Faust

Man, with your skills, you could really make this engine come alive! I'd love to see you build a 301T like in my Trans Am! Do you have the old MPC SVO as well? I do, but because it's all still bagged up, I haven't been able to get to the engine bits to see if the turbo is better or worse. Usually MPC engines are pretty good, but turbos usually seem to be an afterthought.

Thanks, Ken! I must admit, that I hadn't thought of upgrading the Turbo, although that engine above sure looks nice! My personal approach is almost always just to work with what's in the kit. I may have to make a rad hose once in a while, but I like the challenge of trying to make the kit parts look half decent. I like to compare it to those cooking shows where the guys are given specific ingredients, and then have to make something edible. Sure, some of the ingredients aren't that great, but the fun of trying to make them gourmet is the part I like! I'm just starting the engine now, but I have a Gundam and a Plane on the go, too. Looking at it, the Turbo doesn't seem as bad as I've seen on some other cars.

Oh my gosh, Tom! How could I miss the "50 shades of grey" connection??? That would have been an awesome post title! Well, next time I do an all-grey interior (like on my copy of the Caravan) I may Just steal that line! It's shocking, eh, how much the auto industry puts into creating different greys. I'm used to it on the military aircraft side of things, but cars are even worse! I hear you about not being able to see it once it's in the car; I don't know how the interior will work out and look once it's in the SVO, and that's why I wanted to showcase it separately. I mean, I love doing the interiors on cars (probably my favourite part), but they don't always show up. It was the same with the red interior on my GTA. http://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/model-kits/cars/monogram-124-1987-pontiac-trans-am-gta/ I also love that there's a Samurai kit. AWESOME. Now, if only someone would make a G8-GT kit, we'd be set. Thanks, Carl, for the compliment as well. Glad you guys like it!

Man, "Decepticons, Roll Out!" is all I can say! One of my favourite Mopars, and my favourite colour! Nice work. Incidentally, that colour scheme is the same as the university where I got my degrees, too. The University of Western Ontario (now just "Western") has purple and white as it's school colours. They look good together, and better on your Daytona! Nice engine work, too!

I decided to work from the inside out on my 1/24 Mustang SVO, and have now finished the interior! I wish that the kit had better detailed door panels, but other than that, it’s not a bad “bucket” for a model car; it’s definitely worlds better that most Tamiya 1/24 cars. One thing I loved was that even though there is nothing but grey in the interior (it was the 80’s after all!), the shots that I could find on the ‘net of these things showed a lot of different tones of grey, especially in the cloth interior. The kit is starting to roll along now, so check out the interior below! Feel free to give me any feedback, too, as always! http://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2014/06/06/svo-update-1-the-front-office/

Nicely done! I have that kit as well, and like a few others here love to build cars that I see (saw) out on the streets, vs. supercars or classics I never got to see rolling around. You did a great job on it, and I like the idea of ribbon for seatbelts! You made that kit look like a lot more than a knocked-down promo (which it is) for sure!

Wow, so they didn't fix it, eh? That's pretty lame. Actually, that's terribly lame. I'm not impressed at all. I was thinking they'd be able to get things back to the proper setup, especially since I've seen the kit on the shelves and it shows the proper extractors on the side. I do like the clear windows/tops, though; that would be nice to have. Well, I guess I don't have to bother buying the reissue, then. I effectively HAVE it save for those windows.

Sorry to say, but I've had this happen, although not to THIS extent. I have found that a thick (like, turning white it's so thick) coat of Future can take weeks to dry to the point you can sand it without it pulling and ruining everything. However, usually it's dry to the touch in a half-day at most, usually 12 hours and you can pick it up, move it around, etc, without fear. I've never seen it be tacky for days. What did you thin it with when you shot it? What kind of paint is it over, and how long did it have to dry? What are your climactic conditions? Dankness really slows down the drying time. That's why I have two 60W gooseneck lamps that I use to powerheat my car bodies. Not as good as a dehydrator (going to get in on that action soon) but better than ambient! Just leave lots of room for the heat to escape; otherwise, you're looking at melted styrene! Future can get DARNED hot!

Hey Everybody! I generally use Testors Model Master Acrylics for my models. I like them, generally, and have almost always used them. I don't like Tamiya or Gunze, and I don't like to use lacquers at all. However, there is one thing about Testors MMAs that bothers me. Some colours are NOT flat, that I think should be. I mean, military greens and browns should be flat, but they're not; they're semigloss or worse. I prefer using flat/matte colours, especially for interiors of cars and for mecha (robots - another passion of mine) or anything else that I want to paint by hand. I find that hand painting with matte colours goes better, faster and easier. The semigloss colours all seem to be thick, sticky and no matter what I do to them, they don't seem to work all that well, drying lumpy and taking more time to dry than their matte cousins. Does anyone know what to add to Testors MM Acrylics in order make them matte. I mean really, really matte? I've tried Tamiya Flat Base and Golden Fluid Matte Medium, both to little effect. I find both make the Testors even stickier and more prone to tearing itself. Now, oddly, they also make some colours that are almost TOO matte, but some Future fixes this easily. It's driving me crazy, so if anyone has any solutions, i'd appreciate it! Thanks!

Two Chevettes, eh Tom? Awesome! I'm looking forward to it! I agree, Dave; there's a surprising amount of "retro cool" to the "losers" of the past, and I for one would love an early EXP, even though they're not very exciting. I just like the style of the older cars, and you sure don't see them around any more! I also concurr about the Juke, Scion, Cube (Don't forget the Cube!) and other "modern oddities". You have to wonder, though, if 30 years from now people will be saying exactly what we're saying about Jukes and Cubes and their ilk. I'm sure they will be, and we'll find it just as odd as people from the '70s would find it odd to hear us waxing nostalgic for Pacers and Chevettes! I guess time really does heal all wounds, eh?

Now THAT is an eclectic collection of kits, good sir! I like it! I'm still not sure about this car. It would make a dandy speedboat, though... Seal up the wheel wells, open the roof, put a fishing seat between the headlights...

I love the "losers" as much as anywone, because they were what I grew up with too! I agree completely with the sentiment of wanting to build what you either drove (or in my case) were driven around in! The Chevettes, Omnis and Citations of the world were far more accessible and far more important both historicallly and sociologically than any Ferrari or Lambo could ever be! That doesn't mean I don't like to have some tongue-in-cheek fun at the "lovable losers' " expense, though! Yes, the Citation will give you goosebumps, you are correct. Not for the reason they're saying, though!

Okay, I was looking for a dehydrator at Walmart today, and all they had was the 240W Salton one. Anyone ever use this thing? is it any good, or should I take it back. It was $50, which doesn't sound like much to some people, but it's not inconsequential, either. I don't like that the trays are shallow, I can tell you. I'll have to get creative there, if I choose to go with this model. Any feedback would be appreciated!

Good call, my friend, good call! I will definitely do that, especialy since I have a few T/A's that have to be white! Thanks!

Man, that's nice work! Interesting about the Future, too. I've never notice it yellow, and I hope I don't because I use it on everything! Hmm... Good to know about letting it set up, though. I will definitely take that to heart! Thanks, man!

Man, these things look like the answer to my prayers. I think. I use acrylics (either Model Master or homemade - Future plus pigment) as my paint. I then use Future as a gloss coat. I have found that for a thick coat of Future to be dry, you're looking at at least 2-3 weeks, sometimes. This is lame. Has anyone here used these dehydrators on Futured car bodies? Did it work? I know Future can get VERY hot; I dry stuff between two lamps, and sometimes, the part is so hot I can't touch it. Yes, I know that's likely too hot, but nothing has warped yet. Even with this technique, though, I'm waiting a week or so of 16-hour drying days. Future seems to be wet below the surface for quite some time... Anyway, if anyone's got any notes for this, let me know! Thanks! Oh, Happy Easter to those who celebrate it!

That is looking great! I'm both amazed and impressed by the workmanship that Ryan is capable of producing! I'd never even tried modelling when I was 8 years old! Congrats and Kudos to father and son both! Man, I can't even get paint that good NOW, and I've been modelling for 25 years!! I've been building cars for 3 or 4, too, but not this well. I think you've got a real scale Rodder on your hands, there!

As odd as this might sound, it could be a problem NOT thinning it. I found when I shot Future full strength that it was a bit of a pain in the backside to get right. You need it thinned with some alcohol to makeit dry a bit quicker, and also to level out better. That's what works for me. Incidentally, I find that if I take a jar and make 1/3 Future and 2/3 Alcohol, it makes dandy thinner for any brand of acrylic paint, including Tamiya. The Future re-inforces the paint, making it dry harder and shinier, and more sandable. If, by chance (like on my current project, the Hertz SVO) you end up with a colour that's flat, thin it down with Straight Future a bit, then airbrush it. Unless you thin the paint until it doesn't cover, you can ALMOST NEVER add too much for airbrushing purposes. Handbrushing is different, of course! Good luck! I'll be interested to see how it goes!

I have used the Novus on test pieces; the Novus seems to leave more scratches than the Tamiya compounds. I think the main thing that's giving me grief is the cloth: what do I use to apply and remove the Novus or Tamiya stuff?

Okay, I'm sure this has been asked a thousand times, but I can't find an answer. How do I get the swirls out of my paint. They don't show on metallic colours, but on my Hertz SVO, I'm all swirly on the hood. Any ideas? I could really, really use the help! Thanks, guys!

I've had this. It can be because the Future is too thin. Yes, you read it right, too thin! I cut my Future about 60% Future, 40% Isopropyl (99% only!) alcohol. I find that if I do a few light coats, and then sand between them, and then put on a much heavier coat, this will get rid of the problem. If you're applying the Future and it runs, you've put it on too heavy. Don't try and wipe it off, it'll just make more of a mess. Better to just get a test body to try on first! As Future gets thicker, it actually gets cloudy and whitish. However, it's always glossy, if it's on thick! Don't freak out! If it goes milky, just put it under a 60W bulb lamp. Not RIGHT under, but a bit under, and the heat will begin to dry the Future. as it dries, it will go clear. A nice thick coat will allow you to have more to sand on. Thing is, at this point, I've found that it normally takes about 1-2 weeks for a thick coat to dry to sandable. However, Future is REALLY hard when it has cured, so you'll be able to sand hardcore. It's well worth it! Hope this helps!

Interesting spot on the Ultrahots wheels! In its day, this thing was well-lauded, it seems. There was an article in a 1981-82 magazine (Motor Trend, I think) that called it the "most successful showcar ever". WTF? I agree with the Pepboys analogy. It's more like it was a reject for a "future car" from Back to the Future II, though. I still think it needs a trunk mounted laser cannon, like some crazy "future technical".

Lol! And they say memory is the first to go, Tom?! Cool Stang stories! I've never had one in the family; my mom had a 67 Firebird that I remember well, and we had a lot of Fords, but for a family with two small kids, a Mustang wasn't something that was practical. Of course, neither was my Dad's 2-door Torino, but that's another story! That sucks that the Capri was such a dog. It sounds nice. I actually have a Turbo RS '79 Capri kit. What colour was yours? I like that metallic orangy-red they had.

The real spelling of that word is Merkur, but you were close! Don't forget, it's a German word, and those guys hardly ever use "C"! However, linguistic picky-points aside, I agree with you completely. There's a lot of Sierra/XR4Ti in there. The double spoiler and "aero" lamps are dead giveaways. Even the mouth is XR4Ti-ish, although it's a lot bigger than the one on that car. If you look at one of those Sierra/XR4's, you can see that even the general shape is similar. Good eye. They were likely doing that to make the SVO more "Euro". I guess, in retrospect, that it must have worked!

Yeah, I can see what you mean. I still can't tell if I like the recessed headlamps like the '84 and early '85 cars, or the flush ones like this and the '86s more. It's interesting; I have the '92 GT convertible, and the chassis is identical. You'd expect them to be, but it was a heck of a good return on investment; they could make Stangs for years just on the one moulding effort!