StevenGuthmiller

Believe me, they’ll make more. Steve

Because by the time it’s all said and done, to create a model kit from scratch costs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and you had better make damn sure that whatever subject you decide to do is going to turn a profit or you’re gonna be out of business real quick! Everybody has their “pet subject” and there’s no way that they can all be done. Contrary to popular belief among modelers, kit companies are in business to make money, not to make every individual modeler happy. Steve

It was added to the list later, but unfortunately this lot is to be moved as one unit and cannot be broken up. Also, it would probably be easiest to build it as a convertible as it has a broken C-pillar. Steve

You can use pretty much whatever you want over Scale Finishes "base coat", as it's a lacquer and will accept virtually anything. My approach is to use Duplicolor "Perfect Match", "Protective Clear Coat", and then cut and polish. I know that there are all kinds of new advancements in clear coats with all of the "K" products, but I'm a little old school, and I figure if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Steve

I can do pretty much anything that needs doing with a few different sizes of silver, single strand, insulated wire. A set of 30 AWG wrapping wire in various colors is a good place to start. 30 AWG is usually a pretty good match for battery cables, various vacuum lines, etc, and when you strip the insulation, the single strand inside is pretty much perfect for fuel lines, brake lines, etc. From there, a couple of smaller gauges will work well for plug wires, and smaller for miscellaneous firewall, fender well, and engine wiring. Some of these smaller wires are a little more difficult to find, (usually come from China) but you can generally find them on eBay. Something in the neighborhood of 32 AWG is about perfect for plug wires, and 36 AWG is good for most other small wires. The smaller strands contained within these wires can be used to make items such as carburetor return springs by wrapping them around a thin rod or another piece of wire. I don't remember the exact sizes for heater hoses or radiator hoses, as I haven't bought any for a long time, but I'm guessing around 28 or 26 for heater hose, and probably 16 or 14 for radiator hose? Steve

Doesn't require any special material purchases. Whatever black enamel or acrylic you have on hand will work perfectly fine for detailing wheels, hubcaps, grilles, whatever. You may want to use flat black and thin it accordingly for the job at hand, but I've never felt that I needed to use a panel line accent. Just seemed to me to be more stuff sitting around my shop that I can manage without. Steve

I always have rolls of cheap brown masking paper on hand, (being an ex drywall sub-contractor) so I do the same thing using that. Maybe it's an unfounded fear, but I've always had this weird phobia of wrapping models in plastic. I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but things like a heat source, like a light bulb, that gets too close to the plastic, would ruin a guys day in a big hurry. Plus I have this phobia about wrapping something that doesn't breath around a model for too long that might unexpectedly have paint or glue fumes still gassing out of them. And then of course there's the horrific concern that once masked, the paint you spray over it, reacts adversely with the plastic and melts it!! Just worries me, so I stick with the masking paper. Steve

The only one that I know of is the one in the MPC '69 Firebird kit. It appears to be a pretty nice assembly, but I only have one. Was considering using it for my '64 Lemans project, but '64 was too early for the OHC engine. Steve

Here's a few shots of the better of the models in question. Of course some of these are missing parts, and pretty much all require some TLC, but there seems to be considerable potential with many of them. Also added to the mix is a Johan 1960 Plymouth Fury. A broken C-Pillar, but a prime candidate for a convertible project. Steve

Just so you know, the '59 Buick is probably in the worst shape of all of them. Once I get the photos arranged and uploaded, I'll post some. Steve

“Assembler”. Opposite of a “Rivet Counter”. Steve

I have a line on a lot of 16 built up annual kits and promos. Some quite restorable, others pretty rough. The entire collection needs to be liquidated as a single lot. If anyone is interested, PM me. Here’s a list of the models included. SMP 1958 Pontiac Bonneville convertible. Johan 1960 Desoto Adventurer hardtop. Hubley 1961 Ford Wagon. AMT 1959 Buick Invicta Hardtop. AMT 1960 Chevrolet El Camino. AMT 1961 Ford Sunliner. AMT 1961 Buick Invicta convertible. Johan 1961 Buick Wagon. AMT 1960 Ford Falcon hardtop. (Promo) AMT 1957 Ford Thunderbird. Johan 1961 Dodge Dart Phoenix hardtop. AMT 1959 Chrysler Imperial convertible. AMT 1959 Ford Galaxie convertible. Hubley 1960 Ford 4 door sedan. AMT 1961 Mercury Monterey convertible. Johan 1957 Desoto 4 door hardtop. (Promo) Steve

I get all of the posts about particular or specific Thunderbird issues, but in my estimation, that has nothing to do with the value of the cars. Every car from that era has it’s own unique, or brand specific issues. My ‘69 Grand Prix has various foibles specific to Pontiac’s, as well as specific Grand Prix problems, much as many modern cars often have. So I don’t believe that values are low just because of mechanical or electrical issues, all of which are ultimately addressed throughout the course of a full restoration anyway. What keeps prices low, is just the perception of the car itself. My ‘69 Pontiac Grand Prix has fallen into basically the same “value” category as the Thunderbirds for a long time, and it’s only in very recent years that they have begun to become more popular, and by extension, more valuable. Granted, I can understand how the “unavailability” of parts for restorations might enter into the equation for people possibly not wanting to get involved, and therefore holding values low, but popularity drives the aftermarket and prompts production of the parts needed to aid a restoration, but I still feel it’s more about the current appeal of the car itself than it is about how crappy the car is, or how difficult it is to restore. Steve

I do that all the time, and have for decades. Unfortunately, it has never stopped Rustoleum cans from clogging up. I have probably a half dozen cans of Rustoleum in my shop at the moment. All are more than half full, and all are plugged up. Steve

You can do nearly anything with styrene stock. I replicated the door cards for my '68 Coronet entirely from various Evergreen stock. The only portion remaining of the original kit's door cards was a thin portion of the upper door panel, and the kick panel. Everything else was scratch built with Evergreen plastic sheets and strips. Steve

It’s just a simple matter of what’s popular or desirable at a particular moment in time. That’s pretty much it. Nobody is ever going to convince me that it’s because T-Birds were junkier than anything else from the same era. I doubt that the T-birds were any worse than any other Ford of the period. They all shared a large portion of mechanical and electrical components. Now, you might be able to convince me that Fords are junk in general, but that’s irrelevant to this discussion. 😁 Steve

I used the Lindberg ‘64 Plymouth chassis some years ago as a replacement for the slab chassis of my Johan ‘65 Plymouth Fury lll. I seem to recall having to make some minor adjustments for wheel base, but I definitely remember having to basically scratch build the entire engine bay!! 😛 Steve

That’s a pretty fine looking turkey! 😁 Plus all the trimmings. Sausage apple stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, baked sweet potatoes, and creamed peas and carrots. lo Steve

Love mussels! One of my absolute favorites! I do some pretty mean Thai Curry Mussels, if I do say so myself! 😊 Steve

I copied this sauce from “The Godfather” movie. ”Clemenza’s sauce”. Everybody seems to love it, and it’s very simple to make. Olive oil, garlic, tomato paste, crushed and diced tomatoes, red wine, and “a pinch of sugar”! 😁 I add fresh basil just because I love the fresh, sweet flavor that it adds. Nothing spicy. My wife thinks mild taco sauce is too spicy. 🙄 My meatballs are half ground beef, half mild Italian sausage, crushed saltines, eggs, onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil and oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, Parmigiano Reggiano, salt and pepper. Steve

I just have a couple of glass fronted antique cabinets that I display my finished projects in. One is “desk top” book case. The other is a book case with doors that flip up. At some point, I would like to modify them with more shelving to display more models. Steve

As it appears that the ‘60 Desoto used a “Uni-body” chassis, you should be able to substitute nearly any later Mopar Uni-body style chassis, with the possibility of some minor alterations. That might include some of the more recent B-body kits such as the Revell Chargers or AMT Roadrunners/GTXs should you want something much more detailed than a vintage kit chassis. Here are a number of ‘60 Desoto chassis photos to give you an indication of what to strive for. Here are a couple of engine bay photos that may help you along your journey as well. Steve

Yup, it’s my guess that what the OP is experiencing is the tape’s impression in the paint, and not actual adhesive residue. Adhesive is actually quite easy to remove in a variety of ways. Letting the paint cure completely, (with enamel, that could be quite some time) and using good tapes will eliminate any issues such as this in the future. You can do some amazing things with good masking tape! Steve

Occasionally. Steve

And it doesn't even work very good for that! I learned a long time ago to stay away from materials like "all purpose" tapes. Do I still use them for occasional things? Absolutely! But I never let regular hardware store masking tape touch a painted surface on any of my projects, and pretty much the same with blue painter's tape. Just as all one has to do is spend 2 minutes on any model car related Facebook group to see botched paint jobs achieved by using paints designed for painting lawn furniture, spend another 2 minutes, and you'll inevitably find screwed up messes from various masking tapes as well. I do all of my masking with Tamiya tape, masking paper, and yes, some blue painters and regular masking tape. But I am extremely diligent about how I mask, and I never allow these hardware store tapes to touch the painted surfaces of the model, and it's because of reasons such as this. I've seen it all in my 50+ years of building. Tape imprints, adhesive residue, tape pulling off paint, you name it, and I don't care to ever see any of it again, and I won't have to now that I have the experience and knowledge to know better. Steve