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Everything posted by Snake45
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Is there a kit or kits that, even though you know they're bad, and there are better kits of the same subject you could be spending your efforts on, you feel strangely compelled to build anyway--even more than once? I have several of these guilty pleasures. In airplanes, it's the Monogram F4U-4 Corsair, the Matchbox F4U-4, and the Hawk/Testor F8F Bearcat and P-51D Mustang. In cars, I'm drawn to the original annual AMT '63 to '67 Corvettes, even though the Revell '67 kits (and even their '63 snapper) are way better in just about every way. But my biggest guilty pleasure must be the MPC (more recently, AMT) '69 Camaro. It's a horrible, horrible kit (for reasons I'll explain here sometime soon), but I've built four of them (one in 1969, one in the late '80s, and two in the 2000s) and have another one that is going to the paint shop even as we speak. I have no explanation or excuse to offer other than pure nostalgia. Or the perverse challenge of the thing. Or something. I've built three of the Monogram 1/24 '69 Camaros (from the '70s) too, but at least there I have a good excuse--I built them all before the Revell kit appeared. In fact, I had a fourth one on the workbench when the Revell kit was announced--it went back into the box immediately and I don't think I've seen it since. (I'd love to find it, as I'm now in the mood to finish the wretched backbirth.) So those are some of my guilty pleasures. What are yours?
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Total finished, 2013: 0 Total finished, 2014: 5. (I've been out of work since August 1.)
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Any of you guys convert a static body to slot racing?
Snake45 replied to philo426's topic in Model Car Racing
I just remembered, I HAVE done it! Back in the day, I took a tiny "Mini Lindy" Lindberg Dodge Dart, put it on an Aurora T-Jet frame, and painted it like Dick Landy's Super Stock. I think I still have it somewhere, but at the moment it's "missing in action" or I'd post a photo. -
Speaking of cars 'n' girls songs: Rollin' down Imperial Highway Big nasty redhead at my side....
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What kit did this grille come from?
Snake45 replied to Marc @ MPC Motorsports's topic in Model Building Questions and Answers
I think you're on the right track, maybe even right on the money. I've come to respect your eye and your judgement on the late GM A-bodies. -
Any of you guys convert a static body to slot racing?
Snake45 replied to philo426's topic in Model Car Racing
Have never done it, but I remember when some model car bodies came with a "slot car adapter" thingie for body mounting. I'm pretty sure the first-issue MPC '66 Charger had that. -
I'm laid off at the moment, which is why/how I'm actually getting some stuff built and finished for a change (also why I'm posting here so often). My folks are in their '80s. My Dad's basically Clint Eastwood and still gets around fine but Mom has so much trouble moving that she can't be left alone. Dad had to go to the VA hospital this morning to get his hearing aids adjusted so I had to go across town to "babysit" Mom for a couple hours. Now, I was all mentally geared up to do some modellin' this morning, maybe even get my '65 Chevelle dragster project FINISHED, but now that ain't gonna happen. So I grabbed five or six car bodies off the workbench that needed final sanding before primer, or scribing out, and a selection of sandpaper pieces and my Xacto knife and threw them in a box and took the whole mess with me. I was able to get some work done while Mom and I visited. In fact, I got the final sanding done on a '69 Camaro and a '66 Chevelle wagon--they're now ready for primer--and got some work done on another '69 Camaro before Dad got home. Speaking of Mr. Eastwood, what was it he said in one of his movies? Improvise--Adapt--Overcome!
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Shania Twain, That Don't Impress Me Much. One of my favorite top 10 videos of all time. BADASS '57 Chevy in there. Shania ain't bad looking, either.
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Our Lips Are Sealed is one of my very favorite "guilty pleasures" song. LOVE IT! I once saw the late great Steve Allen do a poetry-reading riffing off the lyrics of Hot Stuff. One of the funniest things I've ever seen on TV. Sadly, it's not on U2be--I've looked.
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What kit did this grille come from?
Snake45 replied to Marc @ MPC Motorsports's topic in Model Building Questions and Answers
For what the '80s "street machine" version looks like OOB, see my pics of the red one above. I have a Revell '70 snapper in the paint shop even as we speak. To me, it looks better and more accurate than either the AMT '70 or the Revellogram 1/24. Haven't actually compared it to the AMT '72. If paint goes well, I might be able to post pics of this in the next couple weeks. -
What kit did this grille come from?
Snake45 replied to Marc @ MPC Motorsports's topic in Model Building Questions and Answers
Please let us know how that works, preferably with pics. I'm very interested in that for obvious reasons. -
Painting raised letters? -Success!
Snake45 replied to Kit Basher's topic in Model Building Questions and Answers
Glad to hear it worked out for you. Model on! -
AMT "Sand T" Rebuild/Resto--Finished Pics 10/14
Snake45 replied to Snake45's topic in WIP: Model Cars
Thanks for that! Very cool! I think what I'm gonna do is, clean up the old body as well as I can, maybe even clearcoat it, I dunno, and leave it alone. I just got the reissued AMT Fruit Wagon T and I'm gonna use the T body and build up a complete new body too. I think Model Master Kiln Red metallic over a yellow primer will get me "close enough" to the original color. That's the plan today, anyway. -
AMT "Sand T" Rebuild/Resto--Finished Pics 10/14
Snake45 replied to Snake45's topic in WIP: Model Cars
I lightened the pics quite a bit so some of the details would show, but they are quite black. -
Very, VERY nice, especially the color! I've got a can of this that I hope to be squirting on a project in the next week or so. Thanks for sharing this!
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Yes, that would have had to run in Altered class. VERY nice job BTW, I like it a lot. I'm planning to do something similar with the AMT/MPC Graffiti '32 Ford kit, and I'm taking notes on yours. Well done!
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1970 Plymouth HEMI 'cuda - B5 Blue, Black Interior, 4-Speed
Snake45 replied to Mr. Moparman's topic in WIP: Model Cars
Yes, that whole line is QUITE flaky/sparkly and completely unsatisfactory for factory paint jobs (no pun intended). Great for customs, though. I did a '67 Corvette in the Mythical Maroon. Color's not far off Milano Maroon but MUCH too sparkly. It wasn't one of my "first line" builds so I don't mind that much, and the color's very pretty, it's just not "stock." BTW, Chris, thanks for the different B5 color pics. I never realized that before. Very informative! -
What kit did this grille come from?
Snake45 replied to Marc @ MPC Motorsports's topic in Model Building Questions and Answers
That's too bad. I was going to order one of those to complete a Jimmy Flintstone El Camino body. I have another copy of the AMT '72, or maybe it's a restorable builtup (I don't remember, I just know I do have the thing) and thought maybe I could build that Elky without having to trash out the other Chevelle entirely. -
1970 Plymouth HEMI 'cuda - B5 Blue, Black Interior, 4-Speed
Snake45 replied to Mr. Moparman's topic in WIP: Model Cars
I don't think you're going to like that Icy Blue for B5. I bought a can of it for similar use and it just won't do AT ALL. It's much too light and MUCH too SPARKLY. It looks like a color you might see on a little girl's bicycle, or perhaps on a jazz band's drum set. Since I can't take it back, I'm going to use it as the lighter color on a light blue/dark blue 2-tone paint job. -
What kit did this grille come from?
Snake45 replied to Marc @ MPC Motorsports's topic in Model Building Questions and Answers
Not long ago I (finally) completed one of those light blue street machine issues of the AMT '72 Chevelle. Not my best build ever but I was pretty pleased with how it came out. Mine had SS in the grille. It's completely OOB except for the wheels from an old AMT '70.5 Camaro. -
Is there an 'Ollie's' near by
Snake45 replied to GLMFAA1's topic in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)
I appreciate the report. Would like to hear other reports of what's available, too. I've bought a few models at Ollie's but usually it's a big pile of Nothing I'm Interested In. Thanks! -
'65 Chevelle Modified Production--FINISHED Pics 10/7
Snake45 replied to Snake45's topic in WIP: Drag Racing Models
Have been dreading this job, too—finding, selecting, and then applying some appropriate decals. These came from the '65 Chevelle Wagon, the Revell '68 Firebird, an old AMT '68 Shelby GT500, and a “mystery sheet” from AMT that had some flames and some good speed stuff. I did two smart things here. First, I put the glass in the body and lightly scribed around the rear window openings so when I applied the decals, I'd know exactly where the “borders” were. Second, I made paper pattern of both sides of the rear glass, and then I cut out my selected decals and was able to play with them on the window drawings to find a workable and attractive arrangement of them. If I hadn't done both these things, decaling this hot mess would have been a nightmare. This all took me about 3 hours to do. No in-progress “set together” pics this time. They'd look too much like the finished model. A guy's gotta retain some surprises. I think the next pics of this thing I post will be the finished model shots. Maybe tomorrow, maybe Friday, maybe this weekend—we'll just have to see. -
AMT "Sand T" Rebuild/Resto--Finished Pics 10/14
Snake45 replied to Snake45's topic in WIP: Model Cars
Two coats of Krylon Satin Black for a primer, and then airbrushed Model Master Black Chrome Trim for a final finish. I thought gloss black would be overstated on these builds, especially on the old crock that I'm rebuilding. I'd have liked just a little more gloss, but this will do. Better understated than overstated. I think the effort I spent in filling and sanding the horrendous sink marks was well worth it.