StevenGuthmiller

Okay then. Apology accepted. ? Steve

? Sorry. I wasn’t aware that you owned stock in the company. I just thought that the OP might be interested in some information and actual alternatives that might produce results rather than just a series of posts suggesting essentially the same product with a dozen different labels on the bottle. My recommendation is always Super Clean, but if it doesn’t work, it would be a little counter productive of me to suggest Purple Power. Steve

Agreed. Removing the screw posts would have been a minimum requirement for me, but I likely would have replaced the entire bulkhead as well. Great work as usual Bob! Steve

A really great alternative is Alclad "Pale Burnt Metal". You can get very realistic looking results using the burnt metal as a base, give it a light shot here and there with some Alclad aluminum to break it up a little, and then a dirty wash to give it depth. Of course, it helps a great deal if you're starting with a Fireball carburetor! Steve

Just so that everyone knows, there is no "miracle" ingredient in all of these different cleaners/degreasers, ie Super Clean, Purple Power, Simple Green, Easy Off, and the above mentioned Dawn Power Dissolver. They all contain the exact same active ingredient, which is "Sodium Hydroxide" (also known as caustic soda, or lye) The only real difference being the concentration of the active ingredient. Basically, if Super Clean doesn't work for the job at hand, none of the others are likely to do any better. Personally, I wouldn't waste my money on purchasing a bunch of products that are essentially the same if one isn't doing the job for you. At this point Francisco, If it were mine, I would get some Testors ELO to finish removing the remainder of the paint. I personally have not had the need to resort to using ELO myself, but know a few guys that say it will basically remove anything, and I have no reason to believe that they would steer me wrong. Steve

Okay. I was just going to suggest removing the front screw posts, but I’m sure that would have been on your radar were you doing a detailed engine compartment. Steve

I just stumbled across this build today. (I don't spend much time in the truck section) Some excellent work going on here Bob! I didn't read the text of every post, so I don't know for sure, but are you planning on a full engine compartment on this one? Steve

I suppose that I should have been more clear. Yes, I realize that there are processes that are available that mimic chrome, but as you stated, the "good" ones are prohibitively expensive, especially as it applies to our hobby. True metalizing chrome kits, such as PChrome use chemical reactions to apply a thin layer silver nitrate which more closely mimics the properties of a metalized surface, but even a small "artist starter kit" will run you somewhere in the neighborhood of $400.00 to $600.00. I think that we can probably agree that prices such as this will be prohibitive for most casual modelers. The alternatives, (which I was referring to) are basically paints and inks, and in my opinion, are a relatively poor substitute for "real chrome". While some of these products may do a "good enough" job for some, the durability is a major issue, especially with products such as Molotow, which is extremely fragile when compared to a "plated" finish, or even a "chrome paint", which might be tougher, but do a largely mediocre job of simulating chrome. My point being that in order for these spray can and airbrush finishes to do an acceptable job of impersonating chrome, more technology is going to be required to integrate the durability and high reflectivity of true chrome. Steve

I agree that re-plating has almost become obsolete, but it surely is not because the paints or inks are better. Far from it. It’s because finding anyone to re-plate is becoming more and more difficult. As far as I can see at this moment, “chrome” paints are never going to rival the reflectivity or durability of real chrome parts. Or, at the very least, chrome paint technology is going to have to make considerable advances to get to that level. Steve

Thanks guys! Today, I've been spending some time working on cobbling together a more correct looking '64 steering wheel. Steve

Whatever it is, I wish it would go away! Steve

"Hampton Art" carries a very large array of colors of embossing powders in solid and metallic colors. I buy them in sets that contain 16 different colors per package. A couple of different sets should get you nearly any color that you can think of. For around $20.00 a set, you'll have enough embossing powder to last you a very long time. These are most of the reds that I have on hand. Steve

Everything is fair game. Even the refrigerator drawers! ? Steve

Marcy, the cutest cat on the planet!! Well, at least to me. ? Steve

I don’t see it amounting to a whole lot unless they offer some sort of promotion. Say, recycle 10 lbs of scrap plastic, get a free kit. Steve

Yes, I realize that, but I made a mistake when cutting back the top many months ago. This seemed like the best option. Steve

I’ll be filling the ejector pin marks. Steve

The active ingredient in oven cleaner, (lye) is the same as the purple stuff, but the concentration of that ingredient is higher in Super Clean than it is in Purple Power. That said, if it’s not having any affect, I suspect that oven cleaner won’t do it either. You could try some IPA, but I’ve always had my worries that IPA or brake fluid could make the plastic brittle. At least I’ve heard such concerns from others. You might want to try Testors ELO. I have not used it, but I know of others that swear by it. Just be aware that ELO is not for soaking. You brush it on and then rinse it off.....hopefully along with the paint. ? Steve

It might not be evident upon first inspection, but I did a considerable amount of work on the up top to get it to fit properly. The up top, (originally from a '62 Buick Electra annual) first needed to be shortened overall to fit the Pontiac. I then had to add some material to the lower back portion of the C-pillar to narrow the rear glass opening slightly. This made it possible to be able to add the rear window by flattening the radius of the rear tulip panel area, if that makes any sense. I also added a narrow section at the base of the top at the rear between the sail panels. This will make it possible for me to add the back window and have it fit cleanly so that I can alternate between up top and boot. The rear glass will actually be plastic from a sandwich bag to replicate a soft plastic rear window. I then added plastic strip around all of the window openings and the leading edge of the top, just to add a little more interest and simulate "beading" or "seams". Now I will have the option of displaying the model with the top up, or down as I choose. Steve

Thanks folks. I managed to get a little more work done this weekend. I re-did the seat "buttons" on the front seats, and in the process, decided that it might help to re-scribe some of the upholstery pattern to add a little more depth as well. I'm happier with them now. Steve

You would think for $450.00, they could have done at least "something" with the carburetor. Steve

I was thinking the same! What lake did they haul some of these out of?! Steve

Rear seat looks much better now. Steve

I'll throw this one out there as well to see what you all think. AMT didn't do a '63, and the '65 was a completely different body style, so it was definitely a "dead end" kit. Do you suppose this one might still be lurking in a dark corner somewhere waiting for another moment in the sun? Steve

Thanks fellas. Still doing some refining. I think I have the door panels and top boot dialed in. Decided that I wasn't happy with the seat buttons in the rear seat, so I decided to re-do them. I'll make a definitive decision on the front seats after I see how the rear seat comes out. Steve