I have an update from Marty Martino. He found this 3/8 scale model of a fiftyish Ford looking car made from fiberglass at a yard sale in Wixom Michigan. He's asked for our help to identify it. He believes it is a Ford product concept or dream car but has not been able to find any information about the car. If anyone out there knows anything about it, please let me know and I'll forward the info to Marty. Sometime in it's life someone cut the roof center out of it and used the car for a go cart for kids. Marty will of course restore the roof. Also from Marty you may have noticed the scale model of the '56 Nomad in the back ground. Marty is making a limited number of these for resale, if you're interested let me know and I'll hook you up with Marty. He also has a Lincoln Futura Concept car in the works BUT... The most interesting project he is working on is the Chrysler Norseman Concept Car. It is a 1956 model and was designed by Chrysler's chief designer Virgil Exner and the sketches and models were sent to carrozzeria Ghia in Italy for the car to be built. Here is a picture of the wooden buck built by Ghia When Ghia finally finished construction of the car they shipped it from Italy to New York on none other than the We all know what happened to the Andrea Doria. Working from available photos and a large scale drawing he made, Marty is crafting the Norseman from Fiberglass Marty is obviously a very talented guy and I find this kind of work very interesting.

Now back to the XM-800 I mentioned earlier that I had the new Plexiglas windshield and back windows made by Masterglas in Lakeville MN. The plexiglas needs to be heated to 225 degrees so it is soft enough to form it. In order to get it to fit perfectly, molds had to be made from the original yellowed and scratched windows. I made the molds from plaster and brought them to Masterglas to be used in forming the new windows. This picture shows the galvanized metal lath I cut to fit the shape inside the old windshield for reinforcing the plaster. Before the plaster is poured on the windshield I spray the plexiglas with PAM so the plaster would release from the plexiglas when hardened. I placed masking tape all around the edges of the window sticking up about 3/4" to act as a dam to keep the liquid plaster from running off the edges Here is the back side when completed. The mesh ribs were for added strength The front side when removed from the old plexiglas was full of air bubbles which I filled with body filler and sanded smooth This is the finished back window mold As you saw on Page 12 the windows fit perfectly After the windows were installed I went on to install the headlights and trim around them Then the tail lights. I love these! Then I put the back bumper and panel together, It's a work of art! And then I installed it on the car. What a gorgeous rear end!!                                                                      Page 14