taaron76

This one is "Under Glass". Thanks! Tim

I've thoroughly enjoyed this build, so much that I have been on the phone with JJ Best a lot over the past two weeks to purchase one, but haven't found the right one. Its between a '65-'67 Chevelle, or a'67-'69 Camaro. It sure is nice when it all comes together, thats for sure! I've got a few on the bench waiting in line, but this one was a major step for, as all of them are. Taking ideas from you and others and then throwing in some of my own visions about what I want the car to look like is the best part. I've learned A LOT over the past 6 months. Thanks! Tim

I hope everyone had a nice 4th of July. We took 7 days and relaxed in the lake house at Smith Mountain Lake, VA. Did some skiing, did some fishing, and a whole lot of relaxing. Anyhow, I was waiting on my PE seatbelt buckles to come in before I started buttoning it up and they arrived while we were gone. I've just about got this one finished, just some minor things to clean up, adjust the doors and trunk a little and a few things here and there. Front bumper has to be mounted too... Here are a few pics of the updates. Thanks for looking! Tim The exact stance I was looking for! Engine bay wired up and plumbed...

Absolutely! Anything that is round and you want it to keep its form throughout the bending process, yes. Tim

As always, outstanding detail Jim!!! Tim

Just standard styrene, nothing special. The secret is the aluminum core or wire in the middle. It keeps the bends uniform and neat. Tim

Hi Lance, The reason I used 18 gauge is because it easily fits into the hole that is in most radiators. I hate it when you can't get the radiator hose to mount up and stay secured, so having 18 gauge sticking out of end of styrene really helped to mount it. The size of the hole needed for a 14 gauge wire is much bigger than that of an 18 gauge wire. The styrene with the 18 gauge solid wire keeps its shape, perfectly. I suppose there is always 100 ways to skin a cat. Thanks! Tim

I'm not sure if this has been posted anywhere on the forum yet, but I needed to make a couple of radiator hoses for my current build since I wasn't thrilled about the casting lines and scale. I used aluminum wire, but you could probably use copper or something similar if you want. Aluminum worked great since it bends really easy. Materials needed: 3/32" styrene tubing 18 gauge solid aluminum wire Photo etched hose clamps (if desired) Step 1: Cut the styrene to the length you want it. I cut mine longer in the event I need more. Better safe than sorry I guess. Cut the aluminum wire longer than your styrene tubing. Step 2: Insert the aluminum wire into the styrene tubing. Step 3: With a pair of small needle-nose pliers or tool of your choice, bend the tubing to the desired angle and bends as the stock radiator hose or the desired bend you want. Cut the styrene ONLY to the length that the stock radiator hose is or the length needed. Once you cut the styrene, pull off the excess to expose the aluminum wire. Cut the aluminum wire and leave a small section of aluminum sticking out. This will give you the opportunity to drill a hole into the manifold and radiator to secure it when needed. Step 4: Paint the hose the color of your choosing and attach photetched clamps if desired. I found this to be super easy to duplicate. The styrene tubing will keep its shape since the aluminum is in the middle of it. If you have any questions, please let me know, I'd be happy to help. Happy modeling! Tim

Thanks fellas! I love that metallic black, but unfortunately, you can't see the metallic in it unless its in the sun. It's a very color though... Here is a "sun" pic to help pull the metallic out. Tim

Joe, that looks amazing! Well worth the time put in. Tim

Thanks Jim!!! Tim Thank you!

Finished up all of the polishing and BMF. The pics below are just a mockup, nothing is glued but the windows. I still have to make a few adjustments here and there. Tim

Welcome back, Jim! So glad to see some updates from you. Looking good as usual and I love the shocks. I "borrowed" your spring method a while back and utilize it in all of my builds now. It's too easy not to, but the level of detail it adds is so worth it. Tim

I sprayed the base coat over a month ago and finally got around to shooting some clear tonight. 5 coats of Tamiya acrylic clear... the usual. Some dust here and there, but nothing that can't be buffed out. Now to let it dry for a good 10-14 days, but the first 24 hours it stays in the dehydrator. Metallic black is the base coat... Here is the rolling chassis, complete with all the brake lines ran and everything else zipped up.

I think it all depends on the look you are going for, so I don't believe it is a "do" or "don't" question. His question was simply, "I want to spay some kind of lacquer over the body after I have applied decals. What can I use?" Just as Frank and Rob stated above, make sure you test out the scenario on the test side as it is on the production side to make sure there aren't any unwanted reactions. I don't believe adding two or three extra coats of clear is going to break the bank, but it all depends on the look you are going for. The problem is that once you wetsanded through the clear coat onto the base coat, especially if it is metallic, you might as well start over. I always throw a few extra coats on there to avoid that scenario. Gren - I'm not an expert with lacquer, but I know that acrylic clear is very safe to spray over the top of decals, if you are not opposed to using it instead. Hopefully the above responses have helped you make a decision. Tim

Another beauty, Steve. Nice! Tim

Thank you! I'm using a Nikon D3200 inside of the photo booth I made a few months ago. Tim

Bruce - I learn something new everyday. Lol. Never thought to do that. I'll add it to my checklist for future builds. Thanks! Tim

Thanks guys! Hopefully I can get some clear coat down on the base coat I sprayed two months ago. lol Tim

Thanks fellas! This one is starting to move quite nicely now. I finished the e-brake cabling and mounted the exhaust. I still have to run the front brake lines, so hopefully this weekend I'll have that finished. Tim

Here is the rear-end, minus the e-brake cables. Here is the chassis with suspension, minus the e-brake cables. I'll get to those late.

Thanks, Mike. I saw so many different configurations for the PCV and vacuum lines between the '65 - '67 range that I went was the most common. The '65 did have the hose going to the breather, while the '66 and '67 didn't. I think I looked at over 1000 pics to finally come up with what I wanted. I'm not too heart broken over it though. Tim

Just a couple of updates on the engine. I finished all the water, vacuum and electrical lines tonight and gave it a light wash to bring out the details. Next up, suspension and brake! Tim