rick6343

I've actually had some good luck brushing acrylics on small parts (I'm about to start experimenting airbrushing bodies). The tricks are: wash the kit parts ahead of time and don't put so much paint on the brush. A primer coat helps immensely, but that kind of defeats the purpose of using water-based paint! I have had some luck brushing artist's gesso on as a primer coat, but experiment. As far as brands, I do use Model Master frequently but prefer Polly Scale. Most of their colors are military-oriented, but look closely and get creative. Once I found and figured out how to use it, I love Vallejo. Go to their website and read and re-read the tutorial posted there. Again, military- and figure-oriented, but don't let that stop you. By all accounts, Tamiya and Gunze Sangyo acrylics are nearly impossible to brush. Good Luck!

Wow... While the dust gets stirred up here, I'll just say that I'm happy that someone (who apparently cares) "owns" the AMT/MPC/Polar Lights tooling. Even if new or modified tooling never sees the light of day, at least we know that the old stuff can be reissued and available again. I'm too broke and too short on space to hoard kits!

FORDSVTPARTS, Amen to that. My '02 SVT Focus is probably the favorite car I've owned-it might even beat out the Miatas I've had! I love the European package wheels on yours. What suspension mods have you done?

Agreed, better late than never. I became a die-hard CART fan until that series nearly totally disintegrated around 2003-2004. I'm just happy my daughter will grow up in a world with one American open-wheel series! I wouldn't worry about Paul Tracy. I heard that Tony George will pay his salary for whatever team picks him up.

I have the recent issue AMT '58 Edsel kit, and was wondering what engine that is. It doesn't seem to be an MEL, as described by Tim Boyd in his series of articles for that other magazine, and it's a scale 3 inches shorter than any of the 1/25 scale FE engine blocks I can find. Thanks,

I have two of the blue-boxed '80s releases of this kit-similar, but one is MPC and the other is MPC/Ertl. Both have the OHC six included. MikeMc: The Revell '67 Corvette has a side-draft Weber intake manifold for the Pontiac 6???

Actually, I believe that Replicas and Miniatures of Maryland has cast this engine in resin, though in 1/25 without the Weber setup. Speaking of which, is there a side-draft Weber intake manifold for this engine in scale anywhere? I've been playing with an idea that involves a '66 Nova and a Corvette IRS...

After several years in powertrain development and testing in the automotive industry, I'm now a manufacturing engineer for a metal food container company. There are a lot fewer people to talk cars with, but I like the work a lot better.

I should add that Future floor finish will level out to give a great gloss when brushed on. I wonder if a few drops of strongly pigmented paint (like Vallejo) could be added to some Future and brushed onto a car body to give a good result???

Are you referring to painting glossy bodies, or to small parts or interiors/chassis/other areas that don't require a high-gloss finish? If the former, well, it can be done, but I think it takes an expert, the right paint, and some luck. For chassis/interiors/etc you can absolutely brush paint acrylics. I have a slew of airplanes painted this way. Some rules of thumb: a primer coat REALLY helps (spray your favorite, though I like to brush on thinned artist's gesso), don't put so much paint on the brush, and build up the color with thin coats. I like Polly Scale and Testors Model Master; Tamiya doesn't seem to work quite as well for me. My favorite, though, is Vallejo Model Color. It's hard to find and requires a special technique (thin with water 50:50 and mix well before brushing), but leaves a gorgeous brushstroke-free finish.

Bobby, Thanks for posting that! Now I don't know whether to cheer or cry... Guess I'll just HAVE to drag that Revell 911 GT1 out and finish it in Champion colors...

Interesting that the two weathered buses (vans? trucks? these were before my time...) are almost identical, down to the "rust". Must have been used to represent one vehicle in shooting.

This sounds exciting-with caveats. First, it will certainly be priced out of my budget. Second, their record in aircraft is spotty at best. Though I haven't actually seen any of their kits, the reviews range from "work of art" to "horribly inaccurate over-engineered disaster". I can't help but wonder if their track record in cars is due to price and subject matter. At double or more the price of AMT or Revell kits, how much demand was there for '60 Pontiacs or '78 Monte Carlos (no offense to enthusiasts of those marques)? I wonder how much better they would have done with a '63 Corvette, Cobra Daytona coupe, or even an accurate '69 Mustang (to cite my preferences...).

David, Great tip! When I built mine (Jimmy Vasser's '99 car), that seam was a lot of tedious work... Maybe now I'll have the motivation to dig out one of the half-dozen more I have in the stash!

JT, There is an aftermarket set of Champion decals for the Porsche 911 GT1 out there, but I can't remember the manufacturer. The Revell 911 GT1 kit was also released in Champion livery at one point. I BELIEVE that "Pure White" would be your best bet-I don't recall the car having any pearl in the color. I have a friend who spent a lot of time around those cars, though, and I will shoot him an email to be sure. Good luck with your project! I wish someone would release a plastic R8 race car and a Porsche Spyder... I saw the R8s run at Mid-Ohio and the R10s at Road America-they are quite a sight!

gasman, This is a cool idea, and it shouldn't be an impossible conversion-the two-door and four-door Foci hatches are the same size, so it ought to be a matter of cutting new door lines, moving the b-pillar, and modifying the door panels. Stock-size wheels and tires can be found on the Maisto die-cast SVT Focus, though I don't know where to get the great European package multispoke wheels in your photo.

Very nice. What paint brand and color, and what's the source of the engine?

Looks nice! I have one on the "to-build" pile; where/how did you stretch the frame?

I like it! Do you have a list of all the things you had to modify to make it an accurate racer? When and where did that particular car race?

Great job! I think you fixed the current Mustang's styling flaws! (I seem to be the only person not head-over-heels in love with it...)

I'm not exactly sure of the entire history of the deal, but Tremec owns the former transmission business of Borg-Warner. That means that the former Borg-Warner T-56 6-speed is now a "Tremec". I believe that those were found starting in early '90s Corvettes, Camaros/Firebirds, and Vipers. I'm not sure what transmissions are found in Pro Touring cars, but that might be a place to start. 4.6 liter Mustangs ('96 and later) used the T-45 5-speed that may be externally similar to some 6-speed models, but I'm not sure. Another avenue might be the 2005 and later Mustang transmission, though I have no idea what its geneaology is. You may also want to investigate cars like Nissan 350Zs and Toyota Supras-I've been told that some Japanese companies will go to lengths to avoid giving the impression that they use a part not designed in-house-at least one '80s truck model had unique housings cast without the "Borg-Warner" name on their T-5 5-speeds! I hope this helps!

Gregg, Thanks! I haven't been able to make it yet because of family and schedule obligations, but I ought to be able to make it this coming Friday. I wasn't able to make last year's NNL thanks to a wedding back home, but I intend to be there this year!

Thought I'd join in after lurking for a few months. I'm currently in Waukesha, WI, but I grew up in the Detroit area modeling airplanes and cars. I was active in the local club and a regular at all the local toy shows, including Toledo at its peak. Got sidetracked in the mid '90s by the usual distractions and restarted about three and a half years ago. I wanted to build cars, but was intimidated by painting, so I dove back into those winged things. That is, until a co-worker let me in on the modern lacquers from Tamiya and Testors. Back then, '60s musclecars were my thing, but today I'm interested mainly in road racing cars and mild street machines. I'm happy to be here to admire and be inspired by all the great work, to pick up some tips, and to contribute what I can! Rick

2002 Ford SVT Focus Bone stock, except for the Hawk brake pads and snow tires in the winter. Looks good, Handles great, is (reasonably) fast in a straight line, is comfortable, has plenty of space for stuff, and gets mid-30s mpg on the highway. Just a fantastic car...

Sunbeam Tiger '67/'68 Cougar '69/'70 Mustang '67/'68 Mustang notchback MPC GT40 Mk IV Any of the '60s-'70s Indy cars They did a Scirocco??? Put me down for one of those.