StevenGuthmiller

I don't believe that I ever said anything about wrong or right. I wonder how many of us realize how many posts are submitted here on a daily basis. Couple that with your job, your family & everything else with daily life & then tell me how much time you want to dedicate to every whiny, petty gripe that pops up on a model building forum. It seems to me that people only get pissy about this sort of thing when they think they won't get as much "air time" in the "1:1 car reference pictures" section as they would in the "general" section. Boo-hoo! I do my best to post in appropriate sections, but if the moderators feel it belongs somewhere else......move it, or don't, I don't much care. My psyche is not that delicate that I feel that I need to raise a fuss because somebody might not get to read my valuable post. Steve

That's an easy one. In the "Diecast & Resincast Models" section. (For collectors & builders of diecast & resincast models & pressed steel models & toys) Steve

As I said people, step up & volenteer if you feel that you can do a better job. I have nothing but respect for anyone who will take the time from their already busy lives & put up with the inevitable criticism that comes along with a thankless job like a moderator. It's easy to sit on the side line & make wise cracks when you have no skin in the game. Steve

Polish, polish, polish. Steve

That one I do not remember. This one is about a genetic mutation between fish & humans. But get this! It kills the men, & mates with the women! Everything a teenage guy could want in a movie! Steve

Without even seeing it, I can suggest a much worse movie. I wasted a couple of hours when I was around seventeen watching "Humanoids from the Deep" at my local drive in! Steve

I agree completely. You know as well as I do that these old kits never saw this level of build quality back when they were originally issued & I routinely love to build them basically from the box to show the world that these were wonderful kits worthy of our attention. But on the other hand, I also love to do some minor modifications to correct some of the most obvious detriments to the appearance of the kit. Things that only enhance an already great kit, like eliminating the screw posts on the radiator braces of most of the old annuals, or the occasional engine swap when a more realistic version is available. Anyway, terrific work Raoul!! Steve

I haven't seen it, but you obviously haven't seen many movies if you think it was the "worst movie of all time". I spent many an evening at the drive in theater when I was young........BLECHHHHH!! Steve

I really appreciate the fact that you kept this one & your GTX build so true to the original Johan kit. The work on both of them is exceptional & I really consider them somewhat of a time capsule, or a history lesson. Many builders will decry the fact that you didn't swap out the chassis & engine parts for something more modern, but I love to see these old obsolete kits done in the manor that they were intended. It's a little bit like a tutorial on what could be done with these old kits straight from the box with some modern skills & materials, & you've done Johan proud with these two Raoul! Steve

My only thought is, what difference does it make? Makes no difference to me what section the moderator believes that a particular post of mine belongs. Move it if you need to. I understand that the moderators here volunteer their time & do their best to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible. But nobody is perfect & they will never catch everything. I do my best to be sure that my posts go into appropriate categories, but on the occasion that the mods feel that something needs to be relocated.......well, who cares? I feel like anybody that thinks that they can do a better job than the current moderators, step up to the plate & volunteer your time. Steve

You don't want an under powered car, believe me! I bought a Mazda truck in '94 with the 3 liter V-6 & while the truck in general was a dependable & well built vehicle, the engine was as gutless as they come. I couldn't use the cruise control on the highway at 65 mph with a 20 mph head wind. The cruise would keep shutting down because the truck could not maintain speed! Just one of many very irritating issues with an under powered vehicle. I really don't understand why a vehicle should be considered under powered these days. The technology to build a powerful engine without all of the turbos, super chargers, etc, exists. It may not be a fair comparison to a Dodge mini van, but the Honda S-2000 that I own has a naturally aspirated 2.2 liter 4 banger that pumps out 240 horse power! Steve

That's the problem with these older Johan promos. No interiors. If it did have one, I'd be all over it!! Steve

I saw them both Chuck, & I'm absolutely not criticizing your work. They are both very well done! But.......well, you understand what I mean. I just wish that they were AMT 1970 Impalas! I actually have never had much of an issue with somebody who wants to build a vintage kit in it's "late life" form, like your first one. Even your current one might be salvageable if some future builder ever got their hands on it & wanted to go back to original. The ones that really make my skin crawl a little are the all out customs! Most times, you can never go back from that. Steve

I agree to this extent. I believe that these pens could be a viable alternative to foil, but only if you plan on masking most of your trim before applying it. I've seen some trim work done with Molotow pens that barely looks better than the Testors "chrome silver" paint of yester-year. If you have trouble painting a straight line with the silver paint, putting it in a pen is of little help. And even then, who knows what the long term durability of this product will be. I know it's very fragile before it's fully cured, & even after, it will still rub off if you handle it too much. I routinely move my models around by grabbing them on either side of the roof by the drip rails. I guarantee you that no matter how durable this stuff is, it's going to come off of those spots eventually. I have kits that were foiled at least 20 years ago that look no different today than they did then. I'll reserve the Molotow pens for places that will rarely, if ever, be touched. Steve

I have the 1mm & 2mm. I use the 1mm directly from the pen for fine touch ups & small parts. Generally, the only time I use the 2mm is when I want to do something very fine & then I'll take a little paint from the tip with a brush & use it that way. I don't use them much. In my opinion, they are no substitute for foil, but they do have their uses. Steve

All of this may be true, but we still need to consider the fact that there will likely never be another '70 Eldorado kit ever produced. Bad kit or not, it's the only one that we will ever have. That being said, I don't have any delusions that I should be dictating how anybody should build their kits, but I just have a genuine soft spot for these old annuals with the realization that they are gone forever, except for whatever bits of them remain. Steve

Finished up a few details recently. Front bumper & grille are finished. (Head lights were drilled out & replaced) Rear bumper & wheels are all detailed & ready to install. Steve

I always have mixed feelings about doing something like this to an obsolete kit. While the work is well done, I can't help but think about the fact that this kit is never coming back. Steve

This is one of the last kits that I built back before my 10 year hiatus, so it was most likely built around '99 or 2,000. Long before I ever joined any forums. To be honest, I have no idea what the first build was that I posted on this forum. Steve

Ditto. I use mold putty instead of Silly Putty, but the result would be the same. With mold putty, you can save the mold for future use & use it over & over again. Most of my old annual interiors have had the original, (nearly non-existent) cranks replaced with ones that I have molded from Laser Bond & chromed with Molotow chrome. Steve

Depends on how shiny you want the end result to be. A gloss base of some sort will give you something closer to chrome. A flat base will give you more of an aluminum look. I have settled on plain old primer as a base for aluminum Alclad. Steve

Molotow chrome pen. Steve

You might want to try Alclad "Dark Aluminum" for that. Polished aluminum will be brighter. Steve

Any clear. I've used Testors & Duplicolor, so I'm sure that it will take just about anything. I don't have any photos of large areas. I use the Alclad paints mainly on smaller areas, but the results should be the same. This '62 Pontiac engine has been detailed with Alclad Polished Aluminum on the bell housing, Steel on the transmission, Dark Aluminum on the exhaust manifolds with a fogging of "Exhaust", & a mixture of Pale Gold & Aluminum for the carbs. Steve

No. It's a lacquer & is fairly durable. It will rub off with a lot of handling but you can clear coat over it & still maintain an aluminum look. Steve