This one definitely falls into the "you gotta see it to believe it" category. Steve has really outdone himself to weather and detail this Nova and to really capture that "I'm gonna fix 'er up one day" cars we all know about that are rotting away in some field or side yard. You really get the impression that this poor heap has really been ridden hard and put away wet.
Steve did a great job weathering the car and I'd venture a guess he spent as much time on the diorama part as he did the car itself. The weeds, gravel, broken down picket fence and other surrounding items really set the mood. We've all see cars in this sad position.
Notice the primered rear fender and fading paint on top. It's hard to tell, but the passenger side rear tire is missing altogether, contributing to the unhealthy lean the car takes as it begins to disintegrate into the ground. The racing stickers in the rear quarter window are a nice touch too.
Here you begin to get a better idea of the attention to detail in this work. Note the busted tail light, the missing trunk lock cylinder, the hand prints and period rear window lettering. It's hard to tell, but there is a hand saw laying in the rear wind package shelf. Why? I guess this falls into the category of "what the heck?" stuff you find in abandoned cars. Have you ever been to a junk yard and found really odd items in the car that simply make you stop and ask, "I wonder why and how THIS got in this car".
The crunchy rust effects are really well done. My guess is that the owner's older sister painted the peace sign on the fender about 1974 to protest her brother's non anti-establishment actions of owning a gas guzzling car that accelerated the deterioration of the environment. Power to the People! Note how the pinstripe fades in and out from the years of abuse by the sun.
