585hillbillygarage

This build has been quite a journey.

Back in January 2026, Gaahleri offered me the incredible opportunity to collaborate with them.

Having already used and loved their products, I was absolutely thrilled and accepted without hesitation.

I immediately wanted to create a build that truly represented our partnership.

After a few weeks of brainstorming, I had a solid plan—but I needed to finish another project before I could dive in.

The timing of the Gaahleri World Creator Cup (GWCC) aligned perfectly with my plans.

However, because of the extensive modifications, custom work, and meticulous details I wanted to pour into this project, I knew it would take a lot of time.

I initially hesitated to join the competition because I didn't want to feel rushed.

But after weeks of trying to brainstorm a separate concept, I realized this collaborative build was the one I was meant to do.

Just a week ago, I was feeling incredibly bummed out, thinking there was no way I would finish by the deadline.

When the competition was extended, I was ecstatic—it gave me the exact lifeline I needed to bring this vision to life.

I had an absolute blast building this project, and it will stand as a forever reminder of my collaboration with Gaahleri.

I hope you all enjoy the final result!

A few final thank yous:

To the community: Thank you all for the love, support, and continuous encouragement that kept me going. You are all greatly appreciated.

To Gaahleri: Thank you for your support and for putting together the GWCC challenge. It has been a true honor and a pleasure to take part in this event, meet new builders, and learn new talents and techniques from everyone here.

Good luck to everyone participating, and have an awesome week!

Final assembly is officially underway!

All the airbrush work is complete, and the finish line is in sight.Here is a quick breakdown of the setup for this build:

Airbrushes: I handled most of the detail work using the Gaahleri Mobius 0.2.

For the primer, base, and clear coats, I switched to the Mobius TG equipped with the fan cap.

Paint: I used a mix of 2 to 3 colors from each of Gaahleri's paint lines, including their Auto, Metal, Translucent, and Mecha sets.

Stencils: All of the custom stencils were measured and cut in-house using my Cricut machine.

Final assembly is happening now, and I plan to post the completed project by September 15th (US time).

I want to say a massive thank you to each and every one of you for stopping by, checking in on the progress, and showing so much love and support. Your encouragement means the world to me!

A special shoutout goes to Gaahleri for everything they do for the hobby community, and for hosting and putting together the GWCC challenge. You are all truly appreciated.

Stay tuned, and please check back soon for the final reveal!

Wrapping up the final details and getting ready for paint! 🎨

As I mentioned at the start of this journey, this is a major milestone project for me, celebrating my collaboration with Gaahleri.

Please make sure to stay tuned for the final reveal on this build—we are getting so close to the finish line!

Once again, a massive thank you to everyone who has stopped by to check on my progress. Your kind comments, love, and endless support mean the world to me. You are all greatly appreciated!

We finally have a rug 😁

I used kaleido matt black to paint the interior tub and mogpog to prepare the rug area for some black flocking..

The big block race engine I originally picked for this build turned out to be way off-scale for 1/25, creating all sorts of frustrating fitment issues and just looking out of proportion. So, I went back to the drawing board!I tracked down a 3D file for a Chevy LSX twin-turbo engine, printed it out, and started the process over. I painted the entire block using Kaleido metal colors and used my Gaahleri markers to pull out all the fine details. To make the exhaust headers look realistic, I layered Kaleido transparent colors to simulate authentic heat hotspots. For the valve covers, I laid down a base of Kaleido aluminum and finished it off with a transparent purple topcoat.This new setup looks incredibly scale-accurate, and I know it’s going to look ten times better in the engine bay. Thank you all so much for stopping by and supporting the channel—your support means the world to me!

Got some paint on the roll Cage today

This is kaleidos bio signal green from the new mecha colors set..

Thanks for stopping by

Have an awesome week

Here is a quick update on the progress:

Doors:

Fabricated the door hinges, reinstalled the doors, and verified the alignment and operation.

Pedals:

Fabricated a custom mounting bracket for the new pedal assembly.

Firewall:

Sealed up the original brake booster hole in the firewall.

Roll Cage:

Drilled out the mounting holes for the front section of the roll cage.

Thanks for stopping by!

Your love and support are greatly appreciated. 🥰

Next up on the bench: rebuilding the cab! I'm adding small strips of Evergreen styrene to fix some structural weak points and bring out more realistic details. These areas have to be completely finished before I can jump into painting and detailing the interior. I'm aiming to have this phase all wrapped up over the weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by to check out the build—your support is greatly appreciated! 🥰

Body Prep & Custom Fab Update! 🛠️We just wrapped up some highly detailed prep work on the body:Tilt Fenders: Measured the front fenders to make them removable and tilt forward.Line Mockups: Used a fine-line red Sharpie to maximize door seam visibility.Mold Lines: Highlighted the roof edge mold lines for easier sanding later.Body Scribing: Spent two hours meticulously scribing the body lines.Firewall Prep: Used the rotary tool grinding tip to clean up the firewall.What’s Next?Next, we will build out the interior and fabricate the cab back together to restore structural support.Thank you for stopping by and supporting the build, my friends! You are greatly appreciated. Catch you on the next one! 🤙

More fitment work,

getting the dash and roll cage to line up correctly.

This took some time but the end result makes it all worth the time.

Next week will be working towards removing the front fenders , and cutting out the doors.

By doing this i will need to scratch build the the rest of the A-piller and connecting that to the interior tub for structural support.

Thank you all for stopping by hope your enjoying the build so far.