48 replies to this topic

[crazyjim]

Nice work you're doping on the AMX, Niko. I recently built the pro-street version kit. I should have cut out the rear suspension and seats like you did. Would have made a better build.

[W-409]

Yes, these kits just needs some modifications if you want, they look like the real car... I'm not sure about the door panels, if someone got a good picture from '69 AMX, please post it! Have one picture from '68 but I'm not sure is it right looking...

[W-409]

I thaught that model, where I have built lots of modifications, needs Shirley Shahan to sit on the front fender. One female figure from the box and it can be the basis... That figure is driving a car so I did some modifications to it. It's not ready yet, but here it starts. First I saw the arm in two pieces. Then with styrene, I glued pieces back together and now the angle between shoulder and fingers is bigger than original... Then some putty and now it looks good. Head, or hair needed some modifications also. I shortened that hair and added one piece of cardboard on the hair. More putty to there and it's looking good now...

Here it is, original figure in pieces...

Now it looks better.

Test fit. It's quite good, I think.



Original head:





Feel free for comments...

[rustybill1960]

i am really digging on your work dude!
very nice!

i have wanted one of those kits for a long time, now i will know what to expect "when" i get it!
thank you Nikko!

later
russ

[W-409]

Thanks Rustybill. Today Shirley got some paint. I'll post some pictures when I have something to show you.

[Jim0205]

Looks great. I love your commitment to the details and the research. very nice indeed.

[W-409]

Thank you, Jim! Now Shirley is ready to sit on AMX frontfender. Oh yeah, it's not ready jet so Shirley can sit on some other car. Anyway, I painted clothes with white, blue and red, as AMC colours are. I had to do some re-working on Shirley, the head was badly. I mean, Shirley saw only his feet, nothing else. Now the head is rightly in place and she's waving to the crowd. Hair is painted by my own mix.





Comments welcome!

[W-409]

Niko, a suggestion and a bit of constructive criticism ... tone down Shirley's eyes! She looks like she's scared to death!

Oh yes, now when you said it, I think so too! I must do something to it, thank you for that note!

[mikeD1]

cool nicko!!!
what hood came with the stang !!!!

[crazyjim]

I thought Shirley had dark hair.

[Johnny]

I thought Shirley had dark hair.

[W-409]

Thank you all for the replies! There came no hood with Mustang, have to buy one... And all what khart said, is true. And as you all can see from that picture, Johnny posted, Shirley had fair hair. That's great picture, it would help with building Shirley very much. I didn't find that picture from anywhere, I had only a few pics from Shirley. But now, back to the bench and again, thank you for those replies!

[crazyjim]

My mistake. We're talking Shirley "Cha Cha" Muldowney aren't we?

[W-409]

Here is a little update to you guys! I have sanded that interior "floor" now. It's pretty good, I think, next step is to make those door panels better, the work with them has begun, but maybe tomorrow I'll get something to show from them... I have been thinking of flocking that carpet but I'm not sure yet...

Rear axle isn't so simple thing. I borrowed AMT's AMT Matador rear axle and some plasticine to copy two rear axles. Other one is for Javelin. I pushed those rear axle halves to that plasticine and put that to freezer for 15 minutes. When I took it away from there, I took those axle halves away from plasticine and with bondo, I filled those axle molds. In the morning, I took that bondo away from that plasticine and then I took those copied rear axle halves away from the putty "sheet". Glued them together with Araldit and then some bondo and sanding, now it needs some more bondo and sanding...




Comments are welcome.

[W-409]

Continues.... I have test fitted the rear axle right now. I'm using The Parts Box resin leaf springs, they fit fine and I must just make them little shorter... I removed those Matador's control arms, I must build AMX control arms from scratch... I also fitted the rear tires, they fit fine and front tires are just for mock up. I'm hunting '67 Mustang front axle system, but it seems to be very hard to find one...

[W-409]

Working with the door panels now. First I scribed the details to look bit more sharp. I used the Trumpeter's panel scriber. Also building the door handles to the panel. The other side has now those two handles. Other one is made from styrene. I glued some metal wire, presenting the chromed trims, painted it black, and center is wooden. Those trims must be still painted. Other one is just made from solder. I must make same handles for the other side also, then flocking the carpet, and painting the door panels...





Wow, how bad they actually look in SuperMacro picture.

Now I'm going to European Championchip drag race here, Finland! In European Championchip standings, Top Fuel leader is Tommy Johnsson JR, but on the second place, Risto Poutiainen from FINLAND! And in Pro Stock, Sampsa Palos from Finland is the leader. He moved to Pro Stock just a little time ago, his first race with Pro Stock was last year Finals in Santa Pod, England.

[MrObsessive]

Niko, just a little tip to help you out--------------I would totally cut the side panels away in your interior and work with them that way. It'll make it much easier to do your scribing and painting. When you're done, you could then reattach them as before and it might save you a lot of swearing!

Here's a couple pics of something similar I did when I was building my '49 Mercury...........I've come to hate tub interiors since they intro'd the platform style some years ago.




Keep the pics coming! As you can tell by my avatar............I LOVE AMX'S!

Edit: Whoops! Sorry if my reply seemed out of turn............I didn't see the little disclaimer at the top of the page, until I clicked on the "Add Reply" button and my comment was added! Gregg, you can delete this if you'd like............sorry!

Edited by MrObsessive, 29 June 2011 - 03:36 AM.

[W-409]

Niko, just a little tip to help you out--------------I would totally cut the side panels away in your interior and work with them that way. It'll make it much easier to do your scribing and painting. When you're done, you could then reattach them as before and it might save you a lot of swearing!

Yes, that would be a good idea. But I was just thinking that if I cut them to single pieces, can I glue them nicely to the interior floor anymore... Don't know, what I'll be doing with them, of course the interior is getting close to painting, so maybe I just let them be and just make the other side modifications too... But for the Javelin, I might cut those door panels off from the floor, because it needs lot more cutting and work...

[W-409]

Finally an update... It has been long time, but now I'm making a bit of progress.

Those door handles, I made from styrene on the last update, I built new ones. They are bit thinner than old ones, and lots of cleaner, they look bit bad on those super macro pictures, but live they are looking much better. I painted the center part of them brown to simulate wood, it needs to be cleared. Then I painted some black, but I didn't realize to use masking tape, so I must do a bit of cleanup before installing those parts.

Also painted the wheels. I painted some gloss black around the bolts of them. I removed paint off from those bolts, so they are chromed. Center knob is painted with clear blue from Revell, then I removed paint from that Gragar-text. Interior floor is now painted matt black and then I put some flocking there, as a carpet. Tomorrow I remove all unnecessary flocking, and then I can start painting the door panels. Pedals needs to be built also, I'm not going to use those from the kit. Also added some styrene to that subframe, it will be the basis of new inner fenders.


First picture shows those door handles on progress, on the lower picture they are how they look right now, needs to do a lot of cleaning etc...

[W-409]

Now I removed all needless flocking from the floor. I painted door panels semigloss black, but there's still bit of cleaning before gluing other parts to those door panels. Tomorrow I'm going to install window cranks, door handles and maybe seats too. Let's have a see. There's not much flocking over those cardboard-pieces, but seats will cover that mistake. I'm going to scratchbuild pedals, original ones can't be seen from finished interior anymore, so I don't have to worry about them. Also little carpet to driver's side under those pedals needs to be done. Thanks for looking, comments welcome.






Bit more putty to that chassis also, hope after sanding this, it'll be smooth....