Bluzboy66

A couple of mine. STILL building though! Mike '62 Belair bubbletop, 'Wild Cherry'.... Custom 'Blue Ball Bobber'.... '66 Impala....

SaaaaWEET! See, now I have to go crack one of those kits open. Thanks for the inspiration. Mike

Charlie, Funny thing is, I had two bottles of the nail polish in my cabinet for quite some time. When I bought the newly released '66 Impala, I just KNEW that the color would look great on this car! Mike

Thanks. That's Pure Ice brand nail polish ($2 a bottle @ Wal-Mart)....I think the color is called 'First Time'. Topcoat is 2-part urethane clear. Mike

OH, Soooooo flippin' NICE. Those redline decals can be a real hassle. Can't tell you how many I destroyed before I learned how to get 'em right! Well done! Mike

Spent a bunch of time tweaking this one, guys. I never liked the ultra-modern nature of the Revell choppers, so I decided to backdate one, and built a retro-flavored 'Bobber'. I used a few of Norm Veber's Relicas & Miniatures of Md resin pieces - the seat, a Mustang style gas tank (which I modded to look more correct, like the 1:1 vintage piece), and the open primary chain and cogs. I shortened and unchopped/de-raked the frame, added the horizontal support tube under the tank (like a vintage Harley frame) and removed the goofy saddle dip, replacing it with straight PlastStruct sections and a smooth underseat filler panel, and then followed up with a smooth 'lead' job at all of the tubing junctions, especially at the steering neck and under the seat. The forks have been shortened and the lower legs are polished aluminum tubing, as are the custom exhaust tips. I also chopped the handlebar risers down nice and short, which really helped to nail that low, lean 'Bobber' look. The seat springs are electric guitar pickup mounting springs, and the aluminum bell-mouth on the carb is from my parts stash. Everything is wired and the shift linkage is bent steel rod. The paint is Pure Ice brand nail polish ($2 per bottle @ Wal-Mart) with 2-part clear topcoat. All in all it's a very simple kit that lends itself to some cool mods....... Thanks for looking!, Mike

Thanks Harry. Took a while, but i love the way it turned out. What a nice kit. I'm already looking forward to building another one! Mike

I finally finished my '66 Impala. Hope you all dig it! Mike

Awesome. Done deal. That's what I'm using. Thanks!, Mike

Thanks for that tip. I've used Dullcoat, but I'm not real familiar with the Testors glosscoat. Is it lacquer-based? Thanks, Mike

Guys, I'm about to apply yet ANOTHER set of 'Good Year' decals to a set of tires I'm using on an old MPC 80's El Camino, and I'm wondering what dull coat works best?? I want to use something that will dry thoroughly, and not crack during assembly. Mike

Jay, Urethane clear is relatively easy to use. The Napa/Martin Senour is available in Napa stores, or online. It's mixed 4 parts clear-to-1 part activator. I mix up one airbrush bottle full at a time. One airbrush bottle full of clear will do a model car, with plenty left over.....maybe not enough to do another complete model, but almost. You can also mix a urethane reducer into it to give it a clear lacquer-like viscosity, if that's what you prefer. It builds QUICK, and takes some time to master. I'm STILL learning how to apply it to 1:25 model cars (been using it for years on custom motorcycles and such), as the resulting coat can appear a bit thick if you spray it too heavy. This time, I think I nailed the final finish thickness on the '66 Impala. It looks 'just right'. Perfect gloss, and all the molded-in detail is preserved. Oh, BTW, also check out PPG, House of Kolor (automotive line), DuPont, and Sikkens urethane clears. AWESOME products, but a bit pricier. Keep in mind that a gallon of clear and pint of activator will last you a LONG time if you're only sprayed model cars with it, one airbrush bottle at a time! Mike

That's funny. I tried a set of standard 15" Centerlines, but they looked lost in the fenderwells. I like your idea of going with the larger diameter. As of right now, I have a set of the MRC Keystone Klassic wheels set aside. Last night I massaged them and a set of old big and little tires to fit together. They really look good tucked up under the Impala, especially without the black accent paint that the Keystone Klassics typically have between the spokes. Still, undecided........ Mike

The molded interior detail is really nice, and looks spot on when compared to the real thing. I did my interior the same color as the body, but will be spraying it a combo of dull coat and semigloss for contrast. Of course, there's plenty of Bare Metal to do on the door panels and dash. The Revell '66 Impala is quite a step up from their '65 Impala, in my opinion. Mike

Thanks Russ. I also need a '68, and I'm considering going to the resin vendors to find one. I do, however, have a vintage AMT '69 Impala kit that I might think of trading towards something equally as cool. I also have a nice old MPC '69 Impala, but I'm building that one......just got the chrome parts back from ChromeTech. NICE! Mike

Thanks for the compliments and wheel suggestions, guys. ALL taken to heart. I spent an hour going through my wheel stash last night! I've narrowed the choices down quite a bit. ....oh, and Cruz, I think we're drinking from the same well. See you at the next CPMCC meeting. Wait until you see what Alex has been brewing up. Mike

Ahhhh yes. Good tip. Mike

Thanks for the kind words, guys. The color looks so much better in person.....it's one of those colors that just doesn't photo easily. As for the Rallys, Jeff, yes, I'm considering them as well. Not sure which Rallys would look best though, derby or 'disc brake' covers? I'll pull some wheels out and do a few mock-ups........and maybe post a few pics. Mike

Yes, factory caps are definitely in the running, with some nice clean ww tires. So far, I'm leaning more toward 'mild custom' (very mild), so a retro wheel is mandatory. Thanks for the suggestions, guys. Mike

Thanks. We're thinking along the same lines. I have a sweet set of Cragars set aside, just in case nothing else strikes my fancy. Actually, I have a set of the MRC Cragars that look AWESOME. I just can't stand the toy-like rubber tires that come in those wheel sets. I also have a set of the Pegasus 23" T's...... Mike

How I LOVE 3-day weekends! Squeezed in a bicycle ride with my wife Sandy, enjoyed some family time, yardwork's done, grill's cooling off.....so now I don't feel guilty when I take some time to work on a new kit! So, I just finished spraying my first Revell '66 Impala. What an awesome kit. I'm a diehard fan of the 60's 'Big Cars', and while it can be a challenge, I always enjoy settling on a color for my next 'Big car' project. This time I sprayed the '66 Impala with 'Pure Ice' brand lacquer nail polish ($2 a bottle @ Wal-Mart). The color is 'First Time'. Clear coat is Napa/Martin Senour 15405 2-part urethane. One thing worth mentioning - After priming with Tamiya grey primer, I noticed that there was a pretty significant sink mark in the car's roof due to the dome light that's molded into the headliner. I was able to wet sand it level before topcoating. NEXT time, I'll do a little fill and sand BEFORE priming. ....Any suggestions for wheels?? Thanks for looking, Mike

NICE choice of color. Choosing an appropriate color for a 60's 'big car' can be tough I just sprayed a '66 Impala kit today. After much consideration, I chose 'Pure Ice' brand nail polish......the color is called 'First Time', and is a beautiful sage green pearl. I'll be watching this build for inspiration! Mike

Come on with the pics! LOVE those 60's B-body Chryslers! Mike

NICE. LOVE those big old Fords. Takes me back to those old 'Dirty Harry' movies. Mike

NICE '62, Walt. And the Torino's interior is looking downright plush! Awesome. Mike