Jeff Johnston

My first attempt at weathering and I am having lots of fun. I'm quite a bit into it, and I've been too lazy to post it I guess I have since created some rust holes in the frame and floorboard...

Ahhhh the age old question, and my answers are always the same :-) 67 Galaxie Coupe and convertible 68 Galaxie Fastback or LTD roofline 66-69 Falcon - any year (though the 66-67 I prefer the roung tail lights) 69 or 70 Grand Prix A corrected Revell 69 Mustang with Boss 302 and Mach 1 option I'd also love to have the option to build a 70-73 Formula Firebird. I have about a hundred more but those are the ones that are always on my wish list.

Is this another way to define a stalled project LOL HAHAHAHAHA I have a few... Lincoln Mint Harley Softail Testors Lamborghini Jota A Resin 68 Falcon that just looks worse every time I get it out. What a piece of ###### LOL Bandai Fiat X 1/9. I was all jazzed up over restoring this one, and then just fizzled out. I'm getting the itch to work on the harley though. Plus I am planning a super detail 70 Cuda that'll get started just after I finish my 56 Ford..

I really want to do that style, and I'd love to see someone cast that hood in Resin.....I really hope someone agrees to cast that for you. If I had all of the "parts", I'd do the hood and have it cast. Really nice work on that.

I think you are able to purchase straight from the Revell Web site...

Revell must be making a killing on these..it's not my normal subject matter, but seeing the builds on like, I liked it so much I bought 2 ! Finger nail polich paint with urethane clear coat.

Nice flame job !

I have one in progress painted almost the same color. I like the steelies.

OK I'LL PLAY

Completely Box Stock 71 Corvette...Built in 14 days while my wife was overseas since the end of Sept. No extras at all. Painted Duplicolor Medium Green Metallic touch up paint with clear coat. Interior is semi gloss green Krylon. I have not done a box stock in a long time and it felt nice to build something so quickly. It was fun to just build something without any extra stuff on it.

Dang...thats an incredible piece of work ! Absolutely stunning !

I agree with Phil. Are you usiug Testors modal Master or standard Enamels ? The reason I ask is that those are hard to paint with. Some guys get great results with them, but usually through an airbrush. I have found that while they are "hobby paints", testors enamels are just really hard to paint. They are even harder to get a gloss Testors Enamel paint job out of a can. You are probably not doing anything wrong. As long as you've washed the body (with soap and water) and given it a coat of primer..those 2 pieces are key. Try this...try laquer. What brought me to the next level of painting was discovering Plasti-kote Laquer, right from the auto parts store. Get a can of primer (same brand), the color can, and a can of the Plastikote T-5 Clear. Prime it using several light coats. Once its covered completely, smooth the primer out using 1500 or 2000 grit sandpaper. Then spray the color using the same technique. Light coats until its covered. You'll see it dries dull and fast. Once the color coat completely covers the car, let it dry and spray a couple coats of the T-5 clear. It't won't look glosst until the clear coat is applied. You'll love it... The only issue with laquer is this; If you spray it on too heavy, you can burn the plastic (crazing). It's a hery "hot" paint. Duplicolor is even hotter, which is why I never use it anymore. Also, laquer paint stinks (pew - wee). Paint using a respirator - gas mask. You can do the same thing using Tamiya or testors spray laquer. I don't use either much, because you can get a lot mroe paint for the same money using plastikote. However, the same techique applies EXCEPT with Tamiya, I hear you have to spray the clear coat within 30 minutes of the last color coar...or wait a month. Using laquers is what took me to the next level of painting.

I'm here because I really like the format, and how it's moderated. I also like the fact, as Steve H said, that you know who your talking to. . . not to mention that some of the best talent in our little corner of the world post here, and are more than willing to share. I also post regularly on Spotlight. As far as the bickering and OT posts, I just "usually" ignore it. Though I will say I am the kind of dude that if I have some thing to say, I'll say it.

Well....talk about myself ? Not my "thing" usually...honestly I am more interested in reading about you all LOL. I grew up on North Central PA, right on the NY State border. After school I moved to Ithaca NY for more School. I then moved to Rochester, NY where I worked at The Univiersity od Rochester Medical Cetner for 5 years. Then I moved to Boston (again for work) where I thought I'd finally find my pot of gold and get that Ferrari I always dreamed of. yeah right... LOL 6 weeks later I met my wife (of 14 years now) at the Hospital (in 1991), and we have been together ever since. I have a boy and a girl, 10 and 12. Both build beautiful models when they build...which now is prety much never. They have thier own hobbies, and are great kids. I now live in a small town in Southern NH right on the Mass Border (Mass is is literally one mile from my front door). This means I have the benifit of living in a small town, about 45 minutes from a big city (Boston), without having to pay any sales tax or state income tax. I have been building since 1974. I was born about 6 months after the 64 1/2 Mustang rolled off the assembly line I have been building steady except for about a 5-6 year lul between 1991 and 1997. I built during that time, but not like I did before or after. I am have been back into it "heavy" since about 2001. I build mostly Factory stock cars from the 60's and 70's...not "Stock cars" but showroom stock. I sometimes build a exotic car and even less sometimes a rod or custom. Though, I did buy 2 49 Mercs... I have a 1:1 69 Mustang which is my avtar. I work on it when it needs something, and when I have time. I have less time these days due to long work hours, and family stuff. I tend to build models on Friday and Saturday nights. I sometimes get to shoot paint job or sand a kit body other days. I attend 2 shows every year. Classic Plastic in Mass, and the NNL east. I've been lucky to meet some great people at these events, and I enjoy seeng them every year. Like Len mentioned, I am also somewhat of a lone wolf builder. Though there is a local model club, I've yet to join. I guess I have no real excuse, other than I just forget or have too much going on most Saturday's to do it. Or maybe I'm just too lazy. LOL None of my friends build models, but most of them know I do. I've built many kits for friends, replica's of thier 1:1 cars. If you called my house you'd hear some pretty thick accents...my wife and kids have the classis Boston accent. I don't think I've acquired it even after being here 16 years (yeahs), but some of my PA friends tell me they hear a hint...haha I enjoy building tremendously. I only have about 40 unbuilts, which my wife thinks is a lifetime of kits...if she only knew. I've loved cars since I was born. I have built a total of one non-car model... a plane. I enjoy this board as well as the Spotlight hobbies board. I also post on a modal car board called "Sharks Realm", which is a small group of guys, but a really great board.

Well...not today or yestereday...but Thursday I received an Auston Healy 100-six in the mail fom Ja Bill...for the price if shipping ! What a great guy ! Its already stripped and sporting a bunch of Bondo that needs to be sanded. I also ordered a bunch of pre wired distributors from Arrowhead Aluminum Accessories. Today I need to find some Alclad, since the LHS who carried locally it shut its doors on the 30th. The other local LHS's don;t carry it (yes I KNOW I am lucky to still have two or three LHS's). I am bidding on something closing on ebay in the next couple days...we'll see how that goes. I usually lose LOL JJ

I went down to the garage this evening, and my plan was to airbrush some clear on a couple painted bodies. This is a Badger Cressendo 175 dual action. Well...I mixed up the clear, went to spray it on, and I am getting bubbles blowing back down into the paint jar. Nothing is coming out of the end of the nozzle, and I am geting constant air blown down the tube into the jar. If I take the pin out, air comes out the end of the nozzle, but no paint. So I took it all apart and cleaned everything. There is free air flowing through every part. I put it all back together and once again, air bubbles are blowing back down into the paint jar, and nothing comes out the end. I will also say that I found the aurbrush on the floor which means one of my kids may have knocked it off the little stand and onto the concrete floor. But I am stumped...I know I could run down to Michaels and replace it, but I'd sure rather fix it amd save myself a hundred bucks.. Any sugestions would be greatly appreciated.

Hey Bill. Actually. The red line tires are the kit tires with the kit supplied double redline decal. It was a real pain but I eventially got them lined up properly...then I mashed them down with a really hot paper towel. Thanks for the kind words everyone !

This is one of my favorite kits, and a that I have built at least 4 times...I even liked it when it was molded in Red LOL This is the revell - former Monogram 1/24 kit...Painted Testors Black lacquer with urethane clear. The interior is some color of plastikote red. Once in a while I venture into the open doors realm, and this kit has been calling me for a long time. My original intention was to paint it Emberglo, but the black testors has given me such good results lately, I could not resist. I did the engine detail form a variety of courses. RM&M holly carb, ignition coil and distributor, detail master breather cap, detail master wires, and the heater hose is that wire that toys are tied in with...you know, that real thick stuff thats such a pain. Well, I keep it and paint it as heater hoses...this is painted red oxide enamel. Now off to finish my 49 Mercuyy...which by the way is in the purple pond due to a painting malfuntion (the fender skirts popped off, taking along a huge chunk of paint off the wheel wells) *DOH*

Very nice. I especially like how you lowered it...I am goinig to be starting a 56 Ford Victoria that I have similar plans for. I'll be bugging you for tips on lowering it. Very nice....I love the added details on the wheels

Wow that is outstanding work...very real looking

thats pretty cool !

Being that Hobby heaven is gone. I found Model Roundup. Are there others ? I am sure there are...but I wanted to get feedback on more on line sites to buy models, and if they are good or not.

This is a great new tool and is completely out of my nornal subject matter. See....if the model companies release cool stuff like this, guys like me wil buy a couple. Honestly, I'd never had taken the time to chop and make this out of the AMT kit. Finger nail polish paint job. I repaced the kit carbs with resin 4 barrels.

I've bid on that kit so many times, and I always get outbid. I actually lost out on a MK 3000 tha ended yesterday. Thanks for the mini review. I'd love to do a black and red one if I can ever score the kit.

I took a ride over to Methuern today ot pick up a few things and was welcomed with a 30% off closing sale. This is a great little hobby shop. He indicated that it was just really hard to make any morney anymore...seems like I've heard that somewhere else recently eh ? It's too bad. I am fortunate. I have a Hobbytown right in my town. THey are not great at carring the extra junk we like, but they do OK and have lots of paints. THere is 2 more Shops in Salem, NH. One is pretty good the other pretty bad (more of an RC shop). So while I am kucky to have several hobby shops nearby, this one was my favorite. The owner treated everyone like they were spending 1000 bucks, and I enjoyes chatting with the guy the times when I want over there.