BigTallDad

Harry, those are some great builds! How about showing one on a nice wooden base (hint hint)?

Agreed. They are '56 Olds wheel covers. The odd thing is the 59 Ford had 14" wheels and the 56 Olds had 15" wheels...not quite sure how well that would work in real life.

Thinner sometimes has a tendency to change plastic parts into molten blobs...I avoid it.

I like Scott's idea! Before you paint the body, put some masking tape on it where the bra would go; doing this beforehand reduces the risk of nicks and dings in the paint. Mark the outline of the bra on the masking tape, remove the tape, and place it on the material of choice (that umbrella material mentioned before sounds good). Cut the material on the lines of the masking tape, remove the tape, moisten the material, and test fit it on the body. The moisture, while not affecting the umbrella material, will help the material to cling to the body. It might take several iterations.

Here's another method http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/102629-bending-tubing/#comment-1438712

As Snake45 mentioned, an old toothbrush will remove residual polish in creases/panel lines. A pediatric toothbrush is as soft as you can buy over the counter, and some dentists actually give them away.

Let's go big...a Viper V-10

That's the correct stuff but a horrible price! I recently purchased some at my local grocery store for about $5 USD. That same compound can be used to polish out minor scratches in windshields (windscreens) etc. I've even used it on my eyeglasses.

I've been ridiculed elsewhere for suggesting this, but I've tried it and it works. An ice maker kit from Lowes, Home Depot etc.......2 screw type radiator hose clamps that will fit the can.......and the paint can. The ice maker kit contains a valve that permits a controlled incursion into a water pipe; the same applies to a paint can. Use the hose clamps to attach the valve to the can, slowly tighten the valve, and puncture the can. When you loosen the valve (not the hose clamps) paint will flow if there is any pressure within the can, so have your collecting container ready. A short piece of tubing (probably included in the kit) will make the transfer easier. If, when loosening the valve, nothing comes out, that would be an indication that there is no propellant inside the can.

No, Harry..."the "hair part" indicates that the builder did not do the research...and the model lost points because of it." The model lost points due to poor research and execution

I've judged (and been head judge in the automotive category) quite a few contests in the Orlando area myself. I've also been known to spin wrenches on numerous 1:1 vehicles. While I don't know the exact firing order of every engine made, it becomes quite obvious that the "hair part" indicates that the builder did not do the research...and the model lost points because of it. If you're getting into that level of detail, the detailing should be correct (or at least have the appearance of being correct) rather than the "hair part". I know of no factory stock engines that had the "hair part"; some could be re-wired (for trailer-queen show cars that wouldn't run) or modified using OEM parts (the 76 Pontiac with HEI, for example) to accomplish this, but as a general rule, if the coil was external, "hair parting" was incorrect.

I did a Yahoo search and found these... for the seats, the chrome is wrapped (what an incredibly long link!) https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0LEVzpdSVdXAI8A.shXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE0djUyaTg2BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjE3NTdfMQRzZWMDcGl2cw--?p=65+pontiac+grand+prix+seats&fr=yfp-t&fr2=piv-web#id=17&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pontiacserver.com%2Fgrandprix65%2Fdash_left.jpg&action=click for the hood (another huge link) https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrB8qCOSFdXNlMALoSJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBsZ29xY3ZzBHNlYwNzZWFyY2gEc2xrA2J1dHRvbg--;_ylc=X1MDOTYwNjI4NTcEX3IDMgRiY2sDYWNjNmU0MWI0aDIwcSUyNmIlM0Q0JTI2ZCUzRDFiWUN1NjFwWUVLVVZVX01oRi52WmF6aTB3TnhKVTBrUHVjWklnLS0lMjZzJTNEZXUlMjZpJTNERl9QNWMxSHFzN1BlazgyUFR3aEcEZnIDeWZwLXQtcwRncHJpZANvQXlpM2FmaFNvRzlRdkdYYTNUMFlBBG10ZXN0aWQDbnVsbARuX3N1Z2cDMARvcmlnaW4DaW1hZ2VzLnNlYXJjaC55YWhvby5jb20EcG9zAzAEcHFzdHIDBHBxc3RybAMEcXN0cmwDMjYEcXVlcnkDNjUgcG9udGlhYyBncmFuZCBwcml4IGhvb2QEdF9zdG1wAzE0NjUzMzgwNjgEdnRlc3RpZANudWxs?gprid=oAyi3afhSoG9QvGXa3T0YA&pvid=eLbnejY5LjGmMM4gVkiIGgiyNzYuMQAAAACW27FB&p=65+pontiac+grand+prix+hood&fr=yfp-t-s&fr2=sb-top-images.search.yahoo.com&ei=UTF-8&n=60&x=wrt&y=Search#id=0&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2F00%2Fs%2FMTIwMFgxNjAw%2Fz%2F7JsAAMXQysxR~R1t%2F%24(KGrHqV%2C!o0FHgetelRbBR%2BR1t)MKw~~60_35.JPG&action=click

Here's another source... http://modeltech.tripod.com/wiring101.htm

I just realized my original reply was aimed at the vinyl tires we're used to seeing. Sanding the flat surfaces wouldn't work very well on a resin tire that has been painted. For resin tires, use mixed media: paint the tire with enamel or lacquer as mentioned above, then use an acrylic for the dirt/mud. That way, you can wipe the acrylic off the flat tread surfaces while it's still wet, or wait until it's dry and use an ammonia-based cleaner (Windex, etc.) to remove the acrylic paint. The above approach, using acrylic, will also work on vinyl tires.

I paint the tread of the tire with a medium brown, let it dry, then sand off the flat portion of the paint. That way, you have "dirt" in the tread and it looks more realistic. Of course if you're going for the "show room fresh" look, this doesn't apply.

Looking good so far! Is there a dark color that might be used for tinting glass?

In a similar vein, Ctrl/Command C is the copy function.

No fuzzy dice hanging from the rear-view mirror? Seriously, that is a very well executed build!

Wright's Silver Cream (silver polish) also works; find it in the cleaning supplies aisle of you grocery store. Before you use anything that may be too abrasive, ask yourself if you would use it one eyeglass lens.

I never use a combination of a painted body on a paint stand that uses spring tension and the heat of a dehydrator. The heat and pressure will cause the body to expand/splay out. I found this out the hard way on a '48 Ford Convertible. That error can be remedied, but it requires more than a modicum of woodworking skills. Consider using plastic beverage bottles...fill it about half full (for stability) of water, cap it, and use double-sided tape on the cap; then place the model on the cap (attaching to the underside of the roof). if you're using the foamy tape (virtually impossible to remove from plastic), put some masking tape on an attach point on the inside of the roof. That way you can easily remove the masking tape, which will include the foam tape. I use double-sided tape meant for putting new grips on golf clubs. It works GREAT! Go to a local golf shop and buy it by the roll or in a pack that will re-grip about a dozen clubs.

I'd be a bit skeptical using a plastic wrap that can generate static electicity (which in turn attracts dust)..

If you do a Google search, you'll find suppliers, color charts, tutorials, etc..

I'd use Novus #2 for polish (or Wright's Silver Creme) and Meguiar's clear coat paste car wax. Meguiar's is a wax, not a polish (there is no abrasive in the compound).

I owned a '55 over 50 years ago, so forgive me if my memory isn't up to snuff. You're correct about the fuel tank being metal in color, but everything else under the car was black. Even the inside of the front fender wells, radiator saddle, etc was black. In the engine compartment, only the firewall and bottom of the hood was body color. There was a dealer option called undercoating (rust proofing) that was a sprayed on black sealant. Are there brake lines on the bottom of the body pan? If so, use a PRISMACOLOR pencil PC949 (Metallic Silver) to highlight them. If you make a mistake, a small paintbrush and Windex will wash away the errant pencil mark.

Welcome aboard! Are you from Melbourne Florida? If so, the IPMS Regional is slated for June 3 - 5 in the Melbourne Auditorium...