StevenGuthmiller

All that I can talk you is that I thinned a custom mix of MCW enamels to do the interior in my ‘64 Bonneville with plain old lacquer thinner, and it worked just fine. I had a little left over, but I haven’t checked to see what kind of shape it’s in now. Enamels can be really quirky once thinned, and will some times gel up depending on the thinning medium. Steve

Good grief! This is exactly what we need. More confusion on this subject! Everyone has their own definitions of what this is, and what that is, and then we get the official versions from the paint wonks and industry experts with all of the technical, chemical mumbo-jumbo. and our eyes begin to glaze over! For our purposes, at least for mine, it's pretty simple. If it says "Enamel" on the can or bottle, it's going to dry slow, go on thicker, dry harder, dry shinier, and can only be over coated with enamel or acrylic as a rule. If it says "Lacquer", it dries extremely fast, is able to be built up in multiple layers, in most cases will dry duller, but will be able to be sprayed over with virtually any other type of paint. Acrylic seems to be the sticking point because everyone in the business apparently likes that word, and uses it freely on pretty much everything. If you're using acrylic, you're just going to have to get down in the gutter with the paint wonks if you want to know exactly what properties each acrylic has, because it can be almost anything. Steve

That is absolutely an option. There are any number of "adhesives" that can be used for embossing powder. Anything that it will stick to with even coverage is fair game. Steve

If I could make one suggestion Anders? A wash of some sort on the wire wheels would add another level of realism. Steve

Absolutely gorgeous! Beautiful example of the “first” American muscle car! Steve

Pretty sure that you can find the Boetje's in most grocery stores. If I can find it in Fargo North Dakota, you can find it anywhere! I like it because it's a little "sweeter" than a lot of mustards. By that I mean the vinegar level seems to be lower so that the mustard flavor seems more pronounced. It's also got a lot of heat, so you have to go light.....unless you need to really clean out the sinuses! Steve

Yup. Not hard to make a windshield for a Mopar '68-'70 B-body. Back glass is a little tougher, but also possible if you're patient. Steve

Did you forget the Boetje's mustard? I love this stuff!!! Steve

One thing that I’ve always hated was the propensity for many people to replace original interiors with generic looking tan leather throughout. In my opinion, one of the most endearing and coolest aspects of most old cars is the character of the interior treatments. Replacing a vibrant ‘55 Chevy interior with it’s wide variety of colors, textures and materials with a drab, monochrome, tan leather interior is a sin as far as I’m concerned. For as much time as most guys spend in the driver’s seat of their classic car, it can’t possibly be that detrimental to their delicate behinds to have to sit on vinyl for a little while. As far as having to let my Grand Prix warm up for a little while, I’m fine with it. I’m in no hurry whatsoever when I’m taking it out for a drive. Steve

As long as you’re not concerned about detail hide, there’s no reason that you can’t spray over it, especially with enamel. But yes, I would re-prime just for the sake of even color coverage. Steve

Did you prime it before paint? And if so, what primer did you use? Steve

I agree. Let old cars be old cars, and new be new. I've said it before, but in my opinion, a large part of the charm and nostalgia of an old car is the way that they run, handle, and ride. Everybody today seems to want their classic car to react exactly like their 2024 Ford Explorer. I don't understand it myself. I love the sound and feel of my '69 GP! To start modernizing it is to completely obliterate it's allure. Steve

Not really my bag. 😁 Steve

Or, you could say that my model builders hades would be nothing but models of cars produced after about 1977, or all foreign cars! 😮 I’d rather build airplanes. 😁 Steve

I understand, but that's not much of a consideration for me anymore. I wasn't much of a fan of these types of interiors and chassis in years past, and I still can't say that I am, but the most important thing to me now is subject matter, so if there are aspects of the model that I don't like, I'll change them. It not only corrects the issues, but it insures that your model will be something completely unique. My last 1964 Pontiac Bonneville project, although an AMT kit and not an MPC, illustrates this concept. These old annual kits were all lacking in basically the same areas, but I've begun to understand that it's not only possible to overcome these problems, but it can be a lot of fun as well. Researching and finding existing modern kit parts to substitute, modifying existing parts, and scratch building others, is a great way to hone your building skills, and if you have an open mind and some determination, you can make something from one of these old sub-par kits that rivals any highly detailed modern kit without spending gobs of money on aftermarket stuff. I'm having way more fun doing these kinds of builds now than I ever did building basically out of box, and as I said, when it's finally finished, it's truly unique, even though still a factory stock model. This is model car heaven for me! Steve

My dad had one, but I don’t remember much about it, except that it was maroon. He bought it after giving me his turquoise 1975 Honda CB 360, which I will confess that I felt was kind of a wimpy little toy at the time, but realize today that it was a really fun and great little machine. I wish I still had it. Sold it to a family friend in 1985 for $350.00 when I bought my first brand new bike. an ‘85 Yamaha Virago 1000. Steve

I think I actually lived one of my worst nightmares at the last show that I attended. The show was held in a vacant store in an old half empty strip mall. In the hallway, right outside of the store was a large jungle Jim style playground where there was a single woman with several small, extremely loud and obnoxious children playing. As the afternoon progressed, I happened to be just hanging out in the hallway, stretching my legs when this woman decided that it would be a good Idea to keep these little monsters occupied by taking them into the little toy car and airplane show to run around like a bunch of tiny lunatics! With 3 models representing probably 3 years of toil sitting on the tables, I quickly started feeling a tightness in my chest! I had never thought of myself as a child hater, but that day I was seriously contemplating where would be a good place to dispose of the bodies!! Luckily, by some miracle, no damage was done. Steve

Sounds like heaven to me! 😉 Steve

This is the exact recipe that I use for my red sauce. The only addition is fresh chopped basil. I usually omit the sausage, but my meatball recipe includes ground beef, ground pork and ground Italian sausage. Everyone loves Clemenza's sauce! Steve

Absolutely not! Just wanted to put it out there because only the photos still exist now. The model itself has been stripped and prepped for a re-do. Steve

Thanks people! I appreciate that fellas! I suppose it's just my way of saying that if I were to do it over, I would do a much better job. You may be interested to know that this particular model has been disassembled and stripped in preparation for a probable upcoming rebuild. I've always wanted to do one of these oddball Mopars in a full detail configuration, and this is the prime candidate for an all out Dodge Dart D-500 build project. Hopefully I'll get on it soon. Steve

I got to digging back into some old photos and decided that I should probably post some of these old builds that I probably have not posted before, and if I have, it was a long time ago. These models are from a far gone era when I was still building minimally, with very few additions and limited detail. This was back when I was pumping them out, one every few weeks to a couple of months, and when I was still honing many of my paint, foil and general detailing skills. Even though these models are far from my best efforts, they are representative of the progression of my modeling skills, and in the end, I suppose they should get some exposure and a little love too. This is a Johan/X-EL 1961 Dodge Dart, and the date on the photos say that they were taken in 2012. Not as far back as I had anticipated, but I'm pretty confident that the model was built some time prior to that. Could have been as much as 10 years earlier. It's become very difficult for me to track time anymore. In any case, it's an old curbside build from a time gone by, so please don't expect much. My photography skills back then were obviously even worse than my building skills. Steve

Just for the color. I use primer and clear right from the can. Steve

If I would have known, I could have sent you several sets. My wife ordered a bunch online to give to co-workers for both of us, but the forecast here is rain all day. Lot of good they'll do us. Steve

Use what you have. You can drive yourself nuts with minutia, but it's not rocket science. If you have Testors acrylic, thin it with water and use that. Steve