heptoman

Thanks, the doors are held on by tape so that created some of that irregular gap. I'll double check it anyway. LOL I think I'm going to do one more coat of the blue and try for a slightly more wet application. I should have just enough paint left over. More updates as they come.

Okay everyone, here's an update. I've started over, obviously, with the body paint. Thanks to those of you who actually gave me some SOLUTIONS rather than just identifying PROBLEMS. Since I decided to restart, it gave me an opportunity to get a paint closer to the original target of Azzurro Thetis, even though I did like my mixture I got. I had to buy some touch up paint for my motorcycle and saw that the company I ordered from also sold Lambo paint (ColorRite and ExpressPaint - same parent company). They didn't have Thetis, but they DID have Azzurio [sic on website] Aquarius, which is a TINY bit more silvery than Thetis. Plus it's an actual color Lamborghini used for the Murcielago (Thetis is used for the Aventador). Good enough for me. So here's my process with my new choice: Stripping/Primer: 1. Obviously I completely sanded down the old color and primer (this took the longest). 2. Primer, cure 24 hrs 3. Wet sand w/ 3600 then 4000 grit, dry 24 hrs 4. Primer, cure 24 hrs 5. Wet sand w/ 4000 then 6000 grit, dry 72 hrs 6. Primer, cure 24 hrs 7. Wet sand w/ 6000 grit, dry/cure at least three days, I think (it's been a while) Paint: 1. Coat #1, dry 24 hrs 2. Wet sand w/4000 then 6000 grit, dry 72 hrs 3. Coat #2, dry 24 hrs 4. Wet sand w/ 6000 then 8000 grit, dry 72 hrs 5. Coat #3, dry 24 hrs 6. Wet sand w/ 8000 then 12000 grit 7. Planning to cure at least three days before progressing. And that leads me to this (please forgive the bits of tape and sticky tack used to temporarily hold the model together): As you can see I'm toying with which spoiler to use, and I didn't want to mess around with the door windows yet. And here with flash: There is a bit of sheen, but I would like it a bit shinier before I throw clear on it. So my next question: is it ready for clear-coat? Another shot because it's cool. (The engine bay will get the "carbon fiber" paint scheme and the spoiler will be repainted to match as well).

Did you read my post? I specifically said I mixed X-11 and X-14 (and thinner) and it turned out nice. Whether or not it's a perfect match to Azzurro Thetis is irrelevant. I loved the color that came out, and that is not the issue. I am trying to figure out what went wrong with the clear coat.

All good info! Guess I'll have to take this into consideration. Lesson learned - brand "loyalty."

Matt, Kenny, Tim, Gergo, thanks for the comments, all helpful. Matt, yours makes the most sense. That's a lot of coats for the body, but I'm willing to try. I assume I would have to decant any TS spray in order to mix, and then feed through my airbrush? Woops, never mind, just saw X-22 on the Tamiya website!

I've seen LOTS of cars on this forum that don't have stock interior coloring. Why is this any different? My model, my decision. I'm not asking for critique of paint color, I'm asking for critique of TECHNIQUE and SKILL.

Okay, here we go. I decided to paint the body Lamborghini Azzurro Thetis, a very beautiful silvery blue. To achieve this, I mixed a 1:1 ratio of Tamiya X-11 (Chrome Silver) and X-14 (Sky Blue) and it turned out very nice. I diluted it to 1:3 with Tamiya thinner for my airbrush. I was able to get a nice looking three base coats, wet sanding in between. I wish I had taken pictures before I clear-coated it! It was so great. It was more of a matte than gloss finish, but I was counting on the clear coat to bring out the shine, which has worked for me before. Anyway, I used Gunze Super Clear Gloss and came out with the most disappointing results (more disappointing than my BRZ from a couple years ago). Here are the pics: That's no play on the eyes. On the passenger side of the hood (bonnet) the paint is now uneven. Here's another angle. Side view. This is what everything else should look like: It happened on the back side as well. The lighter spots are not from flash or ambient light. So your assessment: what did I do wrong? Again - the base coats were even, wetsanded. I prepped well, let the bases cure for almost three days.

Hey guys, I'm sorry to leave you hanging. It's not something as bad as the a pillars snapping, but being a perfectionist, anything is a disaster, especially when I worked so hard on it. I promise I'll update this later this morning with the body issues.

Hey everyone, so I've been quiet on the forums but I've been working nonetheless. Just haven't been paying attention to documenting progress. The GTO (Dad's present) is finally 98% finished and on display at the ranch. I just need to go fix some small things and add some details and update pics. It turned out pretty decent, I think. The Mustang is also finished, I'll probably get some pics tomorrow and update. ANYWAY, here's the latest project: Things have gone great so far, here are some progress pics: The instructions call for field grey as the interior. It's ghastly, more green than grey. So I made up my own color combo, the tried and true AS-27 from my 'stang, black, and the carbon fibre. I like it. Then, as usual with my projects, disaster struck. I'll save that for later. Bedtime.

This build is incredible - any updates?

Sorry - as soon as I posted that I knew I should have been more specific. Let's take your interior tub for example. Masking: you painted everything without masking, even the carpet flocking. Do you clean the glue seam or do you use a special glue that doesn't react to the paint? If you clean the seam (which I assume you do), how do you glue it so that there is no glue seepage? No matter how large the seam and how little glue I use, I ALWAYS get oozing and seepage. Do you just clean off the seepage afterward as well? Hope this helps understand my question better. Should have posted THIS one to begin with!

Jim - this may be a dumb question, but what do you use for glue/final assembly, and what is your process after you detail paint?

Steve - I just think it's a bad product. It's even what Testor's recommends to use with the Fathom Green Metallic! Thanks for the bumper complement - I'm pretty proud of it as well. In the meantime, while waiting for my order of MSC, I'm working on the 'stang - plenty to do there!

Accident happened no less than 1.5 miles from the house, on the way to work, with intent to put on new aftermarket suspension parts after work and through the weekend! Stupid woman tried to cut through traffic on an unprotected turn. Now we have a CR-V. At least we still have the BRZ!!!! OMG....I also have a CBR250R....nothing but acronyms in our garage!!!!

LOVE this post Monty! Can we be friends? James - your model build is incredible. Wish I could post my grats on the actual thread!

More, slow work for the 'stang. I guess posted in memory of our real vehicle which was totaled in a not-at-fault accident in May. Here she is that sad day: And the model - all I've done is work on the wheels and more body paint: As you might see, I'm having trouble with spider web effects on the paint finish. I'll just keep at it. And NOT use Testors clear coat! Side note - I really want to be finished with these two cars because I want to start my Murcielago!!!

Anyway: other updates. Front wheel wells: I had to strip the rear bumper and Alclad the sucker. But now it doesn't perfectly match the front bumper. I'm really proud of the front bumper detail work, I would like to avoid undoing it and stripping factory chrome. Should I? And a mock-up: Just imagine it with glossy body paint and glass.

In order to find a new clear coat, I tested my old Tamiya Countach. Same Testors Fathom Green Metallic (painted 20 hours ago), this time, Mr. Hobby Mr. Super Clear (painted eight hours ago). Yes, I know I'm testing early, but I want to check all stages of clear coat curing. I'll pull off the tape in about four hours, then test again tomorrow. So help me God, if this doesn't work, I am ditching this project and buying my dad a die-cast model!!!! And what is keeping me relatively sane during this?

Never knew tape could be so successful at stripping clear coat. (cheap clear coat that I'll NEVER use again!) Post tape stripping (as usual with this project, one step forward, THREE steps back): Side view. Here you can see my engine bay detail work: Engine bay and wiper vents:

So here's my disaster. I use Tamiya masking tape - which, unfortunately, doesn't play well with Testors clear coat! I masked everything up to do the engine bay and wheel wells (which you'll see in a second). I painted, then pulled off the masking tape to reveal NO MORE CLEAR COAT! The tape had pulled it off! (And I had let it cure for at least three days!) It is hard to see in the following pictures but here are some anyway (once I figured the damage, I continued to strip the clear coat, as it would need redoing, obviously): It even "worked" on the roof: Pictures of the damage in action: Remove the tape: See the tape? SEE THE CLEAR COAT STUCK ON THE TAPE?????

Point of clarification - yes I know the clear coat coverage on the roof is not the same as the body - I am adding a vinyl top so I am not worried about it.

What's up everyone. I know it's been a long time since an update but I've been slowly working on this, more so the past two weeks. If it's not one thing, it's another - I am so ready for this thing to be done, not because it's radically overdue, but because I'm getting so angry with it. I sanded down the dust spot, reapplied a coat of green and clear coat (Testors 1261 Clearcote), came up with this: really pleased! Another view: And I finally removed masking from before I started this whole paint mess: Then disaster struck as I prepared to mask for detail painting (engine bay and chrome trim). More to come once I have more pictures.

Very nice.

Thanks for the pointers. I'm using Model Masters Fathom Green spray and it is THICK. I'll probably just sand down the whole thing AGAIN and try over.

Thanks, everyone. I hope it comes out fine. I haven't touched it in a while though - I still don't know what to do with that stupid dust spot I had to sand out.