O Scale Motor Vehicle Chronicle XXI July 5

"Rusting" and weathering buildings, cars, rolling stock and locos is  a lot of fun> I have to admit it is easy to get carried away. 

This old Ford, similar to yours, Richard, I wanted in muddy, not necessarily rusted.  I used a lighter, yellower brown - Testor's flat diluted with thinner a bit, for the mud, rather than the darker browns or redder that make good rust.. 

Something a bit different but fun is painting the windshields of cars in used car lots.  This is water-based washable paint and should come off, If I ever want it to.

Finally, one rusty old panel delivery truck I particularly like.  The paint was first sanded with #100- grit to get the worn patina, then rust and leather color paints used to rust it. (EDIT: make that #1000 sandpaper)!

The vehicles look very believable, gentlemen - much like what I was used to seeing growing up in Binghamton, NY.  I have not weathered any myself, not wanting to be reminded of all the old beaters I've owned.

Weathering is a lot of fun, and not much risk on 1:43 cars and trucks - just buy some cheap ones to practice on. 

I, too have owned my share of beaters and rust-buckets among the cars I've driven in my time.  You just don't see badly rusted cars anymore, like you used to.

For some reason, I don't remember to many rusty auto's while in my childhood. Muddy Yes, Rusty No. (gauge of metal in the bodies was thick) Auto's which were not garaged (around our area) would have a film of cement dust making them looked weathered. The cement companies did not have good filter systems back then.

 We were all pretty proud of our vehicles in the Fifties. I knew of a least three of my friends who waxed their cars so much the primer would show through.

Some areas of the country might have been different, around salt water. 

Well, if you lived where they heavily salted road, you lived with rusty cars.  I had a friend in Pittsburgh whose car collapsed from rust while driving to work.  Five years of that and rust would begin to show up. I had a Olds 98 I dearly loved, but I feared it was going to collapse like my friends at just 14 years old, so I got rid of it.

I had a 1989 Olds 88 that the rear sub frame rusted away. The car became dangerous to drive although the body and interior was in excellent condition. I had the car a long time and was our 2nd car, I hated to have to send it to the scrap yard.

I convinced my wife to let me replace it with a new Mustang

That was probably an improvement . . . . hope it was a '68 fastback 4 bbl V8.  Those were nice cars. 

Speaking of '68 Mustangs, I put the Yat Ming '68 Bullitt Mustang I got on the layout last night with a figure selected to have a profile like Steve McQueen and painted in the clothing he wore in the movie.  glad I built nice wide parking lanes here - my 'Streets buses miss him buy about 3/8 inch.

And yes, that is Veranda Turbine in her Chrysler convertible just behind him.  Steve's actually aware of that and pretty excited, but being Steve, way too cool to show it.

Lee, I just want you to know, that I believe all these stories you come up with.

We happened to catch Bullit a couple of weeks ago on TCM and really enjoyed it. Your pieces here are very reminiscent of the film!