atomicholiday

Stunning. Absolutely gorgeous. Your photography is really good too.

This one is under glass! Thanks for following along. Finished build can be found here:

I finished this one a little over a week ago, but I was waiting for my new light box to arrive. Then I picked up a wicked head cold, so it had to wait another week to be revealed. This is the AMT 1971 Superbug Gasser, from the Coca-Cola Unity Collection. I picked this kit up for $5, thinking it would be cool to have a Beetle in the stash. I didn't realize it was the short-body version, so upon opening the box and seeing the body, my first thought was "this will never get built". But as luck would have it, last summer was spent learning to paint. For a fiver, I figured it would be a practice body, and that would be the end of it. As I was really just using it for practice, it got painted and stripped something like 3-4 times before getting it right. But the final paint job turned out to be one of my better attempts. This inspired me to continue on and finish the little bug. Speaking of paint, the color is Testors Extreme Lacquer Star Spangled Blue, straight from the can, followed up with clear lacquer (I forget the brand). The idea for the build was to create a tribute to one of my favorite old red-line Hot Wheels cars. Most of the kit was built straight from the box, but a few modifications were made for various reasons. The hydraulic steering damper was reworked, because the original part feels like it's not even from the same kit. Doesn't even come close to fitting properly. Battery cables were added just for fun and because I'd never done it before. Also, the exhaust was completely reworked. The kit supplies two exhaust options, neither one of which did much for me. Finally, if built straight out of the box, the engine cover won't close. Instructions even tell you to glue it open. I couldn't live with that, so the engine was moved inward and modified. For those that are interested in the build, the WIP can be found here: Without further ado, here's my take on the AMT '71 Superbug Gasser. As always, questions, comment, and constructive criticism are always welcome. Thanks for looking!

I got this a few days ago but just unpacked it now. Been fighting a wicked cold all week and really just couldn’t make myself care until today. In an effort to get better pictures of my builds, I picked up this light box. Comes with four different colored backgrounds, and a small tripod. I have some experimenting to do to see what works, but should be fun and get the job done.

I’ve been forwarding some of these to my wife. I’m sure she appreciates it!?

There’s another kit I never knew existed! Man you guys find some of the coolest stuff.?

I decided to try opening up the grills. Never done it before, so why not. I started out with a scrap grill just to see how it would go (not good). My test part started falling apart and splitting. But it was a valuable learning experience. So feeling super confident (cough cough), I started on the lower valance. It was a much simpler piece than my test part, and it went well. So with that experience under my belt, it was time to tackle the main grill. Not an easy job, and my nerves are shot, but I think it turned out pretty decent. Now I need a break…?

This is really looking cool. I picked this one up too and was just drawing a blank on what to do with it. Good to see you’ve figured it out and are bringing it to life.?

Just got a small order from MCV products. Pretty nice stuff! And shipping was very reasonable. I’d definitely order from him again. https://mcvproducts.net/

Just like most of you guys, I fall into both categories. Also like many of you, I stand “0” chance of ever getting them all done. But it’s going to be fun trying! I will confess, on VERY rare occasions, I’ve bought kits I knew I’d never crack the seal on. But it’s such a small percentage of my collection that it doesn’t even really count. Probably less than 1/2 a percent. Like anything else, there are degrees here.

Mail call today. I was curious about the 3D printed parts from MCV Products (Mathew, from Model Car Videos), so I picked up a couple of small items. The two air cleaners and distributors are from his shop. The saw was an eBay purchase. I’ve been needing something like this for a while now.

I know a lot of people swear by aftermarket distributors. I haven’t tried one yet and I’m sure they’re great. But if I can save a few bucks and get results I’m happy with, why not? And so far I don’t mind putting in the time to do it. Worst case scenario, I screw the part up, and then I’ll try an AM part.? Quick update for this build. I got all the paint stripped finally. Had to do it in two stages. First, a good soaking in 90% iso alcohol to get the lacquer off. But that won’t touch the primer. Originally I’d stop there, but since this kit is getting a vinyl top, I wanted to take it down to bare plastic. So after the lacquer was removed, it got a bath in the purple pond for a while. That will take primer off with no problem. So now we’re back to where it all began, in bare plastic.

That's really cool. Are the kits in the ceiling still accessible? I have an unfinished basement and this might be just the ticket to reclaim some floor space.

How many kits do I need? I don’t know. How many are there??? The only real problem I have with having a lot of kits is that they can be distracting. It can contribute to not finishing builds, because I always want to start the next one before I’m done with the last. Squirrel syndrome.

This is timely. I almost bought one of the AK saws today. I opted for Tamiya instead based on reviews.

Distributor is done now. I’m rapidly approaching the point where I need warm weather so I can paint. Might be a while though. Last night was -6F?

Thanks fellas! I had today off work so I put in a little more bench time. Got taillights on it.

Just got these in the mail from Keith Marks and I gotta say, they look awesome!

Thanks very much Carl! I appreciate your encouragement. Today’s update: chassis, interior, and engine are done! Still a handful of things left to do to the body, but we’re getting closer now. And one more quick mockup with the body for kicks.

I’ve decided to try doing spark plug wires for this build. To that end, the kit distributor was reworked. First, a .06” hole was drilled through the entire part. Then a piece of styrene rod of the same size was glued into place halfway in. This was done to give it a more secure mounting area in the engine, which will be drilled to match. Next, the hole for the wires was opened up to .085”. Finally the wires were glued in. I know many people use CA, but to give me more working time, I used two part epoxy. This is the second time I’ve done this, and for some reason, I really struggle to get the wires into the hole. I see why people go with pre-wired distributors. I ended up putting six wires in at the start, and then pushing the remaining wires in one at a time. Hence the epoxy. Here’s the result before paint.

Working on the rear wheels today. The rims are too small for the tires, so I’m going to attempt to make sleeves using .02” stock. Here it is prior to any gluing or filling. Still a ways to go, but you get the idea.

That’s just amazing. I mean it would make it great model all by itself! Incredible detail.

Don’t sweat it my friend. I’ve been slacking’ on the build too!?. It’s still on my radar, but my GB’s have taken the front seat lately.

Between taking a break while my daughter was home for the holidays and starting two new group builds at the first of the year, this little bug kinda got put aside for a while. But I got back on it today and finished the exhaust system. I wanted to do something a little different than what the directions said, so the kit piping was cut down and repositioned to get the look I was after. All parts were drilled and pinned to help keep them together better and aid in assembly so it wasn’t as fiddly. I still need to touch up the paint in spots but they the engine will be ready for installation.

Hey guys, I’m working on my ‘71 GTX engine and planning on running spark plug wires. This is for the 440 six pack engine. Looking online, I’m seeing some pictures that show plugs above the exhaust manifolds, and others that show plugs below. For what it’s worth, I’m not sure if the exhausts manifolds in the kit are correct or not. I see two different types online. Anybody know for sure where the plugs should be drilled? There’s not much room either way, but I’ll make it work.