Quick GMC

I use SF paint, but haven't tried the clear. I just tried some 2 part clear from Gravity Colors and it worked really well.

Ok, so I have learned a lot about lacquer thinner in the last few days. I knew there were different brands that would vary, but I never knew that there were different "speeds." Nobody has every mentioned this before, until I talked to the Grex rep. First of all, Grex rep talked to me for 45 minutes on the phone and it was one of the most incredible customer service experiences I have ever had. He was very interested in finding a solution to the problem. Turns out he uses the same brand and same can of lacquer thinner as I do. He insisted I ship my airbrush to him for a thorough inspection and rebuild. He ended up not replacing anything except the o ring and one other sliding part that I didn't know I was supposed to put grease on. Other than that he said it was in great shape. If anyone is considering Grex, I would highly recommend it because of their customer service alone. I shipped the brush to them on Thursday, they called me Friday morning and had it apart and put back together already. This particular seal I am having trouble with is made of Viton. I was informed that Viton is fine with most solvents, except Acetone, which will definitely destroy it. It was also pointed out to me that the Klean Strip thinner from Home Depot is a fast thinner, or has a high concentration of Acetone. I will now try and slow thinner that has much less, or no acetone. This will supposedly solve the problem. I bought a second Grex Tritium after shipping my airbrush to them as a backup/second setup. They have a new fan tip I want to use for bodies. Normally wouldn't be the smartest thing to double down on my issues before I find a solution, but I know there is a solution, I just have to find it. So using my brand new out of the box airbrush, i had the same problem, which is what I suspected would happen. After 2 uses, the seal wen bad again, which is actually what prompted the response above, from Grex, about the acetone. I decided to do a test. I normally use Scale Finishes lacquer base coat, which is what I did here. Then I used a 2 part urethane clear for the first time. I have heard these can be a problem too. So I found a o ring from Grex made of the same Viton that I didn't need and cut it into 3 pieces. Then I mixed up some clear the same way I did when I sprayed the body, lacquer thinner in a cup and some Scale Finishes paint in a cup. I let them sit 10 minutes, then pulled them out. Paint did not have any effect. The clear may have had a slight affect, probably due to the part of thinner that was added. The Lacquer Thinner is clearly the culprit. here in the same order, the piece in the thinner is easily twice the size that it started out as So there it is. I don't blame Grex. It is what it is, and they say they have had a very small amount of people with o ring issues. The seal should be replaced every 6-12 months they say, which is perfectly acceptable to me. When not having o ring issues, the airbrush works incredibly well. I will be ordering a slow speed thinner and I will report back.

fill it with super glue and sand flush.

The o ring measures: ID: .05" OD: .13" Thick: .03-.04" It's tiny and i have not been able to find one elsewhere.

Not soaking. Putting it in the cup to spray through after finishing with a color, or when I am done using it. I spray it through, then disassemble the airbrush to wipe down what I cant I have one left. I can measure it. i will check that out, thank you The rep told me 2 times, without a doubt, I can safely use lacquer thinner through the brush I had a massive improvement after replacing the o ring the first time. But I have replaced it 2 times since then and only have one left. I use the blue Iwata lube. I pull the trigger back and apply the lube through the side directly into that packing screw, then slide the needle through, just like you described. I apply the lube every other time I use the brush. There is a nylon washer in the body, then a packing screw with an o ring on the end of it. The other o rings are out of harm's way I will check them out, thank you Here is a picture of the o rings. On the left is the unused new one. On the bottom is the one that has seen no more than 2-3 sessions. On the right is one that was used for half a dozen or more sessions. The only thing i put through my airbrush is Klean Strip lacquer thinner from Home Depot, Vallejo acrylic thinner and 91% Isopropyl Alcohol.

I have the absolute worst luck with airbrushes. I am stil having issues. Painting bodies has been the biggest obstacle for me and it is pretty much the reason i don't finish builds. I have a Grex Tritium TG airbrush. I was told by the Grex rep that I can spray lacquer thinner through it without issue. This isn't true. The packing seal o ring, the tiny o ring deep inside the body, starts to deteriorate and swell. This allows air/paint blowback to get past the needle seal and I am having a really hard time laying down nice paint. I'm sure this isn't the sole issue, but this needs to get fixed before I can move onto figuring out what else I can do to improve. I have 2 uses since I did a complete teardown and rebuild with all new seals and o rings. The o ring is swelling and coming apart already. What will clean lacquers that I can use instead of lacquer thinner? Isopropyl Alcohol is not working, at least on the Gravity Colors I was using tonight. I am honestly ready to just sell all my BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH an move on. I enjoy building more than actually finishing, but I would like to finish a model here and there. I would honestly just buy another airbrush, but I already started getting arthritis and cramps in my hands and this airbrush makes a massive difference, since it has the pistol grip.

Thanks Tim. I'm glad to hear that it is a significant difference in feel over the previous model. I don't want to go drive one just yet, but closer to Summer I will start going to the dealers. I am hoping to time it right to get a little better price once they start getting the next year models in.

I have been going back and forth with myself for years about what to do with my truck. I have a 2006 GMC Sierra 1500. I build a tranny for it, it's got a shift kit, high stall converter, headers, custom tune, etc. I have a camshaft on the bench I never installed and I'm afraid to tear the motor down over a weekend without a backup vehicle. I am at 95,000 miles right now and there are a lot more to go IMO. I am looking at about $3k in repairs in front suspension and miscellaneous work, but other than that this thing has never had a problem. I need a truck for work and I was going to get a new, nice loaded truck. After thinking about it, I need a truck for work, but why buy a brand new truck and risk it getting damaged when loading it for work and putting a ton of miles on it driving to trade shows etc. I am somewhat attached to my truck since I bought it brand new and have put a lot of hours into it myself, including removing and stalling the tranny 3 times in one day. I have been through hell and back, but every time the work was done correctly, this thing has been solid. I always wanted to build a motor for, just a solid N/A 6.0 iron block as a sleeper that would run in the 12's with a traction kit. But as I continue to use it, the interior is getting worn more an more, little by little I see new dings and scratches. I hav a lot of medical debt from when my son was born. We have insurance, but he was sick and we have been racking up CC debt for the last couple years. We are started to take big chunks out of it now and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. So my plan for this year is to get rid of 80% of our debt, get my business CC paid down, make sure the truck is repaired properly and buy a new Mustang by the end of the year. August will be the 10th year of owning my truck and I think that is a reasonable amount of time to own a vehicle before splurging a little. We aren't having any more kids, so it's just the 3 of us, the car seat will fit and my wife has a Ford Edge for the road trips. Not sure if it's going to happen. Even though I am giddy at the thought of getting this car, getting rid of debt is my priority this year. Last year was my first year on my own with our new business. It was part time before and stepping away from the family company, and going full time grossed us 70% increase in revenue, which I hope to replicate this year, at a minimum. If anyone has one of these, I would like to hear about your experience. I want it with the GT Package, black with black wheels. I really want a Ford Focus RS, but I am too big to enjoy them comfortably. it is the exact same price as the Mustang I built online.

I like it, but I prefer the original look under the hoods of older vehicles, not the super clean plastic covered look of modern cars.

NO

RB Motion shocks are awesome, I have used several sets

I am just kind of winging it. I painted the color, then did a wash, then did some dry brushing, which pulled some of the wash out. I just kind of went back and forth. I tried to go in the direction the wear would occur on a real car, from front to back. I tried to accumulate some dirty spots where dirt would naturally collect,.

They had them at my local hobby shop in several different sizes. I think they were for that board game Warhammer? They got rid of all the board game stuff not long ago, so they don't have them anymore. I found these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/271968433845?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82

got a little bit more done, but still a ways to go. I didn't like the molded in detail, so I shaved off the door detail and made new handles and pull straps Not 100% done, but got the general shape Took some thin sheet styrene and sliced it up, I will add bolt detail when I mount these, these are the pull straps to shut the door I bought these tiny magnets a while ago, they are really strong. I got them to embed into the plastic to be unseen, which is what I did here. I mounted them, then filled the voids and gaps with super glue. Should be invisible when all painted. These surfaces don't mate directly together, but they are still strong enough to hold on Very difficult to mount these, you can't use tweezers because they won't come off Got them mounted to the body and the engine cover Just strong enough to hold it on. However, i think I may have a problem now, because when just sitting in place, it tilts towards the rear with the magnetic pull, and it will be worse with the photo etched wing pieces. I may have to do magnets in the front now. I am considering hacking up the exhaust to replace the bland kit turbos with these 3D printed turbos from TDR. I have to primer them and see how much detail I can get out of them first.

Awesome. Thank you for that information

I think there are 3 confirmed winners now, after cash payout, split 3 ways and taxes, each person is down to about $300Mil or so.

That's a good idea, thank you. I know they are subtle differences, but to me the 69 looks a lot better.

A full detail Ferrari F50 GT

ok, I didn't notice the rear. does anyone know if a kit or aftermarket parts were ever made for a 69?

I have a few of the BOSS 429 kits, but I would really like to do a 69 version. Is there anything out there, like a resin transkit or something? I know the front end is different, but what else is different, other than the side vents?

The B pillars and thin parts of the nose are very easy to break, handle with caution

I'm assuming that includes the cost of a car. That engine could easily be $50k or more, the car $50k+. I think you're right, I don't see $150k there. "because nobody had the balls to do it". I think maybe be cause nobody had the mental deficiency to do it, is more accurate.

They salted the metal to ensure rust started and they kicked dents in the car

Your pictures aren't showing up

Thanks guys. Trying to get some more done on this before work takes over again.