Snake45

Not sure about internals, but I know that NHRA rated the L78 at 425 HP. I see that the engine was also called L78 in the '65 Corvette. My guess at this point is that it's same engine, but others might know more.

Hmmmmm, I'm not sure about that. Looks to me like it's deliberately molded in there as a vent window frame. The original issue of the kit didn't have that. The entire windshield frame is non-stock on the original. It looks to me like they've altered the mold to a more stock-like windshield frame arrangement for some reason. At any rate, I wouldn't worry about trying to cut that off and risk screwing up the paint at this point.

If that's not a John Hiatt lyric, it should be!

The complaint was that the rear panel slants back too sharply, and the taillights are too big. Compared to the Revell '68 Firebird, that's true. But it's not apparent in the pics of yours, and as I said if someone hadn't mentioned it elsewhere, I sure wouldn't have noticed it on your build, which is overall quite nice BTW if I didn't mention it before.

Not a bad list at all. We could make it on a long road trip together. My top ten would be: Warren Zevon Tom Petty Hendrix Springsteen Heart Stevie Nicks Meat Loaf Mott the Hoople The last two places would be a rotation of ZZ Top, Steppenwolf, Mountain, Johnny & Edgar Winter, Gaga, Montgomery Gentry, David Bowie, and maybe a few more, depending on my mood of the day....

Thanks for the rear end shot in particular. That rear end doesn't look as bad as some have thought it might. In fact, if someone else hadn't brought it up, I'd have never noticed anything wrong with it. I'm sure not seeing it in your pictures.

That was the plan. I have a set of whitewall Supremes but the white is so close to the wheel they don't look right. The Fruit Wagon has a nice set of new whitewalls, but I want to use them on a Tweety Pie I'm doing which will be set even earlier than this one. I'll keep these slicks on the car and put the whites on the insides, then if I ever turn up another good set of whites for the front, I can turn 'em around again. Personally, I dislike whitewall tires of all kinds, but I was going for a period look here. And I just bought that set of AMT piecrusts that have 'em, so I wanted to use 'em.

Some pics of the work described above in post #18. Finally unholstered my “secret weapon” for this build, two glue bomb builds of this kit that I bought at a show about 20 years ago for $1 each (or maybe $1 for both, I don't remember). I figgered I could salvage enough parts from both of them to build one passable model, with maybe some good stuff left over. I harvested the "new" valve covers from one of them. Today I harvested the headlights from the yellow one, scraped and filed decades of glue off them, removed the injection lines, and airbrushed them Testor Chrome Silver. They're drying as I type this and I hope will be ready to install tomorrow. Cleaned up, “repurposed” and repainted valve covers as described above installed. I left the magneto and thread plug wires unmolested, just as I built them in 1968 or whenever. Gotta preserve SOME "heritage" on this thing! Painted wheel (L) and unpainted, out of the box wheel ( R ). The difference doesn't show that well here but really stands out in person. BTW, I've just been looking at some 1962-'64 Rod & Custom magazines. I'd been thinking that whitewalls were still prevalent until about '64 or '65 but it looks like they were going “out” on rods even earlier than that. I think I'll be losing the whitewall slicks on this one before it's all over. I'm going for about a 1964-65 or so look here. The new keg (on the car) compared to the original (in my fingers). Looks better, I think. I see by the photo that I need to get some more brown paint on the ends. The photo is also showing what looks like white streaks on the new keg, but they're not on the 3D piece. You can also see the reworked dash and gauge panel in this shot. If I can get three or four hours in on this thing tomorrow, I think I can wrap it up. Gotta paint the other three wheels, install the headlights, make and install a windshield, install two of the velocity stacks (got the “four corners” ones done today, just have to squeeze the two middle on in), and then put it all together.

Yes I know this kit isn't new. That's why I put "New" in quotes in the thread title, and made distinct reference to the original issue in the post. It's a new boxing with new parts and new decals (the subject of the original post).

For most of the '70s, I drove a '69 SS/RS Camaro. It was light blue with a white top which I didn't like. In '77 or '78 I had it repainted a metallic gray very similar to this GTO. I had all the emblems and gingerbread removed, and swapped hoods with a guy for a non-SS hood. The black trim thing was starting to appear, especially on Eurocars. I tried to get my window trim done in black but everyone told me they couldn't paint chrome, it wouldn't stay on. I had bigs n normals on it--a "rubber rake." What I'm saying is that this model is the '66 GTO equivalent of the Camaro I actually owned and drove in the late '70s. Model on, dude!

What I can see of it looks good!

If you can do that with a black Sharpie, you can do it with a silver Sharpie. That's what I've been using for window trim for a couple years now and I can't imagine how I got by for 40 years without it.

Thanks for the pic! That's a nice model--he's got very close to the overall proportions I'm going for. His cab, if modified, is still closer to the kit parts than the pics I'm looking at. I can tell immediately by the shape of the rear half of the roof. I hope to make a drawing this week. I'll post it here when I do. Beautiful injector tubes on that engine! I wonder what he used. If they're not cut down from the '55 Nomad, they're scratched and they look great. I'm gonna have to make at least one set of those in the near future for an Altered project. Thanks again for sharing that pic.

List corrected. Thanks!

Greg, I hadn't seen those pics of Cotton's very low T before. I'd like to model one sorta like it someday--low as a sports car or racer. Very cool!

George might be pleased to know that I'm gonna build up a few of those engines with "switchability" in mind.

Well THAT's different!

So that's where the term "hot rod" came from!

Oh, I like THAT thing a LOT! And it reminds me I've got a Heller Alfa Romeo Zagato in the Snakepile I need to do something with.... WWJLD?* *"What Would Jay Leno Do?"

You guys are great! I really appreciate all your input! That yellow roadster is cool, but it would take more effort than I want to put into this "fast n easy" project--and I'm afraid it would look a little "too Miata" when finished. After sleeping on it last night, this morning I woke up with a plan: Go Gasser, and then build my reissue in a nice factory metallic blue, something along the lines of Mopar B5 Blue. Not much if any gingerbread on the Opel body to wipe off for a clean, modern look, and with the kit wire axles, I can set it up to swap between factory wheels/tires and something a little bigger/racier/more modern as the mood strikes me. Even thought of a great source for a hood lump: Revell '67 Chevelle Pro Street. I've accumulated a couple of these over the years cheap, just for parts. Decided to see if anyone make decals for that Jim Oddy gasser above. Didn't find any, but DID find some for a K.S. Pittman Opel. Little more complicated, but Hmmmmmmm..... However, in researching, I came across several more photos of both the Oddy and Pittman Opels. Both of them had the rear wheel openings WAY enlarged. Not sure I wanna do that. I know me...couple years from now, I'm likely to look at the thing and think, "What was I THINKING, butchering up that semi-rare kit like that?" and want to rebuild it something closer to stock-bodied. So my next move is to see how big a slick I can stuff in the stock wheel opening, maybe with a little bit of jacking, and see how that looks....this might be a good chance to use up some Centerline/Super Trick wheels. I don't particularly like that type of wheel, but I think they'd be appropriate for this early '70s gasser....

What's the color on the Mustang? It looks nice in that, whatever it is.

As I said in the OP, I have a hood--will be sourcing the second hood from an unbuilt kit in the stash.

You guys are makin' me want to dig out that other kit and Snake-slap it together and squirt it in its proper yellow....

Hey, there's one in today's Sunday Funnies! Guy seems to know cars, too! Sorry, it won't hot-link. You'll have to click on the link. http://assets.amuniversal.com/f3f26d002ec30132a345005056a9545d

Aluminum intake manifold...must be the 375 HP L78. And thanks for using black plug wires.