Snake45

Got the body prepped out for the touchups. While polishing off the decal scum on the right side door, I came close to burning through on both upper and lower sections--the paint was thin. turned out it was also very thin on the lower body (rocker panel), so I'll lay some new paint on all that too. Here's the body masked off for the touchup. Everything that's taped here will stay original paint; what's orange here will get a new coat of orange. Also have to paint the hood. Altogether, the body will be about 30-35% new paint, 65-70% original. (It would have been a lot easier to just strip the body and shoot all-new paint, but I like to preserve old survivor stuff whenever I can.)

More likely a metal or plastic toy, not even a "model" at all.

Quite a few kits have had them over the years. Pretty sure the original AMT '57 Chevy did (and might to this day), and I seem to recall the latest reissue of the '65 El Camino had 'em, too.

Got this at the local toy show a few months ago. Overall shape looked good, and I liked the Cragars and slicks. But the more I got into the Snake-Fu, the less I liked the details. Had to do quite a bit of work to get it up to the level of even a mediocre Welly (not even a GOOD Welly), but it's okay. I guess the paint is supposed to be Calypso Coral, an authentic '69 Boss color, but it looks a little light to me—looks like somewhere between CC and '70 Grabber Orange. Oh well. The hood, trunk and rear panel had been painted a very glossy black. I masked these areas off and repainted them with Touch N Tone rattlecan flat black—much better. Also did the headlight recess areas and the front spoiler. Sanded the tire treads, and white-lettered the fronts with acrylic craft paint and a toothpick. Did chrome window trim with Decor Color Premium Silver Leaf marker. Strangely, the headlights were just black plastic nubs with no detailing. I did these with the Deco Color marker, too, but hope to replace them with something better someday. As I was working on the thing, I remembered that I had another diecast '69 Boss 302, and had remembered it as being “better” than this one. I dug it out and turns out it's also an Ertl—the same basic model. The blue one has actual clear headlight lenses, which makes a HUGE difference in the appearance. I think the paint job is better on it, too. Someday I think I'll try to remove all the hokey Federated tampo graphics from it and put on the stripe decals from the Revell Boss 302 kit, but it's not a high priority. Here are the two of them together.

Looking good, Grande! I have a couple similar projects in mind and you are inspiring me. Model on!

I have the box full of random leftover '67 Camaro parts, and maybe some other stuff. Also have two glue bomb AMT annual '67 Camaros to be rebuilt, someday....

I gave up trying to prevent orange peel years ago. These days I assume it's going to happen and figure out how much paint I need to put on so I can safely color-sand and polish it out. I've gotten pretty good at it. Every once in a while I get lucky and get a pretty smooth paint job out of the can or airbrush, but I NEVER count on it happening. I discovered that if I thin Testor enamels with naphtha (lighter fluid) and lay it on just right, it will flow out to a nice gloss, and dry in a reasonable time (a few days). BUT any leftover paint so thinned will turn to Jello in a few days, whereas paint thinned with lacquer thinner can remain usable for YEARS. So I don't do that very often any more.

They don't look TOO horrible on that....

Hmmm, I have one of those in the stash. I wonder if those wheels/tires would work under a modern custom '65 Riviera?

#2 looks to be AMT '65 GTO. #3 MIGHT be from IMC Mustang II. A side view would help.

Cool idea! The Nova is 110" wheelbase and the Camaro is 108", so you'd only have to chop a little out of the Nova frame and it should slide right under there.

I just pre-ordered two of each. I have a feeling that these are going to sell out FAST, and I have an uneasy feeling about future "supply chain problems." We'll see what happens....

Dunno how much you'll like it. I finished up my Snake-Fu today and the more I did on it, the less impressed I was. Tried to get it up to the level of a fairly good Welly--wasn't entirely successful. I'll try to get pics up in the next couple days. I might have another go at it in the futures, maybe adding headlights, taillights, and gas cap from the Revell '69 Mach I. Oh, seats, too. I predict you'll repaint yours and turn it into a pure race car--or will want to.

Too bad those weren't in 1/25. I'd love to build modern rods out of a couple of them.

It's the old MPC snapper. Very disappointing that it still has the trimmed front fenders and bulged hood of the AMT Ohio George car. If you want to build anything else, those really need to go.

I just finished my second project for 2022 (one toy show rescue, one diecast Snake-Fu) and guess what? NEITHER of them was on my 2022 Build List! Although they both probably would have been if I'd found them in the garage a couple days earlier than I did.

Bully, you win Glue Bomb of the Month! And are already a strong contender for the 2022 award! Can't wait to see what you do with it. Model on!

Looks like a great rebuild project. Model on!

Was in the next town over so I thought I'd see if their Hobby Lobby had any kits my local doesn't. No luck on that. But I've been looking for a "Faun" paint (a very light, gray-ish tan) for the interiors of a couple AMT '62 Novas I'm working on, and found some Krylon Satin Pebble that's as close as anything I've seen. It should do. Looked for a red Sharpie, also no joy, but found a Deco Color fine-tipped chrome pen for $5--cheaper than Molotow. Also picked up a couple little bottles of Testor Orange to touch up one of those '62 Novas. All in all, it was worth the stop.

Or, as David Letterman used to occasionally say (usually after a joke bombed): "Some are confused; others are bitter."

Thinking of maybe a 6-71....

Glad to hear you got it sorted out, Tim. For those of you looking for build ideas for the '65 "gasser," I highly recommend checking out the George Klass FX page. I just spent about 20 minutes there checking out the various combinations. There must have been dozens of '62-'65 Novas campaigned back in the day as "match racers." Surprisingly, quite a few of them didn't have altered wheelbases, and even more surprisingly, some of them really had wheelbases shortened as much as the AMT Rat Packer/Twister. Got a good picture in my head of what I want to build--a '64 2DS with full-length wheelbase. If the '65 kit rear window won't work in the 2DS body after I alter the roof to the pre-'65 shape, no problem--it looks like quite a few of these cars ran with no back glass in 'em at all! http://www.georgeklass.net/fx.html

Only thing wrong with them is the scale. I'd LUST after them if 1/24. I wish someone would do those Dyno Don decals in 1/25. I need this car for my "Class of '69" pre-Pro Stock match racers. Planning to build the cars of Jenkins, Sox, maybe a couple more, would love to do Dyno Don's.