BigTallDad

1944 was a hot and heavy year in WWII and it's quite possible there were no Mack trucks manufactured. For example, there were a handful of civilian vehicles for model year 1942, but all production after that went into military vehicles; "new" civilian vehicles didn't re-appear until 1946.

Micro Mark sells a regulator with a built-in water trap. I have mine set up where the airbrush hose connects to the outlet fitting; the inlet fitting is a standard pneumatic coupling, meaning I can run a very long hose from the compressor to the regulator, thus reducing the noise. Another advantage of the Micro Mark product is the adjustment feature. My compressor regulator goes way up past 100 psi, making fine-tuning a chore; my Micro Mark product goes up to 70 psi, so dialing in 20 psi is pretty easy.

I disagree. The flanged valve cover came into play in 54...do a Google search and you'll see.

In 1954, Chevy introduced a new engine; the easiest way to tell if you have a pre-1954 or a 1954 and up is the valve cover. The valve cover on pre-54 six holers used two vertical studs in the head and the valve cover slipped over these holes for mounting. After '53, Chevy used mounting bolts on the side flanges of the valve cover for attachment.

Nice work; your first attempt is far better than mine. You might want to look at this site; plug wires rarely line themselves up on the distributor. The site shows the firing order for a lot of engines. http://modeltech.tripod.com/wiring101.htm

Another approach... Use a rubber band to attach the bottle to the short end of an Allen wrench; place the long end of the Allen wrench in a drill chuck. Turn the drill on at a low speed and the paint will mix as though it had been shaken. This also works for rattle cans, but I use a hose clamp (like on a radiator) to attach the can to the Allen wrench.

Nice work! Another alternative to wrapping the wire/solder then stretching it out is wrapping around a threaded bolt/screw. By keeping the wire in the thread valleys, uniform spacing can be attained.

Another method to minimize the bubbles is having the pouring container farther away (within reason) from the mold. This allows a thin stream to be poured, and the thinner the stream, the fewer the bubbles. The same thing holds true when pouring the mold mix.

What kind of cement did you use? Those straws look like polypropelene [sp?] and I don't know of any glue that will adhere.

This kit (with the yellow box art) also included ignition wiring/diagram. I bashed this kit to make a convertible out of it... http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/101899-57-chevy-convertible/

Another approach is using Bare Metal Foil (BMF) over the scripts. Apply the BMF before any painting is done, keeping the trimmed edge of the BMF very close to the script.. After each coat of paint, use a small piece of wood (I prefer balsa) that has been soaked in lacquer thinner to remove the paint from the script.

I've decanted TS-13 and airbrushed it with no issues.

If you go the paint & brush route, make sure you use acrylic paint. An oil-based paint will never dry.

I bring the image into MS Paint (if you have Windows, you have Paint). There is an image re-size function that allow the user to enter a percentage for enlarging or reducing the image.

Another source for DIY plates is http://www.acme.com/licensemaker/

If you're going to install snap-connect flooring, make sure the joints don't line up. I've seen floors where great care was taken to line up the joints...after a few months I almost got seasick looking at the waves where the joints had buckled.

Leather punches are also effective. http://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/mini-leather-punch-set

Cut up a bicycle inner tube. Go to a bike store and they'll probably have some that have holes or dry rot. PLAN B: Use a rubber balloon; if it's too thin, glue layers together using rubber or contact cement (to maintain flexibility). A magic marker can then be used for the desired color without making the mudflap rigid.

A battery is supplied, but the instructions don't indicate where to install it.

Looks like too much pressure coupled with the distance being too great. It appears the paint was fairly dry when it came in contact with the surface. Remember the "holy trinity" when spraying...viscosity, distance, and pressure, and practice on some plastic spoons (free at the Golden Arches).

Very nice looking! I like the color. That's a great kit...did you notice the firing order (in raised numbers) on the exhaust manifold? That's the way the 1:1 cars were. BTW, as pictured, I believe that is a '47. In '48, there was a vertical bar in the center of the grille, and aftermarket folks were quick to offer a vertical bar for the '47s to make them look like the '48. I had a 1:1 '47 with the aftermarket bar.

Sorry, I don't.

Find an image of a real headlight, re-size it, and print it on clear decal paper. Paint the existing lens white, let it dry, then apply the decal.

Instead of using a flame-oriented heat source (candle, lighter, etc.) consider using a soldering iron. Consistent, controllable heat! You can also vacu-form headlights: