and then I will continue to work on the interior. Enjoy with the pictures!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 12/19/2007 11:51

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   Finally, I painted the full rollcage: I shoot some pictures putting it into the car and the result is very very good: I like it very much and I'm very satisfied!! Moreover, I removed the chrome profiles on the lateral mudguards (like the original "Lee 1") and I added some decals: in particular, I added the rear license plate (the famous "CNH 320"), the front rebel flag and the Warner parking authorization on the windscreen.
   Unfortunately, this post will be the last for the 2007: today I will leave my town to spend the Christmas holiday with my family and my girlfriend. I will come back in the first days of January, so I want to use this occation to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 12/20/2007 10:47

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   Finally, after a long Christmas holiday I resumed to work on the "Lee1". First of all, I tryed to improve the rims: I created for every wheel a circular mask, and then I painted the uncovered zone with black mat. Later, on every wheel, I painted some parts with a silver drawing pen to create the correct effect created by the "American Vectors" on the real car. Terminated to work on the wheels, I started to work on the lateral rockets and on the internal chassis: to modify these parts, I used some "plasticard" A4 papers. With a pen I traced the correct shapes I needed and then with the cutter I cut the contour. In the end, I attached all the plastic parts on the chassis to recreate the correct structure and then I painted all the chassis with a gold/bronze color.
   Unfortunately, in this period is snowy, so I can't take good pictures of the model: I need to wait until the sun will come back, so go back ASAP to visit my site!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 1/4/2008 11:41

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   In these days, I worked hard on the "Lee1": first of all, I created the lower console using the plasticard and then I painted it with a tan color (today I will realize a decal with the wood texture for the top part). Moreover, with a lot of fear, I corrected the ride height: to do this, I cut about 2mm from every suspension, but now the result is perfect: now the car seems to have a lowering kits and it's seems more aggressive. Subsequently I painted all the chassis with a gold color: naturally, I painted the engine compartment too so in the next days I will work on the engine. At the end, I created a new front push bar: to do this, I used the original leading edge, and then with the plasticard I recreated the correct shapes; after a good paint, I mounted it on the model and the look is great! That's all, so... enjoy yourself with the new pictures!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 1/7/2008 11:49

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   As announced some months ago (June 2007) one of my wishes is to create a "Street Hawk" replica on 1:18 scale. So, after a long period in which I worked on 3 Chargers (Traveller #1, Traveller #2 and Lee1), I've decided that now it's the right time to start this project: indeed 2 days ago I started to work on this bike (I'm using as base an Honda XR400 produced by Maisto) so I created the front nose layouts with a simple paper, then I will round off them and when every layout will be ready, I will create the same shapes on a plasticard sheet. I hope you like it!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 1/9/2008 15:06

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   Others little updates on the "Lee1": I added a decal on the dashboard to reproduce all the car instruments. Moreover, I started to work on the engine: I'm trying to create with the plasticard the filter cover; when it will be ready, I will paint it with black mat and then I will put on it a decal with the brand "FOUR BARREL".
   Lastly, I continued to work on "Street Hawk", trying to create the lateral layout: in the next days, I will correct some little defects and then I will create the same shapes with the plasticard.

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 1/10/2008 17:36

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   Step by step, the engine go ahead... I finished to prepare the air filer (black mat paint with the "FOUR BARREL" decal) and then I painted all the parts with an orange paint. Now, I need only to add some details, like the wirings, then when I will finish it, I will put it on the engine bay and I will try to recreate the famous jump in front of the Seney Hall.

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 1/15/2008 12:34

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   Finally, after one month, I received the last 3 models I ordered in December. The first model is a 1971 Plymouth Road Runner produced by ERTL (limited edition 1 of 2502): this model will became the car used by Daisy Duke in the first episodes of the TV series "The Dukes of Hazzard". The second model is a 1969 Dodge Charger produced by Johnny Lightning (I bought it in France): this model will became the second car used by Kurt Russel (Stuntman Mike) in the movie "Grindhouse: Death Proof". The third model is a 1970 Chevy Nova SS produced by Maisto: this model will became the first car used by Kurt Russell (Stuntman Mike) in the movie "Grindhouse: Death Proof".
   I will start to work on these models in the next days.

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 1/17/2008 11:36

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   Waiting to work on the models I show you yesterday, I worked on the "Street Hawk" bike: first of all, I removed all the original paint from the body and then I started to prepare the new body with the plasticard sheets. As you can see, initially I created the front nose, and then I created the lateral parts. They need some adjustment, but I think I'm on the correct way!!
   The next week, I will continue to work on the new body, creating the rear part and the contour around the saddle. Have a nice weekend!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 1/18/2008 09:54

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   In these days I'm working on the "Street Hawk" bike, but I found the time to work also on the Lee1's engine. I added some details, in particular some wirings and then I installed it on the engine bay. However, the model it's not finished: I need to add other distinctive features to the engine, like the car battery and the water tray. Moreover, I will substitute all the decals with a new correct set.

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 1/23/2008 16:45

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   Other updates on the "Street Hawk" bike! I finished to create the body with the plasticard and then I painted the bike with a metallized blue (it's an awesome color because it changes shade with different lights). To do this, I painted 2 coatings: when the paint will be perfectly dry, I will add the lateral decals and a lot of other details. Moreover, in the next days, I will work on the chassis, painting it (and the engine) with a mat black paint. Then will be the turn of the rims: I will paint them with a gold paint.

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 1/25/2008 14:15

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   Today it's my birthday and to celebrate it, I will publish some new pictures of the "Street Hawk" bike. As you can see, I added the decals on the lateral parts and then I painted the chassis and the engine with a mat black paint. Finally, I added a blackened glass on the front nose. This evening, I will paint the rims with a gold paint and in the next days I add other decals on the keel.

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 1/29/2008 15:48

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   Waiting to finish the "Street Hawk" bike, I started a new project, the '70 Chevy Nova used in the "Death Proof" movie. I bought this model the last December, but only this week I found the time to work on it: first of all, I dismantled the model, then I removed all the paint from the body. Afterwards, I painted the body with a mat black and then I added a big white skull on the hood. At the end, I replaced the stearing wheel and the driver's seat with a new racing set.
   However, in the next weeks I will work to finish the exterior and I will start to work on the interior, creating the full roll cage and all the others internal details.

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 2/12/2008 15:03

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   Other few updates on the "Death Proof" Nova: I prepared the license plate (remember: the license plate on this car is JJZ-109. This is the same license plate number that was on the 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback that Steve McQueen's character drove in the 1968 movie "Bullitt"). Moreover, I added the sidemarker lamps and the frontal directional lights. I hope you like it!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 2/13/2008 11:11

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   Finally, I received one of my last purchases, the awesome Ford XB Falcon (called "The Road Warrior") used in the movie Mad Max: this model is produced by AUTOart and the details level is very high! The paint job is perfect (with a good contrast between the gloss and the mat black), the interior parts are precise, the engine is highly detailed with chrome parts and accurate wirings. Moreover, with the diecast models in the box are included some additional items, like a dog, 2 fuel tanks, a fifth wheel and some dog-food tins.
   In my opinion, it's the best diecast model I bought in this year: ok, it's not cheaper, but if you want a good TV/movie cars collection, you need to buy it!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 2/21/2008 11:45

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   A new arrival at home: this time is the turn of the funny "Deathmobile", the Lincoln Continental used in the movie "Animal House", with John Belushi. When this model was produced by ERTL I decided to wait because it wasn't one of my favourite movie cars, but in the previous weeks, searching on eBay, I found a great occasion: the model was proposed with a very low price, so I bought it immediately and today it's parked in near to my other diecast models!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 2/25/2008 12:09

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   Yesterday, I received the new 1966 Batmobile produced by Hot Wheels. This is the normal version, not the Elite or Super Elite versions, but I need to say this model is good. The shape of the body is perfect and the details are adequate. The paint is nice but in some points the red lines are not accurate (especially on the top of the rear turbine). An other fault is the opening system: only the lateral doors can be opened, while the trunk and the hood are sealed up... it's not a great result for a 1:18 diecast model...
   However, the model is very good (especially considering the quality/price ratio) but I think I will substitute it with the Elite version when will became available. For the moment, the new Batmobile is seated next to the other my 2 Batmobiles ("Batman" and "Batman Begins" movies").

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 3/4/2008 17:00

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   This is the last arrival in my collection: the Aston Martin DBS produced by RC2/ERTL. This is the car used in the last "007" movie, "Casino Royale". The shape of the car is good, the paint is very brilliant and some details are great, especially the interior parts and the engine. The only things I don't like are the slits around the hood and the rigid suspensions (instead the DB7 produced by RC2/ERTL has soft suspensions). However, the model is great and it will keep company to the others four "007" cars I have in my collection.
   Lastly, I would to thanks Giuseppe Visconti, my main supplier: he has assisted me during these 2 years and he will close his diecast business in the next weeks.

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 3/6/2008 10:41

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   Ok, now it's the time to show you my last purchase, the '71 Hemi Cuda used in "Nash Bridges" and produced by Highway 61. I can use only a word to describe you this model: AWESOME!!!! This diecast has an incredible details level, on the exterior but also on the interior. The paint is perfect: the "curious yellow" is smooth, bright and faults-free; the engine is highly detailed, it miss only the noise (it's incredible the method used to open/close the hood, with real springs); the rims are accurate and the model has working suspensions.
   The interior seats are realized with soft plastic (to simulate the skin) and the interior is embellished with a lot of details like the safety belts, the reclining seats and a fine carpet.
   Finally, I think this is one of the best diecast model in my collection and considering its rarity, I will take care of it!!!

   Moreover, waiting the oncoming of mine, I received these wonderful pictures from Robby, where we can see the new Authentics General Lee, distribuited in these days from RC2/ERTL. When my General Lee will arrive, I will create a complete photo session comparing the new General Lee with the old one.

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 3/19/2008 14:48

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   Finally, this morning I get my Authentics General Lee. The model is incredible: it's completely different respect the old one and the details are very high. The paint job is perfect: the orange is bright and smooth and there are no faults. The window's profiles are not painted but they are realized with chromium-plated plastic (so, they look more realistic). On this version, the rims are very accurate: the design is perfect and they don't seem "toy" rims like the old General Lee. Also the front and the rear parts are changed: on the front we find revolving lights, while in the rear we find real plastic lights (not painted).
   The greatest update on this model is the trunk: on the old version, it's binded with the body, while in this version it can be opened. Indeed, in the trunk we can found a fifth wheel and some other tools. However, to see another great update, we can open the hood: now, on the engine bay, there is an amazing 440 Magnum engine, very detailed, with a lot of particulars, like the wirings, the battery, the air filter, etc. At last, the interior is completely changed: RC2/ERTL used a different plastic to realized the dashboard and the seats and it appears more realistic. Like the rest of the car, also the interior has been enriched with a lot of details, like the safety belts, the lower console and, finally, the rear seats!!!
   However, this is only a fast review of this model: tomorrow I will publish a complete comparison between the old and this General Lee, like the comparison I realized some months ago with "Herbie" diecast model.

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 3/26/2008 12:22

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   These models are not novelty, but I received them in the last days: the first one is the DMC DeLorean used in the movie "Back to the Future"; the second one is the DMC DeLorean used in the movie "Back to the Future 3". With the other DMC DeLorean from the "Back to the Future II", now I completed the 3 cars used in the "Back to the Future" saga. I know there is another version on railroads, but I don't if I will buy it in the future. For the time, I enjoy with them.

Posted by: Fabiano on Sat 5/10/2008 15:42

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   Waiting my last purchase, today I want to show you an unusual model of my collection, regarding the TV series "Hardcastle & McCormick". Considering not even one has produced this car in 1:18 scale, I bought this 1:10 model... yes, the accuracy is not high, because this model is only a toy (produced by ERTL in the 1982) but it's a rare model and it's not easy to find a model like this in good condition, so I'm happy to join it with the K.I.T.T. produced by Kenner.

Posted by: Fabiano on Sat 5/17/2008 09:48

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   After a long period, I resumed to work on the "Lee1", infact the model is not yet finished: I need to refine the engine bay adding some details. So yesterday, I painted with black gloss the front traverse like the real "Lee1" and this evening I will paint the orange stripe on the front grill and then I will add other details like the wirings and the battery.

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 5/28/2008 15:22

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   As promised, yesterday I corrected other details on the "Lee1". First of all, I painted the front grill with gloss black, then I corrected the edges of the front light's grill: curiously, ERTL produced this model with orange outlines and this is not correct. So, with a lot of patience I accomodated this error.
   The next weekend I will go in Verona to meet my girlfriend, but the next week I will continue to work on the Lee1, especially on the engine. Have a nice weekend!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 5/29/2008 10:39

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   In this period, I started to work hard on my models (I'm working on the Lee1 and on the 2 Travellers but this time I will show you only the progress on the first one). In particular, I created the front radio antenna located on the hood side. To do this, I used a bristle catch from a broom, then I painted it with a silver paint. The result is good and finally I can say that my Lee1 is complete on the exterior... Now I need only to complete it, finishing the engine bay.

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 6/5/2008 12:08

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   In the last weekend I worked a lot on my models (especially on the Travellers) but today I will show you only my last update on the Lee1: watching some pictures of the real car, I noticed I forgot to add some chromed profiles (normally used with the vinyl roof). So, using plasticard I realized 4 thin stripes and then I painted them with silver paint. I hope you like the final result!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 6/9/2008 11:46

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   As promised, today I will show you the last progresses on the 1st Traveller I created. As you can see watching the pictures, I modified this model in the following parts: 1) rims appearance, 2) suspensions height, 3) new air filter and 4) vinyl chrome profiles. Now, the model looks better!! In the near future I will show you the progresses on the other Traveller.

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 6/11/2008 12:27

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   Finally, today I will show you the awesome Shelby Mustang GT500 produced by AUTOart. The details on this diecast model are grand: you can watch it in the following pictures, but you will realize this model has no defects. Moreover, this model is a limited edition of 6000 pieces (mine is the #2044) and in the package there is a Certficate of Authenticity. Every time I bought a model produced by AUTOart, I think this producer is one of the best on the world!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 6/20/2008 12:20

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   Waiting the first pictures from the Dukesfest 2008, I finished to work on the wheels mounted on the grey Traveller, the replica of the car owned by Erik Dimitriou. As you can see from the pictures, I modified the model as the other Traveller, reducing the suspensions height and the rims colouring. Now, this model is ready for a "virtual" Dukesfest... Stay tuned for a funny surprise!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 6/26/2008 15:56

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   In this period, I'm working on the Traveller #1 (the car used in the movie "Collier & Co.") To create a perfect replica of the real car, I tryed to recreate the cover seats: in the movie they used 2 blankets, while I used 2 old duster cloths. However, the diecast model is not yet finished: I need to complete the engine bay and I will other details on the interior, etc.
   Anyway, I shot some pictures with the 2 Travellers, in order to appreciate the work executed in the last year. Enjoy with them!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 7/15/2008 12:05

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   During the last weekend, I received a visit from my parents, so I had to forsake the idea to visit the Ecto1 in Milan. However, when my parents went to home, I started to work on my new project... yes, another General Lee is finished under my hands, but this time with this model I will realize the '69 Charger used in the movie "Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry". First of all, I changed the original wheels with 4 new wheels taken from an old Ford Gran Torino; moreover, I created 2 new broochs for the doors, so now it's possible to open them.
   Instead, yesterday evening I have removed all the plastic parts from the shell and then I have applyed a paint remover on the body and now it's ready for the painting. Coming soon I will post new picture about my work in progress.

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 7/22/2008 10:57

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   During this weekend I made few steps on the Dirty Mary Crazy Larry's Charger, infact I have only painted the shell with the primer. Now the body is ready to receive the correct yellow lime paint and this evening I think I will appy on it. Come back tomorrow for new updates!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 7/28/2008 11:52

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   As promised, yesterday I've painted the Dirty Mary Crazy Larry's Charger shell with the correct yellow paint and this morning I've assembled all the parts (chassis and interior included) to understand how it appears with the new look. This evening I will work on the interior: I will paint every component with mat black and then I will coat the floor with black velvet. Stay tuned!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 7/29/2008 11:14

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   Today I will show you only few updates on the Dirty Mary Crazy Larry's Charger: infact, yesterday I've worked especially on the dashboard and the door panels (painting them with a black paint). Moreover, with a silver drawing pen, I've outlined the window profiles. This evening I will continue to work on this model, adding more details to it!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 7/30/2008 09:57

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   During the last weekend I've added the lateral stripes on the Dirty Mary Crazy Larry's Charger. I designed these stripes with Paint Shop Pro and then I printed them on decals paper. I'm satisfied about the result obtained and to increase the details, I've added the CB antenna on the right side of the roof. In the future days, I will continue to work on the interior. Enjoy with the pictures!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 8/4/2008 12:08

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   Today is my turn: yesterday, I've finished to paint the internal seats of the Dirty Mary Crazy Larry's Charger. As you can see, I've removed the headrests from the front seats and the next step will be to put a black velvet on the floor... but now, I take a break for 3 days for a short holiday.
   See you the next week!!! Have a nice mid-August holiday!

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 8/14/2008 11:34

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   For me, the diecast models I create are never finished: every time, I try to increase the details to improve the final output. This time, for example, I stole the idea used by Roberto and I made the same modify on my Traveller #1: I coated the stearing wheel with insulating tape and now it looks like more similar to the real one used in the movie "Collier & Co."
   Coming soon I will work on the chassis to improve the rear part: I will execute the same modify I applied on the Lee1.

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 9/18/2008 12:20

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   During the last weekend, I worked on the Charger used in "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry": in particular, I worked on the internal chassis, covering all the floor with a pasty black velvet, to simulate the real internal carpet. To complete the passenger compartment, I will try to create the internal CB transmitter then I will consider it finished. Stay tuned!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 9/22/2008 17:10

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   Today I would like to show you one of my lastest purchases, the diecast model I consider the masterpiece in my collection: yes, I know it's the classic General Lee produced by ERTL, but this model is particular because on its shell is signed by the following members of the Dukes of Hazzard cast: Catherine Bach (Daisy), John Schneider (Bo), Tom Wopat (Luke), Rick Hurst (Cletus), Sonny Shroyer (Enos), James Best (Rosco) and the original designer of the car George Barris.
   Now, I need only to find a good rotating display case to show this diecast model on every perspective!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 10/2/2008 15:33

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   Yesterday, I received a new car for my "little garage": this time, it's the turn of the new Chevrolet Camaro Concept produced by Jada. This wonderful yellow car has been used in the movie "Transformers" for the characters "Bumblebee". The diecast model is very nice: the paint is very bright and the exterior and interior details are great. The only defects of this model are the engine (too simple and too chromium-plated) and the front wheels that are not stereable (for a 1:18 diecast model it's unthinkable).
   However, I think it's a good diecast model and in the next future I will shot some pictures with the other 2 new muscle cars (the Dodge Challenger and the Ford Mustang). Stay tuned!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 10/10/2008 16:44

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   Thanks to this site, in the past months I met a lot of new friends with the same passion: one of these is Luca Ripamonti, the guy who has created a 1/64th General Lee starting from the '69 Dodge Charger produced by Hot Wheels. When I saw his little General Lee it was love at first sight, so he decided to create a new one only for me. Some days ago, he bought a new Charger and in the next weekend he will start to work on it, removing the current paint and adding the best color on the world... the orange!!
   When I will receive new pictures, I will publish his progress!

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 10/30/2008 11:40

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   Luca sent me some new pictures about his "work in progress": now the '69 Dodge Charger has been unpainted and in the next days the original paint will be substitute with an orange paint. I can't wait to see it finished!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 11/3/2008 19:20

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   This W.I.P. proceeds very fast: this morning, Luca sent me other pictures about the '69 Dodge Charger he is preparing for me. In these pictures, the Charger has been covered with a grey primer and then it appears with its (final) orange uniform. The General Lee takes shape!!! The paint job is awesome and there are no faults on the surface: great job, Luca!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 11/4/2008 12:44

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   Every day, an update... Today, Luca sent me some new pictures about my '69 Dodge Charger: as you cane see, he mounted (just for test) the shell on the chassis and then he added some details on the front grill and the rear panel (he used India ink for the black parts and nail varnish for the rear red lights). In the next days, he will change the wheels, he will add the decals and then he will detail the engine bay. We look forward to see the progress!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 11/5/2008 16:10

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   As promised, yesterday Luca modified my '69 Dodge Charger adding new wheels. As you can see from the pictures, he took the wheels from a Porsche Cayman produced by Hot Wheels and then he organized a little meeting with his General Lee. In the future days, he will works on the interior and then he will apply the decals on the shell.
   I'm very satisfied about the result obtained by Luca: with a good paint job and a lot of details he changed face to this model!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 11/6/2008 12:56

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   New week, new updates!! Luca sent me some new pictures about the 1/64th General Lee. He added a lot of details to this model: lateral lights, front and rear valance and an awesome push bar!! Moreover, he painted the chassis with mat black paint, leaving the exhaust pipe chromed.
   However, since tomorrow I will start to show you some of my last purchases in 1:18th scale (now I have a new supplier), so stay tuned!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 11/10/2008 12:19

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   As announced, today I would like to show you the first model of my last purchases: it's a 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang Convertible (with cream paint) and it's the car used by Brandon Walsh (Jason Priestley) in the '90 TV series "Beverly Hills, 90210". This diecast model is produced by Motormax and the level is very good. The shape of the car is perfect, the only defect is on the interior with inaccurate safety belts and wrong colour sunshades.
   I'm satisfied about this model especially for its good quality/prize ratio: I recommend this model for all the Mustang fans!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 11/11/2008 19:30

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   Today, a lot of news on the 1/64th General Lee, the next little mascotte of this site!!! As you can see from the pictures, Luca added some details on the front and rear valance, two new license plate, but especially he started to work on the internal roll bar, created using a paper clip. An awesome job, especially considering the scale!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 11/13/2008 17:22

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   The little General Lee grows up: Luca sent me some pictures about his progress and I can only say he is doing a good job!! During the weekend he worked on the interior and on the engine. Moreover, he added chromed profiles on the shell, on the glass surfaces and then he created 2 new antennas. As you can see this General Lee looks like the LEE1!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 11/17/2008 18:07

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   The little General Lee is almost finished: yesterday, Luca tryed to assemble the shell with the chassis and the result is great!!! This diecast model has a lot of details, especially considering it's only in 1/64th scale: look the chromed profiles, the engine bay, the full roll cage and the tiny antennas!!! In the last pictures you can see the General Lee with its final uniform, with the confederated flag on the roof, the "01" numbers on the doors and the crossed flags in front of the trunk (remember, it's the LEE1!!).
   In the next days, Luca will finish to assemble it and then he will send it to me. I'm very satisfied about the final appereance of this model.

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 11/18/2008 11:37

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   After 10 "episodes", the General Lee has been completed by Luca. Yesterday, he painted the interior of the chassis and then I created a special box for the shipping, using a plastic case and a lot of polystyrene. During the next weekend I think I will receive it and the next week I will realize a complete photo session for this awesome diecast models.
   Congratulations to Luca for his craft and I will be always glad to host his next W.I.P. on this site. Thank you very much for this gift, Luca!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 11/19/2008 17:16

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   Tomorrow, the little LEE1 will arrive at my house, but today I received a lot of new pictures from Luca: he organized a little meeting with his first General Lee. As you can seen from the pictures, the graphics of his Lee have lost colour, so in the next days he will substitute all the decals. Enjoy with all these pictures and have a nice weekend!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 11/21/2008 16:40

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   After a long period, where I showed you the W.I.P. about the LEE1 created by Luca, today I would like to show you some pictures about one of my last purchases, the nice Shelby Mustang GT500KR produced by Shelby Collectibles. As you can see, this is the car used in the new TV series "Knight Rider". However, In the next weeks I will try to customize it to create a good replica of the real K.I.T.T. So, stay tuned!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 11/25/2008 16:55

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   Finally, after a lot of months, today I'm here to show you a new model of my collection: this time, it's not a car used in a movie or in a TV series, but it's the car I used during my last travel in the USA. The car is a blue Chrysler 300C and for now, I added only the license plate of the real car. In the future, I will continue to add details on this car, especially on the interior.

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 12/3/2008 15:40

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   The Christmas period is the best period for me: I have a lot of time to work on customization (if you remember, the last year I created the LEE1 in 1/18th) and also this year I started to work on some models... one of these is an old 1/64th Dodge Monaco produced by Hot Wheels (Temperature Color Changing Auto Paint). I will convert it into an Hazzard Police car and when I will finish it, I will use it in a diorama using the LEE1 created by Luca for me (this is only the first Police car, because I would like to use 2 or 3 Police cars in my diorama).
   However, during this first step, I dismantled the model and then I removed all the paint (a quick process considering the dimensions). Waiting to find the correct white paint, I substituted the old wheels with a new set taken from a Corvette, the donor car. During the next days, I will paint the interior and the shell.

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 12/9/2008 12:51

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   In the previous days, I started to work on the umpteenth General Lee: this time, I want try to create a latest California version. The first step was to create a new push bar, more larger: to do this, I cut the original one and using the plasticard I created the new lateral supports.
   After a good quantity of glue, I painted the new push bar with gloss black: so, watching the pictures you will see the comparison between my new push bar and an original one. Stay tuned for the updates!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 12/10/2008 18:09

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   Today, I will show you the first car I bought from the movie "2 Fast 2 Furious": it's a '69 Chevrolet Camaro Yenko S/C produced by Highway '61. I bought this version, regardless of the model produced by ERTL, because this version is more detailed and it's more accurate. As you can see, the model has 4 openings (the trunk, the hood and the 2 doors) and the engine is awesome, very detailed!!
   The next week I will show you the other car from "2 Fast 2 Furious", the orange '70 Dodge Challenger R/T. Have a nice weekend!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 12/12/2008 11:47

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   New week, new model: this afternoon, I want to show you the second muscle car used in "2 Fast 2 Furious", an awesome orange '70 Dodge Challenger R/T. This model has been produced by ERTL and it's similar to the same model produced for the movie "Vanishing Point". Otherwise, on this model there is a great set of alloy rims and a wonderful vinil roof (I like this peculiarity on american cars).
   Like on the "Vanishing Point" model, this car has a poor engine, too simple and with too much plastic. However, it's a good diecast model and it's a good partner for the '69 Chevrolet Camaro of the last week.

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 12/16/2008 15:07

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   This is the second "episode" of the 1st Hazzard Police car W.I.P.: as you can see I painted all the shell and the interior with a dark grey primer, then I painted the shell with a brilliant white. The result is very good (it's the first time I work on a 1/64th model).
   During the next days I will continue to work on it, applying the decals and adding some details.

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 12/17/2008 11:47

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   Before Christmas, I would like to show you another new entry, the last DeLorean DMC from "Back to the Future - Part III". With this car I completed all the diecast models created for this famous movies saga. The peculiarities of this model are the wheels: on this model there are installed 4 train wheels and into the box there is a rail to put the model. All the other characteristics are equal to the other 3 previous models.

Posted by: Fabiano on Sat 12/20/2008 10:01

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   Today, I would like to introduce you the General Lee I show you the December 29th. As I told you, this is a gift received from the user "testarossa" and it's a damaged G.L.: as you can see from these new pictures, the bumpers are painted and crusted with grey paint, the rims are painted with a mat black paint and the interior are painted with a light tan color.
   Considering the large numbers of G.L. in my collection, this time I want try to create the pre-Cooter version used in the 2005 movie: to do this, I will chrome the bumpers, I will substitute the rims (on the passenger side, I just removed the old damaged rims to install the new rims), I will paint the interior with mat black paint and then I will try to damage the shell adding new graphics and some rust.

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 1/8/2009 12:24

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   As announced in my last post, yesterday evening I worked on the front bumpers: with a thin sandpaper I removed part of the grey paint and I tryed to level off the surface. Then, with a chromed paint I painted the front bumper and this morning I put the lights grill on it. I'm very satisfied for the result obtained, especially considering the initial conditions of this piece. During the weekend, I will try to do the same job on the rear bumper.

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 1/9/2009 15:12

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   During this weekend, I worked on the pre-Cooter's rear bumper. As the front bumper, this part has been painted by the previous owner with a grey paint. So, I tryed to remove the crusted paint and then I painted it with chromed paint.
   The result is good, so the work to create the pre-Cooter General Lee continues.

Posted by: Fabiano on Sun 1/11/2009 16:45

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   In the last days, I worked on the pre-Cooter General Lee. First of all, I removed all the graphics from the shell using a simple nail varnish remover. Subsequently, I used a thin sandpaper to remove the bright coat and now the orange paint looks more opaque and unattended: I need to correct some points, especially on the roof, but in the next days I will try to add the "rust effect", so the car will appear like a real clunker car!! Finally, I put the "01" graphic on the doors and then I created the CB antenna for the trunk.
   In the next few days, I will continue to work on this model (especially on the interior), so stay tuned!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 1/14/2009 11:39

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   Yesterday, I worked on the pre-Cooter General Lee so now it's possible to open the doors (like in the movie). To do this, I removed the original plastic blocks and then I created (with the plasticard) two thickness to maintain the doors aligned. A slight change to obtain a great result!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 1/16/2009 16:20

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   Yesterday, using some plastic beams, I created the new full roll cage for my pre-Cooter General Lee (as you can see from the pictures, I used also some parts from the original roll cage designed by ERTL). Now, this cage is unrefined, but during the weekend I will scratch it with a thin sandpaper and then I will paint it with mat black. Have a nice weekend!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 1/23/2009 15:12

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   In the previous days, I worked on the pre-Cooter General Lee. Finally, I finished to work on the full roll cage: I painted it with the primer and then with a mat black. Moreover, I worked on the final rims painting them with mat black. The next step is to work on the interior (creation of the rear seat and a new color for the seats and the dashboard).

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 1/28/2009 20:32

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   The day before yesterday, I worked on the pre-Cooter General Lee and I created the rear seat: to do this, I used only the plasticard and when I obtained the right shape, I painted it with the grey primer and then with the usual mat black paint. During the weekend, I will paint the dashboard and the door panels. Have a nice weekend!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Fri 2/6/2009 16:14

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   Finally, during the weekend, I finished to paint the dashboard and the doors panels: now, all the interior parts have a mat black color, but to complete my customization I need to add an aged effect to these parts and to the shell.
   Moreover, during the weekend I worked on another famous model, the Nova used on "Death Proof": tomorrow, I will publish new pictures about this car, so stay tuned!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 2/9/2009 12:11

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   As promised, today I will show you all the updates on the Chevy Nova used in "Death Proof": as you can see, I created the full roll cage using a lot of plastic beams. Moreover, I created the internal mechanisms to lock the doors and all the parts have painted with chromed paint and in the future I will add the rust effect. I hope you like this hellish car!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Wed 2/11/2009 17:09

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   Starting from today, this week I will show you 3 (one per day) diecast models I bought some weeks ago from my supplier. This time, these cars are not TV/movie related, but I bought them because I like very much the original car. Today, I would like to show you the red '68 Dodge Charger R/T produced by RC2/ERTL. The model is awesome, the details are very high and the level is indentical to the Authentics General Lee I bought some months ago. In the next few days, I will show you the '69 and the '70 versions.

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 2/16/2009 17:26

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   As announced yesterday, today I will show you the second version of the awesome Authentics Dodge Charger produced by RC2/ERTL: this time it's the turn of the famous '69 model, used to give the soul to the General Lee!!! In this case, the engine is an Hemi and it's very detailed!!! The paint job is very good: a bright black with a white R/T stripe!!! It's a great model, especially for some details, like the rims, the interior and the engine. See you tomorrow with the '70 Dodge Charger model.

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 2/17/2009 17:50

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   Finally, today I will finish to show you the last Dodge Charger I bought, the '70 version. As you can see, this model has an unusual purple metallic paint with a black vinyl roof. Moreover, like the other models, this is a R/T version but this time it has an Hemi engine under the hood. It's an awesome model, especially for the good paint and the very detailed engine, the better mounted on these 3 Chargers.
   If you want a Charger on your diecast collection, don't buy the old models produced by ERTL or Hot Wheels: you need to buy one of these 3 Authentics Dodge Chargers!!! You will not regret this choise!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 2/19/2009 17:39

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   The last year, in march, I bought the base version of the '66 Batmobile, the car used in the famous TV series. It's a good model, but it's not very detailed. So, during the last weeks, I decided to buy the Elite version, a more detailed model produced by Hot Wheels. On this model, it's possible to open the hood and the trunk, the interior is more correct (chromed parts, correct labels, phone accurate, etc.) and the front grill is pierced with transparent lights.
   If you want to buy a '66 Batmobile, this is the right choice, especially because this model has a good price/quality ratio.

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 2/26/2009 15:55

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   Today, I decided to create a base for my DeLorean from "Back to the Future III": this is the car used in the railroad scenes, so using some papers of plasticard and some wood textures, I created a "display" railroad. So, also in my IKEA display case, this model will have a good setting. I hope you like it!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Sat 2/28/2009 17:21

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   Waiting to show you the white Porsche 928 and the silver DeLorean DMC-12, today I would like to show you the 1971 Plymouth 'Cuda used in the movie "Phantasm": this model is produced by ERTL and I can say it's a good model, but the detail is not very high, especially on the engine (very poor), on the interior (low detailed) and on the shell (some details are only created with decals, like the lateral air intake).
   So, if you want a model with the original "Phantasm" trademark buy this one... otherwise buy the model produced by Highway '61: it's better on all respects!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Mon 3/9/2009 16:29

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   Today I will not show you a new diecast model, but I will show you the second gift I received during the Christmas holiday from Alessio (the user "testarossa" on this site). As you remember, it's a damaged Shelby Mustang GT500KR and watching the pictures you will notice the restoration is not easy: the paint is compromised, the windshield and the left window are scratched and all the openings are broken (for this reason, there is a red tape on every opening). After a long cogitation, I've decided the restoration is not possibile (and remember, I have yet another perfect Shelby Mustang GT500KR in my collection), so I will convert this Mustang into the Frankenstein's Monster from the "Death Race" movie!!! I will start this customization the next week, so stay tuned!!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Tue 3/10/2009 17:26

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   Yesterday, I started to dismantle the Shelby Mustang GT500KR and during the next weeks, I will try to convert it into the Frankestein's Monster car (Death Race). As you can see, I removed all the opening parts: the doors, the trunk and the hood. Moreover, I removed also the internal parts and the windows, so now I'm ready to strip all the shell and then I will create and apply new body parts using the plasticard.

Posted by: Fabiano on Thu 3/12/2009 15:35

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   During this weekend, I started to create (using the paper) the templates to define the new hood and the new front bumper. When I will finish the templates I will construct these pieces using the plasticard. It's not easy to create a piece from scratch, but I think I will make my best to do it!!

Posted by: Fabiano on Sat 3/21/2009 16:31

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   Finally, today I show you the Porsche 928 I bought some weeks ago. In my opinion, this is one of the best 10 cars produced in the history of the automotive: I like very much the style and the lines of this car, especially because it's a typical '80's car. I started to like this car when I was child and I saw for the first time the movie "Riscky Business", with a funny Tom Cruise. Unfortunately, AutoArt has not produced this model with the awesome gold/bronze paint used in the movie, but only in 2 colours, white and sky-blu... At the end, I choose the white version because it's more classic and I think this color increase the class of this diecast.
   If you are a Porsche fan or if you want a great diecast model in your collection, bought it as soon as possible!!!