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| It's hard to explain, but these cars go beyond the normal HO Slot car, What I mean is, and I have said this before, Mike Vitale (MEV Originals) does not settle for making cars like everyone else. How do I define "like everyone else"? Muscle cars, vintage LeMans/GTO cars, or foreign sport luxury cars. No, he goes way outside the box, and gives us those great cars that no one else will touch. The ones that your parents drove, or the neighbor down the street. These were the first cars that caught our fancy, and helped germinate our love for big steel and chrome. He also does most of the modeling from cobbling parts of many cars together, till they achieve the form he's looking to get. 1962 Ford Galaxie The 62 Galaxie is a remake of the Aurora Vibrator version. Adding the much needed chrome is a big plus, but the all-in-one body is also a plus for many. One thing that is missing is the trim where the C post meets the rear deck. That was a nice touch on the Vibe (It was there, but not detailed), and would look real nice in silver on this car. Mike did make the rear deck molding and lights more vertical, as it is in the real car Mike has also mastered making fine glass for his models. The fit on the Galaxie is very good, and the quality is exceptional. This car fits the Thunderjet chassis remarkably well. It looks like the original 1:1 with a slight lift kit adjustment. Very sharp. This will get your mental juices flowing if you take it around your track. 1959 Pontiac Bonneville As Mike describes, this car was his biggest challenge. It shows. I think he got in about as much detail as he could. The front grill is as over stated and gaudy as it should be, and the rear end has all that useless fin and light detail. Makes you weepy with nostalgia, how well the details are captured. This body also fits the chassis quite nicely. There is a slight mis-fitting of the windshield in the front. GM cars of this era had that curved window post that made it hard to fit glass, and I expect it follows through to the HO scale as well. As with all his work now, material is top quality, as is finish. Just one thing to mention. If you decide to get one of these, take a brush with silver paint to the top of the fins, to replicate the aluminum from the 1:1 car. From my wish list, I hope Mike one day makes a chrome panel for the rear of the car. These cars sell for $50/ea, without chassis. More of his creations can be found at his site (MEV Originals). Take a trip over there. The site is easy to maneuver, and makes paying for items a breeze. Support one of the hobbies great individuals, and creative minds. |  | How Was it Done? In Mike's own words: | ||||||||
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