bobss396

I was always into engines as a kid. home-grown motor bikes, boats at an early age as in 14... worked as an outboard motor mechanic, moved onto motorcycles and cars once I was old enough to drive. Did a bunch of street racing, eventually wandered into the world of stock cars. I drove for a few years locally. This is how I got to know what-goes-where on a car. Like I mentioned, fuel systems like dual quads, injectors are a challenge to detail up. I get fuel tees from Pro Tech. I also have some really small brass tubing I could use. This stuff is TINY for sure. It has to look right or becomes a waste.

I was mentored by a great builder in my club, he said to treat EVERY part as a model. The steering wheel is a model in itself, so is a valve cover and so on. This guy had opening glove boxes, working sun visors, gas tank doors, etc.

I did, the cat is treated like royalty. I had a '48 Ford chassis primed on the counter when he was like 5 months old. I come down in the morning and the chassis is sitting on the living room floor.

Nicely done. I did one MANY moos ago and painted it Testors flat red.

I have a slew of them. I have an OG version from around 1961 started as the blue box-art custom. I have always said, when in doubt, crack open a 40...

I was thinking of attaching one of those Harbor Fright fake light switches under the table and still might do that. When I built in the basement, that was a tile kitchen floor and parts flew off into another dimension. In my dining room it has an area rug. I lost a completed header for a NASCAR build. I wasn't sure if was on the kitchen counter or floor, so I tore both areas apart. Looked under all appliances, no luck. It was a month later, the part magically appeared in the middle of the kitchen floor, the cat must have come across it.

I use beer bottle caps for CA glue. I rotate them to get a new spot for a few drops of glue, then toss them.

I still struggle with complex things like carb linkages. Like others have said, battery cables, plug wires, radiator and heater hoses are basics. I'll do brake lines off the master... that vanish into nowhere. Whatever you do has to look flawless. I see too many "detailed" builds that are too sloppy when displayed.

I feel it is best to use a good primer as a basic barrier to color bleed. Probably using lacquer paints are also a good idea.

I'm doing a 3D printed engine now, just getting into the prep part. Lots of tiny pieces to contend with. Most I was able to drill a small hole (won't show on assembly) so I can spike them on a toothpick. Others I will have to hold with fun-tack. Choose vendors wisely for sure. I just did a couple of disc brake assemblies from one vendor, the rotors were way too thick, lots of labor on my part. I tried another set from someone else, like night and day. I have some parts from VCG Resins that require almost zero prep. I can go right to a top coat without primer. On things with post-finish assembly concerns, I'll drill them for small pins, so the parts register well for assembly. Less chance of messing them up. I have yet to have to strip a printed part after it was painted.

Up until recently, I swore by DC and professional body shop primers. I gave up on cheap primers a long time ago. Plasikote made a good one, haven't seen it in eons. Now I'm Mr. Hobby all the way, they also make a black primer. Also Tamiya Fine Surface white. These work with lacquer top coats and go on smooth. Minimal sanding is required in most cases.

With me, plus the fact that I am lazy... I avoid the airbrush since I have to clean it after and there are too many variables along the way.

My bad, is there an address for AMT on them? I have seen some promos with something other but Troy Michigan on them.

And I thought I had a bad case of OCD... I am a pure amateur next to some of you guys. But it is a great reference without a doubt.

Nice build! I had always wondered why a relatively obscure driver like Pond was chosen for this kit. Drivers like Donnie Allison or Benny Parsons would have been my choices over Pond.

Another great kit that has held up over the decades. Back on the 1st issue, it was revolutionary with steerable wheels and a tail gate that worked. I have built a few over the years and it was always a nice build at the end. Lots of foil on yours... whew... looks mint.

It may be an SMP kit, precursor to the AMT line. I know of a club member that scored a pair of them recently. I'll have to ask him later in the month. I see them on eBay once in a while. Modelhaus used to be the only source for lights and chrome for those.

It is a good tip, I use plastic knives too. I used to root around for scrap pieces, etc. Spoons are dirt cheap and you can use them to eat ice cream after...

I was shooting AMT paints around 1968 or so... I still have some models from back then. Like the south end of a northbound alligator... bad... There is one modeler in the club, quite opinionated on paint work, spouts a lot of rhetoric I have heard before and his paint work is... not acceptable to me. He gets unintended effects I have never seen before. I keep it simple, almost all rattle cans unless I'm, shooting nail polish. I would crank the pressure down to about 15-ish. Hand speed with that stuff is crucial. It has to look WET when it goes on. With anything I paint, I walk the ragged edge of a sag or run rather than something grainy that I'll have to sand the BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH out of. I believed what I used to read on old forums... "mist" coats... right... that ship has long since sailed. You'll get it, just keep plugging away.

I know a few "good" modelers that would call that a great paint job...

I have this habit of sitting too far from the table. I like to sit back and sand parts so the mat keeps cleaner. Sooo... how many times do you find yourself dropping parts on the floor? For me, too many times a day. The area is carpeted and I keep a flash light close by. About once a week I get down and look for supplies I have dropped, then I vacuum up the dust and anything else.

Most of my wire wrap stock is around .016-.018". I find it to be just right for me. I drill distributor holes to .020-.022" and the plug holes in the heads to around .026" since they get paint build up. Or I have to chase them after paint. Lately I have been drilling them even bigger, so I can slip the plug boot wires into the heads, gives the wires more support.

I wound up in a heated email battle with the Model King over this very kit. He even sent me a 2nd kit that was as bad as the first, I still have them un-built. I will be taking them to an upcoming show where I will be a vendor.

Too bad that Donnie's career was cut way short. Both brothers were amazing racers. The fact that they raced all year around even back in Florida made them great. The story of the '64 Chevelle is a good one. Bobby petitioned NASCAR to allow him to use a HM front stub and it was denied. He wound up drawing one out of the shop concrete floor and made his own. https://www.chevyhardcore.com/features/bobby-allison-racing/

What kit is that? I really need to get out more...