Snake45

Yup! Very nice, BTW! I was looking at various Krylon paints on their site the other day, and they called them "VT alkyd," "modified alkyd," and "modified alkyd enamel." I laid it on bare 1967 promo plastic and got no wrinkling or negative reaction with the plastic. (I tested it first on the underside of the interior.)

Yah, but you know what'll happen--if you WANT it to wrinkle, it'll be smooth as glass.

That's probably one problem right there. That stuff is VERY aggressive as it's meant to bite into household plastics and dig in. Looking at the recipe, I see at least three different chemicals that can and will do bad things to kit styrene: https://www.krylon.com/document/SDS/en/US/724504023210

So was I, which is why I bought it from Randy (cheap!). It's pretty low-line, about on the level of that very common Motor Max '67 that pops up in batches from time to time, maybe not even quite that nice. But you know me, half the fun is the challenge of seeing if I can make something halfway-acceptable looking out of it.

Been there, done that, got the T-shirts--in EVERY available color! I don't even know how many half-built model car (and airplane) projects I have back in their boxes because something wasn't going perfectly in the build. Sometimes this was my own fault, sometimes it was an accuracy issue that I didn't notice until I was way into the thing. The number is in the dozens--maybe the hundreds. I'm still that way on many of my own original new builds. But I've also learned to lower my standards in my old age, especially on glue bomb "rescues," where, as I've often said, the goal is to get somebody else's crock to look like something I might have built around 1968. If I can get it to look as good as stuff I built in 1969, I'm ecstatic! In the last couple years, I've dug a couple of my old projects off the Shelf of Doom and applied this standard to them for Bring Out Your Dead Completion projects, and I have to tell you, this is a lot of FUN! Ah, the good old days, when modeling was FUN, not an obsession. The Perfect is the enemy of Good Enough, and if you're having FUN, you're doing it right. Model on, everyone!

That was exactly what I thought when I saw somebody's '67 GTO yesterday. If it had been an original, it would be a rare and valuable find, but it seemed to be molded in blue, so, the '80s reissue with all the annoying body flaws.

I feel your pain, but I'm learning to bite my lip and bear it in some cases if it will be a simple and cool "rescue" otherwise. Or sometimes I can work the thing down and touch it up. I can always strip and completely repaint later.

Very nice! Your work is getting better all the time. Hey, drop me an email: SnakeACP45 at AOL dot com. Model on!

Thanks for the kind words. Here's what's near the top of my To-Do Snake-Fu list: *Welly Porsche 356 *Welly Mercury Capri *Maisto 2002 Z06 Corvette *Maisto '78 Corvette *No-name '63 Vette roadster (got from Randy) *Burago Ferrari GTO *Federated Auto Parts '64 GTO *Maisto Ferrari F12 (kit) ...and I THINK I have a dark green Johnny Lightning '66 Mustang to do. I realize that I now have all generations of Corvette in diecast except the C4. I MIGHT have a DC C4 stashed somewhere; I know I bought several promos from a guy about two years ago but don't remember if there were also some C4 diecasts in there. I'm sure there are good cheap C4s available, such as Wellys or something. I don't like C4s enough to go to any great effort to get one, but I'll keep my eye open for one at the local toy show.

For those without a Rite Aid, I can recommend Diecast Models Wholesale: https://www.diecastmodelswholesale.com/ They carry all current Wellys (including many I've never seen at Rite Aid) at good prices--most $19.95, some even $14.95. Flat shipping $9.95 for any order. No it's not Rite Aid's $9.99 but if you find three cheap Wellys you want and split the shipping charge between them, it's not too bad. Fast shipping, too. And once you deal with them, you're on their mailing list and they send you an e-coupon for another 10% off every so often. Good place to deal with.

Yes, but "pet" in this usage is an adjective.

Sweet collection! A few years back I built a Monogram '65 coupe kit as a '66 327, and started another one as a '65 396, so those will have to hold down the 1/24 '65 and '66 slots on my shelf. I really need to dig that started '65 out and finish it. About all it needs is paint. It would be relatively easy to turn one of my random '63s into a '64.

Me too. I have several different '63s, and at least 2 different '67s, but can't recall seeing any '65 or '66--except a Jada, which looked overscale even to the naked eye (and it wasn't even close to stock in the first place).

Thanks for all the discussion and ideas, everyone! I feel enthusiasm to actually do this building! Not a study or factory "show car," nor a Day 2 "street machine" with elements. The idea is to make the thing look as if it were an actual factory production car. Mini-A12....I like the way you think! Hey, go for it! I'm sure we'll have different interpretations of the basic idea. Hmmmmmmm....... I was originally thinking of the wing type spoiler, but the '70 AAR had a duck-butt type spoiler, didn't it? Hmmmm, you might have a point here. I can't think of another kit spoiler that would "bolt on" to the '69 Cuda body, but I might see if I can make one out of epoxy putty or something of the sort. I guess I could always fall back to a wing--Ford was using them on Mach 1s in '69, so they were around. Hmmmmmmm. Very sharp (except for the mini-Pro Stock type hood scoop). This is a modern-day rendering but there might be some useful ideas here for a '69 AAR. The front spoiler, for example. And that rear spoiler's not bad looking either. And maybe some distinctive grille treatment? Hmmmmmm...... Thanks for the ideas!

If you'd like to discuss this further, I'm at SnakeACP45 at AOL dot com.

Always looking for the First Gear '69 Chevelle in Fathom Green. Awaiting the appearance of the Welly C8 Corvette.

Yup. I've got four or five quick Snake-Fu's lined up so should have some new ones to show in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

Yeah, just did the research and guess what, there really was an Emberglow interior option. Only thing is, in a diecast, it makes it look cheap, like the maker just did everything in the same color for frugality. Hmmmmmmm.

I have one of those too, bought at Walmart. Years ago I built an AMT '66 hardtop in Emberglow; it's one of my favorite Ford colors. I'm not too sure how accurate the interior colors are on this M2, though. I think someday I'm gonna blow mine apart and paint the interior black.

I have that one too and agree with you that it's beautiful.

Just go for the flattest finish you can get.

Uh, no.

1. Testor Semi Gloss Black Lacquer: Should be called (semi) Gloss. It's much shinier than I was hoping for, darn near a full gloss black. Might be good for some chassis parts, definitely too shiny for "satin" black primer. I wish they'd put their Black Chrome Trim in a fast-drying lacquer rattlecan. That stuff has exactly the finish I'm looking for. I'd buy it by the case. 2. Krylon Shimmer: Available in various colors, I just used the Blue for the first time. It's a metalflake, much too flaky for a factory paint job but pretty nice for scale metalflake. I put it on a dune buggy body so it's just about right. Covered well and easily, and dried with a pretty good amount of shine. I've bought several colors of the stuff, and I'll be using it again. I like it! 3. Krylon Foil: Just used this for the first time, on a couple of old promo bumpers that had to be stripped (they'd been poorly brush painted). I'm VERY impressed! No, it won't be confused with kit chrome, or even a good Alclad job, but it was amazingly easy to use (no special prep) and produced a surprising degree of chrome-ish shine. For the reasonable price paid ($7 for a big can), I'm VERY happy with the results. Pics to follow, eventually.

Another toy show rescue I was pretty pleased with. Typical MPC DOH Charger, before and after. Same paint, just polished and touched up a little.

Very nice! Your foil work is really coming along! And I like what you did with the gray paint on the wheels. Well done and model on!