StevenGuthmiller

Wasn’t intentional, but I guess it works. 😉 Steve

You can use WD-40 on any type of paint. a little on a cotton swab will wipe it right off. Just be cognizant that once you’ve used it, if any additional coats of paint or decals are required, the model will need to be cleaned well with plenty of warm water and a grease cutting dish washing detergent. Steve

Wow! I guess there are some people that just have no sense of style! This is a prime example of the problem that I often have with custom cars. Everybody thinks that they're a "designer". 🤮 Steve

I can’t say that I really have a “favorite” hubcap. There are interesting, or good looking ones, and there are others that are mundane and boring. I guess looking at it from the model building perspective, there are a few that I’ve used on some of my projects that I really like the look of. A couple that come to mind are the wheel covers on the ‘67 Galaxie, and the Pontiac 8-lug reminiscent hubcaps on the ‘64 Bonneville. That said, I’ve also had some sort of affinity for Dodge 4-bar spinners, and Edsel caps. Steve

Just on eBay. you can get them in many different sizes and shapes. Steve

Doesn’t the Revell ‘65 Z16 Chevelle have those hubcaps as well? Steve

For something larger like that, I usually shave off the majority of it with a #11 blade, leaving just a tiny bit of it still evident above the surface, and then sand the rest. For areas more difficult to get to, such as large pin marks on an interior floor, I use a flat chisel blade, but use a scraping motion with the blade at a 90 degree angle to the work instead of trying to cut or chisel it off. Once you’re down very close to the surrounding surface, you can finish with a little sanding. Steve

I’ve seen some pretty decent looking stock wheels on some modern vehicles, (and some pretty darn ugly ones). I’m pretty partial to the wheels on my 2005 Honda S-2000, but then again, I might be bit biased. 😊 Steve

For aftermarket, Cragar S/S, no doubt. For stock rims, it’s a toss up between Magnums, or Pontiac Rally II. Steve

https://alclad2.com/ Steve

Shot this short video to illustrate how quickly the hood display can be changed. Steve

I haven't to this point, but I suppose that could be an option......if space is available. I used the same technique for my '68 Dodge. Steve

Plain old Testors “Metallic Silver” enamel has pretty accurate particles if you don’t mind working with enamel rattle cans. It sprays pretty nice, lays down thin and flat, and once done, a couple of coats of a compatible clear will gloss it up nicely. The biggest drawback is that it doesn’t have very good adhesion, so if you plan on doing any masking over it, you might want to choose something else. I’ve had very good luck with a number of the silvers that MCW offers in their lacquer line. Steve

I've been doing something similar for a while, but in a slightly different way. Using the magnets, I've been making the hood hinges removable so that the model can be displayed with the hood in the open position, closed, or removed completely to better display the engine. It's not as "self contained" as the hinges need to be kept separately with the model, but it eliminates the slots in the firewall, which I always had disdain for. Steve

Thanks John. Got a little more time in the shop today, working on a few upgrades on the intake. Being as the valley pan area of this engine will be at least partially exposed, I began constructing a valley pan of sorts, and then began working on some added details on the intake manifolds themselves by adding some flanges where they bolt to the head, doing some sanding to better depict the shape of the manifolds, and beginning to add some points where accessories are bolted to them. Hopefully they’ll look a little better than original. Steve

I'm not sure what you're looking for, but the "oldest" model kits, (as far as cars go) were probably made of wood and came much earlier than plastic kits. Plastic car models started somewhere in the early to mid 50s, (my guess) and were assembled promotional models made of acetate plastic. The way I look at it, the styrene plastic model kit really began, (or at least began to take off) in 1958 with the beginning of the "annual" kit. AMT and SMP were probably the most prolific, offering a number of different makes and models. Johan jumped on the band wagon around 1959, although they had also been heavily involved in the promo market prior. I don't know where Revell fell into the picture, but my guess is in a similar time frame. It's quite possible, (or probable) that there were some rogue earlier kits than 1958, but I think it's generally accepted that that was the genesis of the modern plastic model kit. I have a number of AMT/SMP models from 1958, but I doubt that you would be able to call them "the oldest model kit". I'm sure others may have a more comprehensive take on very early kits that I'm not particularly familiar with. Here are a few of my AMT/SMP 1958 annuals. Steve

Thanks guys! Steve

The latest edition of Fine Scale Modeler arrived recently, which contains my '64 Bonneville. This should be the end of my magazine appearances for a while. Steve

I’m lucky to be alive! 😬 Steve

I took metal shop in high school. The only thing I remember learning was how to make a miniature cannon! 😁 Steve

I built one of them way back when I was still in my late teens. I don’t remember it being a particularly difficult kit. Just much more technically advanced than everything else at the time. I seem to remember a few minor fitment issues, but I can’t imagine that would cause me much heartache today. It was a pretty well engineered kit if my memory serves me. Steve

Nope. The only intimidation that I ever feel is when I’m working on a rare, obsolete kit that would be very difficult to replace in the event that I would mess it up. Otherwise, it’s just plastic. Besides, it’s a Tamiya kit. I thought they were supposed to pretty much fall together. 😉 Steve

Just spending a little time in the shop working on engine bay configuration. These are the types of things that are absolutely required when doing a lot of retrofitting and bashing. As I'm adding modified fender wells from another source, the engine intake set up is very consequential to how well the intake and fender wells will play together. It appears that I'm on the right track. This is the kind of engineering that I've really come to enjoy. Focusing on the little stuff so that it won't come back to bite me later on. Really looking forward to some more of the detail things in the future. I've got a million little ideas in my head. Steve

All true.......right now. But as with every other technology, things progress, and sometimes very quickly. Often far beyond what we can currently imagine. I remember spending over $700.00 on my first VCR. Now you couldn't give one away. Steve

Just one to my knowledge. Just above the rear bumper. Steve