tjones87 Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 (edited) First off I have the newest issue of the AMT 70 1/2 Camaro and I am going to be replicating my 1:1 71 Camaro... My first concern is turning the split bumper front end into the full bumper front end. I need to move the front turn signals from beside the headlights to the lower valance. I also need to take off 2mm from the grille surround...I have it marked out with tape - the outside tape edge will be the new nose edge. I was just wondering how I would go about doing that? any and all comments/suggestions are welcomed.. Also I need to remove the trunk lid emblem and the trim on top of the doors...any idea on those? I need to go from this front end \/ \/ to this front end \/ \/ Edited December 8, 2012 by tjones87 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 Good start......carefully and it looks, accurately marking off what you want to change. I'd seriously recommend you get a set of small files if you don't already have some. The control you get is much better than sandpaper because they're rigid and you can make them cut exactly what you want. The 'must-have' set is about 7" long including handle, in several shapes...flat, trianglular, round, etc.....and usually comes in a little plastic organizer sleeve. Like this.... I'd also recommend you get a set of jeweler's files, which are smaller for very fine detail work, and a set of riffler files, which have curved ends for getting into tight places. I do a lot of heavy mods and usually make my rough cuts with a Dremel, then take the edge down to the mark with files and finally, just remove the file-marks with 400 grit or finer sandpaper. If you don't have files or are in a hurry, 80, 100 or 180 grit sandpaper glued to something rigid like a popsickle stick will work as a Q&D file, as will small fingernail files, but without as much control of the cut. For removing emblems and trim, I also prefer to start with files. A crosscut file will machine just the emblem or other detail you're removing flush with the surface, whereas sandpaper that's course enough to remove an emblem will also make a lot of deep scratches in the surrounding plastic, causing you extra work to remove them. Using a finer grit to remove an emblem or other small detail will tend to make waves in the surrounding material before it actually cuts the detail flush with the surface. Again, nail files or sandpaper glued to something rigid will work, but files make life much easier. I got sets of all three types at a cheap tool outlet , and though the Chinese steel is soft, it will do a good job on plastic. The teeth of the files will tend to clog as you use them, but an occasional brushing-out with a brass-bristle brush, or even an old toothbrush, will keep them clean and free-cutting. If you can't find a kit bumper that's a good starting point, scratch-building one is straightforward. Just draw the shape (being careful of symmetry) you want on a sheet of styrene of the correct thickness and cut it out with a razor saw and X-acto knives, fit it carefully to the front body contours, then taper the front edges of the bumper blade with your files, primer and Alclad it. Make the lower grille guards the same way. Moving the parking lights requires removing the raised material from around the existing holes, filling the remaining holes with flat styrene and surface-filling to shape. Make symmetrical templates of the openings in the front panel for your new lights, and open the new holes with small drills, knives and files. If you make really clean and sharp openings for the new lights, it shouldn't be too hard to find some lenses with a useable pattern already in them, and cut them down to fit the openings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 I always take my xacto knife and cut down whatever I'm working on close to the shape I want. Then use files and sandpaper to finish it up. Same with emblems. To fill in the line around the marker lights, I would use crazy glue. On your hood scoop, make sure you sand/file the bottom of it so that it fits the hood as close to perfect as possible before you glue it on. Once the glue sets, run a bead of crazy glue around it and it will fill in the joint and make the bond stronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjones87 Posted December 8, 2012 Author Share Posted December 8, 2012 Ace-Garageguy -- thanks for the info, i will see about getting a set of the files you mentioned. I had figured on just filling the turn signls in with filler, but it probably would be better to use styrene as the major filler, then smooth everything up. Would you use the files to knock down the raised portions of the turn signals? I am hoping to find a kit bumper, at-least one I could use for a template...I am not too great at scratch building stuff like that..but will give it a try if I have to. I know it will take quite a bit of work to transform this front end, but no way am I going to spend the ridiculous amount of money for the old MPC kit on evil-bay lol. This will be a long tern project, as I do not have everything I need yet. Just figured I would get some suggestions on how to do stuff, so when it came time, I would have an idea of what I was doing. plowboy -- The hood scoop is really thin plastic and kind of flimsy, and hollow. I had planned on cutting the center of the hood out, for clearance, but with this scoop being so thin, IDK if I will be able to. I was planning on using some 5 min epoxy to bond the scoop to the hood...then go back with filler to smooth everything out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 plowboy -- The hood scoop is really thin plastic and kind of flimsy, and hollow. I had planned on cutting the center of the hood out, for clearance, but with this scoop being so thin, IDK if I will be able to. I was planning on using some 5 min epoxy to bond the scoop to the hood...then go back with filler to smooth everything out. I definitely would not use epoxy to bond the scoop to the hood. It's not that strong and I'm sure you will have problems trying to primer and paint over it. Liquid glue and or crazy glue works best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjones87 Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share Posted December 10, 2012 ok thanks...i will pick some up next time i am at the store... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjones87 Posted December 11, 2012 Author Share Posted December 11, 2012 Ok I tried scratch building a front bumper...and didn't come out very good....I had to glue two 1mm thick styrene sheets together to get the right thickness....and got the shape roughly drawn out, but after getting it cut down, I couldn't get the final shaping to look anything right...ended up snapping it in half trying to shape it..I guess I will have to just wait and try to salvage an old kit...anyone think they could scratch one up...I would be happy to trade some stuff for the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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