StevenGuthmiller

Boy! That would be a real heart breaker to see in a tow lot! Nice job Mike! Steve

I've used a similar method that works ok. I use mostly clear with just a dab of white & a dab of metallic silver. Probably not the best outcome available, but not too labor intensive either if you're looking for a quick solution. I still use this method quite often for parking & backup lights. Steve

It takes a little practice but it's really not difficult once you learn the basics, & maybe a few "tricks of the trade". I've been building for nearly 45 years & I still don't do a lot of those things. All depends on what you're interested in. You can build some very nice models that don't even have engines & rudimentary chassis, with a little attention to detail. If a high level of mechanical detail is what you crave, go for it. Personally, I like to focus on external details. This '59 Dodge Royal Lancer has no engine & a flat chassis plate with absolutely no detail, but it can still make a nice shelf build. Now, if you're into the mechanical stuff, you could go nuts on this one with some "donor" parts. Steve

For someone who considers himself a "beginner", it looks like you're a very quick learner! Get yourself some Bare Metal Foil for the trim & a polishing kit for the paint & you'll be running with the "big dogs" in very short order! Nice work on all of them! Steve

I do it quite often. If I happen to get a piece cut crooked or get a wrinkle in it or whatever, off it comes. Steve

I recently received a set of Keystone Classics in a trade that I believe came from an old Johan Sox & Martin Cuda kit, but that won't help you much. There was also a set in the AMT 1951 Chevy Belair hardtop kit at one point. Probably others, but I'm not sure which. Steve

Welcome Keith! Don't let the BMF intimidate you. Just dive in! After all, unlike many other things in our hobby, applying BMF is pretty forgiving. If you don't like how it looks, you can just pull it off & try again. Steve

My guess would be that red interior would have been available with the black body if red was available at all. By special order if nothing else. A red interior would only go well with red, black, white & possibly silver. Back in these days you could get virtually any color interior available in the brochure with black or white paint. Steve

I've always felt that way about a lot of '68s. Funny how the '69s seem to suck up all of the oxygen for designs that really came about in '68 '68 Chevelle, '68 Road Runner, '68 Charger, '68 Coronet, all of which I think look better than their '69 brethren. My favorite attribute from the '68 442 was the front fender stripe. I think it really set it off & made it somewhat unique. The only thing I didn't like about the '68 was the spaced out headlights with the parking light between them. An Oldsmobile trait that I never cared for. Steve

Depends on the paint. I still occasionally have issues with some flat paints. Especially flat black. Steve

2nd pic, bottom 2 bumpers, above the red tail light sprue, are custom parts from the AMT '70 Impala kit, & the one above that is the custom grille from the '63 Galaxie I believe. Bottom one in pic three is a "square bird" rear bumper. Most likely the Monogram '58. Steve

I built a couple of Nascar kits many years ago & lost interest very quickly. First of all, I.m not a huge racing fan, whether it's Nascar, drag racing, Indy.....whatever. 2nd, under the skin, they're pretty much all the same car. So unless you enjoy building the same kit over & over again with a different paint job......Well, you catch my drift. Steve

I've found that the Testors lacquer metallics are all far too large for 1/25th scale. It really kind of irritates me that a company that makes paint for largely 1/25th scale can't seem to get their metallics a little closer. People complain about the kit companies getting a body line slightly off on a particular kit. This is completely inexcusable to me. It would not be difficult to change their formula slightly to get that a little closer to correct. Seems to be total laziness! But, all that said, you did a terrific job on this Ford......& speedy too! Steve

Unbelievable! Outside of the paint having far too much metallic in it, I think it looks pretty nice! Steve

Good looking Impala Pat! Love the '67! Steve

Thanks Guys! Yeah Bill, it's a little frustrating for me. I was on a pretty good roll for the past few years, finishing about 1 build per month & I felt pretty good about finally producing something. Now I'm down to about 1 every 2 months & I feel like it's a struggle to get that much done. I guess I just have to quit working! Steve

I don't know what everyone else does, but I completely clean mine after every use. Whether it's going to be used again in 20 minutes, or 20 days. It only takes a few minutes to clean it, & I'd rather be safe than sorry. Steve

This build has been going much slower than I anticipated. Mostly due to work changes that have me a lot busier during the day so I have less energy & drive on weekday evenings. It's a real pisser! I would love to get back to the production I had several months ago, but I guess it is what it is. Anyway, I at least finished up the interior this afternoon. Hopefully I'll get more foiling finished on the body this evening & then get going on the engine & chassis tomorrow. Steve

Looks like a Johan '63 Starfire to me. The only '64 Olds kitted was an AMT '64 Cutlass to my knowledge. This looks to be a full size car & appears to be a Johan kit. Steve

Looks like it could have been one of those kits that was passed down from big brother to little brother..........possibly several times. And embellished each time! I'm not seeing much for usable parts, unless you happen to need a dash & steering wheel for a '63 Olds. Steve

Another reason that I landed on lacquer & stuck with it. You have much better options with detailing later. There are just too many things that can go wrong with something as fragile as an acrylic craft paint. I use craft paints a lot for detailing. Why? because it's easy to remove. A trait I don't want in my paint jobs. Anything that can be removed with a little water & some rubbing is not a good candidate for a body paint IMO. At the very least I would stick with something a little more durable in the acrylic world than craft acrylics. Testors has an entire line of acrylics designed for modeling. Probably better off to start there. Or with Aztec as Frank suggested. Steve

I'm no fan of "rat rods" either, but they're all over the place. At the last car show I attended, I saw dozens of them. They don't seem to be going anywhere. Steve

I guess that's what you would call a true "rat rod". I'm guessing there may even be a rat or two! Steve

Looks terrific Dominik!! Although I do miss the wide white walls. Great job! Steve

Modelhaus has nice Buick wires too. I used them on mine. Steve