Custom Mike

Andy, do you know how many reference pictures I looked at of the real engine, and never spotted that? Thanks for the heads-up, I'll see if I can't fix mine, it's not in the car yet! Christian, it's OK with me, I'm a big boy and I took it as I'm sure Andy intended. I screwed up like he did, proving again no one's perfect!

I've got the JoHan Javelin and the AMT Javelin, and they're identical kits except for the tail lights The one pictured in the post above is supposed to be a '72, the AMT issue is supposed to be a '74. They both have the same grille, the only change was the tail lights, every other part is identical. I'm sure the same holds true for the JoHan and AMT Mavericks, like Keyser said. Any Testors issues (The HSO kits in the strange boxes, Testors added the metal rims and the AMX had a small PE fret) were ran by JoHan at the end of their life for Testors, I've got the JoHan Pro-Street 'Cuda and AMX, and the Testors HSO versions, and they're identical.

Thanks, you remembered the issues pretty well, I had to reshape both heads extensively, the top of the block, and the front cover match the reshaped heads. I still haven't figured out how to get the exhaust attached, the original attachment points got obliterated in the reshaping!

I just went through all 10 pages to make sure I hadn't posted yet, we've got some interesting skills on this forum for sure! I spent 8 years in the USAF ('83-'91) in Engine Management, and worked with the mighty A-10 the entire time, including that field trip they took me on to Saudi Arabia...very interesting part of the world, never want to see it again! As soon as I got out, I became a DJ at WKZQ in Myrtie Beach, SC, where for 4 years I was a DJ, Assistant Engineer, Assistant Music Director, and did petty much anything else I was asked to do. The Assistant Engineer position led to me learning my current trade. The Engineer had an Alarm Company on the side (More like his main job!), so in June of '91 I started working with him, and found my calling in life. I left Myrtle Beach in '97 for a bigger company (Benefits ya know!), and became an Alarm Service Tech, which is what I've done ever since. The pay is good, the job is easy, and you get to meet some really interesting people. I'm probably going to have to go into sales or management sometime in the next few years, the body just can't stand crawling under houses or getting into attics any longer, and we don't have enough Commercial accounts for me to do nothing but them, they're much easier on the body!

Unless they've seriously cleaned up the tooling for the Cammer engine, that thing is a real bear to get looking like it should. I spent probably an additional 15-20 hours just making it all fit right. If anyone builds that engine, report back and let us know if it's been fixed!

Bill, is the first picture of the intake prior to drilling the distributor out? If so, a big pat on the back to Revell, I'd love to see that done on all kits in the future!

Yuri, your work never ceases to amaze me. You live on the other side of the world, did not grow up seeing these cars, yet you build a dead accurate representation of the car....you are incredibly talented, great work!

Gotta agree, that is one beautiful color Tom! Are you going to leave it satin or give it some gloss?

Any time I use any laqcuer paints I use Primer/Sealer to prevent the hot solvents from damaging the plastic. I had to learn that the hard way a few dozen times.... Standard Primers are to give the paint something to "bite" into, the Sealer creates a barrier between the paint and underlying surface, whether it be a color like Red or a plastic you're trying to protect from damage.

Good information from everyone, but the one thing that I can add is to use Dupli-Color Primer/Sealer. Dupli-Color automotive paints are too "hot" for styrene, if you don't have a barrier like their Primer/Sealer, you're gonna make a mess of the body! Here's one I did recently using Dupli-Color Toreador Red with no clear coat or polishing, just to show how it looks straight from the rattle-can with just a nice coat of wax.

They do exist, but rarely if ever start out that way. Lots and lots of work goes into each "perfect" paint job I've ever seen! Kevin, if the passenger side is the bad side, I can't see it. It looks pretty good in that picture!

Whoa, back up a few feet here, just how did you do the foam on the seats, that looks awesome...and again, you sure you never saw my Road Runner?

You're a big tease Chuck, I was hoping for shiny, but your weathering looks so good I don't care...but the next slammed one you do has to be showroom quality!

If this baby was green, I'd swear it was a clone of my old 1:1 '71 Road Runner, the rusty roof looks just like mine did under that nasty green vinyl top!

OK, this new one is the best so far...MORE!!!!!!!

My God Ira, this looks like it should have been a kit available in the 70's, it would have fit in perfectly with the Zingers! Awesome work, simply awesome!

Joe, what size drill bit did you use for the exhaust tips? I always just trim them with an X-Acto blade myself, your method is much cleaner!

I love the look of the tail light panel, nice and clean. The grille looks great, not sold on the lower valence myself, but it's your baby, not mine...it may look great once it's actually on the car, so I'm probably dead wrong!

Man, that looks great James!

Bright colors, lots of detailing, yeah, I'm gonna watch this one for sure!

This should be a killer build John, where are you getting the '68 grille and tail light panel from?

Thanks Marc, I hope to get some completed pictures this weekend!

Hate hearing that the paint is giving you fits, but you'll get it right!

I wish Moebius would tool up a '71-'74 Javelin kit, I can promise I would buy as many as I could get my hands on before the wife killed me!

Thanks Dave, it was a fight, but I beat it into submission! OK, it's pretty much done, just the lower radiator hose to install, and it'll be finished. The Alclad on the bumpers didn't come out as shiny as I'd like, but it looks good with the Candy Silver upper section, so I'll take it. Once the lower hose gets glued in place, I'll give the truck and boat a good clean-up and snap some outside pics for the Showroom. Thanks to everyone who followed along, and Toney, I hope you like it! I had to remove the license plate and glue it back on a bit higher, since it still hit the bumper, that's why the piece of styrene is there, gotta keep it straight while the glue dries! I got some new North Carolina license plates from Best Model Car parts, put one on the truck (Much better!), and made up some tail lights for the boat, and added a license plate to it, now it's 100% completed! I'll get some pics up Under Glass soon, thanks for following along!