Bluzboy66

Oh HECK Yeah! Looks GREAT.

Thanks Ian and Jim. I'd be happy to do a nail polish/2-part clear tutorial. Is there a protocol for this here on the Model Cars Forum?? Mike

The top hose was a bit of a pain, as I recall. As with just about every kit I've EVER assembled, something usually needs tweaking. Mike

Tom, yes, those wheels and tires are from the Revell '32 Ford 3-window. Now I'm looking at the Modelhaus catalog, trying to match them up. I hope to order a few sets for future projects, and not have to snatch them out of an otherwise complete Revell kit! Mike

I couldn't agree more. Well, who knows what Revell has up their sleeves. Maybe we'll see them revisit these kits. Fingers crossed... Mike

NICE Triumph bobber! And nice score on one of those old kits. I have to the newer (Germany??) releases, which I fully intend to hack up, as you might imagine. I like the Mustang-style tank you used on that kit. I have a 60's-vintage Mustang peanut for my 1:1 '64. Not sure which tank I'll end up using, but I've considered modding the old Triumph tank to mount like the Mustang, or visa-versa, so that I can paint them differently and swap them whenever I want to change things up a bit. This was a welcome thread hi-jack, no worries! Mike

NICE builds, John. Thanks for posting the pics......I'd done a quick search to try and find pics of your bikes after seeing your profile pic. You've inspired me to tackle a few more of the Revell chopper kits in 2011. ....On a personal note, I've currently got a 1:1 '64 Triumph 650 TR6 bobber under construction. It has the factory front frame section and a 60's-vintage bolt-on hardtail, which I intend to weld on. For retro-authenticity, I'm thinking of keeping the 'bolt-on look', complete with fasteners, but actually welding the junctions for structural rigidity. I laced up a set of 16"/21" hoops with stainless spokes, Avon rubber, bolted up a 39mm narrowglide Sportster frontend with a HD-to-Triumph bearing conversion kit, etc., etc. Dad's a Harley nut, and has built some killer shovelhead choppers over the years (currently owns a stock '76 FLH, and a '79 Low Rider). He's a master wrench and will be showing me how to rebuild my 650 Triumph twin.....machine work's complete, just need a new set of crank bearings and we're ready to put 'er back together. MORE chopper and bobber pics, folks! Mike .......These are just mock-up pics, with most parts 'gently' laid in place.....

Killer Monza! I had a 1:1 '80 Pontiac Sunbird. My first car. I always dreamed of dropping a V8 in it. Mike

Great to hear that you're recovering, first and foremost, AND getting back into the hobby! Mike

That's classy! Sweet color. Mike

I'm diggin' all over this! NICE build. Mike

That is easily THE nicest GTX build I've ever seen. Period. I have a soft spot for those wheels, AND '69 B-bodies myself. Mike

N-I-C-E! Mike

60+ @ $9.99??...NICE! So, I guess I should snatch up every one that our club's kit dealer is selling for $6 a piece? Mike

I agree, Revell could have put a little more thought into these chopper kits. I mean, they really did engineer them well, they build up nicely straight out of the box, AND I definitely appreciate that at least they OFFERED a new-tool chopper kit! Who else has?? If only they'd take it to the next level, and expand the line a bit. Hey, it's not too late Revell. That being said, after I'd finished reworking the entire frame on my bobber project, and it was still in raw plastic, I asked Norm Veber of Replicas & Miniatures of Md (fellow CPMCC model club member) if he'd be interested in casting a resin piece from my 'master'. He shared very little enthusiasm, saying that there was little-to-no interest in these kits. Based on what I've seen at shows and all over the 'net, I have to believe that he's right. Still, I can't help but think that there are other chopper/bobber modelers out there that would love to have a resin repop of my 'back-dated' bobber frame. Hey, I tried. For the record, Norm DOES offer quite a few cool items for Revell's chopper kits. Definitely worth checking out.......that is, IF he's still offering them. Mike

Gotta love those old funny cars! Nice job. Mike

NICE Goat. Love that color too. I have one in the works, and if it turns out HALF as good as yours, I'd be a happy camper. Mike

You guys are too kind. I was just happy to get it FINISHED. I've got a few more in the works that I'm praying I'll get finished in 2010. I didn't make my "one kit a month" quota in '10, but it's been a productive year none the less. Mike

Me too.....simple, clean, nice proportion and lines. The stock Revell frame is just plain funky, at best. It just BEGGED to be chopped up into little pieces and re-engineered! Thanks! Mike

.....Oh, and most of the engine parts were stripped of their chrome plating, and sprayed with varying coats of Alclad to resemble polished aluminum. Mike

Nail polishes vary, but most of them are either nitrocellulose or acrylic lacquer. Don't use anything that has an additive in it, like any type of nutrients, vitamins, or 'nourishing oils'. The Wal-Mart 'Pure Ice' brand is definitely plain old nitrocellulose lacquer, and I thin it approximately 50/50 with DuPont mid-temp acrylic lacquer thinner, sprayed through my Badger Anthem airbrush at 20-30psi or so (that varies as well). The mid-temp acrylic lacquer thinner allows the paint to flow out real nice, and dry hard and level. Nail polishes sometimes tend to be quite translucent, and light metallic colors, like the green I used, look best sprayed over a basecoat of white, silver, or gold. I typically use a thin coat of Tamiya silver under light-colored metallics. The topcoats then look deep and dimensional. By the way, the chassis and most of the interior are shot with the same nail polish, but WITHOUT the clearcoat. I did mist a very thin coat of clear on the face of the dash and the steering wheel though, for some contrast in sheen. Mike

NICE! The '56 is my favorite tri-5, and you certainly did that one justice. Looks exactly like the street machines I grew up seeing on the street.....late 70's style. Awesome. Mike

Thanks Niko. And yes, it's the new Street Burner kit. NICE kit....can't wait to build another. I'll do a few things differently this time, like removing the 'Revell' and 'Copyright' text from the chassis. I'll also build the rear suspension up as a separate unit, as opposed to building it ON the car. That was a real trick! Mike

Thanks! The carpet was done with perfectly matched flocking.....couldn't believe that I found flocking that matched the paint! The emblems are all Bare-Metal Foil, with kit decals applied overtop where applicable. I'll try and snap a pic of the chassis when I get a minute....it's color-matched as well, with some detail painting. Here's a pic of it in-process.....