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Well it looks like I will be returning to the days of my youth. I just sold the last of my real (full size) Corvettes. My health dictates that I no longer can crawl around and under these big cars anymore and since my driving is limited I might as well give them up.

My Steel Blue Metallic 91 coupe just drove off with its new owner last week. He also bought my air compressor and paint guns.

My extensive set of tools that I have been building up since age 16 (1961) left today with a young mechanic trainee from Naperville, Illinois.

When I was a kid back in the 50s and 60s my friends and I used to build model cars. We would swap parts and try to make ours look cool and custom. We would then proceed to blow them up with firecrackers after we tired of them and proceed to move on to the next ones. What fools we were!

I plan to take the hobby up again but since it has been 50+ years since my last build I have a few questions?

1. Where do I buy the kits?

2. Can I use automotive spray touch up paint to paint my new models?

3. Is there a place to purchase custom wheels, tires, etc?

I owned 6 different Corvettes over the years. I would like to recreate those cars and plan to paint them in the same colors as they were when I owned them along with using the custom wheels I had at the time.

My first project will be a black 1965 Corvette convertible with a white interior and white top. It will have to be a 4 speed, 327 and have Goodyear Blue Streak tires along with Torque Thrust D wheels.

Where do I begin to look for this model?

I'm retired from the US Army Reserve and Active Duty and also the civilian health care (Radiology) world and have time on my hands.

Hopefully this will be a much less expensive hobby than the big Corvette world. :mellow:

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Welcome! For each question you just asked, there are multiple answers here on this forum that will help.

Automotive paint will depend on what you use for primer, how much you use etc. There are lots of great articles/topics here on the forum and elsewhere out there on the web.

As for kits, there are still a few local hobby shops here and there, just do a directory search near you, but there is Hobby Lobby which has coupons for 40% off almost every week, and Micheal's crafts has a small selection. Some folks on the forum here will certainly act as if tho you must have lost your mind if you still shop at a mom and pop brick and mortar store, so of course there is also the online options, Emodelcars (link at the top of the forum pages), Ebay, Amazon, and many many online hobby shops that do a great job at customer service.

As for the wheels etc, there is a lot of aftermarket options. Some in resin like Modelhaus, some in styrene like Pegasus wheels, and others. Al kinds of parts options, in all sorts of materials, not just wheels. By all means, check out the Modelcars magazine for source material as well.

The more time you spend on this forum, the more you will learn, both about building and techniques, but also where to acquire things. On top of that, there is a wanted section here, a for trade section, and so forth. Look around, grab some kits, and start building!

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Welcome Ronald! I think Mark summed it up pretty well. I'll just throw in my 2 cents worth as far as paint anyway. I use automotive lacquers almost entirely on my builds, but if you do, plenty of primer is a must. Everybody has different techniques but I use, in general, about 4 coats of primer for automotive lacquers. Nothing can ruin your attitude faster than a rare vintage kit with a destroyed body because of "crazing". A good source for automotive colors, if you have an airbrush, is "Model Car World", (MCW). He carries just about every factory correct color imagineable for almost every car ever built for $7.50 for a one ounce jar. If he doesn't carry it, he'll custom mix it for you for a additional fee. If I need a particular color that can't be found in a rattle can, I definately go with him. For instance, at the moment I'm working on a 1960 Chrysler Imperial painted "Dawn Mauve". Try to find that one in Duplicolor! :) Anyway, have a great time with your renewed hobby & good luck!! Steve

http://mcwautomotivefinishes.com

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Welcome back to modeling mate, if you can no longer work on the big toys, these are the next best thing i reckon.

I ONLY ever use automotive acrylics, and if you treat it like you would on the 1:1 job, you can't go wrong, just always use quality primers.

ENJOY!!!

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Welcome Ronald! I think Mark summed it up pretty well. I'll just throw in my 2 cents worth as far as paint anyway. I use automotive lacquers almost entirely on my builds, but if you do, plenty of primer is a must. Everybody has different techniques but I use, in general, about 4 coats of primer for automotive lacquers. Nothing can ruin your attitude faster than a rare vintage kit with a destroyed body because of "crazing". A good source for automotive colors, if you have an airbrush, is "Model Car World", (MCW). He carries just about every factory correct color imagineable for almost every car ever built for $7.50 for a one ounce jar. If he doesn't carry it, he'll custom mix it for you for a additional fee. If I need a particular color that can't be found in a rattle can, I definately go with him. For instance, at the moment I'm working on a 1960 Chrysler Imperial painted "Dawn Mauve". Try to find that one in Duplicolor! :) Anyway, have a great time with your renewed hobby & good luck!! Steve

http://mcwautomotivefinishes.com

Trust me here Ron, Steve knows his paint jobs! Find some of his posts on here, great stuff.

There are a few companies that do what MCW does, like Scalefinishes, but some people even use nail polish for custom jobs, or decant paints from spray bombs etc. By all means, do not limit yourself to model company enamels. There is some good stuff there too, as they also have their own line of lacquer paints, but again, despite them being made for models, I would still primer. Just do not try to lay on real thick coats of primer.,

The best easy to use primer for me, is the grey and white primers from Tamiya. They are not cheap, but again use the coupon at Hobby Lobby and you will get a decent deal. They can shoot straight from the can. The grey is the filler primer for filling in the scratches etc, and the white is the final primer if you will, fine surfacing.

BTW, here is a listing of some of the local hobby shops near you

I DO see that you have a hobby lobby not too far away.

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Welcome aboard Ronald. Plenty of places by you . Great store in Owasso. Deans Hobby Shop I think is the name.

There is a guy trying to sell his stuff that is from Michigan. Air brushes and compressor and a few kits.

http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=91789 just go here and send him a personal message.

Edited by 1930fordpickup
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Welcome back to the hobby! I think you will find a lot has changed. There is a lot more stuff out there than there use to be and you can go as simple or complex as you want to. Browsing through this website will give you the extremes and everything in between. There are a lot of online venders selling everything from ignition wires to full on replacement engines and bodies. As you get into it you will find the internet is really your friend. For general aftermarket stuff I would suggest this web site. They have a lot of stuff for American car models. http://www.modelcargarage.com/store/pc/default.asp

If you have questions, this is the place to ask them. There are plenty of people ready to help.

Oh, about paint, if you have some leftovers from you full sized vehicles, that can be used on models with a good primer.

Good luck and have fun!

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