microwheel

Looking good so far Joe. I told ya this kit is made for detailing. LOL

More pics coming guys, be patient.. I just got back to work on it today. Mostly spent time getting the body wet sanded and polished. I will be starting back on this build in ernest the first of the week.

Same here. I've used alot of the MCG PE manufacturer sets over the years and have a bunch in my aftermarket suppies to be used yet, and everyone comes with a complete list of what the parts are and what they are for. The only ones that don't are their PE parts like carb linkages and such. But most of those are self explanatory. If you by their carb linkage sets or chasis detail sets or the like, you pretty much already know what your getting. But their full kit detail sets come with a complete list of the parts and what they are for.

Beautiful work on everyone of them Steve. Can't wait to see what you do for this coming year. Be sure I will be watching.

Every one of them are a piece of art

Nice work Dan, followed you every step of the way on this build. The end result was well worth it.

Thanks guys, I have been working a little on the vette, but only little odds and ends. Sorry no pics yet. I plan to get back to work on it in full force after the holidays. In the mean time, I just wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Hey there Joe, looking good. Your plug wires are coming along nicely. Can I offer ya a tip for detailing factory stock wheels? Just something I learned over the years. If you have access to model masters metalizer paints. I found that they flow nicely around detail without eating through the chrome. And it also wipes off the areas of the chrome you want to leave chrome. Using the wheels you did above as a example, with metalizer aluminum, if you free hand brush it on the wheel, even without masking, and get some on areas such as the beauty ring area, on the outer edges, it wipes off fairly easily with a Qtip and /or toothpic, and because of how thin the paint is, it usually flows and dries out pretty smooth. It gives you the look your after without all the work of having to mask off and airbrush.

Thanks Ron

Thanks Ryan, it's a trick I leaned along time ago, it works alot better than trying to mask everything off and then spray painting it, and it really works alot better than hand brushing it, and ending up with a ton of brush strokes in it. Thanks Dave

Thanks David Thanks alot Rich

I almost always use a Airbrush for all my paint work. The one I use is a paasche H series single action airbrush.

Thanks for the comment my friend. As for the window cranks you see on the doors.. those are for the side vent windows not the main door windows. The 67 vette had handle cranks for the side vent windows just like the ones for the main windows if they werent power. otherwise there would be duel cranks on both doors if the kit wasnt designed to be a power window version. here is a reference pic of a power window version... And this is a non-power window version As for the shift knobs on the 67 vette, there were many options available, from black knobs, to white to chrome, and even wood grained. I went with the chrome look knob, most of the 4 speed standard versions were chrome knob shifters, and from what I have seen in my research the ones that weren't were mostly the automatics. Again the two pics above gives you a pretty good idea on this. As for the underside chassis floor pan area, you are correct on those areas being a dark grey bare fiberglass color. Something close to a gunmetal color as far as model paint goes that would be close if it were dull coated with a flat dullcote. My plan is to use the stock configuration on the engine. With the execption of adding a AC system, and maybe a little dressing up. But the engine is a long way off yet as far as the build goes. Hope this helps ya understand my direction with this.

Thanks Alot guys. Finished up the interior this morning. Added seat belts and a photo reduced hot rod mag. Then cemented everything together. The following photos are of the interior test fitted into place. You can tell in the pics that I still got to wet sand and polish out the body. I think that will be the next task on the list of many to get done. I had the camera flash on in some of the pics so it kinda changes the way the body paint looks. It really has a little more copper red look than what some of the pics show. More to come as I get work done on it.........

That should be what your looking for Tom.

I like the wheels on the right of the engine, but if your planning to do a nice custom, then maybe the the ones on the left. I'm sure whatever your choose, though, it will look good when you get it together.

Looking good so far, I think your decal work turned out pretty good.

Hi Joe, looking good, glad to hear Fred helped ya out with your plug wires, he's a good guy. As for working with the wire looms. I learned a long time ago to invest in a tabletop magifier glass with a light, that my wife got me from hobby lobby. I use it alot during all my builds. At my age with my eye sight, I would be lost without it. especially as much as I like to detail. Some of the guys on here have the magnifier glasses that you can get at most hobby shops.

Really neat idea Mike

Hi Tom, your engine work is looking really nice. I'm working on the same kit, and it seems to be pretty nice so far. I think you will enjoy working on it as much as I am. Take snake's advice on the hard top and check out the modelhaus one. I plan to stay with the soft top on mine, but the modelhaus hardtop for the 63 is a really close fit.

Continued from above.. The next few pics are all the interior parts mocked up. Like I said I still have some final detailing and clean up left to do on the interior, but it's almost done. Then it'll be time to move on to the body and chassis of the vette. More to come as I get it done....

Thanks Joe and Stan. Haven't had alot of time to work on the vette the past few weeks, but did finally get some more interior work done the past 2 days. I almost have the interior finished except for a few finishing touches, such as the seatbelts and a few other odds and ends. But here is the progress so far. Sorry if some of the pics are a little too light and some a little dark. Lighting isn't great in my office tonight. I custom mixed the interior color to get as close to a true saddle brown interior as I could. To get the interior color I used all model masters acrylics paints. The mix was a combo of a base of leather mixed with insignia yellow and a touch of insignia red. I was pretty pleased with it and think I got it pretty close to a true saddle brown. I painted the interior tub and when it was dry I hand brushed a thinned coat of the interior color on the carpet areas and then while that was still wet I apply a tan colored flocking. I covered the center console in BMF and then wash coated the areas of the console where I didnt want the chrome to show. The wash was just a really thinned down mix of the interior color. It took alot of wash coats to cover, but, it allowed the raised detail of the center console to stay chromed like I wanted it to. I think it worked out pretty well. Pretty much it's the same process you would use on a black wash job. The door panels were primmed with tamiya white primer, then the trim was done in BMF and then the doors were painted interior color. The trim area was then cleaned off with toothpicks dipped in laquer thinner. The window crank nobs where then tuched up with a little interior color and then re-touched with a little clear gloss. Next the seats were also primed and then the seat trim was done in BMF and then painted in interior color. The trim was then cleaned off the same way as the door trim. Once the seats were done, they were given a light coat of model detail wax to give them more of a vinyl look. Next up I removed the kit spokes and center hub from the steering wheel and added the photoetched spokes from the detail kit from the Model Car Garage. I then custom made a new center hub, added the kit supplied center hub decal and then painted the ring in a coat of leather, and then gloss clear. Next the clock and radio got covered in BMF and then the dash was painted in interior color, the trim areas of the radio and clock were then cleaned off. Next BMF was added to both the guage side and glovebox side of the dash and then both areas were washed with many coats of black wash. Doing it this way takes a little longer, but I get the chome trim the way I want it and dont end up with a ton of brush strokes in the black painted areas. Next the photo etched nobs and detail for the dash from the MCG detail set was added and the guage decals were also added. I found a left over ac vent from another MCG detail set, (not sure what it was for though) and added it above the clock on the dash, (since this is gonna be a rare AC version vette convertible, this was a must.) I also scratch made the under dash AC vents on both sides of the dash. And finally I added a set of keys to the ignition on the dash. Have to do this update in two posts so the final part of the post for tonight will be under this one. Continued......

Sad to hear about Ross, I bought a couple of his engine kits over the years, and I never had problems with the ones I bought. Yes they take a little work as does most resin stuff that I have messed with, but with a little patience they build up nicely.

Nice work Geoff, Your trim idea worked out nicely. BMF comes in handy for a lot of those little tedious things don't ya think.

Hi Guys, gonna be gone for the weekend. Going to Detroit to visit wife's sister for a Christmas get together over the weekend. I did get a few things start on the vette interior today, so thought I would post a small update till I get back. I got the door panels detailed out with BMF and started on the Dash. I primed and painted the dash interior color, then added BMF to the instrument panel. After the BMF was apply to the instrument panel, I went over it with a black wash many many times till it blackened the areas around the gauges. I w use the same process for the glove box side of the dash. I still need to apply the gauge face decals to the dash and and a few photo etched parts from the Model Care Garage Vette Detail set. I will try to finish up the interior when I get back and post some more updates. Thanks in advance for looking and for any comments.