StevenGuthmiller

Cool!!! Thanks for your help Darren! It's greatly appreciated! Steve

That's funny Darren, because my original intention was to go to Hobby Lobby & pick up some modeling clay & try the same technique you've described with clay for the mold & just some Testors "Window Maker" glue for the cranks. When I got there & started looking at the casting kits, I decided to try that. Steve

Looks great Darren! That's all I needed to see! If you can do that with one of these kits, a few window cranks should be a snap! One question though. How many times can a mold be re-used? If I could get a couple dozen sets of window cranks out of this mold, it would be well worth the price! Steve

I like it Bill! Although the car in the photo is a Monterey, not a Parklane. But the yellow does look sharp! & I actually like the metallic brown interior. I think if I was doing it in the yellow, I'd think seriously about that color interior. The hubcaps on mine are original to the kit, but I swiped the wheels from another kit & used a set if Modelhaus tires. I do actually have a set of the hubcaps from Modelhaus that I will eventually be using for the hardtop when I build it. They look every bit as good as the originals. Funny part is, I ordered a set of '60 Merc hubcaps many years ago for a glue bomb convertible that I came across but never built, so when I got a hold of the hardtop, I thought I was good for hubcaps. Unfortunately, Over the years, I lost one of them & had to buy another set. So if it helps at all, I have a set of 3 hubcaps I don't need. Steve

That's good to know Darren. I was really just taking a shot in the dark with this. I have no experience with casting resin parts. I removed a couple of window cranks from a Revell '59 Chevy kit & have the silicon mold curing right now. Instructions say 8-18 hours to cure & then I'll try casting & see if it was worth the $30.00. Steve

That's the best part about chrome plated bumpers on these old kits. It acts as a barrier to the model cement. Sometimes, if they didn't go too heavy on the glue, it won't damage the bumpers. The back up lights on this kit did not have separate lenses. I'm confident you don't need mine Bill. I'm sure yours will look great when it's finished. Steve

The artist was Andrew Gold. Steve

Correct!

Picked this up today @ Hobby Lobby. Thought I'd try my hand at casting a few small parts that I always seem to be in need of, like window cranks & mirrors. I'm starting small with a few window cranks. I'll let you know how it goes. Steve

"And if it's bad, don't let it get you down, you can take it. And if it hurts, don't let them see you cry, you can take it." Steve

"He was born on a summer day, 1951, and with the slap of a hand he landed as an only son." Steve

"They rode the sunset, horse was made of steel, chased a gringo last night through a field." Steve

Very nice Ken! Steve

Whoever designed the "Slingshot" obviously has no sense of style. I can't find one part of the entire thing that you could say "flows". Hell, even the wheels are ugly. I wouldn't let my best friend park one in my driveway, just like I won't let my mother-in-law park her Pontiac Aztec in my driveway! Steve

Nice Bill! Let me guess.....Does it have the custom tail lights glued in? That was one of the hardest parts about finding a good candidate for restoration. Everybody seemed to want to glue in those "bubble" tail lights, usually ruining the rear bumper. I finally found a good, mostly unbuilt kit without the tail lights installed. I still have a very nice '60 Merc hard top to build. I just need to find a decent rear bumper! Steve

In my opinion, every kit should have some sort of treatment on the glass to add realism. See how many photos of real cars you can find where the glass is crystal clear. They almost always have at least little bit of a "green" tint to them. Hans may have gotten a bit carried away on this one, but I think he has the right intention. Perfectly clear glass on a build makes it look like......a model car. I've struggled for a while with a good technique for doing glass, & I think I've finally found a good & relatively easy system. First I mask & spray that "strip" along the top with a mixture of Testors clear blue & clear green acrylic thinned for airbrushing, then un-mask & shoot a light coat of Testors lacquer window tint. I think it gives a much more realistic look than leaving it clear, & a less "stark" look than just spraying the strip on the top. Steve

I haven't built anything "new" for at least 3 years Bill. Pretty much all old annuals prior to 1965. & I've been having the time of my life! My wallet, on the other hand, has not! Steve

No big deal Peter. After all, what is coral? a shade of pink. It reminds me of a situation I had with a brother-in-law of mine years ago. He had a '57 Nomad he was restoring & I went over to look at it shortly after it came back from the painter. I said, "It's pink!" He scowled at me & said very sternly, "It's not pink, it's salmon!" Sometimes calling someones pride & joy "pink" can bring up they're blood pressure I guess. Steve

Yes they are Stan! But I think I've got 'em! Steve

I don't know either Mike, but if the Testors clears are that finicky, there should be some sort of "heads up" on the instructions other than "After 2 hours", or "anytime". There's a lot of gray area there. Steve

"The AMT '58 Bonneville was an "annual" kit & was manufactured just like the real car, in one year only, 1958. That's why they're becoming so scarce & expensive. They can be found, but plan on spending in excess of $200.00 if you're looking for an "unbuilt" kit. Steve

I actually kind of enjoyed doing the tri-tone interiors I've done in the past. Yes, they're a lot of work, but the results are great! The '61 Bonneville I built actually has a "Quad-tone" interior. White, silver & 2 shades of blue. Steve

There are lots of different shades of coral Peter. The one I used on this top is a '59 Dodge color that's actually called "Coral". In the pics below, there's a '59 Dodge in this same coral with a pink called "Rose Quartz", a '58 Chevy in correct "Cay Coral" & even a '63 Ford truck with the top & accents painted in a '59 Chevy color called "Cameo Coral". I also have a '57 Ford color called "Coral Sand" that I have yet to use that's very orange. So, you see Peter, coral is just like any other color. Lots of different shades. Steve

Could have got a set of tires from Modelhaus @ the same time. I love his tires! Just as good or better than anything else on the market. I just ordered 4 more sets myself recently. I know what you mean about these old annual tires. I've got a whole box of them. I never re-use them. Yeah, you really have to have a "system" for getting wheels out of these tires without damaging the wheel. I don't think you could hurt those tires with a blow torch & a sledge hammer! Steve

Most of the foil is actually pretty basic stuff on this one Rich, Just those long, thin, straight pieces on the fins are a little un-nerving! That's where the blue painters tape comes in real handy! Steve