W Humble

Wow, great responses! Thanks, everyone. Guess I'll order another refill, and sadder but wiser. I started making airplane kits in nineteen fifty-three (1953) and switched to cars 'cause I wanted to customize them in '58 or '59 (not too much has survived from that phase, perhaps luckily!) so when Alclad and the Molotow appeared I thought it was the answer to a maiden's prayer -- oops, probably hadn't go that gender stuff any more? -- and I've had good luck until now. The Molotow was easier than the Alclad and had always looked chromier. Lucky it wasn't around in '59 or all my builds would have had more than just chrome frames! Since I do a lot of spraying finishes, I think I might try mixing it in for an experiment. I use mostly PPG stuff from my days at the local store, and also doing 1/1 restorations. I am glad to have chrome paint as an adjunct to BMF; they both seem to have uses dep on where applied, huh? I tried Krylon bright silver from the rat-can, but while nice, it isn't sparkly enough. Well, I'll risk the price of another bottle, and see what I can cook up using the over-age stuff. Thx again!! Wick, age 78

I thought it was a major event when first Aluclad than Molotow introduced their chrome finishes, and have used them a lot with good results. But now my 'refill' size Molotow doesn't give anything but a rather coarse silver effect. I usually don't do modeling in the hot months, saving them for 1/1 restoration projects, so the cannister just sat undisturbed for half a year. Usually, I agitate/shake any paint to get a consistent mix, like the factory intended, but so far this hasn't helped this supply -- it simply won't give the ultra-smooth and fine texture that a plated surface demands. So, any remedies that have really worked for you? Or just relegate it and buy a new bottle? Wick in far-N CA

I thought it was a major event when first Aluclad than Molotow introduced their chrome finishes, and have used them a lot with good results. But now my 'refill' size Molotow doesn't give anything but a rather coarse silver effect. I usually don't do modeling in the hot months, saving them for 1/1 restoration projects, so the cannister just sat undisturbed for half a year. Usually, I agitate/shake any paint to get a consistent mix, like the factory intended, but so far this hasn't helped this supply -- it simply won't give the ultra-smooth and fine texture that a plated surface demands. So, any remedies that have really worked for you? Or just relegate it and buy a new bottle? Wick in far-N CA

Actually, the old Doc demonstrated: just poured a few grains of table salt into his palm, added a bit ft tap water, and then snorted into both nostrils -- and it works pretty well! Only I had been blowing my nose (ten years old) rigorously, and it was pretty chapped; the salt didn't help that situation!! But he maintained that saline was as effective as any aftermarket spray. He was from Moosejaw, Sask. as I recall. I'll never use an electric drill to run a new wire through my top-plate, after missing the 230W lead-in from the pole by one inch! C. 1980, putting in a new HVAC. Ohhh! Wick

Actually, the old Doc demonstrated: just poured a few grains of table salt into his palm, added a bit ft tap water, and then snorted into both nostrils -- and it works pretty well! Only I had been blowing my nose (ten years old) rigorously, and it was pretty chapped; the salt didn't help that situation!! But he maintained that saline was as effective as any aftermarket spray. He was from Moosejaw, Sask. as I recall. I'll never use an electric drill to run a new wire through my top-plate, after missing the 230W lead-in from the pole by one inch! C. 1980, putting in a new HVAC. Ohhh! Wick

A veteran MD told me once (fifty years ago) that just snorting some lightly salted water was as good as any Rx; 'course some of those may have improved in that time. However, I've been shocked several times at how nasal congestion clears up, sometimes for considerable time, after a swim in a chlorinated pool! (Nice thought!) Now, about model cars... Wick

I'll try, with the dc '59; I only have sporadic luck with digital stuff. Taking shots is easy for sure, but moving them around has baffled me, tho my kids try to help. Poor Dad; lost in the 'fifties! I shot the '59 dc with real Cadillac Damson Maroon lacquer, over silver, having previously masked the scallops in Scotch (I know, I know!) tape. Well, we can't call it Scottish Tape, huh? Our family claims some Scots ancestry; great grandfather (I never knew) was a Scott, but also the other side are Wickershams (thus my middle name, and nick-name) who have at least some Northumberland claims. I guess "wick" refers to a dairy, and "ham" of course to a "hamlet". moo. I also did a '58 Maisto 1/18 ElDorado as a 'Stray Cats' band tribute, using two cut-up bumper stickers for graphics. Flat black, red interior, etc. Too subtle, it didn't interest the judges last year at the area IPMS show. Funny, those cars crude engines come with plug-wires, but very nice loomed V-12 ones! Save them for my faux-Miller engines! I'd like to find some in-scale electric guitars for those two! Paper catalog cutouts don't get it with real modelers. I read a lot of WWII fiction (history too) and particularly love the McAuslan series by George MacDonald Fraser; 'The worlds dirtiest soldier' -- also Brian Callison's stuff. I'm an Army vet; draftee in 1969-70, wasn't sent to 'Nam. Rank SP-5, equivalent of buck sergeant. Fifty years after leaving active service, I finally got VA medical benefits! Thanks for the offer; I'll try to find a source in N America. If you like adventure fiction, I wrote a trilogy about American teenagers (of my era) called A PLACE ON MARS (not sci-fi!) on Kindle/Amazon. I'd love to start getting some reviews! This site won't let me attach any samples! Wick

I'll never use compressed air to clean a finger-gun again, after getting a shot of lacquer thinner in the eyes (that I thought was emptied previously). Especially as I had to ask help of my new daughter-in-law, who thinks men are loco anyway; the thinner effects were luckily abated by the next day, but her impression... suspicions confirmed! Well, 25 years ago. Did scare me, a bit! The stuff I've gotten away with... !! Ole' Wick

Les, The 1/1 brands are Konig, Panasport, and ARE (not ARC!) and I forgot; Minilite -- all 8-spokers for four-lug hubs. The Japanese resin source I had was on the 'favorites' file of my old laptop, and lost now, but they were about $65 and also out of stock... ! Z wheel-covers were homely indeed! Until the last season of the Gen-1 280Z, Nissan did not offer a factory stock alloy rim, not in N American market! Thus all the slot mags on Z-cars, from the dealer. Yeah; 3D file... I'm not very tech-savvy, tho I do know impossible things are happening with that technique! I need to search the 1/18 sources you refer to, as although most of my unfinished projects are 1/25, my fingers and eyes are losing the battle with tempis fugit -- sadly. Build while you can!! The bigger scales are a bit easier for me now, though I only have a dozen or so, incl some highly modified die-casts. Easier to mask and paint, too, for custom finishes. One thing about big scale, the competition is a bit less at the shows I've attended; I got a second place for my Maisto '59 Caddie redone like the 'fifties classic Larry Watson hardtop. Wick

I've made-over an older Kyosho 240Z into a fair (lady) replica of my 1971 Z-Car, but am stymied for a set of 'mag' wheels. I have 15-in. Konig eight-spokers on it now, which look a lot like Panasports, or even the old ARC eights, but I haven't found any replacement rims that resemble them -- in 1/18 scale. Can anyone give me a steer in the right direction, or supply such? The car is a mild custom; most features look pretty stock, and the biggest change, after glass-beading I repainted it in the Honda pewter/silver under clear-coat of my 1/1 car. Best feature, possibly, is that it is autographed by Pete Brock of BRE, John Morton of SCCA C/Prod championship fame, local Z restorer Steve Pettersen (whose Best of Show 240Z was destroyed in the Camp Fire of Paradise CA*, and my humble self. I am the author of "How to Restore Your Datsun Z-Car" (CA Bill's Automotive Handbooks, Tucson AZ, 1990) which has been in print since then, and is soon to be superseded by a revised edition I did. I also have the BIG scale Tamiya Fairlady Z kit, which is the ZG racing version, basically, that I am going to convert to LHD and modify to look like a N.America version. This will require remolding the head-light 'buckets' and creating a new front bumper from aluminum stock, among other things. A Japanese source sometimes has resin replicas of Hayashi 8-spoke 'mags' available, if I can snag some! It will be painted (Mack truck) 'Japanese Racing Green, like the 1970 I bought new and used for the subject of my manual. This car, HLS 3547, was repurchased by NISSAN USA for a display car in 1995. Thx! Wick

Decal sheet is out of stock; maybe it'll come back. Thx! Wick

I'm slow on the uptake; didn't realize you were posting from 'over there' :-<) I'm from the US Midwest; not southern, but very like in some ways. Northern California since I was six years old, and still have a notably mid-American accent. But that's pretty usual for CA. Back in the 'sixties when I was fighting wildfire to get through college, I had an AmerIndian crewmate, from the Washoe (NV) tribe. We were having a bull session (random conversation between males!) and usually pretty quiet, he interjected "Heck, if it weren't for you Arkies and Oakies, we Indians would still own this place!" (Arkansas and Oklahoma, oc.) Since the advent of so-called 'reality TV' and the social networking plague, I noticed that we Californians talk more like hicks (yahoos, folks from the sticks... the tules... the hinterlands... oh help!) than ever. Best, Wick Humble age 78, and counting!

Bill, Yep -- try finding a good 283 block, nowadays! OC the four-bolt mains 350 has more going for it than original mouse, but... We're using one, camouflaged as a 327 (albeit painted black) in my son's '51 Chevy Syline 2-door (was my Dad's car, once -- relocated in the mid '80s!) FiTech, Sanderson headers, HEI, etc. Why? "When you and my uncles talked cars, you always said 'Remember that 327 we had in the '55 BelAir, and how it beat that Chevelle 396?' ad infinitum!" Family legends! So, I found a 'pair' of 327-label valve covers and had them powder-coated black! I have two SBC's in 1/25 with that style valve cover, but the only ones I've ever located. Begun in '62, it had only a few-years run in 1/1. Very distinctive, evocative! I think the AMT '62 Imp kits had them, with '327' numerals in the label area, maybe others? Like to have a few more! Wick

Pretty thin-skinned shop guy?! Eensie, teenie-weenie, bitsy -- no better? I'll bet they had 'em, tho! Wick

My oldest Testors bottle said '19 cents' until I tried to clean it up! Anybody remember the paint sets sold by Aurora? Tiny bottles with tinier caps, but very nice paint. I did a JoHan '61 Dodge with a brush ,and it looked almost sprayed, back in hi school. I clean out and refill old Testors bottles with One-Shot, lacquers, even nail polishes to keep them useable -- sometimes it even works! I pour-off 1/1 paints into Trader Joe's spice bottles -- about three ounces -- and put new labels on them to same small amounts, or prevent having to go dip it out of a gallon can; pretty handy. Easy to share, too! Wick

The rituals of sanding paint are part of the whole schtick, of course. Anyhow, when doing a 1/1 car body/paint job I absolutely rely on guide-coating; it seldom fails if done carefully! Yep, it can be done on kit bodies, but it isn't much fun. Still, it's foolproof, if a lot of labor. Hardest thing on a 1/25 body is color sanding the final paint; not wearing through those bulges and peaks is tricky as it can happen in a stroke or two -- and one doesn't want to paint too thick after all! Even buffing compound can scour right through three coats, if one isn't cautious; personal experience! Ninety percent of the time, I use real PPG autobody finishes, 'cause that's what I use on 1/1 restoration, and also my retirement job was at a PPG store. Shhh... but most other suppliers are equally good. Adult modelers -- kids, they figure it's for vandalism! -- can often get mis-mixes at prof autobody stores for free, or nearly. I have a full gallon of Hemi Orange, if anyone wants to come by with a bottle; we'll pour-off some! Keep your powder dry and your sandpaper sharp! Wick

I wouldn't try painting foil and then applying it -- it's frustrating enough without complications! However, to simulate the original 'metallic' look of early 'sixties Pontiac 'Morrokide" (vinyl) upholstery, I first use chrome or aluminum BMF on the seat-cover facings, then do a layer of translucent or 'candy' color, usually brushed. Most PMD cars had at least three-toned seats, so this gives two -- over primer or white, then over BMF. Catches the eye.

What's worse than staggering into the bathroom and starting to brush you teeth with Preparation H? Mistaking toothpaste, esp the very minty kind, for it for the purpose intended. I did the former! Senior moment? Wick

Final word, from a guy who has been modeling (of and on) since the Korean War era: you ain't supposed to get them off after the first time, of course! I still have a few Testors bottles, as described, that say "19 cents", back when a buck was worth closer to 100 cents. But I use my little bench vice and pliers with the jaws in 'wide' setting, and it always works -- well, the glass broke once, but typically the paint had dried out, so very little clean up! Using hot water or lac thinner will eventually make your labels useless, tho. Harder to open were those teensy bottles that Aurora sold, but the paint was super good. IM Humble O.

Amazing! I remember building my own when it first was released in the mid-fifties, +/- and it was fiddly -- but I was eleven or so! I doubt if many builders will want the original nose art/lettering, maybe I'll score on a decal swap? Thanks a bunch, happy holidays! Wick Nice Tractor: I used to own the family (bought new!) 1952 White 3000 tractor, but couldn't keep it. $$! Have driven Freightliners, Macks, Fords, Petes, K-whompers, Chevys and Corn Binders -- in the day! I'm doing a resin version (on Ford C-series chassis) of our White with integral sleeper, etc., as a car-hauler; slow going! Wick

Feels funny looking for aviation stuff here! I'd like to find the "Buffalo Bill" script logos from the very old Revell B-14 kit, if I could. I should put this in Trading Post, I guess, but... I don't need the rest of the sheet, just the 'nose art' set, for a Brewster F2A build. Lots of very vintage decals to swap, too! I traded away an unbuilt kit of this bomber about 25 years ago, found in my aunt's attic, of all places! Probably something she was going to gift me with, but changed he mind when I was naughty? Well, just a thought... Wick

As I recall, Bewitched was all Chevrolet. Google the ill-fated show from '62, 'Straightaway' and see their 'rods & customs'; mostly I recall a '56 Chevy with scallops. I was driving my first ride, a '55 Delray 'post' with hot 4-bbl. 265/three on floor. It ran about 85 in the quarter mile, upper 16-sec. range, and almost beat at least one MoPar 413 and FoMoCo 390 T-bird. With three Strombergs, the previous owner had eked out a flat 100.00 at the strip, in 15's -- amazed even him, but he'd saved his timing slip! Racing on our unofficial quarter outside of town, we usually carried passengers, too! That was the year my school photo was the one in the MCM headshot! Those were the days! Wick

Bill, you know your own situation best, but I'm 78 and have plans to build a '53 Studebaker 'phantom' roadster (slice and dice method) to sit on a shortened S-10 frame with IROC-Z engine and T-5... at least I hope to! It sounds to me like you DO have plans after retirement, with the nice MoPar. Love those seat patterns! Good Luck! Wick

Too bad about the Chrome problems with the MCM forum/website. For what my opinion is worth, yours is one of the very best and most useful -- seems to always work as advertised -- and I appreciate it!! Wick age 78, modeling since '53

Best answer to that topic question in my case would be "Do I also have scale model project cars?" I'm finishing a 1951 Chevy Styline 2-door sedan resto-mod for my son; long term project that wasn't meant to be that way, for one. FiTech 350 SBC, T-5 five-speed, M II front end, discs all around -- a hundred other mods. He's paying the parts tab, and I'm doing it for a gift; it was one of my late Dad's cars (1954-57) which surfaced again in about 1985 and we were able to 'repossess'. It was his 16th birthday present. I did all the body and paint, original style acrylic lacquer. Also making a resin rep kit of it! Also a '1961 Pontiac Tempest coupe with the rare Buick aluminum V-8, almost a complete rebuild, and almost stock. I'm upgrading the 215-incher to a 4-bbl and duals, Pertronix ignition, and alloy Land Rover valve covers, etc. Buick only let DeLorean have 2,000 of these in '61 and again '62, before he gave up and put the iron 326 (actually 336-cu.in.) V-8s in the '63s. A restomod ground-up 1971 Datsun 240Z that I did all except the '75 L-28 and 5-speed. Also, I have a'51 Ford Crestliner driver, that I bought recently; an older resto (1980s) but mechanically a bomb. I've done about twenty restorations for myself and friends: '51 Merc, '37 Plymouth, '54 and '56 F-100s, '69 V-W, a lot of '55-57 Chevys, '58, '64, and '72 Chevy half-tons, and... Plus, my bought-new 1970 Z-Car, which I restored for my book HOW TO RESTORE YOUR DATSUN Z-CAR (CA Bill's Automotive Handbooks, 1990) and sold back to NISSAN USA in '95! Having a lot of 1/1 car paint is handy for doing car kits! Wick, age 78