Custom Mike

I'm gonna enjoy this one, another kit I wish they would re-issue! Would the GT stripes from the '66 Fairlane be right for this one? Forgive my ignorance, but I'm more of a GM and Mopar guy!

If it looks this good under a lamp, it's gonna look real in sunlight, bring one the outdoor pics John!

Looks like I'm not the first to add ground effects to a Matador....at least mine was on a model though!

Great job on the exhaust manifolds David, just the right amount of rust! Didn't this kit's engine have a hole through it for the axle? If not, I've gotta find one, it would be much easier than filling the hole in the one that came with my Javelin!

Kevin, if you see one, grab it, it's a great kit! Two engines (392 HEMI and a gorgeous 302), optional '40 Ford dash, two different styles of headlights (Highboy or Coupe), louvered or smooth trunk and hood sides, this kit is loaded with great parts, and it builds up beautifully!

This is a great kit Kenneth, you're gonna love it!

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!