StevenGuthmiller

There’s no way that I could make a profit with my building style. My current project has been in the works for over a year already with some time to go. With the time and materials that I have into it at this point, I would most likely have to get in the thousands of dollars just to break even. Just doing some quick math, if I had just three hours a week in the shop, and figured that my time is worth at least $20.00 an hour, labor alone for the year would be about $3,000.00! There’s no way that I could ever stay interested in building if I had to build the simplified builds that would be required to make any profit. I’d be bored fecal matter-less in very short order! Steve

Yes. Make no mistake, Ed will fulfill his commitments. He’s just still playing catch-up. This interior set contains a lot of parts and takes some time to cast and get out the door. I assume that it’s a little more involved than casting an shipping a single part. Steve

Thanks for the input everyone. I guess I suspected that the Monte Carlo was going to be the most likely candidate, but I thought that it would be good to pick your brains to see if there was a kit out there that I don't have and was missing. I checked the frames on several cars, including the Monte Carlo and '67 Impala and found that the Impala was too wide and far too long in the rear, including a much too large gas tank, so that's out. My inspection of the Monte's chassis leads me to believe that not only will the frame itself need a slight stretch, but the floor pan might need a little stretching as well, depending on where the firewall falls in the body. It's pretty obvious when doing a side by side comparison, that the added length is in the section between the front wheel well and door. (front suspension and firewall) so in order for the patch to fall in the correct location, it looks to me as if the stretch would need to take place directly behind the front suspension, (red circles) unless of course, the floor pan needs stretching, in which case it could be done further back. (black circles) I'm going to have to ruminate on this one for a while. There are going to be a whole bunch of changes done on this model in order for it to match my 1:1. My car is a "Model J", not an "SJ", so along with a couple of minor trim modifications, (ie, removing the "S" from the lower front quarter script) there will be major interior upholstery pattern changes. I already began sanding off all of the vinyl top trim and detail some time ago. It's going to be a time consuming project, but I really need to have a model of my 1:1 on my shelf, and if I'm going to do it, I just as well go all in. This is where the frame would need to be stretched if the floor pan is not. If the stretch took place here, there's a possibility that the tranny brace would also need to be moved forward. If the floor pan needs stretching, it would probably actually make everything easier! This is where I think the cuts and splices would be needed with a floor pan stretch. Steve

Sorry, some of the grilles had imperfections, and I’ve already given the remainder to other members. I’m fresh out! ? Steve

Either way, it would need stretching. I was wondering more along the lines of something like a Riviera? Steve

Hi folks. In the very near future, I’m planning on getting to work on a full detail version of the MPC 1969 Pontiac Grand Prix to represent my 1:1, and while the AMT ‘70 Monte Carlo is the most obvious choice for some of the guts, the wheel base is too short for the Grand Prix and will require a chassis stretch to fit. While that’s not a big deal, I keep thinking that I might be missing something. So, the question is, does anybody know of a modern kit with a detailed chassis that would be compatible with the Grand Prix that I’m missing, other than the Monte Carlo? Steve

Oooo! Bad idea! Now you're prompting him to read an entire book!! Steve

Punk rock band, right? ? Steve

What's wrong with that? That's what my wife would call it. Steve

I think I'm going to have to try to find a use for the "cold slugs"........just because it sounds cool! Steve

That's not always the case either. I've sprayed Duplicolor lacquer over bare plastic sprue before with no discernible affect, but I've seen what it can do to a body. Steve

Okay, I stand corrected. There's one. Anybody else? Steve

I like that!! But you're going to need to call a wrecker to get it off of those rocks!! Nice job! Steve

Here’s an idea for you. Get a gallon of Super Clean degreaser/cleaner, and fill a large enough plastic container to fully submerge a model car body. If your planning on using enamel paint thinned with enamel thinner anyway, it will strip back to clean plastic in literally minutes, so you can get one model car body, practice on it, drop it in the Super Clean for an hour, rinse it off and practice again. You can literally practice on the same body a thousand times. The Super Clean will never harm the plastic, and enamel strips extremely quickly, easily and cleanly. Problem solved. Oh, and by the way, don’t waste your time waiting for a response from Rustoleum. It’s a total red herring. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, weighs their paint! Steve

It’s a little like thinking that you can learn how to pour concrete, or do drywall by buttering your toast every morning. ? Steve

What are you waiting for? You have paint, thinner and an air brush, right? Steve

A parts runner and a body are 2 completely different animals. Painting a parts runner might help you get your paint to the right sprayable consistency, but it's not going to help you get a "perfect" paint job on a body. Practice will do that.........and not on parts runners. Steve

Thanks everyone! I think I'm ready to move on to the body work. I'll finish assembling the chassis at a later time. Steve

I suppose that's a valid point. But you can't begrudge the frustration that some of us feel when an individual comes here and pretends that he actually wants advice when it's become pretty obvious to all of us that he really doesn't. I suppose that it should be a hint when his "questions" are 6 paragraphs long. I just wish this guy would stop goofing around with sending companies emails, watching YouTube videos and asking dumb questions and get his back side into the shop and start doing something! Then maybe he would have some valid questions to ask! I'm really starting to believe that he has no intention of ever doing anything model related, other than to come on this forum and irritate the hell out of everyone!! If I ever see an actual "progress" post from this individual, I'll be extremely surprised!! Steve

If you read through any of the OP’s previous threads, you’ll quickly learn that he’s really not interested in any help, just affirmation. Steve

You’re really overthinking this whole subject, big time. Somewhere you got the idea that painting a model car with enamel is rocket science........it’s not even close! weighing your paint??........be serious! Mix some paint and thinner until it’s roughly the consistency of whole milk and test spray. If it’s too thick, add more thinner, and vice versa. Good lord, if I had to think this hard about spraying a little bit of paint, I’d quit building and take up fishing or golf! My suggestion?, use lacquer thinner. Any garden variety lacquer thinner will do if you prime first with a good lacquer primer. (I’m still trying to figure out what you have against primer) Use enamel thinner or mineral spirits if you don’t mind waiting for three months for your paint to dry! ? Steve

Actually, the brackets aren’t holding much. They’re just there for looks more than anything. They are just thin strips of aluminum cut from an aluminum soda can and bent to shape. Steve

I'm doing my best to take notes from them! Steve

Thanks guys! Steve

My thoughts on your issue. I gave up on Testors clear lacquers, at least for bodies, some time ago due to issues with it. My recurring problem was cracking that sometimes wouldn’t begin to take place until days later, and would often continue to get worse as time went on, so I gave it the old heave-ho. As far as the tape difficulties go, this is exactly why, along with other problems, why I never mask over a paint job with tape, especially a standard masking tape. If I need to mask, I use only Tamiya tape around the perimeter where it will contact the paint, and mask the rest with masking paper. This has saved me a great deal of grief over the years. Steve