StevenGuthmiller

I've used it a few times & to me it always just looked black. The problem is, it's still "silver" foil underneath, so when you cut it there is a bright edge along every cut side. Plus if you rub it too hard, the black finish will come off. Solvents will also remove the finish, just like the gold foil. Steve

That's something I didn't know. I've never had a '67-'68 Imperial. Steve

I do see a '62 come across the block on ebay occasionally, but you're right, They're very hard to come by! Steve

What can I say Yuri! One of the best looking, ugliest cars I've ever seen! Your work, (and/or photography) just amaze me! Fantastic! Steve

Another Johan "blast from the past" Ludwig! You're a man after my heart! Great looking stuff!! Steve

Thanks guys!! I have a little trick for that Tommy. I cut very thin strips of foil with a straight edge for the long thin strips, & then position them in place. That way I don't have to "contort" myself into unnatural positions to try to get them cut straight. Steve

Looks great Rob! Looks like every motor in every Mopar I've ever owned! Maybe that's why I like to build mine "showroom stock". This looks far too familiar to me! Good job! Keep up the good work! Steve

Your problem may have been "wiping" it clean after sanding. I would wash it with hot water & detergent & air dry it before paint. You may have left behind some dust or other impurity. Steve

While I love just about anything on 4 wheels from the 50s & 60s, the styling on the mid 60s Buicks never really tripped my trigger. But I am coming around! I think I just may need to see more nice built examples. This is your chance to convert me Ron! Steve

This is one of those grand old Johan Oldsmobiles that I came across, that I hope to be re-building in the not too distant future. Steve

There are a lot of old Johan/X-EL promos & kits in 4-door hardtop form. Just gotta find them. In my collection I have a'57 & '59 Olds, a '58 Caddy, and a '59 Desoto. Probably a few others I'm not thinking of. All of the Johan Cadillac & Oldsmobile kits produced between '59 & '61 were 4 doors with the exception of the '60 Olds. Hubley & Revell also made a few from the early 60s. They're out there, just may take a little searching. Steve

Yes they did. Johan never had the Imperials. Steve

Thanks Guys! I've managed to get the interior very close to finished today. All the foiling & detail work is done, as well as the carpet flocking. Just a few minor touches & some assembly & it will be done. Steve

You're correct Wayne. I had forgotten about the Revell kits. I believe Johan gave up Dodge to MPC in '65 also. But the vast majority of Mopar kits were made by Johan prior to that. The Revell kits had slipped my mind. Revell also did a '62 Chrysler New Yorker & a '62 Imperial 4 door. I believe they did Mopar kits for '62 only, but I could be wrong. Steve

I like the idea of the can of clear & airbrushing it on. You can get better control & a thinner coat with an airbrush, & with the quart can, I shouldn't have to buy clear so often. Plus, as I understand it, it's already pre-thinned & ready to spray, which is a plus! I'm definitely going to give it a try. Steve

The first thing that tipped me off was the obvious Mopar valve covers. At this time, Johan had a monopoly on Mopars. Steve

The Monogram '59 Chevy kits are not bad at all for foil usage All of the side trim is plated so that leaves basically the fin & trunk trim & window trim. You want to use up some foil? Try one of these! Steve

I will say that I've had bad reactions with clear coats also. I've had several occasions where I've had clear coats crack on me when using Testors clears. I've since given Testors spray paints the old "heave ho". Had way too many issues with them over the years. I am now using automotive clear coats. I have yet to try airbrushing Duplicolor "Paint Shop" clears, but I think that may be where I'm heading. Steve

I always clear mine as well, regardless of the paint underneath. The main reason that I do it is for depth for polishing purposes. Too many times, I've had a pretty nice paint job that was ruined by polishing through the paint some where. Steve

Yup! Steve

Yeah Bob. That's what was on the built up when I got it. I think a lot of these old Johan kits had them around this time period. I thought about ordering a set of factory wheel covers from Modelhaus, but I never really liked the looks of the '64 hub caps anyway & I've always been partial to wires, so I used them. I added a set of 2 bar spinners from a Lindberg '61 Chevy kit also. Steve

Well, the weather finally broke a little here in Minnesota, so I was able to get outside & get a few "sunshine" photos of the Chrysler. Someone one this thread had requested some & I needed to get them taken anyway, so here they are! Steve

Very cool Ludwig! You don't see a lot of these built, but I'm sure almost ever serious builder/collector probably has one in his stash. One of those faces that only a mother could love! Great work on it!! Steve

As John said, it's a polish, not a wax. I polish mine with Novus polishes all of the time & then detail after with no problems at all. Steve

I gave up on the "oven cleaner" method in favor of "Super Clean". The purple stuff you can pick up at almost any auto parts store. Get a gallon & put enough in a plastic container to submerge your parts. In almost all cases, it will remove all traces of paint any where from a couple of hours, to a few days. You can use it over & over again & when you're ready to get rid of it, it's completely biodegradable. I guess I'm not sure about Rustoleum, but Krylon is a pretty hot paint. I've seen it "craze" plastic without primer. All it takes sometimes is a finger print to give you adhesion problems. Steve