Cartoon depicting a space-age Chevy balanced on a platform and a character hanging from it and shouting

"Taaaaaaaaxxxxxxxxiiiiiiiiiiii.......!!!!!!"
A 1950s Chevrolet transformed into a rusty, science-fiction-style flying vehicle against a brown background

This model is inspired by Enki Bilal's excellent science-fiction film *Immortel*...

A Space Chevy model car being assembled, placed on a work surface

The base is a 1/24-scale model of a 1957 Chevrolet (a Pontiac in *Immortel*) that is available from several manufacturers: AMT, Revell, Monogram...

Painted Space Chevy die-cast car displayed on a model-maker's stand

First step: Open the roof to install the slide mechanism and mount the scoop on the hood included in the kit...

Model of a black 1957 Chevrolet customized to look like a spacecraft, three-quarter front view

The front axle is made from parts from the surplus box, and the bumper has been modified to more closely match the design...

Upside-down Space Chevy model chassis showing the detailed engine mechanism and painted interior structure

View from below: the engine block was installed to reinforce the new axle...

Space Chevy model car chassis with gray parts and yellow mechanical components being assembled

The chassis is divided into two parts. This allows you to glue the front axle in place and start preparing the rear axle...

Underside of the Space Chevy model showing the purple chassis and mechanical details in gray

Dry assembly of the floor. The cutting process allowed us to make good progress on the detailing of the front section...

Interior/figurine

Vehicle interior model featuring a driver figure in a spacesuit and detailed, painted equipment

In fact, unlike a traditional model, the entire interior of the vehicle must be painted and assembled in order to secure the chassis so that construction of the underside can continue... It has been modified in a sci-fi style...

Cockpit of the Space Chevy model with a pilot figure wearing a red helmet and a detailed dashboard

The painted and outfitted interior, ready to be installed in the body...

Painting

A 1957 Chevrolet model car, primed gray, on the workbench, surrounded by paint cans

The box is given a coat of white primer, which will make it easier to sand down any visible imperfections...

A yellow Chevrolet model car modified into a spacecraft, with fins and additional parts added to the body

First base coat of Humbrol Yellow 69...

Model of a 1957 Chevrolet modified into a spacecraft using photo-etched brass parts

After applying a second solid coat of Yellow 71, the model is retouched with a brush to create a flaking effect using shades of gray, bluish gray, and white...

A weathered 1957 Chevrolet model car modified into a post-apocalyptic vehicle with exposed mechanical parts

A filter made from 73 diluted with turpentine was applied to the entire hull...

Scale model of a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, side view, with an aged finish and rust

The final result obtained...

The Setting

Wanting to show the model in context, I decided to place it high up, anchored to its base, so I could capture the “view from below”…
The setting will therefore be the facade of a building where the vehicles park temporarily on a platform…

Model of a futuristic bipedal robot under construction, mounted on a gray base in front of a vertical panel The base will consist of two pieces of plywood—the main body and the base—plus various other parts...

The Chassis

Space Chevy model viewed from below, showing the detailed chassis and the mechanized undercarriage

Once the windshield and the passenger compartment are in place and the chassis is glued down, we can (finally!) continue working on the details underneath... and there's a lot to do!

A rusty Chevy model car transformed into a spaceship, displayed on a futuristic stand

In the movie "Immortal," cars travel along cables using the hooks on their roofs and unhook from them to land...

Model of the Space Chevy spacecraft, viewed from below, showing mechanical details and the yellow hull

The back section is finished and ready to be painted...

A weathered model of a 1957 Chevrolet mounted on a gray mechanical space frame

Another view...

Outline of a Space Chevy chassis being assembled on the workbench

After applying a base coat of Gray 140, a wash made of Black and Rust 98 was applied to the platform...

Paint/stabilizers

Rear view of the Space Chevy model showing the three metallic gray engine sections with a weathered finish on an orange base

Dry-brushing with lighter shades of gray, yellow, and rust, then finishing with a fine brush to create a flaking effect...

Detailed Space Chevy model featuring three weathered metal engines on an orange base

Finishing touches and shading in black, Umber, Sienna from Winsor & Newton...

Bottom view of the Space Chevy model showing the chassis and mechanical details painted gray

The same goes for the underside of the vehicle...

Detailed chassis of the Space Chevy model, viewed from below, with the engine and suspension painted

... But you'll need to be careful when dry-brushing not to get too much paint on the underside...

Model of a weathered, flying 1957 Chevrolet mounted on a futuristic base, side view

Finishing the various details of the car: chrome parts, pedals, etc., and permanently attaching it to the platform...

A "Space Chevy" themed Chevrolet car, currently being painted, is nearing completion on the modeler's workbench

A weathered and rusty model of a 1957 Chevrolet displayed on a futuristic metal platform

Above are a few photos showing the model in place, with painted details and signs of wear on the body...

A weathered, futuristic diorama featuring a dark door, posters, and patinated metal machines from the Space Chevy model kit

A few posters and signs are affixed to the front wall, which are then made to look weathered to enhance the realism...

A weathered, flying Chevrolet model with jet engines, placed on a platform near a door

The figurine

Superhero figurine wearing a cape, primed in gray and showing the model's pre-paint shading

A figurine will complete the scene and bring it to life. A Preiser "Academic" figurine will serve as the base, and a sheet of lead will be used for the cape...

A figurine of an alien wearing a gray cape, leaning toward a vehicle on a rusty metal footbridge