Greetings,

Never very impressed with the wheels done up by Hwy. 61 in 1:18th scale, I set about collecting and isolating the best bits of all renditions I came across and combined them to come up with what is seen below. The trim ring is GMP Roadrunner, the center stamping is Hwy. 61 with the center lug trim surround filed out, while the aforementioned lug trim surround is made up of another Hwy. 61 part raised a bit to ensure that a perimeter lip could 'catch' a bit of chrome plate. The Hwy. 61 center cap was judged too shallow, hence a scratch-built center extending out a bit further was lastly complimented with an ancient ERTL Challenger T/A tip providing detail where others renditions afforded none. Everything seen but the tires are done in resin, whereas a Detroit-area plastic vacuum plater was relied upon to chrome plate the trim rings and all the combined elements around the lugs.

To save time and hassle, as well as to avoid egregious parts wastage regarding the delicate chrome plate, I fashioned some masking fixtures to ensure that product clean up won't be so terrible a burden as I modestly go into production with these. Although I've reused the Hwy. 61 mounting system to simplify things, some may judge the results too tedious to install or use. For something home brewed and made with basic hand cast resin materials, I think it's quite good, although I worry that those unfamiliar with plastic model kit-bashing might be disappointed for experiences with a transkit so construed. Anyways - some recent work to share then...












...most of what is seen above is self-explanatory, whereas the first model so-converted is a '70 Hemicuda in B5 Blue with a blue interior swapped in. An Alpine White AAR 'Cuda is being converted next, complete with a ride height adjustment to raise the tail end up a bit as this was something peculiar to the SCCA Trans-Am homologation Chrysler products to afford clearance for the model-specific side exhaust. Better tips for all Hwy. 61 Chryslers are coming, although none have been strictly captured in photographs. All paints used on the wheels were sourced from a local Chrysler dealership and reflect what is used by 1:1 restorers on period Mopar musclecars. A lot of effort highly compressed here. Thanks for reading and examining this post.

Mike K.