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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   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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   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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   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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   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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