November 2017 KoolWheelz Release Party!

[Vermin_King]

I am so glad this is available. I like how you handled the track assemblies

[airdave]

Tomorrow (November 23rd) is Thanksgiving Day in the US.

So, thats as good a reason as any for a special present:
the release of the final Koolwheelz model from the October Releases.

Obviously, these are now November Releases...
and four additional Koolwheelz models are ready to go and added to the group,
so this isn't technically the "final" Koolwheelz release of this group.

But you have waited long enough for the model that received the most votes back in October
...Model #3

And it will be a good excuse for you to show up and view the forum tomorrow.
Watch for the announcement later in the day.
Happy American Thanksgiving!

[Vermin_King]

Woo Hoo! Looking forward to S---e F----t being released. At least I'm pretty sure that's it

[JohnM]

Originally Posted by Vermin_King

Woo Hoo! Looking forward to S---e F----t being released. At least I'm pretty sure that's it

Or it could be the D***d P******s, but I got the impression Dave wasn't keen on Big Daddy's wild creations.

[airdave]

Originally Posted by JohnM

Or it could be the D***d P******s, but I got the impression Dave wasn't keen on Big Daddy's wild creations.

Who said that?
Nobody ever said that.
I can't remember half of what I've said, lol, but I know I never said that! I probably just ragged on a particular car or paint job.

Ed Roth is king.
Gene Winfield is king.
Carl Casper is king.
Dean Jeffries...king
Darryl Starbird...king.
Eldon Titus, Dick Dean, Bill Cushenberry and so on.

They've all designed winners and losers, when it comes to show cars.

Only custom guy I ever had an issue with, is George Barris.
Originally he was a bodyman and earned his spot.
And then he opened up a shop in Hollywood and started producing customs for movie and tv.
Problem is he paid other people to build his custom cars...but gave them no credit.
In fact, he claimed all the work as his own.
Even cars that were brought into his shop to be rebuilt/restored, he then claimed as his own customs!
Even bought a Monkeemobile and then toured it around as a "Barris Kreation".
(Just because he restored it after he bought it)

Sorry...what was the question?
lol

oh yeah...Ed Roth...well, you never know.

[airdave]

Okay, here we go...
last model of the October Koolwheelz releases...

Number 3 is....

Jack Keef's Stage Fright




Stage Fright

Way back when I first started KoolWheelz models, I added a number of Show Cars to my to-do list.
Some of those cars appeared as KoolWheelz models...some didn't ...yet.
This one wasn't quite as important to me, as many of the other customs I have recreated in KoolWheelz style,
and as a result, Stage Fright has languished on my to-do list for many years....until now.

I can't say I ever saw Stage Fright in person, but I have known about it since the 70s.
And I am fully aware of the 1978 Hot Wheels version, even though I never owned one.
But I know virtually nothing about Jack Keef, the builder of Stage Fright, other than what I have read recently.



Stage Fright is not the only show car (plastic and real-life) to use a Stagecoach body,
but it supposedly uses an actual 1849 Concord wooden Stagecoach body, and took Keef 7 years to build.
I don't know if any of that is true...but its a very kool show car and one that was a real challenge to recreate as a KoolWheelz model.

I wanted to try and keep the model in scale with my earlier show cars, like the Paddy Wagon and Pie Wagon.
Unfortunately this made it dificult to keep it buildable and fit all the parts on one model sheet...
so I had to make the decision to reduce the part count and simplify much of the design of the model.



One obvious detail to note...I have omitted the Driver's "windshield" and its support
...something that doesn't appear on early versions of Stage Fright or on the Hot Wheels toy version.
(as you can see in both photos above)

A Steering Wheel is included with the model, but there is no column or support for it.
Its a detail that you, the builder, will have to create if you wish to use the Steering Wheel.
I think it looks more like a stagecoach without a steering wheel anyway!

So, for all you classic showcar fans, I give you Jack keef's Stage Fright!

You can find it in the Show Rodz section of the Koolwheelz Collection.

And, there will be an Assembly Sheet at my Forum (in the Assembly Instructions area).

[JohnM]

Dang that VK got it right eh? I must admit that I've not seen 'Stage Fright' before, but Ed Roth's 'Druid Princess' ain't that far off, an' it's much prettier.

[Doug J]

you mentioned Ed Roth and the first thing that comes to mind is Rat Fink.......!

[gotham]

Question - why don't there appear to be radical rods like this, and others from the 60s / 70s. Were they a product of their time ? The 'kids' only seem to be interested in tweeked Japanese metal a la Fast 'n Furious style.

[airdave]

The Van craze of the 70s-80s was the last time we saw any really wild and original customization.
And probably the last time we saw "backyard" hot rod building.

With the advent of bolt-on accessories and big automotive stores selling all these accessories,
it eliminated the need for a lot of the work.
But it also eliminated a lot of the passion and creativity.

Sure...90% of "customs" were pretty awful in the 60s and 70s.
Most of these vehicles couldn't even be driven, or they were terribly uncomfortable and unsafe.
A lack of regulations and strict controls over what you drive on the street allowed for some pretty risky concepts.
Once traffic laws and safety regulations got stricter, it removed many vehicles from the road.

In the early days eager gearheads flocked to custom car shows to see these wild creations.
And serious designers had to compete, and try to out-do each other, resulting in some pretty imaginative stuff at these shows.

But as homebuilds got more common, and more customs appeared on the streets, there was less need for the exclusive club of show designers.
Big Car Shows started to disappear in many areas.
And as the bolt-on accessory market grew, bodywork modifications and scratchbuilt customs disappeared too.

There is still a lot of really cool looking street cars out there, but the style and originality has gone.

I was a custom painter for a while.
But custom painting has now been replaced by vehicle "wraps".
The idea of wrapping the entire vehicle in coloured or printed vinyl.
Its a cool idea, but it has totally destroyed a kustom kulture.
People aren't as impressed by murals and wild custom colours.
Now, its all about flat and satin finishes.
Vinyl wrapping can't give you high gloss, mirror finish paint surfaces,
so its really just a cop-out to accept the lower quality finish.