In the early days of Scale Auto Enthusiast magazine, there was a 7-part article series called "Late Model Custom" that first appeared in the November/December 1981 issue (issue #16), then followed in issues #17, 18, 19, 21, 22, and 23.

The original model car that inspired the entire how-to series was pictured across the top two pages of that first issue, and also as a sidebar in issue #23.

That model was built by Harry Bourlaer (sp?). I photographed it at the model contest ran by Bob Butterley at the 1981 United Street Machine Association Nationals at the Michigan Stage Fairgrounds at Woodward and Eight Mile Road in Detroit, Michigan.

This was the only time I ever saw the model, until just last Sunday, nearly 43(!!!) years later, at the 2024 Detroit Area Auto Modelers show in Warren, Michigan. There it sat on the Custom table at the show. I was blown away. It looked just as good as I remembered, all these years later.

Harry's build was based on the MPC 1973 Chevy Impala kit. As a builder/writer back then, I didn't have access to that kit, and I wanted a kit that was widely available to readers at the time for the article series, so I used the George Barris "Cruisin' USA series 1970 impala as the basis of the how-to article. Other than that difference, it should be pretty clear where the inspiration for the magazine article series came from.

Check out the photos below, and then compare it to the Late Model Custom project it inspired. Once again, great job Harry, and thanks a bunch for showing it to us once again....TIM

****
Harry's 1973 Impala Low Rider Chopped Custom:

The resulting Scale Auto Enthusiast model project tha followed after seeing Harry's model back in summer, 1981:

A couple more shots of Harry's model...