StevenGuthmiller

Funny you should mention that Joe. I think I got a bad can of clear coat at some point. For some mysterious reason this clear coat is not fully curing. Maybe it just needs more time, but usually the Duplicolor clear that I use is fully cured within a few days, or at least well enough where it's completely hard. This one is still soft on the surface after drying for a couple of weeks! It hasn't been a major problem, but I do have to be very careful about what comes in contact with the body. When I masked for the blacked out panel around the tail lights, the tape left it's impression in the paint in spots. Same thing when I masked for the top. This time I used tin foil thinking that it would minimize tape on the body & eliminate any further paint marking. Unfortunately, in some places where the foil touched the body, it also left marks. So far, this hasn't been much of a problem because the marks polish out pretty easily, But I'm a bit worried that the paint may never fully cure. Steve

This AMT 1963 Buick Electra hard top just showed up today. Got a pretty good deal on this one. A very nice, easily restored example for $35.00. Steve

Just a small update on the top. I'm still not 100% happy with it, but I'm thinking I'll most likely live with it. I may do a little tweaking, but for the most part, it's done. Steve

Thanks guys! I'm not sure if I could find anything that thin around here, but it's possible. But, that being said, this is working quite well for something I originally thought would most likely wind up in the trash. The only real draw back is the fact that if you look at it very close, you can actually see the "pixels" in the decal from the printing process. I guess printing technology was a little lacking in 1965! I monkeyed around a little with "rubbing" it out last night, & it doesn't seem to be working as well on the dulcoat as it does on bare flat paint. But I shot an extremely light coat of pearl over the color & wanted something over it to protect the acrylic pearl paint. I have used a little polish on interiors & tops in the past to get the same affect as the "finger oil" technique. I'll probably give that a try tonight. Steve

Well, the top is not exactly "done", but almost. Just need to do the old "rub it with the finger" technique, and then it will be done. Figured I should let it cure for a bit first. Steve

Here's something that turned up in a quick search. The package says "lift & place" so I assume that they are self adhesive. Steve

You would surely think that someone should carry something similar. I would almost think that a "contact paper" would work. Can't be a lot different than this. I'll bet if a guy checked around you could find something close at a Hobby Lobby or something. Finding something within the correct scale might be the difficult part. Steve

Couple of shots of the console. Steve

I finally got a chance to try out that 50 year old adhesive wood grain decal. Worked surprisingly well. I'm still a little surprised about how well it sticks after all of these years! Sticks every bit as well as BMF, all though it's a little thicker & therefore a little harder to work with, but it beats the hell out of trying to replicate it with paint! Steve

Gotcha Ray. Not sure yet what I'll do for the texture, but the paint has already been chosen so I'll have to make it work. I used strips of .007 plastic film for the seams. Seems to have worked pretty well, but I'll know for sure once I get some paint on it. Steve

No, it will be a darker green. The pearl is a clear pearl that I use a lot on interiors. Not enough to really give it a metallic finish, but enough to give it a "sheen" without making it too shiny. Steve

I have them all too! Funny thing is, they're all convertibles! You know me, I'm a hardtop guy, but I've never been crazy about the "boxy" hardtops on the early 60s Fords & Mercs. I've already built the '59 & '60. Just have the '61 & '62 to go. Some day I'll add a '63 convertible to the line up also. Steve

I don't think it's sold much of any place any more. I haven't seen a can of Plasti Kote in many years! Steve

Cool! The light blue one looks to be in nice condition! The darker blue might take a little work. Steve

Nice Bill! I've had a couple of these also. I recently traded one off but still have a pretty good convertible with the up top in my stash. Problem is, the up top is pretty much permanently "welded" to the windshield frame. Like you, it's saved for another day. Steve

Thanks Bill. I will be doing things a little different though. A portion of this will be done with an air brush. The color will be airbrushed on, as well as a very light dusting of pearl. I'll use a can for primer, & I'll most likely shoot a dullcoat out of a can over the top to protect the pearl & then rub that out with my fingers. So I'm not 100% sure which coats will be the best "texture coats". Primer won't give much texture as won't the dullcoat. The pearl will go on so light as to be nearly imperceptible. So I guess that leaves the color coats to do the job. We'll see how it goes. I already started to apply the "seams" to the top but decided to use strips of .007 clear plastic film instead of styrene. In this situation, the thinner the better. Steve

No I haven't Jim, but I think pretty much any paint will give a texture when shot from a distance. Hell, isn't orange peel what we all struggle with when painting bodies? After all of these years of trying to perfect a beautiful, smooth paint job, I'm a little nervous about what will happen when I "try" to get orange peel! Steve

The paint looks good Ray, but the masking tape is the issue. I'm thinking that this is the route that I'll go. I've done pretty much the same thing on several kits. Just never finished one! Steve

I've always noticed it was pretty hot. I always shoot a coat of Testors primer first & then layer on a few light coats of Duplicolor just as I would automotive lacquer. Starting very light & getting a little heavier with each coat. I settled on this method after having issues with using either primer alone. The Duplicolor is too hot on it's own but creates a better barrier to lacquer paint, & Testors is not hot at all, but doesn't have the same "sealing" qualities. But a combination of the two works very well for me. Steve

Thanks Bill. Not that I expect to really enjoy too much of the effects of the tape deteriorating 20 years or more from now, but I'd prefer the top to last as long as the rest of the model. I've dabbled a little in vinyl tops, but I've never been a big fan of them anyway so this will be my first real finished one. When I saw some results & experimented a little on my own with the masking tape method, it looked like the real deal until I started to give it a little thought. I'm really second guessing the whole idea now & am leaning heavily towards getting out the styrene strip & going with the "spattered paint" method. It looks to be the most likely avenue to a good long lasting finish. Steve

After recently dragging an old kit from the bottom of the stash, I've become a bit concerned about the longevity of using masking tape for a vinyl top. The kit I pulled out had some masking tape left on the body more than 20 years ago. The tape had completely deteriorated to the point of becoming almost the texture of dried leaves The adhesive had completely dried up & left it's hardened residue on the body, while the tape itself had curled up on the edges & become extremely brittle. Is this what I can expect in 15 or 20 years if I use masking tape to replicate a vinyl top? I'm hoping someone can enlighten me before I make a big mistake. Steve

Nice work Steve! It's refreshing to see one of these built "without" all the dopey "Dukes" stuff all over it! Steve

I just want to thank everybody for their input. I knew, without a doubt, that the great guys on this forum would come through for me again! At this point, as I'm seeing no evidence of a 2-tone combo being available with a bucket seat interior on the '69 Coronet, I've made the decision to go with basically all green. A few variations in color will be added for a little contrast, but in general it will be fairly monotone & I'll let the wood grain & the chrome trim do the job of breaking it up. Thanks so much everyone! Steve

Thanks everyone! It's looking more & more like the bench seat interiors may have been available in a 2-tone, but I'm seeing no evidence of it ever existing with bucket seats. Steve

Remember, the paint part of MCW was just very recently sold. I wouldn't expect any smooth interaction for a while. I'm sure that there are kinks to work out. Steve