StevenGuthmiller

That's a beautiful '62 Dominik!! The tires are throwing me off a little. Something there looks a little strange. Maybe the white wall is a little too far "out" on the sidewall. But in general, it's beautiful! I have a good friend who has a '62 Impala hardtop painted in "Roman Red" & this looks spot on to me. I also like the interior treatment. The "tri-tone" thing looks very classy! Great work! Steve

You don't have to chop them up into little pieces to do a nice build Sonny. You'll never bore me with a stock build. I've always been of the frame of mind that someone got paid big bucks to design cars so that they were aesthetically pleasing to the mass public. They didn't pick garage mechanic bob from down the street to design them. So personally, I've always felt that in general, the manufacturers did it right. & even if they didn't, I feel that this is the way they're "supposed" to look. So build on my friend, & don't ever be embarrassed for building them the way "you" want to build them! Steve

If you can get it in Norway Tommy, Super Clean will clean them up as clean a a whistle in no time. A lot of resin casters will recommend things like Super Clean, (or a different brand like Purple Power) to clean mold release agents. I believe some guys use "Wesley's Bleche White" also. I won't vouch for it as I have not used it. I've also heard some people swear up & down that just a good scrubbing with warm water & dish detergent is all that's needed. For me, the Super Clean works fantastic for removing nearly everything from plastic or resin. From decals & chrome plating, to automotive lacquers. I have a perennial tub of it in my shop at all times. Steve

Welcome Gary! I have been re-living those 1958 years over the past few years myself. Even though I wasn't born until '62. I missed out on those wonderful old kits from that era, so I've been accumulating & building them much to my delight. It really has re-kindled my 40 + year love for the hobby. Steve

I decided many years ago, after seeing a '68 300 in a junk yard in this color, that I would paint mine "Frost Green" when I build it. Used to see a lot of these old Mopars in this color. Steve

I'm loving the '56 Al! My brother in law had one of those in high school. His was 2-tone dark green & mint green. This is another one I would like to find at some point. Who's going to volunteer to start resin casting interiors for all of these X-EL re-pops? If I could get interiors for them, I'd have to build them all! Probably just as well I can't! Steve

There's a rare bird Peter, & in great shape! I would venture to say, probably the rarest of the Johan Oldsmobiles! Steve

I do the same thing. Even though I don't feel like doing anything, once I get started & get engrossed in what I'm doing, I actually find it hard to stop! Usually my back starts hurting & then I know it's time to quit for the night. Steve

Great stuff Peter, but you're going to have to have yourself frozen & come back for a second time if you plan on building everything you've acquired just in the past few months! Steve

Exactly what I was after! I have one of the '57s to do something with in the future. Still need a '58. Nice stuff Helmut! Steve

Fantastic Al!! I actually owned a 1:1 '67 300 & I have the '67 & '68 kits to build someday. Come to think of it I have a '68 X-EL convertible promo as well. My '67 was almost exactly the same color with a black vinyl top & interior, so yeah.....I've got a bit of a soft spot for this body style. Terrific work Al! Steve

As far as building models goes, there's no rule that says every kit has to have every nut & bolt. Try something a little simpler. A curbside build or the like. Something that you can finish in a month to get the juices flowing. 15 years ago, I was lucky to finish a kit a year myself, but for me, the lack of interest was subject matter. I just got tired of building the same kits over & over, plus I would get bogged down with engine & chassis detail. Since I started building a lot of old annual curbside kits, I find it keeps my interest piqued. Don't get me wrong, I still have to force myself to get into the shop on occasion, but I think that just comes with the territory. Everybody needs a break from everything once in a while, but my experience has been, if the break goes too long, you may never get back to it. My last break lasted over 10 years, but now that I have several dozen kits that I'm really excited about building, I'm hoping another break will not be coming soon. Steve

I just picked up a Jimmy Flintstone '61 88 hardtop That I'm very excited about! Super nice clean casting. Although the rear bumper required a bit of grinding to get it to look like a bumper. Steve

In light of Ron Hamilton's recent '65 Olds 88 build, I think it would be good time to see some full sized Oldsmobiles. In my opinion, big Olds' have been woefully under represented in the kit world. The new Revell '50 aside, The only other Oldsmobiles that were ever offered were the Johan & X-EL kits from 1957-1963 & the fore mentioned '65 AMT kit, that I know of. I'd like to see what others have done with some of those kits. Please, no Cutlass's, & lets refrain from the '50. I'm looking for those '57s-'63s. By all means Ron, feel free to post your '65! I'll get things started with a Johan '60 Olds 98 Scenicoupe. Steve

My dad had a '59 Savoy 2 door sedan in the late 60s when I was about 5 or 6. It was a second car for a while & then it began to have some mechanical issues. I remember it sitting beside the house & spending many hours behind the wheel pretending to be a young driver. Finally, one day it was gone, sold to the highest bidder. Wish I had it now! Steve

AMT did do a kit of the '65 88 hardtop. I've bid on a couple on ebay but never had deep enough pockets! They don't seem to come up very often. Terrific Job Ron! It's kind of sad that the full size Olds kits pretty much went away after '63. That is, except for this one, & a couple in the '70s Steve

Thanks guys! It really doesn't take any particular skill, just a lot of patience & a good magnifier! Steve

I use almost exclusively automotive lacquers for my builds, whether it's an airbrush or from a spray can like Duplicolor. Yes, it is absolutely necessary to prime well before using these types of paint. You can airbrush your primer if you like, but I just use a good sandable automotive primer from Duplicolor. I keep a can of each, red, gray & white on hand at all times. But if you use an automotive lacquer primer, be warned, the primer itself is "hotter" than hobby primers & can etch the plastic also. Start with very light coats & get heavier as you go. Steve

Believe it or not Steve, I had thought of that too. As a matter of fact, I spent a half hour or so searching around my garage for some screen that I knew I had at one time. I was going to use it on a build a year ago or so. I never did find it. I'm planning on a '61 Ford Starliner build soon that I'd like to do a diamond pattern on the seats that something like that might work for. It's going to be one of my very few mild custom builds. Steve

Thanks guys! I managed to get the other front seat done this afternoon. One more back seat & the drivers side door panels & I can breath again! Seriously, my back can't take another hour leaning over a work bench!! Steve

Thanks Bill. I've thought about trying the same technique with different materials. I just haven't tried it yet. I always thought a piece of an old pair of pantyhose stretched over the area to paint might work. I've also thought about pantyhose material stretched over a rear package shelf & painted might give a nice textured affect to an otherwise boring shelf. Now I just need to talk my wife out of some of her hosiery! Steve

Well, all kidding aside Steve, terrific job!! Steve

Just a couple more pics of the body after applying the Alclad to the side trim. Should be ready for foil! Steve

I imagine he meant the difference between the Chevelle & the Beaumont as the Beaumont was basically a Chevelle in Pontiac clothing. I've always found it interesting how a lot of Canadian cars were a "mish-mash" of different models back then. The "Plodges" from the late 50s & early 60s were always interesting to me. Basically a Dodge with a Plymouth front clip & interior. Steve

Thanks guys. I'm guessing the masking process has taken me about an hour to an hour & a half per seat. I'm hoping to have the other half done sometime this evening. That'll be the bulk of the interior work. At least the tough part. Finished up polishing the body last night as well, & I hope to be shooting some Alclad on the aluminum side panels today. If I can get all that done, I can start foiling the body, & get a start on the interior detailing in the evenings this week. Steve