Machinas wip: Sun up and Sun down

The Sun Valley started like this

When they're finished, I'll explain their names (Sun Up and Sun Down) when I describe their background. But these (along with my ram car) will represent a new class of car, namely, one that is unarmed -- Again, the reasoning will be explained when the cars are finished.

And has progressed to this

The Ford Fairlane (the gray car) will simply have the chopped top and the body leveled off just like my ram car. Though, instead of a small pilothouse, I think I'll just do a periscope of some sort. This car will also have a ram but without spikes (so more like Col. Jack's Special.)

The Fairlane will also have some straight pipes coming up through the hood.

I sort of bumbled into the way the Mercury Sun Valley (the green car) came out. I cut off the top and set it aside. Then, while figuring out how to make this car different, I grabbed the chopped top and see how it would look fit back on. It sit nicely on the car body, with the post "grabbing" the inside to hold the top into place. And it didn't look half bad. It's actually turned around in the photo with the rear window facing forward. So I glued it down.

I used green stuff to strengthen the posts and blend the top into the body. And yes, it has that neat El Camino effect, with a nice large cargo bay (or area for a large machine gun mount or missile or mortar tubes) but I'm sticking to my original idea which will involve covering that large hole and blending it into the body. BUT, I will file away the "El Camino" look for later, because I do like how that looks.

I will also give the Mercury a pair of stovepipe exhausts (like Col. Jack's Special.) But I'm not sure if I'll have the pipes straight up or if I'll try something a little different and slant them back to give the car a more "speedy" look. I'll figure it out when I get the pipes built.