StevenGuthmiller

If I had a local hobby shop again, I would definitely use them. But being as that's no longer an option, it's either Hobby Lobby or online for me. I get different things from different places but one of my main "go to's" is "Model Roundup". Steve http://www.modelroundup.com

Finished the interior tonight! Johan did a really nice job on these mid 60s interior tubs considering that they were "tubs" & not platform style. I started with very nice white plastic, so I left it alone & just shot it with a coat of "pearl". The black was pearl coated as well. The steering wheel & lower dash were not pearl coated, just shot with a gloss coat. The chrome seat backs were not in great shape so I stripped them & sprayed them with Alclad chrome. All of the trim was foiled & detail painted & the carpets & the backs of the seats were "flocked" with metallic black embossing powder. The only added detail parts were a turn signal lever, a pair of door lock buttons & a set of cast window cranks. I tried something new this time & cast the window cranks with "Laser Bond", (ie Bondic) rather than resin. It worked just as well & was much quicker to do. I even added a dab of Laser Bond to the back seat "dome" lights to replicate the lenses. I'm happy with the result. I think it will contrast nicely with the dark red exterior. Steve

And in contrast, I recently traded a USA Oldies '66 Marlin that the chrome was so thin on, you could almost see through it! Steve

Just like every other kit manufacturer, Johan was all over the map with their chrome quality. In general, as Ace stated, the early stuff was much better than the later. I've had Johan kits that had just as much of the base plastic showing as chrome. On the other hand, like in the case of an original '65 Plymouth Fury kit that I have, the chrome is as good or better than any modern kit, & it's 50 years old! Steve

It's the Dart Phoenix. Looks to be an exact replica of the Johan kit. Steve

Those "louvers" on the hood of the '61 Dodge are supposed to be there Tommy. Came from the factory that way. Steve

You're correct Pete. I've been polishing my models for decades but haven't used "wax" in probably 10 or 15. I used to get good results with "The Treatment" pure carnuba model car wax. Maybe I should try some again. Steve

Well John, anything pre-80s would pretty much be classified as vintage in my book. Especially being as the model car hobby didn't really even start until 1958! I get into the kits mostly from the 50s & 60s, but as a some of the guys on this forum will tell you, there's a lot of rare & desirable kits post 70s as well. Looking forward to seeing them. Steve

She's a beauty Jim! I love the color! In fact I love it so much, I used a very similar color for a '61 Bonneville build I did a couple of years ago. The factory color is called "Richelieu Blue" & the color you chose looks very close. Nice work! Steve

Welcome John! I hope you'll be like a lot of us here & will be embarking on a long & addictive life long hobby. I'm anxious to see those "old kits" you picked up. I build a lot of vintage kits & it's always a blast to see what others have. Hopefully you picked up some real gems! Steve

A lot of the suspension, brake, & engine & drive train stuff is interchangeable between the Lemans & even Firebird, & for that matter all of the full sized Pontiacs. I do know that the windshield is exclusive to the Grand Prix in '69. It was the first car ever with the radio antenna in the windshield. Steve

The white hood looks to me like it's probably from either a '65 or '66 Galaxie. The blue hood looks suspiciously like one from a Johan '62 Plymouth. Steve

Some parts are being made, others are still very hard to find. Almost any drive train or suspension parts can be found easily. Body panels & a lot of trim pieces are still not easy to find. As far as I've been able to find, Ames offers rear quarter patch panels, front fender patch panels, rockers, & a trunk lid, as well as some floor panels. But if you need a door or a front fender, you still have to find them the "old fashioned" way, in a junk yard. I spent this afternoon putting the Super Clean to good use. Starting to try & clean the 30 years of grime & discoloration off of the pearl interior upholstery. I was pretty impressed with how well it works! See if you can guess which part of this rear seat has been cleaned. I'll throw in an engine pic for good measure. Steve

This is the "General" category which states: "For general model car hobby or 1:1 automotive related topics". I think this would be "1:1 automotive related". The "1:1 Car & Truck Reference" sections are for reference photos. Steve

I use Turtle Wax "Scratch & Swirl Remover" as the final application on mine when I'm polishing. Right before I add all of the small external parts like mirrors, antennas, hood ornaments, etc, I give it a once over with Novus "Clean & Shine". Steve

I've heard many times of people having this problem, & for the life of me, I can't figure out why. I've never experienced it myself. I guess plenty of primer would be my answer. I usually use as many as 5 coats of primer & have never experienced any bleed through. Steve

It's a '69 Andy. I bought it right out of high school in '81, drove it for about 5 years, & then, shortly after I got married in '87, it went into storage. It was in pretty nice shape when it went in, but has it's issues coming out. There is some rust on the lower body from all of those years of sitting on a sweaty concrete floor, but nothing that can't be fixed. The interior is a big question. The "Pearl" interior has yellowed over time & I doubt that it will ever be white again without re-upholstering everything. The entire drive train has already been gone through. Rebuilt engine, transmission, brakes, exhaust, as well as a new fuel tank, radiator, starter, alternator, etc. A lot of work done, but a long way to go. Steve

The S2000 is my wifes "mid life crisis". The grand Prix is mine! Steve

Just came home today. Finally safe & sound in my own garage. Mechanical things are almost all done. Now the pretty parts can be "re-prettied"! Sad part is, now I'm out of money! Steve

I was wondering the same. Did you spray something over them Rich? Steve

Thanks guys! I'm hoping to get a lot done on the interior this weekend. Didn't get much bench time this past week. Steve

Looks great Tommy! I like it in white! Steve

If you used Duplicolor clear, that is your problem. Duplicolor clear is far too "hot" to shoot over bare plastic. The fogging you're seeing is probably the plastic "crazing". Sanding is probably your only option. Use a milder clear next time like Testors. Steve

I say thank the lord for the ebay parts sellers! I buy parts on ebay all of the time. When you restore a lot of vintage kits like I do, & with Modelhaus going bye-bye, there are not a lot of options if you need a rear bumper for a Johan '65 Plymouth Fury. Steve

I have a Lindberg '66 Olds 442 with a missing tail light, but what seems to happen to me more often is parts that weren't molded properly. Like a half of an AMT '69 GTX convertible top boot & a corner missing from an AMT '62 T-bird up-top, just to name a couple. Steve