StevenGuthmiller

I also got a tip from Bob @ Kustom Khrome. Many people have told me that the Super Clean is much more efficient if it's warm, although I have yet to try it. He told me to get an old slow cooker, put a little water in it & heat it to no more than 180 degrees. Then place a container filled with Super Clean & the parts to be stripped into the hot water bath & let them sit at that temp for a couple of hours. He claims it really speeds up the process. I may have to try this one, especially for those stubborn paint jobs. Mind you, I wouldn't do this with resin. As we know, resin will soften considerably with heat & you'll likely wind up with warpage. Steve

I never read the book, but I've seen the movie a couple of times over the years. It was fun to watch for the cars, but the acting was just atrocious! The only people who were believable in the whole movie were possibly Harry Dean Stanton as the detective, the guy who played the owner of the junk yard & the old guy who sold Arnie the car. The leading cast was just horrible, especially the kid who played Dennis, Arnie's best friend! I wonder if he ever got another acting job after his appearance in that movie? Steve

Meaning this is what I use also. The Super Clean degreaser in the gallon jug. Steve

Very cool Wayne! I've never gotten a really good close up look at it, but I've seen it cruising around town a few times. It looks to be a real beauty! I'll bet he's the only one on his block to have one! Steve

I agree! This is the way a custom should be done in my opinion. Minimal changes to the original look of the car. Steve

Yes, they do resin parts. But according to their flier, they won't guarantee results. Quote: "Most resin parts do plate well, although the casting must be very smooth & clean of mold release. Clean the resin as though you were stripping it before it is plated using Wesley Tire Cleaner (Bleache White), then clean again with soap & hot water. If your resin parts look rough or dry & chalky, call us for further preparation details. Sorry, WE CAN NOT GUARANTEE RESULTS ON RESIN PARTS." Steve

Oh, don't get me wrong, I really do love that body style. There's a guy in town that I've seen a few times that has a '61 Phoenix convertible. It's white with a green interior. The 1:1 is really an eye catcher if you've never seen one in person. Steve

As a matter of fact Scott, I just got off of the phone with Bob about 20 minutes ago. He explained to me that they have been having major computer hacking problems & are just now getting things back in order. That would explain the delay in responding to my e-mail. We had a very pleasant conversation & I'm pleased to say that I'm looking forward to doing business with him very soon. Bob seemed like a terrific guy! If any one else is interested, I did get some information that may be informative, but I'll decline to start running at the mouth at this moment. If anyone has any specific questions that I can answer, I'll be more than happy to. After seeing their work at the show & hearing about their operation, I'm fairly confident that I will be pleased with the experience. Parts will start getting ready to ship this weekend! Steve

I think it looks great & I'm not a custom kind of guy! I am however, an ugly early '60s Mopar kind of guy!! I just love these '61 Mopars in all of their homely glory! Steve

X2 Steve

Where is it glued? Is it glued around the window frames, or are just the "stretchers" glued to the roof? If it's just glued to the roof, just cut out the stretchers & take the windshield & back glass out separately. Then you can either leave the stretchers in place, or grind them out with a Dremel. I usually have pretty good luck removing glass from old kits & have done it this way numerous times. But I'm usually very careful about buying any built-ups that have even an indication of glue around the A pillars or vent posts. They can be next to impossible to remove if they're heavily glued at those points. Steve

It would surprise me if someone out there isn't already casting replicas of the old Johan '58 Plymouth promo. I would bet that the body proportions on that would be correct. As long as it wasn't cast from one of those warped, twisted and mangled acetate specimens that we usually see! Steve

Absolutely! It has to be clean, clean, clean! Steve

Sweet!! Steve

Fair enough Bill. I really don't have a use for it at this point anyway. But I'll bet it would fit some of the other GM annuals from '61/ '62. Most of the GM cars that I have to build from those years are hardtops @ the moment anyway. Steve

Nice Bill! Hang on to that up top! You know me. I'll bet I could find a use for it if you're willing to part with it! Steve

I've built some curbside kits in about 3 weeks to a month, but nothing really shorter than that. Lately I've been building more detailed builds with engines & they've been taking me an average of around 2 months. But I am still employed full time so I only get time at the bench on the weekends & occasionally a little in the evening. I suspect I could crank them out in about half that time if I was retired. Hopefully someday! Steve

It probably will, but I would plan on doing some grinding to get it to fit properly. The Flintstone castings are pretty thick. The AMT '62 Belair glass will work in my '61 Olds but I had to do quite a bit of thinning around the windshield opening to get it to fit, & it's still not perfect. The fit would probably be much better with vacu-formed glass. Steve

I don't think it's any problem with your device. It's a site issue I have the same thing happen from time to time on my desk top. Usually seems to happen to me with threads that I have quite a few posts in. The more posts, the screwier it gets. Like you, sometimes I'll get a whole bunch of old quotes when I try to quote someone. Other times I'll just click the box just to post a regular message, & get no text box. Steve

Anybody ever use these guys? They supposedly do parts plating. I visited their table at the NNL North show on Sunday & e-mailed them with a few questions & a list of parts I want done on Monday. It's now Thursday morning & I have yet to get a reply to my e-mail. Not a very good first impression at this point. I'll try contacting them again possibly this weekend, but I'm a little disappointed so far. Any insight? Steve

Looks very nice to me Harry! I always like it when someone does one of these in something other than red. You almost get the impression that the '58 Belvedere only came in red! The whole incorrect line thing never really bothered me either. Still looks like a '58 Plymouth to me! As far as fixing the mold lines on the bumper goes, your best bet is to sand them off & have them re-plated. If your not careful about other fixes, you could wind up just making them look worse. I believe when I built mine I just left them alone too. Steve

Very true! I especially like the gray & orange combo. After looking at some paint chips, I found that Desoto offered a color in '57 on the Firesweep called "Dusty Orange". I wonder if that's not the color we're seeing in these photos. Steve

We shouldn't blame the farmers, the Ethanol producers, the gas stations or the auto makers. There's only one entity to blame, & we all know who that is. We have to remember, this is all coming from the same administration who believes they're "saving the planet" by utterly destroying the coal business. Soon, rather than a chicken in every pot, there will be a wind generator in every yard when this bunch gets through. Steve

That's hilarious! I remember seeing in a Civil war documentary about how the men would make their own liquor with things like kerosene! Maybe the E-85 wouldn't be too bad in a pinch. Steve

That's a very noble gesture on all of your parts! Teach them well Scott! The future of the hobby may be in your hands! Steve