StevenGuthmiller

Since you mention Johan, I assume that you have some interest in vintage models as well? In the detail department, anything offered in the 50s or 60s originally is going to have short comings by today's standards. That's a given. But as far as body proportions go, you're going to have a really tough time finding anything better than an old Johan or AMT kit, and the subject matter from that era is much more diverse than today. So there is a trade off. Fortunately for us, we are modelers, not assembly line workers, so we can utilize the best of both worlds and in many cases can use those great body proportions and wonderful subject matter, and upgrade them to more modern standards with modern kit chassis and engine parts. Personally, I look at most modern kits that I buy these days as nothing more than a "parts store" for refurbishing vintage kits. But that's just me. Steve

I agree 100%. Great stuff from Moebius! Steve

There are not a lot of kits available today with convertible up tops. If you could find something close, you would likely have to modify it. Unfortunately, Modelhaus is now gone, but at one time they offered an up top for the '58 Ford, which would have been your best bet. Steve

The one above is from the AMT 1962 Pontiac Catalina kit. The Moebius '61 Pontiacs also have them. The rest that I have done on old Johan Mopar kits have been converted. Not that hard to do really. Steve

One of the nice features of the Procon Boy trigger model I posted is that it is a dual action airbrush. The first part of the trigger pull starts the air flow, and the second part controls paint flow, so it's a no brainer. The paint flow is adjusted at the rear with the needle adjustment as you stated. I've been seriously considering purchasing the grip that is available for it for a better grip and control. Steve

My original thought about the aging for the steering wheel harkened me back to a '37 Chevy coupe that was molded in a very light beige that I sprayed with Testors clear enamel probably 30 years ago. It's still this glorious shade of yellow today. Steve

I have to agree. Good equipment is the place to start if you want whatever task you are attempting to be done right, but good equipment doesn't necessarily automatically make for good results. On the same note, poor equipment pretty much guarantees bad results. You don't necessarily need to have the best, and I don't claim that this is, but it has features that I really like. I don't pretend to be an expert on any of this, but the above mentioned airbrush turned out to be a good fit and a worthwhile investment for me. Steve

Well, then maybe the Canadian version would be in order. Steve

I picked it up on ebay some time back for a little over $100.00. There were times when I was having trouble with variations in color with overlap of the spray pattern on my smaller airbrush, so I was looking for something with a nice wide pattern to help eliminate that. When I saw the trigger set up on this one and found that it had 2 nozzles included, (a round spray and a wide fan spray) I thought it sounded like exactly what I was looking for. As I said, I really hate dual action air brushes with a "button" trigger and with the fan spray nozzle, I can basically hit an entire side of a body with a single pass! That's probably a little overstated, but it has probably a 3 inch spray pattern. I don't think that I would try using a piddly compressor with this one either. It can put out a lot of paint and I usually use between 30 and 40 psi with a filled 6 gallon pancake compressor tank. Steve

Very cool Steve! Steve

You could look into one of these. Works great for painting large areas. I really like the trigger set up, (I hate dual action "button" triggers) and the "fan spray" nozzle that comes in the kit is great for spraying wide patterns without too much overlap. Steve

It's about the same as other Testors gloss spray paints. In all honesty, it's a pretty good clear coat for certain applications. It levels very well and shines like crazy straight from the can. On the other hand, it's enamel and takes forever to cure completely, and absolutely, DO NOT try to use it on any remotely light colors! It also yellows like crazy........as you can see. Steve

I believe you're right. Steve

Might be a cool project for someone to try to convert a '53 Chevy kit into the Pontiac. It would require a good bit if trim work, but on the bright side, I know I've seen that grille in a kit somewhere. Really great looking car!! Steve

Ooooo! That looks good too! Steve

Thanks guys! I know that this is something that will rarely be used by most modelers, but strangely enough, I've converted quite a number of old Johan Mopars and AMT and MPC Pontiacs to transparent steering wheels. I wish that I had thought about this a dozen steering wheels ago. Steve

There's a good possibility that the paint you used is a little too hot to spray directly over plastic. The scratches and uneven gloss that you are seeing are very possibly light crazing. A mildly hot paint will "raise" the sanding scratches and make them look much worse than they actually were before paint. As others have said, prime, prime prime! I wouldn't even consider spraying color over a model body, or any of the other parts for that matter, without priming. Even with something benign like a hobby enamel, there are many benefits to priming first. Steve

The engine bay is looking terrific Mike!! Steve

I remain neutral in this discussion. I just wanted to be sure that everyone understood what my original thoughts were. I will leave it to the parties in question to fight it out. I would rather not be involved. Thank you. Steve

Sorry Tom, but that wasn't my contention at all. I stated that I appreciated the theme of the site. I never said that I thought that it was too mainstream to gain members. Sorry, but I thought that I had better point out that fact. Steve

You're a regular Julia Child Steve! The fried chicken started an instant "Pavlovian Dog" response for me, and the sausage and Kale soup looks fantastic. And by the way, my wife would kill you and dismember and dispose of your body for the Caprese salad! She's not a violent person, but her heart quivers for tomatoes and fresh basil and mozzarella! Steve

Never even heard of it. Steve

This is something I've never heard of here. I'm not sure that I even remember my password! I have the site bookmarked and I visit daily. I haven't been asked to put in a password since...........forever! Steve

I used similar colors on a '58 Bonneville. The colors are "Burma Green" and "Calypso Green". Personally, I think these kinds of colors go very well together, and today at least, they stand apart from the usual red, black and aqua. Steve

Terrific!! Very cool and unusual color combo! Steve