BodyShopKid

Thank you for responding! I'm glad to find this forum and get some input from others with more experience so I don't do something stupid. Well, I might still do stupid stuff, but at least I'll mix my paint right and not breathe in fumes.

Thanks so much! The paint my dad sent me is Limco Supreme. I am going to test out the paint with just the reducer, thanks for the insight! Of course not knowing much about the process and not having experience with the particular paint before, I felt if I didn't use it I might mess up somehow. Thankfully I have been using my husband's super alien-looking two-filter dust mask/respirator he uses when he does woodwork, I had no idea what it smelled like. I was working outside in the front drive with a large cardboard box rig and no wind thankfully! I'm sure I looked funny to my neighbors with the big mask on my face and all of my hair covered under an old tshirt tied around my head, cussing when I dropped something or got tangled up trying to get the hang of using the brush and hoses. Another quick question -- would it be possible to brush it after it's been thinned out some if I need to do small spots? For example, I'm painting the wheel rims with the same color and I am afraid of getting it too thick and not being able to sand it down.

I am almost regretting using the kind I have to mix, it's taking some getting used to and not being intimidated by it. It's just GM Light Green. My dad owns a body shop (hence the name) and sent me the materials I needed. I asked him if I could get it in a ready-to-use formula because I wanted an accurate color, but unfortunately no. This will end up being better in the end I hope.

Thanks! It takes some getting used to, that's for sure. I think I was rushing myself because I was afraid of the paint drying inside the brush too quick before I was done. I'm doing a wet sand to smooth it out next and then going to go over it again. My dad sent me the materials and wrote the ratios for me (paint to hardener to reducer) told me to start with the basic ratio of reducer then thin it a little at a time until I found what the brush liked. But I got overwhelmed and wanted to go to fast so I stopped where I was in the photo in case I went too far. I did get some orange peel texture, which is why I'm sanding and going to try again.

I got a new airbrush and started painting my body today. I have to say this is harder than it looks! I’ve never airbrushed paint before and between all of the mixing and ratios, hoping I don’t mess up (which I did a little), it sure is a PITA! But I think it’s going to look awesome when it’s done. I’m using authentic GM 503 color.

It is reversed hinged. I don't know the detail on the tailgate, I'll see if I can find a better picture of it. Thank you so much for the kind words and welcome!

I made a solution to replicate the look of weather stripping around windows by placing black pinstriping tape on wax paper, tracing the shape, and using a blade to cut out the curves. A little dot of glue on the corners where the tape meets keeps it from coming apart and it peels off of the wax paper great. However, this was probably not the best way to do this. Is there anything that can be used to make weather stripping? I tried a bead of thick matte black paint around but my hand isn't steady enough yet. I got uneven bumps as I was trailing across. I practiced on a scrap thankfully.

To this day, among my favorite weird smells is Bondo and masking tape. And yes, between the Show Offs (Which is what they were called), and football, and the FOOD, holidays were not boring. My dad is one of ten kids, so you can imagine what it was like when they all got together. Here is a picture of my dad when he was a teenager. I cleaned up the original in photoshop, because it was faded and scratched, and one of his personal projects, called the Pink Panther.

Thank you everyone. And thank you for the kind words about my build. I've done lots of reading and research about methods before I began. I can't wait to share the finished product.

Hey all! I'm a 37 year old wife and mom, but I'm also an artist and I love miniatures. I grew up around modelmakers. My dad, brothers, uncles and cousins would build all year and have show offs at family reunions, sometimes races. I was intrigued by them but didn't participate in building. My my dad has always been a body shop owner (hence the username), and I spent much of my time after school in the shop. Of course being a kid I was more concerned with going outside to ride my bike or whine about going home. I did small chores around the shop and my poor dad, in vain, tried to teach me how to do basic auto repair, but nothing stuck. as I got older, I saw how much he dedicated his passion to his craft. It is a way to make a living for sure but his side projects are what he really works for. People come from states away by word of mouth to have him do custom work on show cars, and it is lucrative for him but he is only able to take on a few projects a year. My dream vehicle is a real 70 or 71 chevy c-10 swb. I would like to get one before it's too late and have him help me work on it. Or rather show me how to work on it. In the meantime, I've started building models as a way to connect with him. He has even sent me paint he's mixed from paint chips for the accurate colors! I can't wait to finish this 66 (attached pictures of my documenting the process that I send to him) I have started three times now. Each time I learn something new and finally (hopefully) bought the last kit so I can make something in proud to show my dad. I look forward to learning more about this art and tips from others who have more experience and like to share knowledge.