Jeff Johnston

whoah Bradley thats awesome !

Started painting and here is what I have so far.

Wow this thread is long. In the end it's how you make the delivery. If someone says comments and criticism is welcome they should mean it. Then we should provide opinions that are constructive but not harsh. Same as I hope most of us would do in real life. You can say "the paint looks like ccrap" or "your stance is so high it looks like an SUV".... Or you could say "I think you can smooth out that paint by doing this or that" and you'd be a lot happier with the results". Or you can say if you want to bring the stance lower like the real car is, you can do this or that to make that happen". the internet is really a place where faceless people can say whatever they want, to whomever they want, any way they want and not have to be accountable. Most of the time the recurring flamers could not have real life a debate if they tried. So they spend 15 minutes putting together 5 sentences in response... It's a joke really. Its not reality and its not real life. If you want real life go to a model show or a club meeting and talk about models. You can probably get your work critiqued sensibly without someone getting their pants in a wad like they do on line. You can't see facial expressions and the likes....its not real life folks. I will bet 75 % of the people who have strong opinions on here can't hold a normal civilized debate in real life.. I have received the best advice at shows talking to real people. I have learned stuff on line..a lot actually. But nothing beats standing over someones model and asking questions about technique etc. Just sayin'

Well I got paint on my body today...Gulf Blue. I bought the Motorcraft GTO Mustang, but I plan to do it up as a Gulf sponsored car. I'll let it dry a few days before I tape off the orange stripe and paint that too. I still have to decide how wide to do the stripe and I keep waffling back and forth between a thick one or a tinner one like on the 917. Maybe I;ll meet in the middle. Pics soon....

I welcome criticism on my builds. I want to build better...I am competitive person, more with myself than with anyone else. I built a Mach 1 not too long ago and I had forgotten to put the Cobra Jet decals on the shaker scoop. . Someone told me it'd look better with he cobra jet decals...DOH..they were right. I am glad he said it. I built a 49 Merc and the hose I used for the heater hose was too big. I never noticed it, but when someone pointed it out they were right. It was... Unfortunately more often than not the builder gets their pants in a wad if you give any kind of constructive criticism..so unless I know the person (know them face to face, had a conversation, they know me personally, etc). I just don;t say anything. Sometimes I know the person and I think they would be upset...so again I stay quiet. So if y'all have any constructive suggestions or comments on my model...on the record... I honestly welcome it. If you can't take the advice you'll never build a better model. Same as it goes in live...

I figure I'll start a thread on this. I am building this for a friend to replicate his 1:1 car. Its testing my modeling skills..specifically in the area of making decals. the Decals are printed on my ink jet on white paper. the lighter blue stripes had to be painted to look the right color. There are 2 Pink decals and the rally japan is tripled up to get the color correct. Ink jet on Testors film=very transparent decals. If I print the pink in clear, and put it on the blue, they look purple... I scanned the decal from the Tamiya kit and the color changes in photoshop...with at least 10 hours of pixel by pixel sharpening of the image, since the scan has WAY less detail than the actual decal. In the end this will take 3 kits to make this car. Started here Painted the lighter blue shadow stripes and outlined the Subaru Stars More decals the real car...this is not your off the showroom floor Subaru. This has 450 HP to the wheels...its a monster.

Interesting thread. Actually my favorite post 73 Mustangs are the 4 eyes Fox's (never heard them called 4 eyes but that describes them). Wit the 85-86 taking the top for me. To weigh in on my opinion, FWIW. It looks like a nice little ride. If that car can clean up and get you from point a to point b reliably, then you have a nice little daily drive that pretty much nobody else you know will have...definitely cool factor there. Plus the interior looks almost mint. With some used wheels, a good buffing with polish and wax, some engine cleaner and elbow grease that'll be that's a fun little ride. You might even be able to juice that 4 cyl up for not a lot of $$. But I have to also agree with Mark T on his sentiments. If you ever plan to drop a V8 in there, etc, you will want to consider just buying the V8 car complete and restoring it. Around here (New England) you can get a descent restorable Fox GT for really short money.

I'm still having a hard time believing the jet pic is real. I can understand you could get caught up in a crosswind or even have to crab all the way past the end of the runway, but there is no runway to be seen in that photo and what does look like runway is of the the pilots right...or at least thats what it looks like. I believe that is a plane landing, but not in that location...headed for the fence with no runway visible.

It looks like that plane is nowhere near a runway and is heading through the fence AND right into the photographer. It's hard to believe that's a real pic but I'm no expert.. Where is the runway ? What I do know is that if that jet is on one wheel, having just "landed", whoever is standing there taking that pic is a dead man... The plane that big is probably 130 knots at landing, way too fast to stop for that fence lol.

Jim. It is confusing reading the responses and being that you instinctively know lacquer over enamel is a bad mix. However, indeed you so need use gloss black enamel as a basecoat. Here is how I get my best results, for what it's worth. I use Walmart color place gloss black enamel. I like it because it dries fast. I also cover this with a coat of color place clear enamel. Once it's dried, I shoot the Alad. Another really important tip is that you need to shoot it at 5 or so psi. Also, you shoot it on with mist coats. If you go on too heavy it'll just look silver. So the key is a gloss black enamel basecoat (alclad, testors, whatever), shot at 5 psi in very light mist coats. It took me a few times to get the hang of it.

Whoa Clay that's a great build. I love it !

I'm liking this one a lot !!

that's a tough one. I have had good results when its hot, and I've had really bad results. I will probably wait to paint again until the humidity and temp is lower. Typically its a lot cooler in my garage but not in this heat... My opinion is work on something else before doing it. The exception is if you are using a 2 part clear (which I know your not as you said Tamiya). I've cleared with 2 part urethane in the heat with good results. Though there in no thinner in that mixture.... If I have to clear this summer heat, it'd be 2 part urethane.

I never got a descent paint job until I switched to lacquer and clearcoat. I never could get those MM sprays to come out and they never dry. Head to the lacquer isle.. However I have heard that decanting MM enamel and putting 5-10 drops of lacquer thinner is the key to it working. I've never tried it.

OK I decided. I am going to build the IMSA Motorcraft Mustang. I built these back in the 80's and always said I wanted to do them again. Here is my chance

Spoken like a single guy LOL Dunno about the rest of the married guys, but that would not fly in my house. or in most IMHO ;-)

I'm in. Not sure what I'll build, but count me in.

LOL Mark that's funny. AND...I previewed first. That's what I get posting just before bed. Thanks for the link highway

because I can't find the thread. I'd like to get in on it.

I agree Bluesman. Having Ed back is the icing on what I already consider to be a pretty tasty cake LOL

I have about 45 unbuilt which is the perfect amount for me. I have as many as will fit on the shelf where I store them. I build one I buy one...sometimes two ;-) Though I do like the preparedness of the model Armageddon thing hmm... maybe I need some more lol

This is the Revell kit re-released a few years back. It was originally a Monogram kit. You should be able to find it easily on eBay or in hobby shops.

I printed the trunk mat by copying the pattern off the internet, making it black and white via photoshop, resizing it to scale and printing. Then I cover it in clear shipping tape to make it look like vinyl. The rear piece is a Replica's in Miniatures resin piece. He used to make a whole resin kit that had the non CT grill, the rocker panel molding, better side vents and the ribbed rear. He made this for me a few years ago even though its out of regular production.