StevenGuthmiller

Thanks guys. I do have a couple of tricks that I use Amere. Number 1 is to try to make sure the trim is as smooth as possible. I don't always live up to this one myself, but doing a little light sanding on the trim to try to eliminate some of the "orange peel" from the paint is helpful. The second thing I do is lay a piece of blue painters tape along side long, straight sections of trim & let the blade ride on the edge of the tape. This helps keep those long sections straight, because if your like me, it can be very difficult to keep those straight. If nothing else, the "blue" tape gives a color contrast so it's easier to follow your edge. Third.... just rub, rub, rub! The more you "burnish" the foil, the "brighter" it will become. Just a couple of techniques I use. Steve

Very Nice Al!! I had a good friend growing up who was a huge Nova guy. Last one I remember him having was a red '74 SS. Last time I saw it, it had a blower sticking out of the hood! I also remember an uncle of mine owning a Bi-centennial edition Nova. I believe it was a '75. White with a red interior & blue & red stripes. Steve

Here's another early '60s build I finished maybe a year ago. An AMT 1961 Ford Sunliner convertible. Finished in MCW "Desert Gold" with a black & yellow interior. Almost box stock again. This time I added a set of steel wheels & dog dish caps from the AMT '60 Starliner kit & a set of old "Satco" wide whites I happened to have laying around. Still looking for an orginal '61 Starliner annual. They seem to be almost non-existant unless you're satisfied with a promo. The '61 is my favorite early 60s Ford design. Steve

I'll be painting the molded in tail lights with Testors stop light red Chris. That's what I usually do. I try to avoid doing too many modifications to these old kits. I like to keep them as original as possible & just try to focus on detailing whats there. Steve

I was trying to figure out where I had seen that color before! I love it!! Perfect color for that era. Those "muted" blues & greens were pretty common in the 40s-early 50s. The flames are a fantastic bonus, & very well done! All I can picture is the new '50 Olds in a similar scheme.....Hmmmm. Steve

Thanks for all of the great comments guys! Makes me want to get busy on the next one. I agree Al. I think the '59 was the nicest looking of the three also. A little more "subdued" than the '58, & the '60 was pretty much a '60 Ford with a "face lift". Steve

No problem Rich. I had sent a private message to the "asker" so there's no way you would have known. It just so happened, they were in nice shape & fit perfectly, so I used them. I like the looks of the spinners on it. Steve

Thanks everybody!! Actually guys, the upholstery pattern is pretty simple. Just started by spraying th entire tub red. Then after cutting a bunch of very thin pieces of tape, I applied them in a "cross hatched" pattern. I then put a light coat of "Dullcoat" over the entire upholstery area. (This helps prevent "bleed under") & what does bleed under is clear. Then I just painted every other rectangle gray or dark red to achieve the "checker board" pattern. After all of the interior is painted, I over coated the entire tub with a light coat of "Ceramcoat" pearl just to give it a nice 50s-60s sheen. Not rocket science, just takes time. Steve

Actually Rich, These were snatched from an old 1961 Plymouth Kit & glued to the stock caps. Steve

Beautiful!!! Steve

I see where you're coming from guys. The white seats are a little "funky". In my opinion, all black would have been the best choice, especially with the black "stinger" on the hood. But all tan, or even red would have looked good. But, overall, a very nice build Michael! The paint & detailing are exceptional! Steve

The 1959 Edsel advertising said, "Making history by Making Sense". Well, maybe the Edsel didn't make a lot of sense at the time, but it definately made history! This kit started life as a "Junior Trophy Series" kit, so it's not a "true" annual but it came from the same mold. Painted in "President Red" & "Snow White", (Well, actually Duplicolor GM Bright Red & Dover/Arctic White) But hey, red is red & white is white. Any body who followed this build knows about the hand painted upholstery pattern. Not factory correct, I know, but it needed some "jazzing" up.The chrome has been redone, an original continental kit added & some photo etched "EDSEL" scripts applied. I also added the chrome "ribs" to the continental deck. A set of "parts pack" wide whites & a stolen mirror from the '58 Edsel & that was all she wrote! Thanks. Steve

Well, The Edsel is finally finished! Pics to be posted in "Under Glass". Thanks for all of the great comments & conversation guys! On to the next project! Steve

Very nice Michael!! I especially love your color choice! I get so tired of seeing the "usual" colors. Great job!! Steve

No Rich. It's an original AMT annual. I actually picked this one up on e-bay as an intact built kit for a pretty reasonable price. Had a very minor chip on a fin tip & 2 broken chassis mount posts. Both easy fixes. Of course, these '58 Buicks, along with the '58 Bonneville didn't originally come with the stock hubcaps, so this one's getting a set of Modelhaus 2 bar spinner Buick wires. In my opinion, a vast improvement over the stock Buick caps anyway. I sanded off the "wimpy" door handles & will add a set of chrome ones from, most likely, a '55 Chevy kit. I'm also probably adding a continental kit. Steve

Thanks guys! I know the feeling. There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel as far as getting all of these builds done! But I'll give it the old college try! I usually seem to manage one finished every couple of months. Gary, I actually have a '60 Merc hard top that I started a while back. Had some problems with the paint & it's a multiple coat lacquer paint job. Haven't had the desire to strip it yet. Steve

Thought I'd throw a couple shots of my up-coming '58 Buick Roadmaster build at ya. Steve

That's Hilarious Dave!! Without the horse collar, It's not really an Edsel! Steve

Now that the '59 Edsel is in the final stages of construction, It's time to gear up for the next few builds. The '60 Mercury convertible has already been started. Painted basic black, it will have a red & black interior. Looks terrible right now! Been collecting dust for a few weeks, & you know black! The '59 Mercury is another "Jr. Craftsman" kit. Going with a medium metallic green & black on this one. The '60 Edsel will be a medium shade of metallic brown. Not a factory color but I couldn't find a factory color for it I really liked. Also have a '58 Buick Roadmaster I've got pretty close to completion. Just waiting for chrome to come back on that one. That'll give me a good start on the vintage kits I have yet to build. Probably at least a dozen more will bring up the rear. That is, as long as I don't add anymore to that list! Steve

Like I said some where on this forum before Gary, I believe a lot of what the model companies are doing is producing kits that they can do over & over again in slightly different configurations to maximize profit. With the new Mobius kits the recipe seems to be factory stock & racing vesions. Every kit they've produced so far has been closely followed by a race version. Nothing wrong with that mind you. They need to make a profit to stay in business, but that's where the decision lies "not" to do a '59 Chevy wagon. Not a real good candidate for a custom & nobody ever raced them. Although, Revell could do one with a minimum of new tooling from their hardtop & convertible kits. I think they do listen to some extent. I've seen a few model car surveys done by the companies. Problem is, in this day & age, the '57 Buicks get booted in favor for some new super car kit. Steve

I'd thought about that. Just didn't know if it would work in this scale, or if you could get a light enough tint to look stock. Steve

I spent the past two days failing miserably at tinting the glass on this build! I can't quite figure out the malfunction, but I've come to the conclusion that this old glass was never meant to be painted. After several attempts which ended with everything from "fogging" to "beading" I've decided this one is gonna have clear glass. Tried two different types of paint with two different delivery methods, (airbrush & spray can) and got several results. None of which were good. I've tinted glass on kits in the past & have had few issues. I even tested the Testors clear black I was going to use on this one on a scrap windshield with terrific results. When I tried it on the '59......No go!! Oh well, I built models for 40 years without tinting the glass & never had an problem with it. Steve

Very cool color color Jeff! I don't know, I think the steel gray look of the bumpers works nicely with it! Steve

Beautiful!!! & the background reminds me of grandpa's old Oldsmobile sitting in storage in a warehouse some where. Fantastic! Steve

I would love to do the same Richard, & I've also been working towards that goal. Unfortunately, The kit manufacturers have left us with far too many holes from that era, some of which will probably never be filled. I would love to see a '56 Desoto Adventurer, or a '57 Buick kit some day, but I'll tell you, I'm not gonna hold my breath! The resin casters can fill some of these holes, but I'm afraid some of the great old cars of the 50s will never see 1/25th scale. Steve