Ragtop Man

Wrecking my mind with this build, super crisp and clean, very unexpected subject and execution! Look forward to the finished result!

Knew I remembered this from somewhere! (Besides my rearview mirror #butofficer) Could you post some build details about this one when it is convenient? Reason I ask - at a former employer, one of the production folks in the graphics end of the building had a civilian MSP Tahoe, which was as tough looking as a truck stop waitress. Always wanted to build it... and for that matter, an MSP Impala.

Great to hear this is back!!! As if I need more distractions, these were very cool parts that really scratched an itch in the market.

IIRC, Tom had a health issue that prompted him to drop the business. That was a flat shame that he needed to bow out, his stuff was tight, clean and crisp. I have a few items (donated a mint '61 Olds sedan to him) that he cast and they are uniformly outstanding resin items. He set a high bar for being professional, courteous and accessible to the hobby.

While we are on the subject - which hobby kit has a FLAT hood for the '67 -'68 Fastback that would be reasonably available? A close friend in the hobby can cast clear and I've had a jones to build the Autolite-1 Salt Flats Mustang for a long time now... Any ideas or assitance would be most helpful!

Since most of the "Big 3" have wiped the sidewalls of kit tires now thanks to ticky-tacky licensing issues, getting correct looking RWLs is a bit more of a challenge. Wondering who is doing the decals for STREET tires (Goodyear, Firestone) that are readily available?

The build is clean as new money, really welll done. There are some issues in a few these Monogram kits with a 'blocky' look, but when they are this well done, it pretty well goes away. While I'm not a major Mopar fan, the good part of this series of kits is the easy parts interchange; a 340 'Cuda and Hemi Challenger are just an engine swap, decals and bit of scrounging away. Moving Hemi/6-packs around the B-Bodies is simple for a nice piece of club night work; I keep walking past the '71 RR but might end up caving in on this trip to the DAAM show.

Love it SOOOO much!

That dude's family went to the cleaners... spent deep into six figures to build, sold for about $75K at one of the 'big' auctions. Far be it from me to suggest the bidding was rigged...but...

I think that a Bluesmobile would sell very well, assuming that the licensing can be cleared. There is a 1:18 diecast that is pretty darn good, which tells me there are some drawings sitting somewhere to at least loft the body... I could see police, fire, taxi versions falling out pretty quickly. That said, after Blues Brothers, the commercial appeal to a wider audience falls off pretty quickly. I could see some Taxi, Cop and Fire versions with good shelf appeal, but when you get into the runnathamill stockers... not so much. The Hurst 300 would blow my hat off, but, I'm not sure how many of those you sell after the first container full of them is parceled out to distributors.

The rear axle in front - must have been one of the 1/1 Mopars. Looks like someone got carried away with AI here.

I think the B/FX cars were all small blocks with the four-Weber setup. Ford was claiming 341 hp from the "Cobra" engine. Seems like a no-brainer to use the 289 from the 'street' Cyclone with the drag parts from the 427, all they would need to come up with are the carbs, intake and headers, modify the instructions slightly and print the box. Sounds easy from here, probably less so in the real world with Moby's checkbook (and MKs) . Would make a lot of sense to me to price this version into the tool when everything else was cut, this would allow a "Street Machine" version to spread out the costs.

Post script: Their tech rep responded that he uses it with a lot of the same finishes the 'we' do - hobby products - and does not forsee an issue. However, they sell products that must comply with commercial fire and insurance codes, so those are geometrically larger and more expensive. IMO, the ideal solution would be one of the badass rug-lifting fans with a high velocity steel duct on a short run. In the meantime, a quality commercial booth is probably the best solution. Since I've got a bit of a big scale freak on, 24" is the minimum and 30" would be ideal (have a few planes in the queue, too.)

This thread could be a book - a lot of great suggestions. I dipped into a few places, saw many references to Super Clean, but I think the liability lawyers and their accountants got to that a while ago and weakened it to the point it no longer has a skull and crossbones. My go-to, when I can find it is Zep Driveway and Concrete cleaner/stain remover. This is the strongest purple concentration I have found to date, but be aware, it loses its strength over time so if you have a project that is stubborn, it pays to dump the old stuff and refresh the container after a thorough rinse. Also, as a resin caster, I can say this with absolute certainty - DO NOT submerge or soak ANY resin in a solution containing glycol (it will be on the label) or you will end up with a handful of goo. Every caster has their own resin, some guys have managed to get away with it, but it is not worth the risk! Lacquers are their own special case. If they are cured out for a while, only ELO will budge them in my experience, and whatever you do, don't soak them. That said, I came across a big box of '60s builts all painted in AMT lacquers (must have been an employee or relative, all AMT kits and paint) that did not move for straight 91%. We are talking about a week, here. No clearcoat, either. Poured out some ELO and let it just sit for a half hour wet, and the toothbrush began moving the surface. Another few minutes, most was softened and coming off. THEN I switched to the tank of 91 and finished off the job. It still took a while, the paint was fighting back, but letting the body sit iin the half-full (empty? LOL) with a saturatated paper towel keeping the top wet while the rest submerged did the trick. BTW, keep a variety of stripping aids with you at the slop bench - toothpicks, scrubbees (the plastic version of scotchbrite) and even the blue shop towels can all be useful. Watch out for thin sections on old styrene like vent posts, they are vulnerable as are vintage Monogram anything, which I'm told had a lot of clear. Caution/advice - it is tempting to head over to the sink to see the rinse and white styrene, but avoid it as long as possible. For some reason, the strip-rinse creates a reaction that makes re-submerging for more work seem to take a lot longer. Remember that chemical reactions like surface area, so scrubthe subject body to 'open' the finish, just avoid trim, etc. Reactions also like heat, so anything you can do to warm the solutions will help. I have used the tub-in-tub method which works like a double boiler - smaller tub with solution and subject, set in a larger tub of hot water. Coldn't swear that I could measure much of a difference, but it did seem to help one stubborn project. Finally, only a sandblaster will take off Testors Blue or any flat black. Either throw it away and get another one, or prepare for a LONG seige.

Don't sleep on the Revell SSR Pickup - that has a very nice LS2. IIRC, Revell has re-released it a few times in craft store packaging, might even score one at an outlet.

Poof! Mind blown. Loved the big Gals - and this one is a standout.

Who does the best one?

We are in the planning stages of how the interior of Garage Majhal will be fitted out. Long backstory on this, but we moved to a completely finished home and my hobby stuff went to turnaround; the deal to sign (for me) was that we would renovate/build on the second floor of the garage for hobby work. Plans have room for both my own 'slop sink' and a spray booth, with a short (less than 3') run to the outside for venting. So far, so good. Paasche has a really good sized booth with twin (!) outlets, (pricely, but I'm liquidating a chunk of the collection) but is quick to caution that it is not for use with flammable/explosive hobby solvents and paints. Never mind that I've had a Testor's MM booth from the 90's that never had an issue, and that is positively rickety in comparison. So the question to the group: Is this lawyer-ese for "yea, you can use it for that but don't sue us if something goes wrong" ... or... "No, really, don't - you will blow this to kingdom come." I'm taking a guess that true explosion proof fans are very expensive - as well as outlets, switches, lighting, etc. and it just isn't practical at retail to offer up the gear this way. So to the question - if I'm using Rattle can Tamiya or automotive finishes, airbrushing MCW, Tamiya acrylics or decanted automotives ... is it no bueno? There will be windows to crack, as noted short runs to exterior and pro installation. Anxious to hear what you are thinking, as always appreciate the advice.

Man, a Wagoneer would be the berries. Those are just cool old rigs, and would be a GREAT 3D subject.

For as much of a Phord and Pontiac freek as I am, I have always loved this Landy car. Sure would be a great one for a private label (MK???) to run!

Hey Admins - this technially belongs in WIP feel free to move if necessary!

My friend Nick "Z-Man" passed this along to me - a '68 body that he'd attached the custom front pan to, straightend some janky roof pillars and put it to the side. I took up blocking out the work and basecoating it in a forgotten gold, before top coating with the HOK rattle can Candy Red that was available for a while at some LHS until proven that it would blowtorch styrene without a good barrier. Luckily, the bird was Cycolac, so the hot didn't really faze it at all. Wheels are Apaches that I cast for my own consumption on R2 redlines.

The '80s Caprice (aka, "Box") would be a sure-fire winner in a simplified assembly kit. I couldn't name another kit that would align with the show, but have appeal far beyond it. 75 pieces would be about right for a '70s B-Body; really nothing interesting or very telling about the subject under the hood.

Super impresssed with the accuracy and cleanliness of this build! It really "Feels" like a stock car, versus a standard kit with decals added. Really nice work, you should be very proud.

Saw multiple posts here about wanting to build Falcons - here is a thought: Keep your eyes on the Falcon promo auctions. The '66 was a giveaway car, and very common. It is the kit, assembled, but without an engine (which is in the modified.) Promo trends are such (or so I'm told) that out-of-box/shelf-worn promos of all types are pretty flat in value, moreso if they are missing trim, now that it cannot be replaced thru modelhaus. This is a more general comment for other popular subjects for which the annual kits are too hard to come by - the '62 and '67/68 Galaxies are another. As long as they are not smashed, and you are making a race car which necessitates cleaning off trim, etc, just go for it and have fun. Annual kits will list at $3-500 (insane, IMO) but promos without crushed rooflines are still in the $100 and under range.