Steampunk Protostar, Part 3

Where else but on the BlastFromThePast blog can one find two simultaneous build threads?
Yep, as the Lunar Patrol project winds down, it's time to get started on that Steampunk version Estes Protostar.
It is my hope that this one will progress a little more quickly than did the LP.
I suppose this first build progress post of the series should feature the obligatory photo of the kit parts laid out all nice and purty on the workbench:

The initial steps of this build will pretty much follow the basic rocket construction as outlined in the kit instruction/instrucciones/anweisungen/istruzioni/navod sheets.
The real meat of this project will lie in the myriad detailing that will be necessary for "punking it up".
As with most scratch-built rocket projects, a lot of this stuff will be done on the fly...tinker-style.
For much of the detailing, I have some ideas about which materials and techniques I will be using, but for some other aspects, I have no idea yet. 
Build by the seat of the pants, I say. 
Hey, it worked with all my competition birds back in the 70s!
That's what will make this project so much fun.
Oops - almost forgot - a scan of one of the kit laser cut balsa fin sheets alongside a ruler:

Just in case I ever need to replace a fin, or scratch build another Protostar, or upscale, or make a "Hippie-VW Microbus-Style Protostar, or a.....
Wait a minnit.... What did I just say?....A hippie VW Microbus-style Protostar?
Now where did I put my sketchpad?.....