randyc

I have no issue buying a dirty diecast. Especially if all the parts look to be there and it's cheap enough. Be careful around the small parts, emblems, etc. Especially photoetch wipers. I have had to repair several of those from heavy handed previous owners. And try to be gentle with handles and delicate parts. Good time to deterermine what needs a little more glue as well. I always put small loose parts in a display case top to keep it and car together until complete. The base serves as a top for container. I have a lot of these leftover from selling off cars. My cleaning routine goes something like this. Sit down at kitchen sink with a couple of old toothbrushes. Soft and one is more pointy than the other. At the edge of the sink, there is a depression juist inside the outer lip of sink. I squirt some Greased Lightning on that little spot, dip the toothbrush in and proceed to brush the car. Getting all the chrome and crevices. Do whole car just as if washing a real car. I have pipe cleaners and Q tip like devices as well. Those for tight spaces like inside windshields and dash tops. Usually use window cleaner on them. Be careful to not scratch anything with wire in a pipe cleaner. I use window cleaner for the glass sprayed onto a microfiber cloth. After the intial cleaning, I wipe it all down with the window cleaner - the greased lightning will leave streaks. Then I can decide if I need to take to workbench for further polishing. On the flocked carpets, I will usually use a dry toothbrush or stiff paint brush to "sweep" out the interior. Flocking doesn't like water. Haven't tried a micro vac yet, as I don't have one. nor do I have canned air. I will also use the Greased Lightning on the brush to clean the seats and crevices around seats. Often have to use the microfiber to poke in those crevices to dry out and remove the dirty cleaner left behind if interior is terribly dusty. And I have had several of those. In rear cases I have disassembled the car for cleaning. on Mint cars, they can be quite tricky to dismantle. Hidden screws and such. Not always obvious how to disassemble. And hoses and such connecting one assembly to the next. Steering columns. Study how they seem to come apart first if you have to go this route. If the car still isn't fabulously shiny, I will go to work bench and use the moto tool with a CLOTH polishing wheel. These are several layers of cloth sewn together that attach to one of the screw head bits. They are soft enough to conform around the edges and even over mirrors and door handles without flinging them into space. use the edge, not the flat face of the pad. I have tried felt before and they seem to be too hard and burn through way too quick. I use turtle Wax scratch and swirl remover because it is what i have on hand. I would probably say a fine abrasive. Factory diecasts have tough paint on them. But many used cars will have lost their true shine from the years of skin oils accrued from being handled. I have an Auburn that was kinda disheartening til I tried this - I had nothing to lose it looked so dull. JUST be careful. Use a SLOW speed and a LIGHT touch. Practice first on less than your favorite car. Mint cars are usually very shiny when new. They can be brought back. Sometimes the polish will dry out and look like burned paint. Stop then and check your work. In MOST cases in my experience, the polish will wipe off with a damp cloth. Same with clear glass - it will work with a polishing cloth too. LIGHT TOUCH. If you are getting swirls, it seems to me that the pad is too dry. I use very little amounts of polish. a dot will smear over a whole panel and try to polish it off before it dries. Most of the time, you won't need polish on the car for each new panel or part. just keep going as long as the pad is polishing and not swirling. I'll try to provide photos next time I do a car, if I can remember. After all the cleaning, try to avoid handling. I usually wrap in a microfiber and carry to display spot or put in case. This is just for cleaning. Along the way, I may have to detail parts or glue replacements on. try to get it clean first to see what it actually needs. Last tip, if you have a window box that is terribly dirty, the plastic and box can usually be cleaned with nail polish remover. this stuff will break down stuff that lacquer thinner can't. And usually doesn't seem to affect the printing on the cardboard. I have some seriously ugly boxes and can usually get them looking much better this way. I have some stuff in a red bottle from Ollie's. $1, not sure if it is acetone or non acetone. THe little pads as well and a roll of blue shop paper towels for boxes. Then some window cleaner to finish. Sometimes, this will appear to haze the clear plastic, but so far, it has always cleared up for me. Haven't ruined one yet. What other tips can you guys add? What are your favorite cleaners? I usually use whatever is on hand.

Be sure to use the cloth pads. I have tried the felt wheels in the past and they burn through too quick. The cloth pad looked like it was going to fly apart, but after it flung off the strings, it is a nice pad. Please practice FIRST though!!!! Not responsible for damages! Realy does help if you are careful and patient. And only on hard paints. not sure they would work on hobby enamels. Too soft although I may try in the near future to clean up some old models that have been painted for several years and need some polishing. Also does a heckuva job on foil/chrome trim. And a very fine abrasive polish like a scratch remover polish.

I just don't worry about mirrors anymore. they always get knocked off, or some little gremlin removes them for me. Not sure which is more prevalent. So if it has them, I try to keep them. But if not, I won;t be adding them any time soon. Just how many spare parts do you have laying around???? I thought about getting into selling parts for Mint cars. Have mostly decided against it. Tried to part on out last week (DM 41 Chevy conv) and first buyer wanted whole thing that was left. I had the parts I needed, sold the convertible top for one price and the buyer paid the rest of my investment. So I came out a few dollars ahead on the whole deal and got my car repaired. I also learned that the Mint cars are assembled in a non traditional way as most modelers would expect. Screws are located UNDER glued in panels. Makes it a bit tricky if you don't know the sequence. Or don't want to apply a bit of force. The obvious screws won't always let the car come apart. Bodies are mulit piece, etc. Rear suspension on 41 chev is attached by two screw at front of leaf springs on top of chassis. these are under rear seat. Which is glued and screwed in. Fascinating. But off topic.

Good approach to fixing it. I just can't make myself love this car. None of the ones I've seen, diecast or plastic. But nice to see how you fix issues.

I don't know - all mine were AM issues. Haven't bought the Revell - I did the Delmo car with VRM decals. Haven't seen the later issues.

Builds into a nice replica - good luck reassembling it. I am getting ready to sell mine off. Mine is yellow and brown - about the most 50's paint scheme that would really make it look like the 50s dog the public thought it was. lol But, built up in this scheme should look really nice. I have more respect for them now than when I built it originally. MCG makes a nice PE set for it as well.

Seems like I read recently that John Mecom has said that nothing since has ever matched the original color when the cars were restored. He also says there was a sixth car as well. One photo exists that *might* bear that out. The history of these cars is just awesome. That period of racing, in all forms, was such an exciting time. I can read about any of it. As for this build, you are encountering every issue that was ever had with it. Start thinking about the header issue now. They do not, will not match the side pipes as molded from kit. I can't remember any other major things that are going to crop up. Love watching your progress though.

Your builds are always inspiring. The 56 I built after looking at some of yours is still one of my favorites. You really show how NICE these kits can be.

Nice - I've been reading through your builds over the last few days on your website. Good stuff. And love the way you write over there.

Thanks. The stock wheels looked so small, so those were the alternates in the box I am pretty sure. I don't usually build with blowers and scoops and such, but this one needed something. I wanted stock, but the kit wheels just didn't work for me. Thanks for the compliments. Much appreciated.

NIce.

Thanks - this was one of my best I think. I still like it after all these years. As I open boxes, there are things I don't remember. Things I remember but mean nothing to me now (I've sold about 100 NASCAR builtups). And a few that I am keeping. All of my Impalas are staying with me. A few Hot Rods. Trans Am racers. Thanks for the compliments.

Thanks all. This and a Bob Senneker Camaro under a tarp are the only things I've really ever weathered. And I sold the Bob Senneker car missing front end and under tarp as well. I hope the new owners enjoy their neglect as much as I did. And finding them again with the real dust. As for the garage, I dusted it too. It was pretty furry. But I didn't clean anything - just blew the worst off so that it would appear like the real shop I used for inspiration was. Hopefully I will add more to the background clutter soon. As I find tools and parts that would fit the theme. It's not in these photos, but I have a hood from a 66 Nova kit. I had entered the car in a local model show. After the show I pu tthe cars in the trunk of may car. When I got home, I had lost the hood. I few years later, I found it it the spare tire well of the car, completely covered in rust stains. So it is part of the dio now as well.

These three really don't fit in my collection , but the wife likes them and two were dad's. Dad was a heavy smoker and the white car was a dark nicotine-stained tan. I thought it was supposed to be beige! After looking it up, I realized it was white. The wife & I worked for a couple days on getting it cleaned up. Greased Lighting to the rescue. Toothbrush and several applications finally yielded this, which is almost white. I enjoy restoring these back when I get something in really ugly condition. Which is often because some folks won't take the chance on an ugly or dirty car and they can be had very cheap. Usually a little cleaner and maybe a polishing works wonders. Tough paint. I use a cloth polishing wheel in the moto tool and turtle wax scratch remover. I got an Auburn that looked like it was beyond repair. Polishing by hand was not doing anything to brighten it up, so I thought "what the heck" and took to it with the moto tool. First try taught me to be very light around anything not part of the main casting! But now, I usually do the whole car, body, chrome, wheels, etc. Many of these look pretty good, but once you start cleaning them, you can see that the paint is dulled some, I think from finger oils where they have been handled over the years. The glass gets a little less than clear. And again, a little polish and the polishing wheel will restore them to a nice look. I'm hijacking my own thread now. LOL

Nice! Keep it coming.