Olle F

Nice build, as always. It also shows something I have totally missed: I thought the '55 and '56 bodies were identical, so I searched for pictures after seeing this thread. From the pictures I found, it seems like the '55 HT has a '54 style roof, but the '55 Crown Vic has the sleeker '56 style roof. Is that correct?

I don't use much resin, but I do have several parts from him. I really haven't had any use for them yet, I bought them just because they were totally irresistible. You can't even tell that they are resin, they look almost like injection molded styrene... just a bit better.

From what I have seen, Replicas and Miniatures is one of the absolutely best resin producers on the market, if not the best. And if Juha Airo made the master, it must be something extraordinary. Vauxhall Victor is not exactly my favorite car, but just the quality of the kit makes me want to buy one.

I doubt that it's because it's old. I bought a big bunch of BMF sheets on sale about 15 years ago, and they have been stored in a desk drawer (i.e. room temperature) ever since. I'm still using them, and the only problem I have had is that some have been shuffled around in the drawer and have cracked where they got bent. I have seen them looking like that in the stores, so I would think that it's either a manufacturing flaw, or changes in temperature during shipping and/or storage.

I used to at least try to make them roll, but have started to glue them lately. First, I find it pretty convenient to hide that little spot on the tire or a chromed hub cap where the sprue has been attached by gluing the wheel in a position where it won't show. Much easier and better than trying to touch up, IMO. Second, I dont't play much with my models so the wheels don't really need to turn.

Thanks for the info, Kyle! I have to look into those kit specific photoetched kits, for some reason (well, I'm cheap...) I have never used them for any of my models. Those parts really makes the dash look realistic.

Wow... What did you use to detail paint the dash like that? I couldn't do that even with a 3-hair brush...

That's exactly what I think about them too. I don't know why Johan would be considered ahead of it's time, but the bodies are usually gorgeous. The shallow interior tubs and the sparsely equipped chassis leave a lot to be desired though. What I really like is that they made models of cars that the other manufacturers wouldn't touch with a 10 ft pole, especially ugly ducklings like the '59 Rambler wagon. Really, I would be happy if they just reissued the bodies, so you could source the rest elsewhere.

Hasse, Thanks for the comment! As far as I remember, there wasn't anything on the body indicating the cut-outs, no molded lines, no templates, no nothing. I might be wrong, but it seems like it's a cut-and-fit deal. I looked at the chrome pieces again last night, and they do actually have tiny flanges so the cut-outs won't have to be 100%. It might be easier than I thought to do this, but still: It was quicker and easier to just slap on the side pipes.

Are we talking about the same kind of "quickies" here? Anyway, the side pipes did come with the kit. I would have preferred the smooth style with simulated header pipes that you usually see on these Corvettes, but for some reason the kit came with these kinda blingy things. I don't care much for them, the only reason why I put them on is that the cut-outs in the rear valance are not molded in (there's not even an outline that shows you where to cut ), so if you want to go with the original exhaust system you'll have to carv out the cut-outs by hand. Doing that and also make the chrome trim fit snugly was beyond the scope of work, it was much easier and quicker to just slap the side pipes on it and call it a day. If I decide to build another one, I'll see if I can get the right kind, I think that AMT's Baldwin-Motion Camaro has them. It's a really good kit overall, the only problem I had was to get the radiator to sit at the right angle. As far as I can see, there's no positive location for it, so it was a hit-and-miss deal. Had to break it off and re-glue it twice before I was able to make it work, and the radiator hose still won't fit right. I was a bit worried about the inner fenders and the cowl induction shroud under the hood, as they are just glued to the body without tabs or anything to locate them. Much to my amazement, they worked out perfectly without any interference problems whatsoever.

Some of you may remember my thread ( http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=5542 ) about the "pre-painted" '68 Corvette my son bought for me at Walmart. Anyway, I found a replacement and my son has been bugging me to death about building it, so in order to keep the peace in the house I finally caved in and decided that it needs to be built right away. It's a quick build with no details and a finish that sure leaves a lot to be desired, but it's pretty relaxing to build like that for a change. I got a lot of comments on the wheels on another forum, so before you all accuse me of being an infidel I might better explain why I put them on: The rallies in the kit were so nice that I want to save them for another model, and I know that this model will be handled by my son now and then. It may eventually end up in the trash can, so I thought I better sacrifice wheels that I can live without.

Don't know for sure, but I believe that Revell's new '58 Impala will have what you're looking for.

I have been looking at my kit, and there is definitely something wrong with the roof line. Now I know what to do with mine, that little shim makes it look way better! Seems like it's a pretty easy fix too.

I was on a job in Bartlesville, OK last week, and went to a flea market. Picked up one of those parts holders (like this, but with a magnifying glass: http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?M...t&ID=21120) for $2.99. Should have bought two or three of them, really handy when you paint small parts.

Alright, this is like a friggin AA meeting, but anywho... I'm 47 years old, originally from Sweden but have lived in TN for about 10 years now. I make my living by being married to a nurse practitioner, and get the funds for my hobbies by working as a construction engineer. Have built models since I was 6-7 years old, but I am way too torn between all my hobbies to make any progress in any of them. I was really happy to find this forum, as it gave me a lot inspiration to start building models again (can't thank you guys enough for posting your projects ). Right now I have been sidetracked by a 383 build for my 1:1 '69 Chevelle, so it might take a while before you see any progress pix from me...

I love that paint job, it screams late-60's! If I just had the balls, I would paint my 1:1 '69 Chevelle like that.

Picked up a Sony Cybershot DSC-W30 a while ago, and I love it. I actually bought it for work, but then I realized that it takes close-ups that I didn't know were even possible with a pocket camera. 6.0 megapixels, Zeiss lens (probably one of the reasons why it takes so good pictures) and a 3x zoom does it for me. There are many things you can't do with a small, relatively feature-less camera like this, but the simplicity and lack of advanced features have actually taught me a lot of tricks that have made me a better photographer. My only major gripe is that a small, lightweight camera is difficult to hold steadily. On the other hand, digital pictures are free, so I can take 10 pictures and then pick the good one (i.e., the one that hides the flaws in the model car I'm shooting B) ) I'm not a photo pro by any means but I really enjoy taking pictures with a good camera, and I'm trying to talk my wife into buying a digital Canon SLR. We already have a regular Canon SLR with some different lenses and accessories that will fit (or so I hope anyway), so I can't wait to kick it up a notch. BTW: Here's a picture I took with the Cybershot. I'm sure you can take much better pictures with a more professional camera, but it still ain't bad for a pocket camera, IMO:

As Bob said, that sure sounds like a blockage, has happened to me several times when I have done a sloppy cleaning job. I usually start any paint job by spraying some thinner through it, in order to make sure that it works and to flush out any debris that may still be in there. It sucks to have a malfunction when the airbrush is already filled with paint. Don't know how this could happen with a brand new airbrush though. I wouldn't think it's an air pressure/cfm problem if the Badger sprays without a problem, and really, it shouldn't take much air to run an airbrush either. Your best bet is probably to take it apart and inspect it.

Hobby Lobby carries Testors ink jet decal kits (white and transparent film, spray and some kind of crummy software). They usually sell film and spray separately as well. I bought a kit not too long ago, but haven't tried it yet. I'm waiting for someone else to be the guinea pig.

It sure is, those little details add a tremendous amount of realism! Very nice build with extremely well executed details. I love it!

Wohooooo, Impala thread! Here's one I built about 15 years ago:

Seems like the problem is solved, but I would like to share this anyway: Many adhesives from stickers and tape can be removed with vegetable oil (canola oil, olive oil, whatever you have at hand). I discovered this after installing new countertops in the kitchen. They were labeled with those stubborn paper labels that will tear if you try to pull them off, and I tried everything in the house to clean up the mess. One evening, I left a bottle of olive oil on the counter right on one of the labels, and as bottles of olive oil do, it left a small puddle of oil on the counter. When I wiped the counter the next morning to clean up the oil, the label came right off with no effort at all. Getting the rest of the labels off was a breeze once I found this out. It works a bit slower than Goo Gone and other chemicals, but it's totally harmless to yourself and pretty much any kind of paint. Best thing about it is that it's always right there in the kitchen.

Yeah, "raw material" is probably the right name for that kit. But I have seen other models you have built so I don't doubt that you can pull it off. Sounds like a cool idea, so it will be really interesting to see how it turns out.

Excellent! I'll make sure to get a few this time then!

Outstanding! Very clean build, and the colors are just right on this car. I'm not much for stockpiling kits, but I sure wish I had picked up a few of the bubbletop version when they were still around. Once I find one, I might just steal the color scheme from you.