microwheel Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 (edited) Howdy, Im new here, but have actually have been a visitor many times this year. I started building model cars back in the late 1980's and then got away from it in the mid 90's until recently. I used to travel arount the mid-west and even a little on the east coast, back in the day, attending model car shows. I just started back up building this past year. Boy have I missed it. I have already completed a few builds and at some point will post them for you all. I recently bought the new Revell 70 Hemi Cuda kit and wow do I like it. I know there are a few issues with it, but, hey, there are with most kits anyway. And besides thats why they call us model builders. Right? Part of the fun in building kits for me is correcting what I can, and adding and changing what I want. Well for this build I decided to do a vinyl top verson. It will be painted testors plum crazy purple enamel. I'll be posting a few pics along the way. I have already corrected the wheel openings, built the side window trim out with evergreen strips, instead of etching them deeper- this helps with the thickness of the vinyl top material I am using from the model car garage. I, also, have already scratch built the molding, below the rear window, for the vinyl top from evergreen strips. The body in the first few pics has already been painted, clear coated and polished and I have already started applying vinyl top meterial. I primered the body with tamyia thin grey primer. Then mixed my paint as well as my clear coat at 50/50 with hardware store laquar thinner. Excuse the pic quality, my camera is almost as old as I am LOL. I'll be posting more as I go along. Thanks in advance for checking this post out. Edited July 20, 2014 by microwheel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffs396 Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Welcome Jim! 'Cuda looks SWEEEEET so far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10thumbs Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Hello Jim, You've started with a good one. Good luck and good times with the progress, things are looking good. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 bad55 stan Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Hi Jim,Looks like you havn't lost your touch!Neat color,and that vinyl top is a nice touch!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DynoMight Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 May I ask where you got the vinyl top? looks good and would be a nice touch on a couple of my kits -Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyD340 Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Looks like you're off to a fantastic start Jim and BTW, WELCOME to the forum!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58 Impala Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Nice job so far, welcome back to the hobby. Looking forward to the finished build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jade043 Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Will keep an eye on this one like how you've done the roof and the paint looks awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
microwheel Posted June 5, 2014 Author Share Posted June 5, 2014 (edited) Thanks guys, and Glen, The Vinyl Top material can be bought through the Model Car Garage Website. You can get it in Black or white. You get enough material to do 2 to three cars with it, provided you follow the instructions for it carefully. One thing I do that they dont tell you to do, I give the top area a good coat or two of wax to make the material easier to remove and ajust as is needed. This is because it sticks down really really good, and in the past I found that not laying it over a waxed area, it can be hard to lift and adust if needed. here is the link to the top material they sell: http://www.modelcargarage.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=63&idcategory=9 I wanted to correct the name of the paint . It's actually called Testors Plum Crazy enamel. It did go on a little darker than I would have liked, but it still turned out pretty good. Todays tasks are to finish the top, and bare metal foil the body. I'll post pics later this afternoon. Edited June 5, 2014 by microwheel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DynoMight Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Thanks guys, and Glen, The Vinyl Top material can be bought through the Model Car Garage Website. You can get it in Black or white. You get enough material to do 2 to three cars with it, provided you follow the instructions for it carefully. One thing I do that they dont tell you to do, I give the top area a good coat or two of wax to make the material easier to remove and ajust as is needed. This is because it sticks down really really good, and in the past I found that not laying it over a waxed area, it can be hard to lift and adust if needed. here is the link to the top material they sell: http://www.modelcargarage.com/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=63&idcategory=9 Oh thanks, not that bad for the price and thanks for the tips. I'll have to see if I can get one once I find a kit I want to do that to. Keep up the good work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Looks really good and awesome project.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
microwheel Posted June 5, 2014 Author Share Posted June 5, 2014 (edited) Update for today. I finished the vinyl top- And took care of most of the Bare Metal Foil work. I plan to order some better tires than came in the kit. The ones I plan to use are the BFG Radial TA tires from Fireball Modelworks Stay Tuned. More to come. Edited June 5, 2014 by microwheel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DynoMight Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 wow, that looks amazing..Have you started the engine, chassis or interior? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
microwheel Posted June 5, 2014 Author Share Posted June 5, 2014 (edited) Ok time for another update. Glenn, I haven't started on anything else yet, other than to base paint the chassis body color. I will be starting on the interior and engine with in the next few day. I got alot of the body finished today. I stripped the chrome off the rocker trim and painted them metalizer aluminum plate and then clear coated them with testors clear gloss laquer. I installed the door handles, and added the side marker decals and rear quarter panels hemi decals I also painted the rear taillights with tamyia clear red and gloss white trimmed in flate black, then over coated them using two part 5 minute apoxy to give them the look of real lenses. I also added a photo etched trunk keylock. The cuda emblem was bare metal foiled prior to paint and then cleaned off with a toothpick dippped in laquer thinner. I sanded the back of the front grill using emry boards until I was close to having them sanded through, (this took awhile), then switched to a 400 grit sanding stick until the grill was almost sanded through, then finished it off till it was all the way through with a 600 grit sanding stick. Once the grill was opened up, I primed it with taymia fine grey primer and then painted it with testors metalizer stainless steel and painted the grill grates with flate black. Then using the finest tipped brushed I had, I painted the red strip on the grill. I set the grill in place but it is not glued in yet. As you can tell I still have the emblem to add to the grill and turn signals and headlights to install yet, but I think it is coming along. I trimmed the wheel wells out with bare metal foil and with no pre-molded trim lines as a guide it took a while. Remember, I sanded the wheel wheel flairs down to correct them.... More to come.................. Edited June 5, 2014 by microwheel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DynoMight Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Jim this looks amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dino246gt Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Great work on the grill and tail lights! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalper Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Nice job on the roof.. grill looks really nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donb Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Jim this looks amazing! X2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
microwheel Posted June 5, 2014 Author Share Posted June 5, 2014 Thanks guys, I have a graduation for my step daughter to go to tomarrow and then got to start getting the garage cleaned up this weekend to get ready for her open house. So work on the cuda might be a little slow for a few days.I got a few aftermarket parts odered for it anyways that I have to wait on before starting the engine, but I'll be starting on the interior in the mean time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeCee Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 That is looking SWEET, great work on the vinyl top too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modlbldr Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Beautiful work. I"ll be using some of your points for reference material. Later- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dinky Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Very nice start! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mopar - D Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Great looking Cuda so far always liked how the Cudas looked in Plum Crazy Purple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freakshow12 Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Looking great. I am going to try that grille trick on my build. My car is a low option car and will not have the wheel well trim. I also corrected my wheel wells Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
microwheel Posted June 6, 2014 Author Share Posted June 6, 2014 (edited) Started work on the interior for the cuda today. Dont have alot of time cuz I have a graduation to go to this evening for my step-daughter. But I thought I would share where Im at so far. The Interior of the cuda will be done in all black. I started out by painting the floor of the interior tamyia flat black. Next, after the flat black dried, I re-masked it off with masking tape and then masked off the foor matt with bare metal foil, this is to prep it for a clear dull coat that will be sprayed on it, and before that dries, I will appy MCG black flocking material to simulate carpet. After applying the flocking, and giving it time to dry, I unmasked everything. Next I installed the core support and the firewall, though I did not add the firewall detail yet as I am waiting for a few aftermarket parts. I like to bare metal foil my door panels before painting them and then clean them off after painting, I find this makes them look a little cleaner then trying to foil them after painting, I also like to do them one at a time to completion in case I run accross any issues with them during the paint and detailing. Thats why you only see one here. And though it's harder to work with, I like to do my interior trim in the ultra-bright bare metal foil. It makes them look more like chrome,espically in a black interior. I painted the first door panel tamyia semi-gloss black as it seems to give a much better leather look. That, and its laquer based so it dries quicker. Once the panel was dry, I used tooth picks soaked in laquer thinner and cleaned the paint off the door handles and cuda emblem. I think it turned out pretty good. I will work on the other side the first of the week since I have a busy weekend ahead of me. I want to thank you all for your comments so far on this project. Its really great to be back into modeling again. MORE TO COME......... Edited July 20, 2014 by microwheel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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