StevenGuthmiller

I don't fault you in any way Keith. This sort of question is all part of the research process, and we have all learned something. It's not a difficult fix. I'm having much greater problems with the hood hinges. But I believe that I have the issue resolved now. Unfortunately, the fix requires that I basically start all over! I would consider the day wasted, but I suppose I can chalk it up as another learning experience. Steve

That fact has already been brought to my attention Greg, and while I have not yet changed it back, it will be corrected before the build is finished. Thank you. Steve

I want one! Unfortunately, the Mazda Miata with the classic Corvette styling was only available in Japan, and all 50 examples sold in 4 months! Steve

They might get a little more tweaking, but I think that I'm getting there. Steve

Just taking a break from the bench for a while, but here's where I am currently with the "hopefully" finished parts. I'm just flying by the seat of my pants here! Steve

Thanks guys! The hinge above is merely a mock-up. I am working now on much more refined parts. The pins used above are pieces of thin plastic rod turned into a pin by a little heat to "mushroom" the head on the front side, and "heat swaged" on the back side. Steve

Since the beginning of this project, I've been mulling over what I wanted to do with the hood hinge configuration. Since the torsion spring experiment turned out successful on my '65 Fury project, I thought it would be nice if I could scratch some hood hinges that would work as closely to the 1:1 as possible. So far I believe that I may be on the right track. This is the mock-up that I have come up with so far. Steve

Again, thank you all for your kind words!! Steve

I can get 2 out of a jar if I use a base and as long as it's not a Mopar with the chassis and engine bay painted the body color. They come in 1oz. jars. This is part of the reason why I started using Scale Finishes paint. It's every bit as good as MCW and it comes in a 2 oz. jar for $2.00 more. 2 oz. of MCW will run you $15.00 versus $9.99 for 2 oz. of Scale finishes. Plus there are a lot of colors that MCW does not carry, unless you're willing to pay $18.00 for a special mix. All that said, MCW is a great product. Steve

Thanks guys! It's fun to engage with other modelers at these shows on occasion, and of course it's always a bonus to bring home a couple of awards in the process. It's also a great ego boost!! I appreciate all of your comments folks! Steve

Nice work! In my opinion, it looks better in this color combo than it ever did in the stock yellow or white! Steve

Do you have definitive proof that they did not exist? I only ask because I did the rear liners red on my '68. If there is absolute proof that they did not exist, I might change them back, but I've seen nothing so far but this article and opinion to the contrary. Steve

I thank you very much kind sir! Just returned from the show this afternoon and I was quite surprised to see this thread. I am very humbled! It was good to see you again Kevin, and I hope to see you again very soon. I will just add that the second award I received, (not pictured above) was an award for the best "green" subject called the "It Ain't Easy Being Green" award. The categories for automotive subjects were quite limited and I entered the '67 Ford in this "special award" category on a whim only because it happened to be green. I really didn't expect to win as there were upwards of probably 150 or more military and aviation entrants, a large portion of which were painted green of course. I was quite surprised, and very amused when they presented me with this trophy! Regardless of the whimsical nature of the award, I was very humbled to receive it! And yes, they did present me with a trophy that was a bit more "main stream" to accompany it. Thanks to everyone from the Zumbro Valley chapter of the IPMS for seeing fit to recognize my work! I am very honored!! And of course, thank you again to Kevin for his warmth and for helping me to feel comfortable at an event that I have never attended, even though I lived in the area for more than 30 years! It was great fun! Steve

Yeah, in real life it's easier to balance them when the tires are on, but I'm guessing that this car will never go any faster than a couple of miles per hour! Steve

Just some stretched sprue. Steve

Well, I at least got the wheels detailed for my '68 Olds. Steve

Thanks so much guys! I appreciate the kind comments! While I'm still working on some interior details and some chassis and suspension refinements and adjustments, I did manage to find a little time to add some valve stems, wheel weights and the hubcaps to the wheels. Steve

Yes, I noticed that you had given it a bump. No harm, no fowl. As long as you find the information that you need. Steve

Sorry Kurt. I didn't mean to sound cranky, but the options for plating are so limited today that it kind of makes me feel that way sometimes. I used to have parts chromed quite often, but it has become a little more difficult in recent years. Chrome Tech is no longer and Kustom Krome has changed hands in the past few years. When Bob, (now of Bob's Paints) was running Kustom Krome, the service and product were top notch! Now, the service seems to be a little suspect. Or at least it was some months ago when George was apparently having some health issues. I have never used LMK, but I hear that he does good work. With Kustom Krome having some issues over the past year or so, I'm just a bit apprehensive about taking the plunge with George with any of my irreplaceable vintage parts. I have enough re-chromed parts now to last me quite some time, so I'm just kind of waiting at the moment to see how things shake out in the plating arena. Steve

There's really not enough to talk about to constitute an entire thread on this subject. In the US at least, as far as I know, you basically have 2 options for individuals that do this sort of service specifically for modelers. Dale Horner at "Little Motor Kar Company" in Pennsylvania, and George Hernandez at "GT Kustom Krome" in Michigan I believe. That's pretty much it. Steve

I'm talking about typical masking tape that the average person is going to buy in a typical hardware or home improvement store. We used a higher grade masking tape for our basic painting purposes, which generally involved no harsh solvents whatsoever, (latex as a rule) and still had this problem on a regular basis. As a rule, if possible, we would remove the tape while it was still wet, but when we couldn't, or didn't, we always ran the risk of this issue happening. More than 25 years of dealing with vast quantities of masking tape on a daily basis is why I avoid letting the stuff touch my models at all cost. I've seen way too many horror stories develop. Steve

The same thing can happen with standard masking tape. We used to have this issue years ago when I was doing drywall and painting. Even when using a water based paint, if the tape became saturated and was left to dry for too long, the adhesive could fuse itself to the surface making it very difficult, if not impossible, to remove without damaging the underlying surface. Blue painters tape rarely touches painted surfaces on my projects. standard masking tape never does!!! Steve

I remember driving a flex fuel Chevy when I was working as a driver for a grocery store chain. It was getting a mixture of regular and E-85 fuel depending on who was driving it. At one point, I was told by my superiors to use only regular fuel. going back and forth between the two was apparently causing maintenance issues. I don't know what those "issues" were, and that was some years ago, but I have since heard that mixing the two is not a good idea. Supposedly, you should pick one and stick with it. But I am no authority on these cars. I've never owned one, and don't really have any plans to. Steve

I'll be there Kevin. Steve

Nope, that would be too "high end". This car is going to be pretty bare bones with only power steering as an option. No power brakes or power windows, and certainly no tilt. Steve